MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb's planning and zoning commissioners will have a lot to consider Monday as they discuss whether to allow a kaolin mine expansion and a new nightclub.
Club Colossal
The zoning board is slated to consider the nightclub first. Planned for a shopping center on the corner of Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue, Lanita Hunt plans to call it 'Club Colossal Event Center.' Hunt proposes to open the club Thursday through Sunday nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Patrons would have to be 25 or older.
Hunt plans for live entertainment, and would include a stage. About 15 tables would span the middle section, with four sofas on the back wall.
While Hunt isn't planning any new construction, it's a departure from the space's previous use. Club Colossal would be at 2475 Pio Nono Avenue — where the Rent-A-Center used to be.
Planning and Zoning staff wrote in their analysis that the club would meet most requirements, and would "promote the welfare of the public by occupying a suite in a largely abandoned shopping center."
Hunt previously wanted to open a bar at 5040 Brookhaven Road, but the board denied it because of its proximity to homes.
Kaolin mine
Arcilla Mining and Land already operates a more than 600-acre kaolin mine that spans the Twiggs-Bibb County line. Now, they want to expand the mine to give workers more places to look for the clay.
According to their application, the expansion along Ocmulgee East Boulevard would not mean any additional traffic in Bibb County. The entrance to the property is in Twiggs County and the company says they do not plan to ramp up operations with the new area.
"...we are not increasing the rate of mining, we are just expanding our boundaries for the purpose of retrieving additional clay deposits that lie outside of our current boundaries," Mine Planner Will Archer wrote in an email to zoning staff. "The boundary expansion will provide no direct increase in workers on site."
While zoning staff said in their report many of the requirements are satisfied, Arcilla Mining and Land would need to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect six potentially endangered species that could be on the land, along with another six types of migratory birds.
The zoning board is set to consider both measures, along with several other proposals, at their meeting Monday at the Macon Mall. Their main meeting is set to start at 1:30 p.m.