Though there are no tenants lined up, the Newton County Board of Commissioners went ahead and approved the re-zonings of two commercial developments located in the western end of the county, at their Tuesday meeting.

"There's nothing specially planned for them," said attorney Jimmy Alexander, who represented each of the owners of the two properties. "They were just two obviously commercial tracts. There's nothing in the immediate future for them. It's what we call a speculative rezoning."

One of the developments, located in District 3 on Almon Road near Interstate 20, is anticipated as an 80,000 square-foot general commercial/office/retail complex located on 10 acres. It is owned by Resource Piedmont Inc. The property was rezoned from single family residential to general commercial.

The second development, located on Oak Hill Road in District 2, is described as 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space with a 5,000 square-foot restaurant located on five acres. The land was rezoned from single family residential and neighborhood commercial to highway commercial. It is owned by Harold Ayers and James Wilson.

Rainie Jueschke, a resident of Oak Hill Road, objected to the second development in a letter to the BOC. In his letter he cited pre-existing heavy and unsafe traffic conditions in the area.