[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6635658,"mediaKeyId","2628705-eca76e78b378125f5458d4a6eec7f2da","parentId",2628705,"title","Chatham County commissioners table rezoning petition pending GDOT fix for 18-wheeler U-turns","audioSeconds",402,"startMs",3311000,"endMs",3713000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628705-eca76e78b378125f5458d4a6eec7f2da&start=3311&end=3713","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628705-eca76e78b378125f5458d4a6eec7f2da/thumbnail_3311000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6635658/Chatham-County/Georgia/Chatham-County-commissioners-table-rezoning-petition-pending-GDOT-fix-for-18-wheeler-U-turns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6635658-382f27f501d45993cec3b741ae870c41/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992177&Signature=PJbecoYHTlEXtmZc2a48LUvRCE2oU~1NcCRRLTp4l-y3MWYu3Pbf7a35eYUk1Uyjqy4WYUSfovnbnVkHZrFodBEHHNpoZhWC-sGNqgC4uyOoODunSs1rOfFAzND7NacQtXYgVplvcyxGEK8Kpi-F5S0PYoo7rugHV8hwzF41MzHuioUk-dM7pq5IJSw6VLGthzr2sDdr~at2YJLPwOhByp0HrLJTV6nk-vVNy1zyEgCqMVIS-l4yWJ27yKJQoWtSSdQMIfSYNIZdng3FY~hKzAFbBfk7ABOUP-GBsZmgq0H5r9XgzJ3ZC1DXtpE15LmU2uzSYpbsbkjfW0HNd2qs6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chatham County ","date","2025-03-14T14:16:58.69Z","article","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 14, 2025 left a rezoning petition on the table, saying the item cannot move forward until the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) addresses safety issues that allow 18-wheelers to make U-turns at the Silk Hope Road and Derrick Inn Road intersection.

Commissioner Kigle, a member of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, told petitioners and nearby residents that while the petitioners had agreed to multiple conditions, a lingering safety problem at the Highway 17 intersection requires GDOT action before the board will approve the rezoning. “Before I could recommend that this be approved ... it’ll have to be contingent upon y’all receiving some type of fix from GDOT or something from GDOT that will stop 18-wheelers from doing a U-turn at the intersection of Silk Hope Road and Derrick Inn Road,” Commissioner Kigle said.

The petition will remain on the table rather than being denied, a choice the commission said was intended to avoid a six-month wait and additional fees if petitioners had to refile. Kigle said petitioners had been “beyond gracious” in meeting neighbors’ requests and that the commission aims to protect both local residents and business owners.

Why it matters: The commissioners said the property under consideration would generate significant truck traffic tied to port-related operations on Highway 17. Commissioners and neighbors raised safety concerns about large trucks attempting U-turns at a nearby intersection, a problem county officials said was already occurring and visible in video evidence.

Details discussed and conditions described on the record

Commissioner Kigle read conditions that he said the petitioners had already accepted and that must be included when the petition returns to the commission:
- The subject property must be buffered from Silk Hope Road with an 8-foot-high solid fence or wall, including masonry columns spaced 30 feet on center; the area between the fence and the property line parallel to Silk Hope Road must contain vegetative screening approved by the county arborist to obscure the fence or wall.
- Access to the site shall be only from State Route 25/Ogeechee Road; developers must obtain an encroachment permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation for any new driveway access on State Route 25/Ogeechee Road.
- There shall be no access to the site from Silk Hope Road; developers must record a 5-foot non-access easement along the rear of the property to prevent a future driveway from being constructed onto Silk Hope Road.

Commissioner Kigle told the room that the outstanding issue — truck movements at the Silk Hope/Derrick Inn intersection — must be remedied before he would recommend approval. He suggested possible GDOT remedies could include signage restricting truck turns, a lane configuration that prevents large vehicles from turning left there, or other infrastructure changes.

Discussion vs. decision

The board’s action was procedural: the rezoning petition was tabled (left on the table) rather than approved or denied. Commissioners explicitly separated discussion (concerns about truck traffic and neighbors’ objections), direction (conditions that must be recorded for future approval), and decision (to keep the petition on the table pending a GDOT solution). Commissioner Kigle noted that if the petition were denied, petitioners would have to wait six months to reapply and be required to pay fees again, so the board opted to keep the item open while pursuing a safety fix.

Next steps and implementation risks

Commissioner Kigle said county staff and the petitioners will work with GDOT to pursue a fix and that the petitioners had expressed willingness to comply with the conditions read into the record. Because final approval depends on GDOT’s actions, the item’s path to a vote is contingent on an external agency; the commission characterized that as the critical remaining implementation step.

