Hendrix said the partnership between the city and the company was a good story about how the plan was sensitive to trees on the site. Wanda (Davis) and Toks (Achebe), the franchise owners, are excited to be opening their business in the community.” “My wife came down and saw the tree and said we could not have taken that away. “Fortunately, the lot was big enough for all that to be done. “It did encroach on the drive-thru and it took some extra planning,” Jones said. More drainage and landscaping plans were developed. The plan was revised to save the big old tree, along with some others on the site. To accommodate that plan, the building was shifted south. Without going into a lot of architectural detail, construction of the approach to the restaurant’s drive-thru had to be shifted left to create a traffic pattern looping around the tree. Everyone worked together and we came out with a great outcome. Dean was very helpful as we thought about how it would work. “The franchise owners were accepting of the additional costs to save the tree and redo the planning. It made sense that saving the tree was the right thing to do. “I saw the tree, met Dean and walked along the river in the community. That trip convinced him an alternative plan was needed. We were already behind schedule and I won’t tell you it was the right thing to do in the beginning.”īut Jones left his Nashville office to visit Palatka and check the location for himself. “At first, I looked at it just as a paper exercise. “It did add some considerable expense,” Jones said. Larry Jones, vice president of construction for Captain D’s, admits he wasn’t receptive early to the idea of saving the tree, redoing the site plan and adding to construction costs. It wasn’t so much fun for Captain D’s officials – at least initially. “It’s kind of a fun story because it led not only to the preservation of that tree, but others on the site.” “We had John Hendrix to identify that tree and other trees on the property. “It wasn’t just a 30-inch oak tree, it was an old live oak tree that we knew was at least 100 years old,” Mimms said. When reviewing the survey of the property, the large tree on the site obviously stood out. This is where the working together part comes in.ĭean Mimms, Palatka’s interim planning director, knew the city had a tree ordinance. Initial construction plans called for the removal of the tree and others on the site to make room for the new Captain D’s. John Hendrix, an environmental consultant who lives in west Putnam County, was involved with the project and said the tree is likely more than 200 years old, maybe even 250. There is a splendid live oak on the restaurant’s property company officials estimate to be more than 100 years old. It’s also another avenue to add jobs and keep more dollars here as the county tries to boost economic growth and see residents spend locally.Īnd then there are the trees, one in particular. Still, more dining options are always welcome. The same is true for fast-food chains here. Now, Putnam has some wonderful locally-owned restaurants. Company officials expect the restaurant to open in late July or early August. If you’ve driven along the commercial stretch of State Road 19 in Palatka, you’ve likely noticed the Captain D’s seafood restaurant under construction. That’s refreshing, especially these days when our world at times seems upside down. It’s really a story about working together. It’s a story about a chain restaurant bringing dining options to residents. This is a story on economic development in Putnam County as it tries to emerge from a global pandemic.
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