Working in real estate for 20+ years has conditioned me to always be pro growth. However, the exponential growth of Columbia County in the last decade has created a situation that should cause all residents to question how much growth we really want.
The four main reasons people live in Columbia County are below.
- One of the best public school districts in the state
- Low crime
- It is a well run and managed county
- It’s less densely crowded than that of neighboring Richmond County – more rural living options
As population grows these four issues become harder to manage. If county officials are not careful, Columbia County could go the way of less desirable surrounding counties.
My main concern is about voting trends. Columbia County has long been soundly conservative which is one reason why crime is low, schools prosperous, and county government well run. We should not take this for granted as it could change in only a few election cycles.
The increase in growth has already shrunk the conservative majority to levels that should give cause for concern.
Not all residential growth is bad; but some is. Consider that people in our area buying more expensive houses tend to lean Republican while those leasing apartments or buying smaller cheaper homes lean Democrat. That sounds abrasive and prejudiced, but demographics don’t lie. That is what the trends show.
Kamala Harris won the four main Grovetown precincts. Two of those she won with over 60% of the vote. One precinct between I-20 and Columbia Road also went for Harris with over 60% of the vote. All of these precincts have had large population booms with smaller homes or apartments.
Looking back at historic elections, the conservative majority is in Columbia County has been steadily shrinking as population expands.
Apartments create problems
All developers know it is next to impossible to get sites zoned for apartments in Columbia County. It seems the only way to get approved is if you make the right campaign contributions or have the right last name. For years, that frustrated real estate developers, resulting in them moving outwards towards Grovetown, which was more growth-friendly.
Looking back, I am thankful that the county has made it difficult for new apartment complexes to break ground.
The recent petition for 4204 Washington Road to be rezoned is a perfect example of the county exercising great care to avoid unwanted developments. That property owner is seeking to rezone under a PUD zoning which is more flexible. They own the apartments next door.
They attempted to control the narrative of the development calling it “cottages” with a courtyard space and multiple amenities. Buried in the narrative it says, “these cottages would not be subdivided onto individual parcels.” In Georgia, we call those apartments, especially when they are only 600 square feet in size.
If approved, there would be 123 new apartments on roughly 15 acres with over 230 parking spaces. Rough math puts this development having 300-400 new residents of which at least 30% will be children in the school system.
Apartments are great for density and for attracting new retailers. But they are not good for the four reasons people live in Columbia County.
Historically, apartments, regardless of demographic makeup, breed more crime, traffic problems and put strain on the school system. School redistricting is very unpopular but almost always necessary as population expands.
County Incorporation
A recent story by Scott Hudson highlighted a potential 700+ acre development site being annexed into the city of Harlem. This should cause concern for everyone in unincorporated Columbia County.
If by some miracle that landowner figures out how to obtain sewer service to the property, the amount of population growth in that area could be staggering. That is bad for Columbia County and for the conservative voting majority.
The discussion surrounding incorporation has been complex and confusing. This annexation news is the clearest example as to why incorporation needs to happen, and quickly. Columbia County needs to do a better job of explaining what the process is and what is involved. They should use this perfect example of 700+ acres being annexed to show the need for incorporation.
If the county doesn’t incorporate there is nothing to stop further annexation into Harlem and Grovetown. Those cities are likely to approve higher density projects which will result in a less conservative voting bloc.
With density comes people who clog up traffic, schools, jail cells and ballot boxes. We don’t need any more of that.
