McCollum

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Thomasville Payroll Development Authority has requested proposed guidelines intended for perusal — but not presented — Monday by the Thomasville Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC).

PZC Chairman Haile McCollum requested city staff to provide the panel with guidelines for PDA use of the 3.79-acre former Roses site at South Dawson Street and Remington Avenue. City council voted 4-1 in May to transfer the city-owned tract to the PDA.

On Tuesday, McCollum said a city council member nixed guidelines going before PZC after the subject was placed on the panel’s Monday agenda.

“I have requested the City of Thomasville’s Planning and Zoning draft on the Roses lot, and the information in the draft will be presented to the PDA board of directors on Monday, June 18, at 8:30 a.m. at the next PDA meeting to be held at the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce VOOM Room,” said Shelley Zorn, PDA executive director.

The PDA wants to use planning and zoning guidelines, “and they are fine with seeing the report and hearing a presentation,” Zorn added. 

Before the land was officially transferred to the PDA, a PDA member said a developer was interested in putting a hotel at the site.

Zorn said the PDA is soliciting other developers for the property. She met Thursday with a potential developer from the Atlanta area.

“They are a hotel developer. At the present time, the PDA has reached out to five developers,” Zorn said.

The extensive public input gathered during the comprehensive plan will be used by the PDA during the process, she explained, adding that the plan has eight recommendations for the Roses lot from public input gathered, with six of the recommendations being for a downtown hotel.

At the June 18 PDA meeting, the PDA board will review planning and zoning requirements for the property, Zorn said.

“PDA will not address requests or presentations from any developers at this stage,” she said. “It is still too early. The PDA board members take their responsibilities very seriously and strive to be open and transparent, as do I as the only staff person for the PDA.”

Zorn encourages those interested in the Roses property and its future to attend the June 18 meeting.

After the Monday PZC meeting at the which the anticipated guidelines were not heard, Mayor Greg Hobbs, who is also the PDA chairman, said, “I’m sure there are guidelines in place now, and that’s what they’ll have to follow.”

On Thursday, McCollum told the Times-Enterprise: “Contrary to what the mayor said, the Roses site currently has no guidelines in place. There are no height, architectural, lot configuration or building frontage guidelines on this site. Height restrictions are especially important, because we don’t currently have any height limitations on commercial properties in our city ordinances.”

McCollum said she has communicated with Zorn and is pleased Zorn requested guidelines for PDA to review and include in a development agreement.

“The PDA has the best interests of this community in mind, and I fully trust them to do the right thing. In fact, I am pleased that this site will soon be in their capable hands,” McCollum said.

McCollum, who hopes city staff is allowed to put more work into the draft before it goes to the PDA, said the draft planning and zoning was emailed late last week is not specific enough to be useful.

Thomasville Landmarks Inc. should play a role in development of guidelines particularly helping define architectural details in keeping with the city’s historic downtown and nearby neighborhoods, said Mary Lawrence Lang, Landmarks director.

“The role of the PDA is job creation and economic development, but economic development goes beyond just the bottom line number of jobs,” she said. 

Lang recalled that in the 1970s, South Hansell Street became a target for commercial development, and proposal for a chain supermarket was suggested to replace then-dilapidated houses.

“Luckily, the project was scrapped, and the houses were sold to be rehabilitated,” Lang said. “Now, that street and the surrounding area is one of the loveliest areas in town, and the city uses its historic character as a draw for tourists who infuse millions of dollars into our economy each year. Sensitive rehabilitation, and therefore sensitive development, is an invaluable tool for economic development in the long term.

“With the site officially transferred to the PDA, we must consider what measures can be taken to ensure sensitive development that meets everyone’s needs, wants and desires,” she added. “Design standards that run with the property’s ownership are imperative. It costs little to create standards to hold prospective — and then subsequent —developers to, and yet the impact is tremendous. Whether these standards are functional as a form-based code or easements in perpetuity, we can be sure that the end product is reflective of Thomasville’s architectural legacy.

“It is not hyperbole to say that getting this design wrong would trigger a tectonic shift in the value and marketability of our historic community.”

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820