The City Council meeting began with the mayor and council recognizing the accomplishments of the Tucker High School football team, which finished as the AAAAAA state runner-up on Friday night. Principal James Jackson and head coach Bryan Lamar were on hand to represent the school.
Council got into its business, voting to appoint Steve Nicholas as the Municipal Court Chief Judge for the city of Tucker. They also heard on first read an ordinance that would create an Office of the Solicitor for the city of Tucker. They then unanimously approved re-appointment of the Community Council, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. Resident Thomas Lupo was named as a new member of the Community Council.
Council approved an amendment to the City Code authorizing the sale of beer and liquor on Sundays. They then passed on to second reading a pair of annexations and an ordinance granting franchise to Atlanta Gas Light. They also accepted the bid of accounting firm Mauldin & Jenkins to handle auditing for the city of Tucker.
Council held a public hearing on a SLUP (special land use permit) and concurrent variance regarding a drive-thru lane on the front side of the Einstein Brothers/Caribou Coffee being built at the Tucker Meridian retail development. They discussed a condition approved by the Planning Commission that would require voice activated controls for the volume on the drive-thru intercom. Following public comment, they passed the matter on to a second reading and vote on January 9.
Two public zoning hearings were postponed at the request of the applicants. Developers of the proposed “Nexus Tucker” mixed-use development made major changes to their application, including reduction in the number of apartments and addition of office/medical/retail facilities. Zoning for the 88-acre development at the intersection of Hugh Howell and Mountain Industrial will now go back to Planning Commission on January 12 to be re-considered, with the first read at the Council meeting on January 9 and a second read and vote on January 23.
The other hearing involved a SLUP for the construction of a family life center at Mount Moriah Baptist Church on Brockett Road. The hearing was delayed after the applicant changed their proposal from a 12,000-square-foot facility to a 14,500-square-foot facility. That issue will go back before the Planning Commission on January 12, as well.
