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Commissioners approve rezoning for proposed senior living community, subject to planning conditions
Summary
The Board approved rezoning of a split-zoned parcel to S-1 for a proposed senior living community that would include independent living, assisted living and memory care, subject to conditions in the Sept. 4 planning commission report.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request on Sept. 5 to rezone split-zoned property (M-1 and R-A) to S-1 for a proposed senior living community, subject to the conditions enumerated in the Sept. 4 planning commission report.
County staff described the concept as a campus that would include independent living cottages, an assisted-living and memory-care building and supporting facilities. The applicant’s conceptual layout showed a principal single‑story building of about 90,000 square feet and up to roughly 115 assisted- and memory-care units, plus up to 80 independent-living cottages; staff noted that detailed design must still be completed.
Planning staff described proposed buffers: a 30-foot vegetative buffer along Chamberlain Road and I-20 and a 30-foot structural buffer against an adjacent residential parcel. Staff said the applicant requested flexibility to place the structural element at the highest point of a hill to increase screening effectiveness and asked for an 8-foot fence in that location. The commission approved the rezoning subject to the planning commission conditions.
Why this matters: The rezoning clears the way for a multi-component senior living project (independent living, assisted living and memory care) on a site with split zoning, potentially adding housing and care capacity for older residents in the county. The conditional approval requires detailed site design and subsequent permitting.
What’s next: The applicant must complete design and satisfy the conditions listed in the Sept. 4 planning commission report before building permits will be issued.
