An upcoming farm equipment business in Harlem got a recommendation from the Columbia County Planning Commission during its meeting, Thursday evening.
Harold Westbrooks Jr. requested to rezone a four-acre portion of his roughly 25-acre property at 4080 Gordon Highway from Residential Agricultural to S-1 Special. The retailer, called C&C Farm Gates, would sell livestock gear such as holding pens, panels, barrels and hay feeders, and possibly propane, pending approval by the fire marshal.
Westbrooks’ application for a business license in January was the impetus for the rezoning request, according to the planning staff’s report. The staff also noted that Westbrooks had already been operating the business “for some time” while unlicensed. Westbrooks told the commissioners he had been in business for some 10 years.
The property also has a 12-by-28 portable building for use as storage for small parts, and a gravel driveway, and board fencing on three sides.
Westbrooks told the commissioners that he was also seeking to have the 30-foot buffer requirement waived, as the tract is already 26 feet from the property line, and install a privacy fence instead.
Staff recommended approval of the request, and county planning manager Will Butler noted to the commissioners that the conditions could be modified to lower the buffer requirements and eliminate the need for a fence.
Westbrooks also noted that most of his sales were off-site, and few customers regularly visit the property.
The commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the request.
The board voted to postpone a rezoning request at 1535 Appling Harlem Road to build a gas station. GasWorld CEO Deep Patel is seeking to change the two-acre parcel from Residential Agricultural to Neighborhood Commercial to develop a new convenience store with fuel pumps across the road from the Amazon Fulfillment facility.
Planning staff expressed support of the project in the staff report, but noted that the sheriff’s office raised concerns about traffic, particularly about drivers turning out of Alliance Drive attempting to cross several lanes of traffic, or doing improper U-turns, during shift changes.
Staff reported that they are working with the Department of Transportation, which has reviewing authority on Appling Harlem Road, for making that decision.
The commissioners voted to postpone the request to the meeting scheduled for March 21.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
