Covington residents may soon get a gift of pancakes and cell phones as an IHOP restaurant and Sprint wireless store are expected to come to the area.

The Covington City Council unanimously approved subdividing a portion of the Covington Walmart's parking lot for commercial use so that the two businesses could locate there, near the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Ga. Highway 142.

Planning Director Randy Vinson told the council that a portion of Walmart's parking lot, located across from McDonald's, is being sold off by Walmart to The Trilogy Group for a proposed IHOP restaurant and Sprint store.

Vinson said if the proposed project goes through, construction is expected to happen quickly.

"They were just emailing us this morning, and they want to begin breaking ground immediately," Vinson said.

City Senior Planner Scott Gaither said the parcel of 1.47 acres of land would be subdivided for the proposed project.

"Our ordinance requires that any time there is a subdivision of land it has to be approved by the mayor and the council and that's what this step was," Gaither said. "In order for them to present their plans to get permits to start construction, part of the process was to subdivide this tract of land so that they would have their own parcel of land."

David Shanahan, development partner with The Trilogy Group, said the deal is still in the works and the company is trying to close on the property within the next week. He declined to provide further details until the deal closed.