The Columbia County Planning Commission has voted to approve a request by developer Mark Herbert of MBH Holdings for a minor planned unit development (PUD) revision at the former clubhouse of the Jones Creek subdivision in Evans.
Though the petition, as a minor revision request, is only subject to consideration by the Planning Commission and is not forwarded to the Board of Commissioners, the item was not considered in a public hearing. That doesn’t mean that the residents of Jones Creek accepted the decision quietly.
“We want exactly what we got when we purchased our homes,” said Tripp Nanney, president of the Jones Creek homeowner’s association. “We want the governing PUD to be maintained as it is, and everything in Jones Creek to be handled the same way it has been for roughly 35 years. What we don’t want are concessions to any entity that chips away at the current PUD.”
As with the commission’s meeting on Feb. 2, a crowd of over 100 residents attended to oppose, leaving a long line outside of the Columbia County government auditorium and several attendees standing inside.
Nanney was one of four speakers designated to speak on behalf of the subdivision against the PUD revision. Planning Commission Chairman Al Dempsey emphasized throughout the course of the discussion that the request was actually seeking to change the hours of operation of the clubhouse to 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, and to prohibit trash pickup between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Real estate attorney David Jones, speaking on behalf of MBH Holdings, told the commissioners that Herbert had withdrawn the original request to rezone the clubhouse property to S-1 special and sought a minor revision to ensure the intended use of the building was consistent with the PUD.
Jones also noted the PUD revision granted in 2018 to allow Katerwerks to operate a catering service from the clubhouse was met with support from the homeowner’s association at the time.
“I think it’s in everyone’s best interest if the golf course were to reopen,” said Jones. “It would obviously benefit the neighborhood, and benefit whoever owns this building. Also, I can tell you, it’s in no one’s interest that this building shut down.”
Opponents of the revision request, however, including Nanney, insisted the earlier revision was different in that its use was still in service to the golf course.
Local property attorney and Jones Creek resident Hammad Sheikh called the revision request and the ensuing hearing “déjà vu,” stressing that while Nanney and the other residents have spoken up to the county, Herbert himself had not attended either meeting to answer Jones Creek’s objections.
“The issue is not that it’s just about the hours and the trash pickup, the issue is that they are expanding the use of related services,” said Sheikh. “This is a golf clubhouse first and related services second.”
Attorney Wendell Johnston, speaking on behalf of Jones Creek residents against the revision request, argued against the minor revision bypassing the consideration of the Board of Commissioners, whose members are elected, unlike the Planning Commission, whose members are appointed.
Amid back and forth between Johnston and the commissioners, Dempsey said that the homeowners have the option of appealing any decision made.
The Planning Commission voted in favor of the minor PUD revision 4-1, with only District 1 Commissioner James Van Meter opposed.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