Ending

Commissioner Kigle closed by saying the board would leave the matter on the table “until it’s resolved” or until the petitioners withdraw. No formal vote tally or final approval was recorded in the meeting transcript for the rezoning; the item remains pending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chatham County Commission Meeting: March 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 14, 2025 left a rezoning petition on the table, saying the item cannot move forward until the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) addresses safety issues that allow 18-wheelers to make U-turns at the Silk Hope Road and Derrick Inn Road intersection.","taxTitle","Chatham County, Georgia","taxId",2956,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6635653,"Chatham County commissioners approve appointments and multiple budget transfers; executive session called",409,3724000,4133000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2628705-eca76e78b378125f5458d4a6eec7f2da&start=3724&end=4133","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2628705-eca76e78b378125f5458d4a6eec7f2da/thumbnail_3724000.jpg","/articles/6635653/Chatham-County/Georgia/Chatham-County-commissioners-approve-appointments-and-multiple-budget-transfers-executive-session-called","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6635653-ef55325b00009aca77337e60e5ed8874/orig.mp4?Expires=1770992177&Signature=dlKFZNa3b999YqvIZl9LXMqEQQPWEIRiSy22lAq1LoB4WdsrSHAMbc50nE7wFkz3thfJUW9~T48e8m5LP5KiBX8WbxeQJqbqyv28HlpLjbZKfhe87KE5BotlxxImsnQP2838KHRxESUlOJsW4DlIYAGHBRQin~t33WjmrFIS387Giz4OS0Q1jPNUsBfCG6GfEA3Cb8QQ6MqRHvyqEK-ils1TNOA0KFjrdgO~7KtuLNblU5MFhIwEp6XtouZdQR8r9cbcEmzN5ybETqyage5h1qTvFKYLtk3Bl-b5zySY4SAYS3RNA-L1i6N5HMcEw6POLksmhdVux~9LcdhVbT9LpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 14, 2025 approved two board appointments and a package of budget amendments and transfers affecting several county funds, accepted the action calendar and recessed into an executive session for land acquisition, appointments and litigation.

Chair Chelsea Ellis presided over roll call and votes for the public items. The board appointed Anthony Charlo to the Aging Services Advisory Board and Faith Mahone to the Department of Family and Children Services. Motions to appoint each were made and seconded on the record; the clerk called for votes and the appointments were approved (tallies were not provided in the meeting transcript).

The commission also approved a set of budget amendments and transfers that the clerk read into the record. Items included:
- Confiscated revenue fund: appropriate fund balance of $115,000 to increase the C & T operational budget.
- Restructured court fee fund: appropriate fund balance of $2,835,000 to increase the Chatham County Police building account in the capital improvement program fund.
- Capital improvement program fund: transfer $100,000 from contingency to establish a whole market septic elimination project.
- Vehicle replacement and fund transfers: transfer $210,245 from the SSD vehicle replacement project with $193,197 transferred to the curbside pickup fund and $17,048 to the solid waste fund; transfer $42,976 from the general fund vehicle replacement project as a transfer out to the building safety fund; additional increases to solid waste recycling center vehicles and curbside pickup vehicles via transfers in from the capital improvement project fund were also read.

A motion to approve the budget amendments “as read” was made and seconded, and the clerk called for votes; approval was recorded in the transcript but specific roll-call tallies were not provided.

The board then moved to accept the action calendar in its entirety; a motion and second were recorded and the clerk called for votes. The action calendar acceptance was approved per the transcript.

Finally, the commission voted to recess into executive session to discuss land acquisition, appointments and litigation. The motion to recess was made, seconded and approved; the transcript records that commissioners cast votes and the board recessed.

What was not recorded on the public transcript

The meeting transcript does not include individual vote tallies or which commissioner made each motion or second in every instance; for several motions the record shows only “So moved” and “Second.” The transcript does not show final roll-call counts for the appointments, budget amendments, action calendar acceptance or the vote to recess.

Ending

Following the votes, county staff provided informational updates and commissioners announced a GDOT corridor study public meeting and a park work event; the board then recessed into executive session for land acquisition, appointments and litigation. No additional public votes were recorded after the recess.","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 14, 2025 approved two board appointments and a package of budget amendments and transfers, accepted the action calendar and recessed into executive session for land acquisition, appointments and litigation.","actionData","errors"]

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Chatham County commissioners table rezoning petition pending GDOT fix for 18-wheeler U-turns

Chatham County commissioners approve appointments and multiple budget transfers; executive session called