Council votes on property exception

TIFTON —The Tifton City Council voted on several issues during regular session Monday, including approving a special exception request to place a mobile home on Elm Street.

David Covington of T & L Rentals requested a special exception and change in zoning of two parcels of land located at 717 and 719 Elm Street. According to paperwork, he intends to place a 1,568-square-foot 1990 Summer Haven double-wide on the property. The exception required that the lots be rezoned from current R-8 (Residential) zoning to R-8 SE (Residential-Special Exception).

Council members heard from Julia Shewchuck, the Tift County planning and zoning administrator, during a workshop in late January, who noted there were once two homes on the two adjoining lots but those homes were “very dilapidated” and had been demolished by code enforcement.

She also said current ordinances would require that the landowner re-plat and record the two lots as one record before applying for the necessary building permit required to move in the double-wide.

Shewchuck told council members then that she, and her staff with the city, recommended approval of Covington’s request and the planning and zoning board had also agreed. Some council members then questioned the age of the mobile home and its condition; Shewchuk told them code enforcement staff would inspect the home before it was placed on the property.

Council voted to approve Covington’s request on the condition that he develop the two lots into one before placing the mobile home there.

In other business, council voted to hire North Georgia Concrete Inc., to remove existing drainage pipes and replace three culverts on Tyson Avenue. Existing pipes have begun to fail, and in two locations have caused the roads to be closed. North Georgia was the low bidder at $458,562. The project is scheduled to be funded from revenues received from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and from FEMA disaster money.

Councilman Dave Hetzel did not attend Monday’s meeting and council members present, at Mayor Jamie Cater’s request, voted to table for two weeks the awarding of work to repair and re-pave certain sections of 17th Street until Hetzel could be present. Cal Carpenter, public works director, told council last month that SPLOST revenue will be used to fund the project.

He said five companies responded to a bid request and Reeves Construction of Albany was the low bidder at $203,643. Sumner of Tifton was the second lowest bidder at $204,124.21. Council members indicated during the workshop session they would like to award the work to Sumner, even though that company’s bid was slightly higher, because they are a Tifton company.

In other business, Council:

• Swore in Erika Johnson and William Kelly to serve on the Tifton-Tift County Public Library Board and Lisa Marchant to serve on the Tifton Tree Board.

• Heard from Walter Dykes, who requested that council reconsider its recent decision to change the name of 17th Street to Roosevelt Russell Boulevard.

• Voted to name Elaine Cook to the Keep Tift Beautiful Board.

• Voted to approve requests form The Gin, 261 Brumby Way, and Big Jim’s, 1310 Main St., for alcoholic beverage licenses.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.

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