Resident speaks out on proposed townhouse development on Airport Road

PERRY – A proposed townhouse development on Airport Road sparked a citizen’s concern during Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Residential Townhouse request

Early in the regular council meeting, Community Planner Emily Carson explained the annexation request made by Widner and Associates. This was the first reading of the request, meaning no action was required by council.

She said the application is to annex 19.70 acres into the city. The applicant requested an R-TH Residential Townhouse district zoning designation. According to Carson, 610 units are available on the sewer line.

She also noted that traffic on the Airport Road extension is low, but stormwater and traffic improvements are necessary as part of the development process. The development is not expected to cause an excessive increase in traffic, beyond what is expected for the road.

Applicant Matt Widner spoke in favor of the request, saying it would be a desirable development with approximately 100 units. He believes the development will add value to surrounding properties and will be a good addition to the city. 

Concerned citizen Clay Nodes spoke in opposition to the annexation request. He said it is premature to suggest traffic will not be an issue, emphasized the neighborhood’s importance, and believes the development will harm it and Houston Springs, a nearby community. 

Nodes believed that townhomes would reduce the value of nearby properties and urged the mayor and council not to approve the request, suggesting that the development would be better suited for Perry Parkway based on its infrastructure and location. Another concern Nodes had was the development’s impact on wildlife.

“I need you people to understand we are important. Those of us south of Houston Springs and even across we’re important,” he said.

Police Department recognitions

Earlier in the council meeting, Police Chief Alan Everidge recognized various members of the police department, including the Recruit of the Year, Officer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and Civilian of the Year.

He said when he became police chief, he wanted to strive to recognize people who have done a good job, and started a process for officers and employees to nominate their peers. Nominations must be accompanied by reasoning, and from there, the department held an election.

This year, Everidge said they did it differently by recognizing a civilian. The first Civilian of the Year was Pam Collins. He shared Collins is part of the police department family and has a welcoming spirit, which the department considered during the nominations.

Other police officers recognized were:

• Recruit of the Year: Officer Chasity Chamberlain
• Officer of the Year: Officer James Smith
• Supervisor of the Year: Sgt. Jacob Laster

Mayor Randall Walker gave thanks to each of the winners for what they do to keep the city safe. He believes the police department is the best and congratulated them on their achievement. 

Heat Award presentation

Moving on to the next item on the agenda, Councilmember Reverend Willie King presented the Heat Award to the mayor and council. Walker said the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia recognizes communities that provide assistance to people in need of heating during wintertime.

The organization recognized Perry during its convention this year. King said it is good to recognize people in need and the city’s ability to help them during difficult times.

Creekwood Park Pickleball courts

Creekwood Park will have a new addition of Pickleball courts after mayor and council approved the bid later in the meeting.

Director of Finance Mitchell Worthington stated that the project involves adding six pickleball courts. The responsive bid from Tri Scapes, LLC was originally $498,339.49, according to Worthington. However, it was more than the allocated dollars that were included in the Creekwood Park master plan that the council approved. The city negotiated the price with the bidder to bring it within budget, resulting in a new price of $350,000.

During pre-council, Councilmember James Moody voiced concern about the courts not having shade structures. He believes it would be helpful, especially during the summer months when people are most active. During the regular meeting, Worthington said that the shade structures will be removed for now, but will have footings in place to add shade if funding sources become available. 

Moody said he did not like the lack of shade structures, but appreciated the footings. 

Rock garden at Rozar Park

Rozar Park will also soon see a new addition, a rock garden requested by the Perry Arts Council.

Arts Council representative Teresa George announced that on June 25 and 26, they will collaborate with Perry Leisure Services to host a two-day art camp for children. One of the projects during the camp will be rock painting; When they finish their rocks, they will put them in the kindness rock garden. 

Mayor and council approved the request unanimously. 

At the end of the meeting, Walker spoke about the unveiling of Emory Healthcare’s signage on June 2. He said it was a very important day and they looked forward to what the hospital would bring. Walker believes the community will see improved services through the Warner Robins and Perry locations. 

Communications Director Tabitha Clark also reminded the mayor, council, and the public of the city’s upcoming Juneteenth Freedom Festival. The event will be on June 14 from noon to 3 p.m. at Rozar Park. Clark said there will be a variety of entertainment, food and vendor options available. 

Mayor and council will have their pre-council starting at 5 p.m. and regular council meeting at 6 p.m. on June 17. Everyone is invited to attend these meetings, and the agenda can be found at https://perry-ga.gov/escribe-agendas-minutes.