Next Commercial Request in Ola Presents to Zoning Board

Satellite image showing highway 81 between Upchurch Road and New Hope Road. Concept site plan for new commercial space overlay at Jake Lewis Drive. (Google satellite image / Moore Civil Consulting site plan)
(Google satellite image / Moore Civil Consulting site plan)

Proposed new commercial space in Ola presented to the county zoning board in June. The project is at the southeast corner of highway 81 and Jake Lewis Drive. Update: the county approved the request in March 2024.

Following the zoning board, the project must next go before the board of commissioners. Their proposed build has two food and drink options.

Highway 81 at Jake Lewis Drive

Right now, the Ola area is growing with three new subdivisions under construction. They include two on North Ola Road and one off Snapping Shoals Road. Three other residential requests await a zoning decision. With new subdivisions comes increased commercial interest. A local franchisee already in the Ola area is looking to expand their portfolio.

Royal Seven LLC owns the BP station at highway 81 and South Ola Road. They also own the Papa John’s on Keys Ferry Road. Now, they are proposing a fast food restaurant and coffee shop. Which tenants would occupy the space have not been shared.

Royal Seven DBA Royal Chevron Investment, Inc. has assembled 5.2 acres. The property is at the southeast corner of highway 81 and Jake Lewis Drive. This is between Upchurch Road and New Hope Road.

A portion of the property — about 1.6 acres — already has C-2 zoning. The company has applied for C-2 zoning on the remainder. In addition, a small section requires a comp plan amendment. The comp plan change would be from residential to commercial. This area measures about 0.6 acres.

Zoning Board Recommendation

The zoning board considered the project on Thursday, June 8. They recommended approval of the project. Planning staff have likewise recommended approval. Draft zoning conditions include a list of prohibited uses, such as nail salons and gas stations. The project also falls under the highway overlay district. This requires enhanced landscaping, building materials and a 10’ multiuse path.

Next, the rezoning request must go before the board of commissioners. This could be a couple months from now. Some applicants are waiting six months to more than a year between the zoning board and county commissioners. The county commissioners will make the final decision whether to approve the request.

Ola Projects in the Queue

Several Ola projects have gone before the zoning board, but not yet the county commissioners. Previously mentioned are the three residential requests. They include subdivisions at SR 81 and North Ola Road, and two subdivisions off SR 81 at Keys Ferry Road. Finally, a commercial request at Upchurch Road is proposing a gas station and retail space. There’s no date set when the requests may go before the BOC.

Featured image shows highway 81 in the vicinity of Upchurch Road and New Hope Road. Google satellite image / Moore Civil Consulting site plan.

About Clayton 1738 Articles
Clayton Carte is the founder and owner of The Henry Reporter. He founded the site in 2017 to highlight transportation projects. Over time, he began covering other topics like new development so residents can best know what’s happening in our community.

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