Developers are seeking to update the River Island development in Evans for one of its upcoming projects.
Blackstone Development Co. of Augusta has petitioned Columbia County for a planned unit development (PUD) revision at one of its properties at 714 Marsh Road. The parcel is the site of a proposed home lot next to a large common area in the River Island neighborhood.
A sewer line courses next to and across a portion of the parcel, along with an associated easement. The narrative accompanying the PUD revision application notes that this inhibits a conventional building footprint, or geometric representation of the total area covered by the building, including the foundation, on the lot.
Blackstone is requesting the side setback for the lot be reduced to zero, to accommodate a wider and shallower footprint amid the sewer main and the site’s complicated topography.
The narrative claims that Blackstone has attempted to replat the lot to make it wider, but was hamstrung by a conservation easement. The narrative also says that the Central Savannah River Land Trust denied a request by Blackstone to replat the lot, “even though effective use and condition” of the widening area “would stay the same.”
River Island donated a conservation easement to the Central Savannah River Land Trust in 2009. Southeastern Development CEO Vic Mills began development of River Island in 2004.
The Columbia County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the request in its upcoming meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
