Braselton project gets initial approval
Neighbors oppose drive-thru window for big pharmacy
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A national pharmacy’s plan to open a store in Braselton earned the initial approval of the town’s planners on Monday — despite opposition from some residents of Chateau Elan.
The Braselton Planning Commission cast a 4-1 vote recommending approval of the request. Thomas Blevins cast a vote in opposition to the proposal.
The Braselton Town Council will hold a public hearing on the request on Thursday, July 10, at 4 p.m., and is expected to vote on the issue on Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m.
Lensned, LLC is building a planned unit development, “Liberty Village,” at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 211 and Liberty Church Road in Barrow County.
The Buford-based company is asking Braselton to remove a zoning condition on the 15.2-acre property restricting drive-thru windows to “dry cleaners and banks.”
Instead, Lensned wants the zoning condition to say “no gas stations, convenience stores or fast-food restaurants.”
Rite Aid Pharmacy plans to open a store at the intersection of the roads, across the street from a residential entrance to Chateau Elan. The site is also located next to The Falls of Braselton subdivision.
But to open its doors to customers, Rite Aid told the developers it would require drive-thru windows at its Braselton store.
Mitch Peavy, speaking on behalf of the development company, said Rite Aid was asked to change an initial “industrial” design for the store to one that would fit the “village” concept for the retail project.
Rite Aid initially protested the “village” architectural design, but the company wants to open a store in Braselton and be a good neighbor to the community, Peavy said.
Rite Aid claims seniors, handicapped customers and those too sick to enter the store typically use its drive-thru windows, Peavy said.
Grant Carlson, a resident of Chateau Elan, disagreed that just those people would use the drive-thru window.
“I think a mega pharmacy is not what we need in a village-type development,” he said.
Larry Mayran, corporate communications director for Chateau Elan, said the proposed pharmacy doesn’t look like the architectural style of the resort and golf community.
“We just want to protect the integrity of the Chateau Elan image,” Mayran said. “And in no way do we want to have an obtrusive development and buildings that are not compatible with the look and presence of our resort destination, and the beauty and charm of the architectural style.”
Mayran said Chateau Elan paid more than $725,000 in taxes in 2007 and town officials probably don’t want to affect that revenue stream by negatively impacting the resort’s image.
Another Chateau Elan resident, Tom Harrison, said stores with drive-thru windows attract additional traffic — which isn’t needed in the area.
“We believe that the Rite Aid is not a high impact use,” Peavy said, while adding that the developer is funding a traffic light for the intersection of Hwy. 211 and Liberty Church Road.
Liberty Village is slated to have an Ace Hardware store, a Discovery Point Child Development Center and a Regions Bank — which will have four lanes for drive-thru service.
Scott Snedecor of Lensned said a more intensive use — such as a restaurant for Ryan’s Steakhouse or Golden Corral — could have been developed on the site, which is already zoned for commercial activity.
“This is the one of best uses of that corner,” he said.
Snedecor said the Ace Hardware store is expected to open in August or September. The Ace Hardware store building will feature multiple tenants, which could include restaurants or shops.
