COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus Council will consider a proposed asphalt plant on Macon Road, an $8.6 million pickleball construction contract and changes to Uptown parking limits during its Tuesday, Oct. 27, meeting. Council members will also review several residential rezoning requests, proposed police promotion requirements and an agreement involving an air-taxi facility at Columbus Airport. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers on the second floor of the C. E. "Red" McDaniel City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way.

Mayor B.H. "Skip" Henderson III will preside over the regular meeting. Several major items are scheduled for second readings, including the asphalt plant rezoning and the Uptown parking ordinance. The agenda also includes public speakers, city department updates, grant requests and community care agreements.

Asphalt Plant Proposed for 24 Acres on Macon Road

One of the largest land-use decisions on the agenda concerns 24.18 acres at 6800 Macon Road. Alberi Properties LLC is requesting that the vacant property be rezoned from Residential Office to Heavy Manufacturing/Industrial. The company proposes using the land for an asphalt plant.

The property is in Council District 4, represented by Councilor Tucker. Both the Planning Advisory Commission and the Planning Department recommend approval, citing compatibility with existing land uses. The city's future land-use designation for the property is Light Manufacturing/Industrial.

According to the agenda materials, the property is not located in a designated floodway or floodplain. A drainage plan would be required before the city could issue a site development permit. Council will consider the rezoning on second reading Tuesday evening.

Pickleball Facility Contract Reaches $8.61 Million

Council members will consider an $8,610,000 guaranteed maximum price amendment with Columbus-based Brasfield & Gorrie LLC for construction of the Columbus Pickleball Facility at 1641 3rd Ave. The proposed complex would contain 25 courts, including a championship court and 16 covered courts. Four outdoor courts would occupy the main parcel, while another four courts would be located beneath the 2nd Avenue bridge.

The project also includes a building containing concessions, bathrooms and a pro shop. A separate maintenance building is part of the construction scope. The proposed amendment establishes the guaranteed maximum construction price following completion of the design process.

In December 2025, Council approved the project's design-build contract through Resolution 400-25, with an estimated cost of $7 million. Following design, the construction estimate increased to approximately $8.6 million. Additional city expenses of about $600,000 for low-voltage systems, security, fiber and site lighting bring the overall estimated project cost to approximately $9.2 million.

The city plans to use General Fund reserves, Tax Allocation District funding and OLOST infrastructure reserves to finance the project. The Columbus Pickleball Association will contribute approximately $380,000 under a memorandum of understanding. The Columbus Times previously reported that Council approved a $9.1 million pickleball complex, while the current agenda identifies approximately $9.2 million in combined construction and city costs.

The public agenda also lists two speakers addressing pickleball. Their appearances are scheduled alongside the proposed construction amendment and other public agenda items. Council has not yet acted on the $8.61 million amendment listed for Tuesday's meeting.

Uptown Parking Limits Could Change

Council will consider a second reading of an ordinance changing permitted parking time limitations in Uptown. The proposal would replace the Uptown Parking Enforcement Map referenced in Section 20-13.11(b)(1) of the city code. The stated purpose is to revise the time limits associated with permitted parking.

The public agenda packet does not specify the new parking durations or identify each affected location. Those details cannot be determined from the ordinance description alone. Residents and visitors should consult the final parking enforcement map for the specific limitations if Council adopts the changes.

Four Additional Residential Rezoning Requests

Beyond the Macon Road proposal, Council has four additional rezoning matters scheduled for second reading. The requests involve properties on Meritas Drive, Hunt Avenue, Steam Mill Road and Heardmont Court. The Planning Department and Planning Advisory Commission recommend approval of all four requests.

Each proposal is listed separately on the Council agenda. The Heardmont Court request includes a condition, while the other listed changes identify their proposed zoning classifications. Council will consider the requests during the same meeting as the Macon Road industrial rezoning.

Police Promotion Requirements Return to Council

Council will also review proposed changes to eligibility requirements for promotions within the Columbus Police Department. The ordinance, continued from the Oct. 13 meeting, is scheduled for first reading. It would rewrite Section 17-25 of the city code governing promotion qualifications.

Under the proposal, officers seeking to test for sergeant would need at least five years of full-time sworn law enforcement service. That experience could come from any jurisdiction and would include military police service. Candidates for lieutenant would need two years of continuous service as a Columbus police sergeant.

Candidates seeking promotion to captain would need two years of continuous service as a Columbus police lieutenant. The requirements establish different qualifying experience standards for the three ranks. Council will consider the proposed changes as part of Tuesday's first-reading agenda.

Stadium Repairs, Sports Authority and Grant Requests

The agenda includes an informational item concerning emergency repairs at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. City Manager approval was issued Oct. 22 for a $70,003 purchase from Freeman & Associates. The work involves repairing a stairway and retaining wall before the Fountain City Classic.

Council will also consider a second reading of an ordinance concerning the Columbus Sports and Entertainment Authority. The proposal would add a representative of the Columbus Lions professional indoor football team as a non-voting ex officio member. The representative would serve in that capacity under the proposed ordinance.

Two grant items are also scheduled for consideration. One involves an application for $50,000 from GEMA/HS for gang activity prosecution. Another involves a $12,000 Georgia Trauma Commission grant for the city's in-house Advanced Emergency Medical Technician program.

Community Care Agreements and Airport Project

Council's agenda includes provider agreements for the city's Community Care Program. The listed providers are Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown, St. Francis Health, including The Bradley Center, MercyMed of Columbus, Valley Healthcare System and New Horizons. Council will also receive a Community Care Program update from Pam Hodge.

Another item involves an agreement with the Columbus Airport Commission for an air-taxi vertiport and electric charging station. The agreement appears alongside the city's other scheduled business and infrastructure matters. The Columbus Times is covering the airport proposal in a separate report.

Council will also consider its 2027 legislative agenda. The agenda packet lists the matter among the city's scheduled business items. It is separate from the zoning ordinances, construction contract and grant requests under consideration.

Public Speakers and Department Updates

Several public speakers are listed on Tuesday's agenda. Dr. Natalie Nicole of Role Model Academy of Arts is scheduled to address a request for a council review of the police chief. Other listed topics include an alcohol license, neighborhood concerns, community cats and animal control, and the Sheriff's Athletic League.

The public agenda also identifies two speakers whose topics concern pickleball. These appearances are listed separately from the proposed $8.61 million construction amendment. The agenda identifies the subjects but does not establish the positions or comments that speakers will present.

Council members are scheduled to hear a Parks update from Holli Browder. Pam Hodge, Ryan Pruett and Will Johnson are listed for an Infrastructure update, while Hodge is also scheduled to address the Community Care Program. These departmental presentations are included alongside the ordinances, agreements and other city business.

Meeting Time and Location

Tuesday's meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the C. E. "Red" McDaniel City Services Center, located at 3111 Citizens Way. Council Chambers are on the building's second floor. Mayor B.H. "Skip" Henderson III will preside.

Columbus Council holds regular meetings at 9 a.m. on the second Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The Oct. 27 meeting follows the fourth-Tuesday schedule. The agenda includes both items receiving initial consideration and ordinances returning for second readings.

How We Did This

The Columbus Times prepared this preview using the Columbus Council agenda and accompanying agenda packet for the regular meeting scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. The Clerk of Council posted those materials on the city's official website, columbusga.gov. We also included the Columbus Times' previous reporting on the pickleball complex as background and identified proposed actions separately from approvals already granted.