CAIRO — City officials approved a rezoning request Monday from a local business owner who is also a member of the Grady County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Phillip Drew previously requested that the site of a former gas station on 5th Street SE be reclassified as a Highway Commercial District, and the Cairo City Council granted his request Monday. 

Drew plans to place storage units for RVs and boats on the property, which is currently undeveloped and vacant.

A memorandum from the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission states that the area surrounding the site “consists of a mixture of both residential and commercial zoning classifications.”

The memorandum also states that current property values may be “somewhat diminished” due to the site’s current condition.

Any commercial development “could provide economic opportunity and provide a valuable service to the community,” the memorandum states.

The memorandum concluded with the recommendation that Drew’s request be approved.

Drew’s wife Jenny appeared before the Cairo Planning Commission last month and said her husband’s request was primarily sentimental because the property was previously owned by his father.

The commissioner himself was not able to appear before the planning commission because he was attending a government training event in LaGrange, but his request was granted nevertheless.