MOULTRIE, Ga. — Three landowners approached Moultrie City Council Tuesday to have their land re-zoned for commercial use. None of the three has a specific plan for the lots, but the new zoning would allow them greater flexibility in using their land.

Two adjacent properties on Fourth Avenue Northeast were approved for the zoning change, but a change to a Main Street lot was tabled.

Gary Jenkins and Wayne Taylor own adjacent lots at 809 and 815 Fourth Ave. N.E. — immediately west and north of the lot where Georgia Poultry Equipment and Roscoe’s Pools are now located. The lot containing those businesses was re-zoned commercial about a year ago, city staff said, but the properties under consideration Tuesday were still zoned M-1 (Light Industrial).

Taylor said he has a sign on the property saying he’ll build to suit a tenant, but at this point he and Jenkins don’t know whether they’ll build something and rent it out or try to sell the land.

The main reason they wanted the zoning change, Jenkins said, was to be able to use the land for something productive. The industrial zoning severely limits what they can do, he said.

“With industrial (zoning), I can’t even build my own building there,” he told the council.

The council approved changing both lots to C-3 (Commercial). The part of Jenkins’ property that fronts on Fourth Avenue was removed from consideration prior to the meeting because of discrepancies, City Planning Director Daniel Parrish said; he said Jenkins wants to rezone that section too, and that decision will come before the council once those discrepancies are ironed out.

An attempt to rezone a section of South Main Street from residential to commercial met with greater resistance, however.

Thomasville Investment Properties — the developer who built the Publix shopping center on Veterans Parkway — wants to re-zone 3.5 acres at 1925 S. Main St. from R-PUD (Residential-Planned Use Development) to C-1 (Neighborhood Business).

Attorney Chris West told the council that the company doesn’t have a specific use in mind for the property, but zoning it for commercial use will make it easier to market to potential tenants.

Councilman Daniel Dunn expressed hesitation to approve the zoning change without knowing what company Thomasville Investment Properties would bring in because the property is on the city’s main street, an entry into town, he said.

“We want to be protected of our Main Street,” Dunn told West. “I don’t want to vote on a general commercial business to go there and not know what it is.”

West responded that the company doesn’t have a client lined up.

“We do not have a tenant to present to you,” he said, “and we can’t market it until it’s rezoned.”

West pointed out the lot is directly across from a “little commercial node” containing a convenience store, a medical supply store and other businesses. The property would have to have appropriate buffers as required by the zoning, he said, and since Main Street is part of a state route, any traffic changes would have to pass muster with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Dunn repeatedly stressed he didn’t object to development of the site at all; he just wanted the council to be able to influence what kind of businesses moved in there because of the prominent location.

“A nice strip mall would be fine to me,” Dunn said. “I don’t want to see a dollar store there.”

The council voted to table the request and asked West to bring photos and information about projects Thomasville Investment Properties has developed so they can see more about their appearance.

In other action Tuesday, the council:

• Approved an amendment to the agreement between ESG Operations Inc. and the city for operations, maintenance and management services in connection with city water and wastewater services.

• Agreed to assist the Department of Transportation with lighting needs in connection with a roundabout planned on Highway 37 at Industrial Drive and Cool Springs Road.

• Approved the sale of excess power to the cities of Evergreen, Ala., and Hartford, Ala.

• Appointed John Norris and Susie Magwood-Thomas to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority, with terms Jan. 1, 2018-Dec. 31, 2019. Magwood-Thomas is currently a city councilwoman but will be replaced Jan. 1 after last month’s election.

• Heard from Denise Wilson-El. Wilson-El identifies herself as a Moor, which she said is an ethnic group of blacks that is indigenous to North America. She said their nativity to America is indicated in the writings of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. She expressed concern to the city council that this version of history isn’t taught in schools and has historically been actively suppressed by government.