Doctors Hospital is finally making progress toward its plans to develop medical center in Columbia County, and is seeking to accommodate its construction.
Earlier this month, Doctors Hospital applied for a variance at 464 N. Belair Road, the former site of Fatz Café, which closed in 2019, citing constraints of the subject property’s topography. There it plans to build a one-story freestanding ER facility, more than 10,800 square feet, with 37 parking spaces, including six ADA compliant spots.
The property, zoned Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), sits at the southerly intersection of North Belair and Hereford Farm Roads, and abuts Marie Street to its west.
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Section 90-98 of the county ordinance requires setbacks along arterial roads—such as North Belair—be a maximum of 125 feet from the street centerline, and 55 feet from the centerline of streets that are not arterial, collector or service drive streets. The request seeks to variances to allow for a setback of about 159 to 169 feet from the centerline of North Belair to allow access to the entrance.
The application also requests a setback along Marie Street of 96.9 feet from the trash enclosure, 143 to 145 feet for the generator enclosure and some 178 to 204 feet for the building, drive lanes, parking spaces, the ambulance entrance and the stormwater management facility.
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Doctors Hospital purchased the property in August of 2020 from Old Mill Stream #14 LLC. The Columbia County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the variance request in its meeting on Sept. 19.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
