The Columbia County Planning Commission, in its meeting Thursday night, postponed a variance request regarding a proposed Parker’s Kitchen at the intersection of Washington Road and Bobby Jones Expressway.
The convenience store chain is requesting a variance to remove the required 30-foot buffer along the southwestern property line of the 3900 Washington Road, where it plans to build a 6,065-square foot gas station.
Planning staff noted that the buffer separating the property from its residential neighbors would have varied between 10 and 20 feet in 2002 when Walgreens built its drugstore there. Staff underscored in its report that requiring the buffer today would eliminate the driveway leading to Caribe Drive, which extends along a shared lot line with one of the neighboring residential properties.
Though staff suggested that Parker’s Kitchen could install an opaque fence along the subject lot lines for residents — and even included it among recommended conditions should the planning commissioners vote to approve it — the planning staff recommended denial of the variance request.
Daniel Ben-Yisrael, development manager with Parker’s Kitchen, told the planning commissioners that the company had agreed to installing the fence as well planting evergreens for an additional vegetative buffer. He also said that Parker’s is considering another version of the plan that would entail a version of the store that’s 1,000 square feet smaller, much like the location at the intersection of Washington Road and William Few Parkway.
Residents present at the meeting spoke to oppose the request, stressing traffic issues. Kemberly Younts expressed concern about the impact resulting traffic would have on the neighborhood behind Caribe Drive, along Casa Rosa Avenue. She noted that motorists often come through the neighborhood using Casa Rosa, Valdes and Miramar Drives as pathways to and from Washington Road or Bobby Jones.
“What we’ve had to deal with Walgreens is all this traffic that comes in and they think they’re at the Indy 500,” said Younts, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years. “And so we’ve got children playing and pets playing, but at least we didn’t have a lot of commercial traffic. Now we’ve got gas tankers and 18-wheelers and all of their delivery people.”
The planning commissioners ultimately voted unanimously to postpone request, giving more time for Parker’s Kitchen to adjust its plans.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
