Entrepreneur Terry Richards is one step closer to opening his bait shop and barbecue takeout restaurant after the Hall County Planning Commission approved his zoning request Monday afternoon.

Richards owns nearly 1.5 acres at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Dawsonville Highway and Lyncliff Drive. He plans to turn the existing house into the takeout restaurant area where he will sell barbecue and breakfast sandwiches. He plans to build another building in the back of the property that will sell bait and tackle.

The board approved the request 3-0, with Chairman Don Smallwood and Johnny Varner absent. Commissioners tabled the request Feb. 18 because they needed more information about how Richards intended to set up his business.

Commissioners approved Richards’ having 10 parking spaces instead of 14, align the buildings parallel, use gravel for the parking lot and split the stone facade material on both buildings instead of using it all on the back building, which is required for new buildings on the Gateway corridor. Richards will have paved driveways and handicap parking and use 50 percent of what is required of the stone material on the front building and 60 percent of the requirement on the back building.

Hall County Commissioner Billy Powell sat with Richards during the hearing. Powell said Richards is a friend and he won’t vote when the request comes before the Hall County Board of Commissioners, scheduled for March 28.

Planning commissioners also approved the rezoning request of John Seigler and Josh Jenkins to build a truck terminal and maintenance business at 2481 Athens Highway. They plan to build a 6,000-square-foot metal building for tractor-trailer repair. The business includes nine trucks and will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The commission approved the request 3-0 with a few conditions, including requiring trees and fencing between the property and the land next door owned by Kim and Robert Crumley.