Augusta Commissioners will take up several issues on Tuesday, Aug. 17, and most of the discussion will revolve around housing.
Residents of the Rollins Road area in South Augusta will once again make their case that a group home that takes in troubled youth and young men should not be allowed in the neighborhood.
For the group home to exist, commissioners will need to amend the zoning from agricultural to multiple family residential.
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Margaret McKie, part owner of Taking a Step Beyond LLC, has tried since February to move her current group home, located at 1509 Brown Rd., to the 4717 Rollins Rd. location.
In February, residents of Rollins Road addressed the commission armed with a petition and multiple police reports they say prove that the young men and boys under McKie’s care have had trouble with the law in the past and residents do not want that baggage brought into their quiet neighborhood.
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McKie said at the time that her charges are good kids and that most of the police calls were made when the kids would run away or miss curfew.
“My kids are everyday kids,” she said. “We have runaways. They’re allowed to take a walk. They have three hours. If they stay beyond that, I have to call the police… We have wonderful young men. One just won an award and a $2,500 scholarship.”
The residents of Rollins Road thought the matter was settled when the commission voted to deny the zoning request in February; however, McKie appealed to the Augusta Planning Commission and received an approval from that body.
Rollins Road resident Douglas Day said that he hates having to go back through the process again, but is ready to take his case back before the commission to prevent the group home from moving into the area.
“If (McKie) really wants to help these kids, then she needs to buy a farm out in a rural area. That way there won’t be the temptation for the kids to get in trouble,” Day said.
Commissioners will now hear both sides of the matter again and determine if the group home should move to its new location or stay at the Brown Road location.
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In other commissioner news, tiny homes, which have become a nationwide trend to help curb homelessness, are also on the commission agenda for discussion.
Generally speaking, tiny homes are housing units that are 400 square feet or less and consist of one main room with a loft for sleeping, a kitchenette and small bathroom.
The homes are not built on site but rather manufactured off-site, much like a mobile home. When construction is complete, the home is moved to its intended site and placed on a concrete slab.
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For years, tiny homes were not allowed in Augusta-Richmond County because they did not meet recommendations set forth by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. However, the DCA relaxed their rules in 2017, which recognized tiny homes as merely a small modular home without wheels.
Commissioners will need to discuss current zoning rules on population density and may need to determine exactly where the tiny homes can be placed so that any new development doesn’t affect the property values of neighboring existing homes.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com.
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