A new Circle-K gas station along Columbia Road is closer to construction after the Columbia County Planning Commission recommended a rezoning on Thursday night, amid opposition from neighbors.
Kimley-Horn, a civil engineering firm in Atlanta, applied with the landowners to rezone an undeveloped three-acre tract at 5607 Columbia Road from R-A Residential to C-C Community Commercial, with plans to build a Circle-K gas station and convenience store. The firm also submitted companion variance requests to reduce the buffer requirement and allow the gas station to operate 24 hours.
Several neighboring residents attended the meeting to oppose the rezoning, and many of their presentations to the commissioners were met with applause. Common concerns were increased traffic and preserving the area’s greenspace.
Commission Chairman Al Dempsey, in response to resident Cathy Richards’ concerns about the fuel stop increasing traffic along Columbia Road, stressed that the proposed gas station, which would include three diesel pump stations, would likely serve trucks coming from the Martin Marietta and Vulcan Materials quarries along the road.
“They have a choice of going out to the corner at the end of Columbia Road to buy fuel, or they have a choice of going all the way down to Belair Road to buy fuel,” said Dempsey, positing that a new alternative for trucks to fuel up quickly could help decrease the traffic along Columbia Road. “They can pull in there, and they’re going to use the same road that goes to the quarry, and then they come and turn in that service station, come out and turn right and be gone on the interstate.”
The commissioners voted unanimously in favor of both the rezoning and the variances, forwarding the items to the Board of Commissioners.
After the commissioners voted on the rezoning, and during the public hearing for the accompanying variance requests, neighboring homeowner Tom Meador also spoke against the proposed gas station, but also commented to the commissioners on the effects the various construction projects — mainly due to the Lewiston Road Widening Project — on residents.
“I know we’re progressing in Columbia County, but let’s not push so fast that someone’s going to get hurt,” Meador said.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
