Dixieland Walls, a commercial concrete company based in Grovetown, was granted a rezoning request for a property on Lakeview Drive by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners during its meeting Tuesday.
Deputy Manager Matt Schlachter noted to the board that while the request to rezone from residential agricultural to special for a property on 1209 Lakeview Drive had been met with opposition from neighbors since the announcement of its first public hearing before the Planning Commission on Jan. 6, the property was not being used for a concrete batch plant.
Applicant Bret Cathey, the owner of the property and of Dixieland Walls, reiterated this point and his intentions when asked by the board to speak on his behalf. Cathey had already been using the property, primarily for equipment storage, and was in the process of constructing a 4,000 square foot building for occasional administrative use. Cathey said he was unaware that he was in any violation until he sought a temporary power permit.
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Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, Commissioner Don Skinner made a motion to approve the request under the condition that Cathey get a permit for an unpermitted structure on the property consisting of two container boxes covering about 1,500 square feet, confirming the structure meets present codes. The board voted in favor of approving the request four to one, with Commissioner Dewey Galeas voting against it.
The board also voted unanimously to halt the issuance of new alcohol licenses for off-premise consumption of distilled spirits.
The county is currently in the process of drafting changes to Chapter 6 of the County Code concerning beer, wine and distilled spirits sales. The purpose of the resolution is forbid applications for off-premise consumption of spirits before this process is complete.
The resolution expresses concern regarding recent applications from businesses close to each other, and their potential effect on the county’s quality of life and its development as a suburban and rural area. The resolution also notes that this resolution is not being put in place because any current ordinances are deficient, but to give the board time to consider new amendments without being subject to property owners trying to set up businesses circumventing any changes resulting from code amendments.
The halt is to remain in effect until the board enacts the proposed ordinance revision, or for 180 days, whichever occurs first.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
