The Columbia County Planning Commission in its meeting on Thursday voted to deny a rezoning request for a property owned by Evans Christian Academy.
On Nov. 4, Evans Christian Academy applied to have property it owns located at 2029 William Few Pkwy. rezoned from special to professional district for the purpose of building a medical complex.
The medical office would be in a 2.09-acre portion of the parcel, located on the northeast side of William Few Parkway. The north corner of the property has already been developed for a cellular communications tower.
Dave Lachman spoke before the commission on behalf of his wife, Freida Lachman, who is the headmaster of Evans Christian Academy. Dave Lachman emphasized that the proposed medical facility would be a benefit to the nearby schools including Grovetown High, Middle and Elementary schools, and that it would fit with nearby housing developments.
Lachman also said rezoning the property would enable to school to sell the property to facilitate the school’s growth, as its revenue is currently only donations and tuition.
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“That gives us the funds that we can start planning and building right now,” said Lachman. “Because we’re limited in how much space we have, we can’t get into another facility unless we have more students and more tuition coming in.”
Ruth Brosnahan, real estate broker for the property, also spoke before the commission on behalf of Evans Christian Academy. Brosnahan is also the broker for Warrior’s Walk, a proposed planned unit development in the area, and mentioned the planning staff’s recommendation to disapprove the request partly because it was premature, due Warrior’s Walk not yet being completed.
MORE: Planning Commission approves revision for new development in Grovetown
“To me, that’s like saying if you’re in a neighborhood, you can’t build your house yet because their neighbor hasn’t built their house yet,” said Brosnahan. “I would say that the question that zoning seeks to answer is not that but, should there be a house there ever in the first place.”
Commissioner Russell Wilder motioned to disapprove the request, and Commissioner Gene Futch seconded, after which the Planning Commission unanimously voted to disapprove the request.
The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to address the rezoning request in its meeting on Dec. 21.
The Planning Commission also voted to allow a major planned unit development revision on the intersection of Ronald Reagan Drive and North Belair Road to be withdrawn without prejudice. The request had been made by Marshall Properties and Investments, DLC Land Partnership and Evans Society Investment Group.
The initial purpose of the rezoning application was for development of two commercial buildings with a coffee shop and a drive-thru. The applicants then requested for their application to be withdrawn without prejudice in order for them to allow the correct parcels to be incorporated into a new application to be submitted later. The commission voted unanimously to permit the application be withdrawn.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
