The Cartersville Planning Commission approved recommendations for two special use permit requests Tuesday night that will change the North Tennessee Street area around Johnson Street area. The requests for 333 and 327 North Tennessee St. will be forwarded to the Cartersville City Council to vote on.
Austin Pugmire, owner of Pugmire Ford, is asking for the permits that covers properties from the building housing All Weather Heating & Air, to Custom Auto Creations, and the Urban Market Warehouse building at the corner of North Tennessee and Johnson Street. He said he needs the properties for expanding his mechanic services and parking. He has talked with landowners but the final sale hasn’t occurred because Pugmire wanted to ensure he got special use permits.
Pugmire said he needs 12 additional garage bays and the Urban Market Warehouse building already has them since it was once Cochran Oldsmobile. He said the building at 333 North Tennessee St. would be used for more custom work. Other buildings will likely be demolished for more parking.
Derek Jacobs, owner of Custom Auto Creations at 331 North Tennessee St., said this would take away his rented space and could end his business. He said the landowner didn’t inform him of the potential sale and he only found out two weeks ago when a rezoning sign was put on the property.
Jacob said he isn’t sure he could find another space he could afford.
Planning commission members said land sales and effects on local businesses are not within their scope of consideration for rezoning and permitting requests. The one concern members had was a service entrance along the back of the property being used as a primary entrance. City Attorney Keith Lovell said that road is owned by Bartow County and Pugmire would need to discuss use with the county.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook,X,YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.