A $50 million medical office complex proposed on the site of the former Belair Elementary School received unanimous approval from the Columbia County Planning Commission on Oct. 7.
The proposed development consists of up to 150,000 square feet made up of two buildings. The larger of two buildings is expected to be closer to North Belair Road with the smaller building behind it.
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The concept plan shows the larger building as a three-story, 90,000 square-foot facility, and the rear building is shown as a two-story, 50,000 square-foot building. The actual building sizes could vary with the maximum square footage between the two buildings being 150,000 square feet, according to the zoning request.
The 14.8-acre plot was sold by the Board of Education to Crystal Creek, Inc. for a price of $3,107,580. Crystal Creek Inc. is an Athens, Ga.-company owned by Carl Nichols.
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Nichols has operated Crystal Creek since 1976. The business started out serving local investors with advice on agricultural and timberland investments. Today, the company is a full-service real estate company specializing in timberland, rural land, recreational land and all classes of commercial property including office, retail, industrial and special use, per the company’s website.
Nichols and engineer Frank Pittman were present at the meeting to answer questions and offer comments.
“I lived in Martinez and left here in 1962 for college,” Nichols said. “I went in the Army, and I was in the Corps of Engineers. I served my time in Vietnam and made it back home alive. In 1990, I bought a building in Augusta and did work for Sears-Roebuck. I’m looking forward to doing this project back at home. It is home to me. I’m looking forward to working with Columbia County to build a very good project. I’m getting closer to retiring so it could be my last project, but it’s going to be a nice project.”
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Nichols continued, “When I lived here, Washington Road was a two-lane road. Between my house and Augusta National was a school, Warren Baptist Church and two filling stations. When I see the growth of the area and of Evans, it is astronomical what you folks have brought to this great community.”
Similar to the West Lake development discussed earlier in the meeting, some citizens brought up concerns about storm water overflowing into their properties situated behind the proposed development.
“My house backs up to this plot,” said Mike Shay. “My biggest concern is where all the water is going to go where we have heavy rains. I have water sometimes three feet deep and eight feet wide coming through my yard during heavy rain. I don’t have a problem with the project, but the water is my concern.”
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Pittman assured attendees that when his team is done building, there would actually be less storm water flowing along the nearby properties than there is now.
“Our goal is to disrupt the nearby area as little as possible,” Pittman said.
The planning staff recommended the plans for approval with the conditions that the developer install a 30-foot structural buffer adjacent to the eastern property line that links up to the 20-foot structural buffer adjacent to the Owens Road access road.
In addition, staff advised the developer to provide left and right turn lanes on Owens Road for proposed driveway access including turn lane storage lengths and/or tapers, widening tapers and other requirements per Columbia County Project Access Improvement policy.
Pittman said that construction could begin on the buildings either simultaneously or it could be phased, depending on interest from tenants.
The matter now moves forward to the Oct. 19 meeting of the Board of Commissioners, at which point the board will make a final vote on whether or not the project can move forward.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
