Puyallup’s Golden Corral opened Wednesday. ‘You name it, we’ve got it,’ manager says

Posted on | by Christopher Anthony

By Debbie Cockrell

May 15, 2019 12:30 PM, Updated May 15, 2019 12:30 PM

 

Belly up to the buffet. A new Golden Corral opens in Puyallup

The Raleigh, N.C.-based restaurant company opened a new location at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup Wednesday, May 15, 2019. It’s the first mall location nationally and the opening drew a sizable crowd of fans.

The Raleigh, N.C.-based restaurant company opened a new location at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup Wednesday, May 15, 2019. It’s the first mall location nationally and the opening drew a sizable crowd of fans. By

The line kept growing Wednesday morning at South Hill Mall in Puyallup.

Inside, workers were setting out the final dishes for Golden Corral’s “endless buffet” for its grand opening. Some of the staff whipped out phones for last-minute quick group selfies and videos of the line forming outside before the breakfast-lunch rush began.

For staff and management, it had already been a full day, and it wasn’t even 10 a.m., the start time for its first day of operation as this area’s first Golden Corral.

D.J. Bauer, general manager for the restaurant, told The News Tribune he’d been up “since about 3 a.m.” in preparation for the opening.

“We are beyond excited to open up for the community,” Bauer said.

Asked about the day’s food selection, “You name it, we’ve got it,” he replied.

A Lakewood resident waiting outside said the opening meant “we don’t have to go to Marysville anymore.”

Days before, Golden Corral workers served food to some of the mall staff as practice runs. They even practiced singing “Happy Birthday” to a colleague, according to Justin Hunt, the mall property manager.

Hunt had been on scene since just after 7 a.m.

“I ate yesterday and the day before. I hit the salad bar up twice, the breakfast, brunch stuff — the waffles, french toast, eggs, corn beef hash, biscuits and gravy,” he said. “I sampled everything at the dessert bar to make sure it was safe. Pot roast yesterday, sliders, two different types of chicken; I hit everything.

“D.J.’s got the team to dial it in.”

As Hunt watched the line form, he was reminded of how long it had taken to get to this point.

“I’ve watched this go from being gutted to construction to the permit process to building to working with the general contractor and owner,” he said. “We’ve all been working diligently to get to today.”

Expect future new offerings at the mall, though no specifics yet, said Hunt.

“The mall you see today is not the mall you’ll see this time next year,” he said.

The front entrance of the new Golden Corral at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. It is the first mall location for the Raleigh-based company. Debbie Cockrell debbie.cockrell@thenewstribune.com

The exterior of the new Golden Corral at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup. Debbie Cockrell debbie.cockrell@thenewstribune.com

Fans queue up for the opening of the new Golden Corral at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

Debbie Cockrell debbie.cockrell@thenewstribune.com

Read more here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article230432884.html#storylink=cpy

H&M Store Opens at Kentucky Oaks Mall May 2

Posted on | by Christopher Anthony

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH – H & M, Hennes and Mauritz Inc., one of the world’s largest fashion retailers famous for offering fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way, is happy to announce a new location in Paducah.  Measuring approximately 20,000 square feet, the new location at Kentucky Oaks Mall will join the five popular H&M destinations in the state on May 2 at noon.

The new H&M location will offer Paducah residents a one-stop shopping destination for quality clothing, with collections for ladies and men, with a separate “shop in shop” section for accessories.  The Paducah location will also carry the H&M Kids collection for newborns to 14 year olds.

To celebrate the new store, the H&M at Kentucky Oaks Mall will offer the first 100 shoppers in line an H&M Access to Fashion Pass, valued between $10 and $500.  Customers in line after the first 100 shoppers will receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. Customers who garment recycle on opening day can also enter to win a gift card from $50 to $250 dollars.

For available job opportunities, please visit career.hm.com.

90,000 new residents coming to Montgomery County in next 20 years

Posted on | by Christopher Anthony

Jimmy Settle, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle Published 6:35 a.m. CT April 30, 2019 | Updated 10:21 a.m. CT April 30, 2019

Story Highlights
• The county’s total population will swell by 40 percent, or an additional 90,455 new residents, over the next 20 years.
• County Mayor Jim Durrett has called for an update of the state-mandated Urban Growth Plan.
• Through growth, between 2002-12, Montgomery County lost almost 20,000 acres of farmland.

Construction work can be seen at the 1500 block of Wilma Rudolph Blvd. in Clarksville, Tenn., on Monday, April 29, 2019. It’s an example of the infill development that planners said is needed to accommodate growth without adding to sprawl.

(Photo: HENRY TAYLOR/The Leaf-Chronicle)

Official projections say Montgomery County’s total population will swell by 40 percent, or an additional 90,455 new residents, over the next 20 years, yielding the community a total head count of 298,919 people by 2040.

The state recognizes these numbers from the University of Tennessee as the projection that planners should prepare for, and while past projections from UT have been below reality — in some cases significantly below the mark by as many as 9,000 people, it’s at least a given that Montgomery County is going to see major net changes along with the rest of a booming Middle Tennessee.

