
New retail space and a service station plan to build at highway 81 and Upchurch Road. The land owner / applicant gained approval for their project Tuesday night.
Henry County approved rezoning the six-acre property from RA to C-1 (neighborhood commercial). The subject property has about 900’ of frontage along state route 81.
Upchurch Road Retail Space
Mehulkmar Gajjar of Locust Grove applied for the rezoning request. He plans to construct a gas station at the street corner. As part of the conditions, Mr. Gajjar agreed to construct the fuel canopy facing Upchurch Road. This will reduce its visibility from highway 81. Secondly, all buildings must be all-brick. They can have up to 20% of an accent material. Finally, there shall be a 15’ landscape buffer adjacent to SR 81.
All conditions of the highway corridor overlay district, such as a ten-foot pedestrian path, also apply. The overlay requires higher construction standards on major roadways.
The original proposal in 2022 had a car wash attached to the gas station. This was removed following discussions between the applicant and county.
Mr. Gajjar is building another project in Locust Grove. It is located at Tanger Blvd and Indian Creek Road.
Other Uses
In addition to a gas station, the land can support several other retail buildings. Planned uses include an auto parts store — located adjacent to H3 Automotive — a fast-food restaurant and commercial strip center. Small-box discount stores are prohibited on the site.
Residential Lots
In 2020, the land owner subdivided the larger 30-acre field into six residential lots. Each lot has at least two acres. They left the highway 81 frontage for future commercial use.
The commercial property will leave a 40-foot buffer next to the adjacent home. This buffer shall include evergreen trees and a fence.
Featured image shows an architectural rendering for Upchurch Road retail space. GM Architect photo.
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