Residents upset about a potential Kroger fuel center in Macon

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Kroger could be building a new gas station in the North Highland Hills Neighborhood in Macon, and some residents aren’t too happy about it.

At Monday night’s public forum, those in attendance told Kroger officials they don’t want it located at the intersection of North Avenue, Nottingham Drive and Gray Highway.

“One of our biggest concerns is how’s this going to impact the integrity of our neighborhood? Will the people next door to the gas station be able to sell their houses? Will people want to move into our neighborhood?” explained Miki Fluker, the head of the Neighborhood Watch. 

Kroger officials will take the feedback they received at the meeting back to their headquarters for review.  They said, even though they received mostly negative responses, they want to work with the community to make everyone happy. 

“There’s a lot of customers that want a fuel center.  So, it’s a matter of just trying to work it through, if it’s at this location or if it’s at another location that’s nearby,” said Kroger Assistant Real Estate Manager, Evonne Johnson.

Kroger will have to appear in front of Macon-Bibb’s Planning and Zoning Committee early next year if they plan to move forward with the project. 

As of now, Kroger has not purchased any property for the fuel center.