The Augusta Planning Commission voted on Aug. 7 to allow a zoning change to pave the way for developers to build a Parker’s Kitchen convenience store at 3645 Wheeler Road, and neighbors in nearby Hillcreek Subdivision are divided over the planned development.
The Planning Commission agreed to change the zoning from Agricultural and B-1 Neighborhood Business to B-2 General Business. The petition now moves to the Augusta Commission for approval at the Aug. 15 meeting.
Robert Becton has lived in Hillcreek since 1991 and says the area has suffered from the city’s poor planning related to roadways and traffic control during the time the area experienced tremendous growth and that a new convenience store will only cause more problems.
“Parker’s Kitchen is basically a 24-hour truck stop. I can see why they would want to place a location there because of it being near I-20, but the area is already congested and can’t handle more trucks coming off the highway,” Becton said.
The location is the former Wells Fargo Bank, and Becton says that he feels an expansion of the medical center complex anchored by Doctors Hospital would be more appropriate for the area.
Resident Kevin Reid agrees and says he worries that emergency vehicles will have an even tougher time getting patients into the emergency room.
“Augusta West Parkway is already a narrow road and there are already a lot of accidents, almost one a week. I counted seven gas stations from Walton Way Extension to I-20, so I think we have enough of them already,” Reid said.
However, resident Mary Schroer says she doesn’t see what all the fuss is about.
According to Schroer, Parker’s Kitchen is more than a traditional convenience store and is more like a restaurant with gas pumps outside.
“I think it’s great. It’s a nice upscale operation with a fully stocked kitchen and offers made-from-scratch food. This has always been a horrible intersection, and I don’t think it will have any impact,” Schroer said.
Schoer says that Parker’s Kitchen has locations in both the Charleston and Savannah historic districts and that she would rather see a business operating at the location than continuing to drive by a building that has been vacant for years.
District 3 Commissioner Catherine Smith-McKnight, who is a liaison with the Planning Commission, says she plans to vote against the zoning change, noting congested traffic and the number of convenience stores already present.
“I’m not putting Gordon Highway down, reaching towards Regency Mall over there, but I don’t want to see Wheeler Road turn into another Gordon Highway,” said Smith-McKnight. “I’m really disappointed that you would even put Parker’s convenience store there when you’ve got a hotel across the street that I’m getting call after call about prostitution, and about people going over to Walgreens hanging out from the hotel.”
Skyler Andrews contributed to this article. Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
