The Columbia County Planning Commission gave its approval to two projects that have had been tabled for months, including a subdivision in Evans.
CSRA Development’s “The Laurels” neighborhood had been postponed twice since it first appeared before the commission in July. The request to rezone just more than 100 acres along Clanton Road and Old Pearre Place from residential agricultural to planned residential development was pushed at the behest of the developers to confer with neighboring homeowners.
“I really encourage that every everybody that’s doing a project really spend some time with the residents because this particular case, I think we found a plan,” said Keith Lawrence of CSRA Development.
Back then, the plans for the proposed community included over 200 single-family homes. Thursday evening, Lawrence mentioned to the commissioners that the current version of the plan proposes 165 homes. He also noted that the developers decided to increase setbacks from seven to 10 feet.
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The Planning Commission ultimately voted in favor of the rezoning four to one, with Commissioner Michael Carraway opposing.
The commission voted unanimously, however, on the major revision request by Redeemer Presbyterian Church at 2540 William Few Pkwy. to accommodate its expansion. The church aims to build a two-story, 30,000 square foot school building on its property.
The staff report for the request, in which the planning department recommended approval for the revision, noted that the application was postponed from the Planning Commission’s August 4 meeting to allow the applicants to organize with the applicants for the rezoning off Clanton Road, in order to coordinate the traffic improvements required between the two projects.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to vote on both items on Sept. 15.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
