Changes are coming to the property of Congregation of Children of Israel synagogue on Walton Way, according to plans submitted to the Richmond County Planning Department, starting with a new dentist’s office where a parking lot currently is.
Dr. Scott Wingard of Summerville Dentistry submitted a petition on May 11 to the planning department to rezone a 0.82-acre parcel at 3013 Walton Way from R-1E One-family residential to P-1 Professional office.
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Wingard is under contract to purchase the property from Children of Israel, and aims to expand his dental practice by building a 4,000 square foot dental office there.
The proposed area, located on the northwest intersection of Walton Way and Martin Lane, is now a parking lot used by the synagogue, which is next door at 3005 Walton Way. The surrounding area is largely residential, with homes located to the north and south of the property, and Langford Middle School at its west.
“My main concern is the school traffic; it is extremely bad,” said neighboring resident Katherine Scoggins before the Planning Commission meeting on July 6, in which Wingard’s rezoning request was on the agenda.
Scoggins, while not opposed to the rezoning, expressed concerns that the new dental office would exacerbate already difficult traffic overflow from Langford Middle on weekday afternoons.
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Attorney James Trotter, of real estate law firm Trotter Jones, LLP, spoke at the meeting on behalf of Wingard, and said that the lot for the proposed dental office would not be used for overflow. Trotter did say, however, that the Children of Israel congregation was using this as an opportunity to continue its own renovation project.
“The synagogue has indicated that when they do sell the lot to Dr. Wingard, they plan to use those funds to clean up the rear of their property,” Trotter said, noting older, presently unused buildings. “They plan to take those down and build additional green space and parking spaces for the use by their members.”
The Planning Commission voted unanimously last Wednesday. to approve the rezoning, moving the item to be addressed by the Augusta Commission.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
