TIFTON — Tift County has made plans to create a commercial use overlay along the west corridor of Highway 82.

County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 9 to amend the county unified development code to allow for this development along the highway, starting from Ray Taylor and Isabella Nashville Road and heading toward Ty Ty.

The commissioners first reviewed the amendment at their Oct. 3 meeting, where community development director Chris Davis explained the overlay would give a blanket classification of General Business and Community Commercial to that strip, without a need for rezoning or a concern of spot zoning.

The overlay had initially been set to begin at 3732 Hwy 82 West, but the planning and zoning committee had asked for Ray Taylor and Isabella Nashville Road to be its starting point instead, recommending approval on that stipulation.

Davis reported this amendment was in response to the extensive record of past rezonings and calls pertaining to the development of commercial projects and retail businesses in the area, and would simplify the process of founding commercial establishments along that stretch of highway while maintaining the aesthetics of the area.