The Board of Zoning Appeals voted in favor of putting two new billboards on a tract of land near Bobby Jones during its meeting Monday.
The Coleman Family Trust, which owns the 3474 Milledgeville Road, and EMJACE LLC requested a variance to reduce the setback of a single-family residential zone boundary from 100 feet to 10 feet, and the front setback from 40 to 30 feet, to allow the installation of two billboards.
The vacant four-acre parcel is zoned B-2 General Business, but city ordinances prohibit placing billboards within 100 feet of a single-family boundary line.
Attorney Noel Schweers, speaking on behalf of Azalea Outdoor, who aims to put the billboards on the property, told the board members that since the construction of Bobby Jones Expressway, which abuts a portion of the tract, the land has been vacant save for two Lamar Advertising billboards that were taken down circa 2012.
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The neighboring land, zoned residential and owned by the city, is Bayvale Park, used by Augusta RC Supercross, via a memorandum of understanding with the city.
The board members voted in favor of the request, save Jerry Brigham, who recused himself, and Ethoin Rowe, who opposed.
Augusta Land Bank variance postponed
A petition by the Housing and Development Department, on behalf of the Augusta Land Bank, seeking setback reduction variances along Twelfth Street was tabled. The variances would be to make way for a townhome subdivision in the Bethlehem neighborhood. The subject properties were rezoned from R-1C to R-3 Multifamily Residential to allow for increased density for the attached homes. Housing and Development Manager Shanna Carkhum requested to postpone the item, and the board members unanimously voted to do so.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
