AC repair inPooler, GA

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - As many businesses are starting to get back on their feet, others are moving into town.

Pooler has seen a big business boom within the last few months and there are no signs of slowing down.

There are a lot of projects happening and while some people are excited, others are not thrilled. But the mayor says they are no longer rural, they are an urban area and this is the new normal.

The Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce says the new businesses bring revenue and jobs to the area.

Although they say some of the new businesses are struggling to find enough workers right now. They hope this fall will mark a turning point for those employers to return to more normal capacity as the business boom in Pooler continues.

“We’re taking our time and businesses seem to be recovering. New businesses coming to town so that is what it is all about, enhancing our city and bringing new business to Pooler,” said Pamala Southard, Executive Director for the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the new businesses, some existing chamber members were not able to renew their memberships during the pandemic but they are starting to come back now.

Some of the new additions will be opening soon, including Costco, which is set to open next month. The opening date is set for 8 a.m. on Nov. 18, which is coming up very soon. A few days ago, they had some employees come to town and work on the logistics with the city to get ready to open.

The 151,000-square-foot building will be the first Costco in the region. On site, you can expect to see a gas station, tire center, food court, optical center, and all of the traditional Costco shopping.

And Costco is not the only project over by Blue Moon Crossing and Pooler Parkway. The new Starbucks is now open and construction is underway for the new Chick-fil-A that’s scheduled to open in the spring of 2022.

Mayor Rebecca Benton says they hope all the new business on the south side of town will alleviate some of the traffic on the north end of Pooler.

“More people, more businesses, that means more traffic. And also during the day, people working here are twice as many people that live here so more people keep coming. We don’t give any tax breaks to any businesses, they have to pay for their own infrastructure. We don’t partner with them but they keep coming,” said Mayor Benton.

In an effort to keep up with all the business additions, they will be making some traffic improvements on both sides of Pooler Parkway at the intersection of Blue Moon Crossing, both of which are still in the engineering phase of the project.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

For Do Savannah

But first let me take a selfie...

We have come a long way from the very first selfie ever recorded. The history of the selfie recedes back to one chemist who captured his own photograph almost 175 years ago when Robert Cornelius took his photograph – or “self-portrait” – and displayed it at family’s local silver-plating shop in Philadelphia. Since then, humans have gone through great lengths just to capture their own reflection.

Savannah and the rest of Chatham County will soon be able to take their selfie game to another level when Selfie Wrld opens its doors on Saturday at the Tanger Outlets Savannah.

A DIY photo studio, which hosts a total of 13 different sets, or three backdrops or stations, can accommodate everyone from professional photographers to amateurs, bridal and birthday parties to corporate events.

“This will be our first location in this area," owner Van’Nessa Lotson said. "(Savannah is) arguably one of the most Instagrammable places in the Southeast, here you can immerse yourself into our fun, eye-catching, interactive art installations and create videos, photos for yourself or your social media.

The Fashion Scientist:Natosha Zanders balances science with fashion in her show for Savannah schools

“I did my homework we visited different selfie museums, including the Atlanta one. It was noticeably different to me in terms of quality. Selfie Wrld carries ring lights for each one of the sets, which guarantees well-lit spaces and good quality photos regardless of your phone or camera used during the shooting. We have remotes we give to each one of our visitors.

"These remotes are Bluetooth and compatible with smartphones and it allows for a large party to pose, and everyone is in the photo. There is no waiting for someone to take your picture or taking turns because everyone can join in the fun. This sets us apart from other selfie spaces.”

The studio provides creative backdrops and props, interactive art installations, and professional lighting for those looking to take great selfies. Guests can create more than 30 unique photos in one visit, according to Lotson.

More:Amelia Jamerson is all about love at her new gallery, The Cloud, in Plant Riverside District

Jamar Bailui, a graphic designer who now manages Selfie Wrld Savannah, created some of the unique sets, adding, "some of these sets that are exclusive to our area, and we hope that creatives take advantage of the space.”

Lotson said a drive for content on social media has made these types of spaces desirable. "In the era of Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, everyone is having lots of fun creating social media content. This space is fabulous for any influencer or creatives trying to create unique content for their social media and brand. The videos you can create in this space are great and the whole space lends itself to a lot of creative ideas.

"I picked this location because it is over 4,000 square feet that gives plenty of room to play and most important socially distance from others.”

Tips for a successful Selfie Wrld Experience

1. Bring a change of clothes and a few accessories. You’ll want to create a look and vibe in the different sets we have.

2. Make sure to book your appointment online. We would hate for you to show up only for us to be sold out for the day.

3. Bring your friends. The more the merrier and the memories you’ll create will last a lifetime.

4. Make sure your phone is ready all the content you will create.

5. Don’t forget to create videos and video loops this is the perfect space for it.

6. Have fun! This is an experience you will not soon forget.

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - Last week, Pooler City Council voted to approve the first increase to the millage rate in nine years.

