County to vote on zoning for potential Calhoun Highway mulch plant

♦ The City Commission will meet Monday to discuss municipal elections and zoning.

The Floyd County Commission is expected to pass the rezoning application for a 39.1- acre lot on Calhoun Highway for a mulch plant.

Oldcastle Lawn and Garden — a Fortune 500 company based out of Dublin, Ireland — wishes to rezone the parcel from suburban residential/light industrial to heavy industrial.

Workers at the plant will be in charge of dying and bagging the mulch before it’s shipped.

At the planning commission meeting, Rome-Floyd County Development Authority Director Missy Kendrick said they expect to hire 25 people at first and eventually 50 during the season. The company, which supplies mulch to both Lowe’s and Home Depot, markets it under various brands such as ACE, Timberline, Southland, Preen and Jolly Gardener.

If the rezoning is approved by the county commission, they plan to start building in March and have it ready by September.

Commissioners will hold another public hearing and vote on a 150-foot tall cell tower application at 4753 Martha Berry Highway in Armuchee.

The planning commission recommended approval on a 4 to 3 vote with the amendment that the tower be at least 300 feet from any property line.

During caucus, commissioners will receive an update from Richard B. Russell Airport Manager John Carroll and the status of the airport and various projects.

The purchase of 19 heating and air conditioning units for Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation facilities is also on the agenda. If approved, $27,440 from the 2020 budget will be moved to 2021 to cover the cost.

Towards the end of the meeting, commissioners will vote on the addition of $1,800 to the Superior Court Equipment budget. for a ELMO PX-30e Premium 4K Resolution

Document Camera from Ready or Not, Inc. in the amount of $1,799.72.

Caucus will begin at 4 p.m. in the Floyd Room of the Forum River Center at 301 Tribune St. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the ballroom. Attendees are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Rome city commissioners will meet virtually Monday at 6 p.m., the feed will be available on the city’s Facebook page, to discuss municipal elections and zoning.

Commissioners will set the election fees for candidates in that election — Ward 2 commissioners Wendy Davis, Randy Quick and Jaime Doss are up for reelection.

The commission is also expected to readopt the Unified Land Development Code and Zoning Maps in the Monday meeting.