Rezoning sought for supplier’s plant on part of Panasonic’s 60-acre campus
A supplier for Panasonic North America will be relocating its operation to Peachtree City, bringing an estimated 200 “high-paying” jobs that will be phased in over a period of several years.
Although the company’s name has not yet been released, the move was announced Monday during a public hearing on a rezoning that would allow Panasonic to split its current 60-acre campus to accomodate the new company.
Panasonic attorney Marty Pinover said the new jobs will be “bench work” positions that are “highly technical and high-paying” positions.
The new company, which will buy several buildings on the Panasonic campus, is also expected to be investing at least $1 million or to upgrade the facilities with new equipment as well, Pinover confirmed.
The company will likely take possession of a portion of the property in November, Pinover said. It will be located at the rear of the property, as Panasonic will keep its operations located at the front buildings directly off Ga. Highway 74.
The entire parcel includes more than 103,000 sq. ft. of office space.
The rezoning necessary to accomplish the parcel split was approved unanimously by the Peachtree City Planning Commission, but the final say on the matter rests with the City Council. Panasonic is asking the site to be zoned limited use industrial instead of its current designation as general industrial.
Panasonic’s 60-acre campus is located on Hwy. 74 South across from the intersection of Dividend Drive, and to the south of a vacant site owned by Sany America, which is zoned for a research and development use along with a small amount of on-site residences for Sany employees. To the south of the Panasonic campus are two undeveloped tracts zoned for general industrial use.
The rezoning includes a condition that the city be granted a 50-foot easement for a future cart path that would link the Flat Creek cart path bridge north to an existing path along Crosstown Road, officials said.
The rezoning was necessary to create different setbacks for the parcel so it can be subdivided, according to city Planning and Zoning Administrator David Rast.
Planning Commission Chairman Frank Destadio noted that it was “very good” for a company to be bringing new jobs into the city.
Although Panasonic in 2008 moved its manufacturing operations from the Peachtree City site to a factory in Mexico, the facility has “grown by leaps and bounds” in the past two years with the company spending about $5.6 million on the buildings in the last two years alone, Pinover said.