With its passage, among other things, it meant having money for a new fire station and more firefighters.

“As we know the growth in Pooler has been tremendous, especially over the past 13 years since I’ve been here,” said Pooler Fire Chief Wade Simmons.

Of course, more growth means more to cover for the Pooler Fire Department.

With the newly approved Fire Station 5, Chief Simmons says they’ll be able to do just that.

“The last area that we hadn’t built up on was Jimmy Deloach Parkway.”

While they hadn’t built up on it everyone else has been from warehouses to family homes.

Making that ten-minute response time from their closest station on Pooler Parkway more and more dangerous.

“Fire doubles in size every minute and on medical anything over 4 to 6 minutes they’ll start having brain damage. So, everybody we want to keep in that 4 to 6-minute window so we’re double where we really need to be for that,” said Chief Simmons.

The new station will be just off Jimmy Deloach on Nordic Drive.

Not only will the new location help keep those nearby residents safe, it’s addition could also save you some money.

“Having the station within a mile and half or two miles instead of five or six miles away is going to see a decrease in their insurance. So, that should help offset some of that tax increase for them,” Chief Simmons says.

While Fire Station 5 is still 10 to 12 months away from being up and running, Chief Simmons says they’re already working on tackling growth in another part of town as well.

“Our next major priority is the Savannah Quarters Station. We already have the station; we have one unit in it and as that call volume gets high enough we’re going to have to put a second unit in that station,” said Chief Simmons

With the addition of Fire Station 5, Pooler will have added four new stations since 2008.

Chief Simmons says they may eventually add another station but that’s further down the road.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - Earlier this month the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce held their first event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The food truck festival was such a big hit they’re now hoping to expand on that success to give residents a chance to get out and give local businesses an extra boost.

“It’s another great event for the residents of Pooler. I mean, that’s the bottom line,” said Chamber Executive Director Pam Southard.

This great event, Sunset Shopping, was the idea of Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Member Partnerships Tameka Moultrie.

“We’re going to kick it off right before the weekend. A pre-weekend should we say,” said Moultrie.

The event, which will be held the first Thursday of each month, came from a simple question.

“What if we utilize this beautiful part right next to our office?” Southard asks.

The event was also inspired by the many pleas of residents following the Food Truck Festival.

“So many people asked about. So many people wanted us to do it again and again. So, we have this space and we’re going to do it,” said Moultrie.

What they’re going to do is a host rotation of 10 to 12 vendors and three to four food trucks.

“We are booked with food trucks through October,” Southard says.

There’s an unsurprising desire to participate for many businesses after a rough year.

“Everyone jumped on it, jumped on board to be part of it,” said Moultrie.

Giving businesses a chance to catch up and residents a chance to get out.

“It’s just a win-win,” says Southard.

Along with food and shopping each month, they’ll also hold a raffle where you can win prizes likes a grill. The first Sunset Shopping event is this Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. right next to the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce. It will be free to attend. They plan to continue holding the event monthly through at least October, depending on weather and demand.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - Earlier this week, Pooler City Council approved plans for developers to build a McDonald’s, a car wash and oil change business on a plot of land at Pooler Parkway and I-16 known as the Mosaic Town Center.

It is the latest news of development on the site, which later this year is on track to add a Costco as well.

Pooler Mayor Rebecca Benton said city leaders have the best interest of those who live here at heart, but adds when it comes to considering new development, it’s a bit of a tightrope act and there’s a lot to consider.

“It’s a hard decision. But we are looking out for the public safety of our residents. But again, if you want to have services here, we have to allow these businesses,” Mayor Benton said.

Mayor Benton acknowledges some may be less than thrilled when it comes to what developers put on their sites. But when it comes down to it, there is nothing the city can do if what is going there fits how the land is zoned. And the zoning in many cases was determined years before this council, or even several before it, were elected.

“We have tried with what we have inherited. But who would’ve thought that 20 years ago Pooler would’ve developed like this,” Mayor Benton said.

Mayor Benton points out the upside to new business is new jobs for the city. She also says businesses shoulder a good portion of the tax burden, keeping residential tax lower than it could be.

More businesses in town also mean more potential members for the Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce.

“These businesses come to town, they consider joining the Chamber, that benefits us and in turn benefits the community,” explained Greater Pooler Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Pam Southard. “Because with their support, the member support, we’re able to present events so that it can be enjoyed by not only the residents of Pooler, but the tourists.”

And while traffic is an issue the city is still working to improve, the thought is it will spread out as multiple portions of Pooler’s main routes continue to develop.

“If you want services, you’re going to have traffic. You are just going to have to be patient. And we are trying to deal with the traffic, but again, we hope that people will reach a happy medium, we hope we can reach a happy medium for the people,” she said.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.