The old Metro Diner location in north Macon could soon see new life as a Culver’s restaurant.

Monday, the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission will hear a request from Carter Engineering Consultants to make changes to plans for the building at 3710 Northside drive to accommodate Culver’s style and its two-lane drive thru.

The applicant is seeking conditional use approval to revise the site plan for a stretch of 18 covered parking spaces outfitted with solar panels.

To make the parking lot safe for pedestrians, the building redesign shifts the main entrance of the restaurant from fronting Northside to the eastern side, which faces the driveway into the OrthoGeorgia complex.

The nearly 15,000-square-foot building originally housed a First Union bank near the juncture of Tom Hill Sr. Blvd. and Northside Drive.

Currently there are 16 Culver’s restaurants in Georgia with the closest one being in McDonough.

The family eatery touts its ButterBurger, fresh frozen custard made in-house daily and the Wisconsin staple of cheese curds as menu favorites.

New medical facility on Northside

A little farther down Northside closer to Riverside Drive, a new medical facility is expected to receive P&Z approval Monday.

Brandy Snook plans to house the Midstate Infusion Center at 3333 Northside Drive, which is not far from North Ingle Place.

Snook, a nurse anesthetist, will be open by appointment seven days a week and will handle a maximum of two patients at a time, according to her application.

Wellness Cube for Napier Avenue

The site of the old Bel Arbor nursing facility could become home to the Wellness Cube Project with P&Z approval.

Civil engineer Preston Ayers is seeking conditional use to allow medical offices in a new complex to be built at 3468 Napier Ave.

The Lizella-based Curtis Raines Sr. Foundation owns the five acres  near Log Cabin Drive which would house a new two-story, nearly 50,000-square-foot building for multiple medical offices.

On the first floor will be a pediatric dental clinic, child’s play area, adult dental clinic, separate primary care clinics for men, women and children, a bistro coffee shop and independent child care facility along with a centralized lobby, according to submitted plans.

The upper floor would house an imaging suite to include CT scans, MRI and mammography equipment, an administrative suite and common area conference rooms.

The site also includes an outdoor playground for the proposed day care.

The Curtis Raines Sr. Foundation strives to improve access to quality healthcare in Middle Georgia and across the world.

Old Greyhound terminal wall to be demolished

The curved wall of gold bricks will be taken down from the old Greyhound bus terminal at 71 Spring Street.

The Design Review Board approved the removal at its meeting Tuesday afternoon and P&Z commissioners are expected to do likewise Monday.

The applicant, Venkat Sanjeev, appealed “just for the wall to come down,” he said.

“Won’t do any other thing now,” Sanjeev told the board, although the initial application had included mention of a liquor store moving in and other proposed changes to the walls of the building.

Sanjeev said the demolition was necessary to market the building.

“Our group bought this property and we want to lease this property. People cannot see the building,” Sanjeev said, of the need to tear down the wall.

Development review officer Adriane Wood reminded the board that Georgia law prohibits a liquor store within 100 yards of a church. The New City Church is located off Riverside Drive behind the old terminal which would prohibit a liquor store at that location.

Open church planned for east side events center

Polar Squire LLC, of Chatsworth, CA, seeks a zoning change from agricultural to planned development commercial to allow for expansion of an entertainment events center at 5226 Ocmulgee East Boulevard.

The company plans to build an open-air church for weddings, a kitchen, bathrooms, outdoor seating, parking and a billboard on the 94-acre site.

An existing lodge near the lake will continue to host wedding receptions, according to the application.

“The property will maintain a majority of greenspace and the scenic views that have made the property a popular site for weddings and other entertainment events for several decades,” the application states.

Other agenda items

• 111 Providence Boulevard: Watercrest Senior Living Group seeks conditional use approval for a 1,000-square-foot sales trailer on the property as soon as December. The company wants to pre-sell as many units as possible prior to opening its senior living complex next summer.
• 385 Coliseum Drive: Jim Rollins of the Summit Group is applying for conditional use approval to revise the plan for a 4,500-square-foot convenience store between Redeeming Hope Center at Hydrolia Street and the fire station next to Fellowship Drive. The modified plan provides additional room between the fire station and the store, allows for better traffic flow and adds rental space, according to the application.
• 4740 Mt. Pleasant Church Road: Ogburn Realty asks conditional use approval to build an O’Reilly Auto Parts store facing Hartley Bridge Road. The 7,225-square-foot building would be open Mon. – Sat. from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. The business is expected to employ 12-15 people.
• 5748 Moseley Dixon Road: Jeff Neisler of Central Georgia Marina is seeking conditional use approval to store up to 100 boats in a 1,700-square-foot, two-story building on 2.3 acres.
• 8229 Columbus Road: M&W Heating and Air is applying for  conditional use approval to build a new 4,000-square-foot metal building for an HVAC warehouse on a vacant undeveloped parcel at 8229 Eisenhower Parkway.

Contact Civic Reporting Senior Fellow Liz Fabian at 478-301-2976 or [email protected].