The Columbia County Board of Commissioners will consider a rezoning request for Wortham Lane during its meeting on Tuesday, May 2.
On April 20, the Columbia County Planning Commission recommended approval for the request to change the zoning of a 14-acre tract at 2278 Wortham Lane from R-A Residential Agricultural to S-1 Special Zoning.
According to the committee comments in the staff recommendation, the applicant, Mark Barinowski said he operates a nonprofit radio station as a family business, has three employees who aren’t family and isn’t open to the public.
“He moved here 20 years ago and the construction was permitted by the county. He has a warehouse in McDuffie County and no freight trucks come on to this site. He doesn’t intend to change the character of the property. He is agreeing with rezoning to S-1 (Special) that it is more specific than R-A (Residential Agricultural),” according to the attached document.
The location is near the Grimaud Place neighborhood and property owners there are against the change in zoning and concerned about the traffic, the agenda document states.
“They are concerned with the negative effects of allowing traffic through the subdivision, speeding along Wortham Lane, that the neighborhood is not an entrance for a business, and that property values will be negatively impacted by the requested rezoning,” according to comments in the agenda document.
The staff recommendation is to approve the change in rezoning with conditions, which include use of the site being limited to business services including advertising, business management consulting, computer or data processing, and graphic design; professional services including lawyer, accountant, auditor, bookkeeper, engineer, architect, sales office, and interior decorator; financial services including lender, investment or brokerage house, real estate or insurance agent, mortgage agent; radio, recording studio; and the total amount of employees on the property shall not exceed 10.
On the agenda for approval for upcoming construction projects, including a safety striping project contract with Peak Paving Marking for parts of Old Ferry Road, Evans to Locks Road, Tom Bartles Road, River Birch Drive, Peachtree Road, McCormick Road, Mistletoe Road and Hinton Wilson Road.
“The project will include new roadway striping, stop bar striping, and raised pavement marker (RPM) installation for the portions of the subject roads identified in the bid documents and back-up,” according to the recommendation. “The striping project funding was approved with our 2022-2023 fiscal year budget. Staff contacted seven vendors and received three responses, with the lowest bid being Peek Pavement Marking, LLC in the amount of $93,918.25.”
Commissioners will consider approval of resolution 23-18 in connection to the resurfacing of Faircloth Drive/Library Drive and Government Center Way.
The commissioners will also have multiple contract renewals up for approval on the agenda, including the Senior Center ceramics instructor independent contractor agreement with Kristine Galindo, Outdoor Augusta, LLC agreement for kayak rental services at Riverside Park and purchase of nutrition services agreement with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for the Senior Center and Columbia County Cares lease.
The Board of Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2 in the Evans Government Center auditorium.
