City Council Approves New NTB

NTB is the next in a number of planned businesses coming to the Snellville area, as the city council approved the national auto service company's request to set up shop during its June 13 meeting. 

In a second-reading, city council members voted 6-0 in favor of National Tire and Battery's (NTB) plans to move to an outparcel of the Lowe's Shopping Center at 1615 Scenic Highway. Specifically, the city council members approved a request for a conditional use permit and a variance to allow the applicant to install particular signage.

Representatives for the applicant said that the NTB will be a new prototype not usual to the metro-Atlanta area. The new NTB will also provide a number of jobs, which the company expects to fill from the surrounding community and other NTB locations.

"They're a great addition to the Snellville community," said Wesley Walls, who represents the property developer.

The site will be located on existing property that is currently used as part of a parking lot for Lowe's, at the corner of Scenic Highway and Janmar Road. Approximately 79 parking spaces will be eliminated because of the project, which brings the total number of Lowe's spaces to 597, according to planning documents. Officials added that is still 135 spaces too many.

"I'm glad to see them finding a better utlization for some of these empty parking spaces," said Councilman Tod Warner.

Construction is expected to start on the 6,922-square-foot NTB in August, and by December -- just in time for the holiday season -- the NTB is expected to open, according to project representatives at Monday's council meeting. Construction will take approximately 120 days.

"It is going to bring economic benefits to the city, it's going to bring new jobs to the city, as well," said Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Bender.

Bender said the NTB -- along with other recent plans, including those for , Olive Garden and -- puts Snellville in a category of few municipalities able to bring the current level of development during generally harsh economic times.

"I think that tells us something about Snellville," she said. "That we have the economy here, we have the demographics here that will support this development."

In addition, Bender said "I think it's important that we continue to make strides to improve the business climate, to improve our regulations to make it easy to do business in Snellville, and also to help support each other as we're creating new businesses and bringing new jobs."