BOC paves way for Acorn station

Project would include gas, golf, food and more

An artists conception of the retail space at the proposed Acorn Express Monroe Station, which would build a gas station, restaurant, stores and a public driving range at the corner of Highway 11 and Mountain Creek Church Road. Special to the Tribune

The Walton County Board of Commissioners approved a zoning request to rezone 11.5 acres of land along Highway 11 at the intersection of Mountain Creek Church Road to allow the development of a gas station project at the junction.

The board voted 5-1 in favor of allowing the rezone, with conditions, with only board member Lee Bradford voting against the proposal.

The request asked the county to rezone the area from agricultural and residential to business to allow the construction of an Acorn Express gas station, as well as a stretch of retail spaces to include a restaurant, and a public driving range.

The owners requested a variance on a stream buffer to allow a driveway to connect the two spaces, while the board put a series of extra conditions on the property, including requirements for safety netting around the driving range and forbidding vape and smoke shops or tattoo parlors from the project’s retail space.

Billy Mitchell, a friend of the property owner, spoke in favor of the project during the public hearing concerning the zoning request at the May 5 BOC meeting.

“The highest and best use of this property would be in business and commercial retail,” Mitchell said. “This would be a multi-million dollar project that would add to the tax base. We think it would be an asset to the community.”

The project planners said they had done a great deal of work to make the location as safe as possible, working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to include deceleration lanes to enter the station from either side.

“My first concern as an engineer is public safety,” Terry Boomer, with LRE Engineering, said. “We’ll have a full-blown left turn lane.”

Nevertheless, the project drew some criticism from others in attendance, as some questioned the need for yet another gas station in Monroe, while one critic said there were already more restaurants in Walton County than anyone could hope to eat at.

John Hall also had reservations about the proposal.

“It just doesn’t seem responsible,” Hall said. “It’s an attractive project, yes. But growth has to be supported by infrastructure, and this isn’t.”

Hall said the intersection there was already dangerous and felt the added traffic brought in by a gas station, convenience store and restaurant right along that corridor could be disastrous.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Hall said. “Someone is going to be hurt here.”

Nevertheless, the board chose to approve the zoning request, allowing the project to move forward.