With this in mind, Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett has called for a 20-year update of the state-mandated Urban Growth Plan for the community, and the six-month process was launched with a Monday morning organizational meeting of the community’s appointed Growth Coordinating Committee, held at the courthouse.

Construction work can be seen at the 1500 block of Wilma Rudolph Blvd. in Clarksville, Tenn., on Monday, April 29, 2019. It’s an example of the infill development that planners said is needed to accommodate growth without adding to sprawl. (Photo: HENRY TAYLOR/The Leaf-Chronicle)

While there are numerous designated members of the committee, officials also want public input in the process, as the lines are redrawn for these Montgomery County growth boundaries:

Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), which is the existing Clarksville city limits plus any contiguous territory where higher-density residential, commercial and industrial growth is expected over the next 20 years, and which is available for potential city annexation

Planned Growth Areas (PGA), defined as territory outside of the city limits and the UGB, where low- to- moderate-density residential, commercial and industrial growth is projected within the next 20 years, but is not available for annexation
Rural Area (RA), which is the remainder of the county not included in the UGB or PGA, where low-density residential development, farmland preservation, forest and wildlife management, and recreational opportunities are the priority.

As population projections influence where growth happens over the next 20 years, the Growth Coordinating Committee will also be taking a hard look at the strain on, placement of, and expansion of, roads and utilities.

Infill apartments vs. sprawl
One key question within the 20-year planning process is this: Assuming the net, new number of residents from UT proves to be correct, can all the housing needed for them fit within the existing boundaries of the city of Clarksville?

Will infill development meet the population growth demand without creating more urban sprawl into traditionally-rural areas of the county?

Regional Planning Commission Director Jeff Tyndall thinks it’s possible to do it all with infill development, but it would be a challenge, requiring some creative zoning for land uses in some cases.

“One obvious point that we have to establish as we launch this long-range planning process is that, land is finite,” Tyndall said. “Montgomery County cannot make more land to develop.

“It’s also very important for us to understand that, once land is developed, it is extremely difficult, for several decades, to increase density or redevelop properties or subdivisions.”

“So, using land wisely,” Tyndall said, “means using a mix of housing options to include multi-family (apartments or condos) or higher-density detached housing units. More wise choices with every acre of undeveloped property will lead to less land being used up as quickly.”

Losing farmland
The decline of agriculture as acreage is gobbled up for residential and commercial development through urban sprawl is a key concern for many residents — particularly for those from rural areas of Montgomery County.

Farm income and production is still important to the local economy. The UT Extension Service estimates Montgomery County’s total direct agricultural output at $370.4 million, and adding in multiplier effects, farming still has a $505 million economic impact countywide.

But between 2002-12, Montgomery County lost almost 20,000 acres of farmland, and the total number of farms declined from 1,100 to about 780.
To further illustrate the rate of change, between October 2017 and October 2018, 215 acres of Montgomery County’s agriculturally-zoned property were converted to residential, commercial or industrial land uses.

Planning for growth
The Growth Coordinating Committee was previously assigned last year to reclassifying 600 acres along and around Rossview Road — including the 300 acres for the city’s planned family athletic complex — from PGA to UGB designations, which ultimately led to the city’s annexation of those areas.


Regional Planning Commission Director Jeff Tyndall leads the Monday morning launch of an urban growth planning effort for Montgomery County.

(Photo: Jimmy Settle/The Leaf-Chronicle)

Following that, Durrett formally requested the more comprehensive review and rewrite of the countywide Urban Growth Plan — the process which officially began Monday.

Here are the appointed members of the Growth Coordinating Committee, who will have a major influence on Montgomery County’s growth patterns over the next 20 years:

Voting members
• Chairman: County Commissioner Larry Rocconi, Regional Planning Commission
• Vice Chairman: Mark Kelly (for Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts), Regional Planning Commission
• Richard Swift (chairman, Regional Planning Commission)
• Bryce Powers (vice chairman, Regional Planning Commission)
• Bill Kimbrough (for Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett), Regional Planning Commission
• City Councilman Richard Garrett (Regional Planning Commission)
• Dr. Amanda Walker (Regional Planning Commission)
• Wade Hadley (Regional Planning Commission)
• Russell Adkins (Regional Planning Commission)
• Daniel Kimbell (Clarksville Department of Electricity)
• Norm Brumblay (Clarksville-Montgomery County School System)
• Mark Riggins (Clarksville Gas & Water)
• Jonathan Fielder (Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation)
• Mark Cook (Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation)
• Jeff Truitt (Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council)
• Connie Cooper (Montgomery County resident)
• Phillip Hagewood (Montgomery County resident)
• Ex-officio members
• Chris Brown (Department of Public Works, Fort Campbell)
• David Draper (Department of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, Fort Campbell)
• County Commissioner Joe Smith
• City Councilwoman Valerie Guzman
• Frank Tate (Industrial Development Board)
• Rex Hawkins (Clarksville-Montgomery County Homebuilders Association)
• Christian Black (Clarksville Association of Realtors)
• Grayson Smith (DBS & Associates Engineering)
• Vernon Weakley (Weakley Brothers Engineering)
• Cal Burchett (McKay-Burchett & Company Engineers)

Reach Business Editor Jimmy Settle at 931-245-0247 and on Twitter @settle_leaf