Residents of the Jones Creek subdivision in Evans have vigorously resisted recent attempts by developer Mark Herbert of MBH Holdings to transform the Jones Creek clubhouse into a freestanding restaurant.
Herbert, who purchased the clubhouse property in 2019, first sought to rezone the 6.95-acre parcel to S-1 special, specifically as a restaurant, catering space and hospitality venue, separate from the wider planned unit development (or PUD) zoning of the surrounding subdivision and currently-defunct golf course.
A swell of opposition from Jones Creek homeowners ensued, culminating in many of the protesting homeowners voicing their disagreement with the prospective zoning change at the Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 2, when the rezoning was on the agenda.
By that point, however, Herbert had already withdrawn the rezoning application. As of Jan. 31, two days before the public hearing for the initial rezoning petition, MBH Holdings is requesting a minor PUD revision to the property to allow its use as a restaurant and hospitality space, available to the public and for private rentals, open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“We feel the same way; like we’re getting the raw end of the deal,” said Jones Creek HOA board member Tripp Nanney about the residents’ response to the new application.
Unlike a rezoning request, a minor PUD revision does not require approval from the Board of Commissioners, only the appointed—rather than elected—Planning Commission.
“Nothing’s changed. The only benefit to them is that now, the hearing will not go before the elected Columbia County Board of Commissioners,” said Nanney. “So they’re getting the easy way out.”
The planning staff’s report of the revision request, which ultimately recommends its approval, acknowledges “there has been significant opposition” to the proposed changing of the use of the building on 777 Jones Creek Dr.
In 2018, Katerwerks Events and Hospitality, LLC requested a minor PUD revision to include catering services. This came with its own opposition from homeowners as well, at the time, though catering services had operated from the building for years at that point. The Planning Commission approved that revision with conditions on Nov. 1, 2018.
The current revision request includes “sale of merchandise within the proshop,” golf and recreational related services among its approved uses to address the originally approved narrative of the clubhouse in the wider PUD.
These updates to the proposed use won’t suffice for those who live in Jones Creek, said Nanney, as a publicly available eatery is likely to clash with a golf club striving to return after it closed in 2018.
“If somebody is offering a restaurant in there from 6:30 to 11 a.m., with the anticipation of hospitality, hosting and events, especially Masters week, the biggest week of the year for any potential golf course, those two entities cannot coexist, in our opinion,” Nanney said.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider Herbert’s PUD revision request at its meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16. Though it is not a public hearing, Nanney says the HOA plans to attend the meeting and again express its opposition.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
