Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Columbia County approves rezoning along Callaway Road for proposed ~70-home subdivision, 4-1 vote
Summary
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to rezone a parcel on Callaway Road from R-1 to R-2, clearing the way for a conceptual subdivision that could yield about 70 single-family units; the developer must fund road, water and fire-protection upgrades and meet multiple conditions from the March 20 Planning Commission report.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 on April 1, 2025, to approve a rezoning from R-1 to R-2 for property identified as Tax Map 60, Parcel 13B, allowing a proposed single-family subdivision that county staff said could accommodate about 70 homes if later plans and variances are approved.
County planning staff told commissioners the R-2 zoning would permit smaller lots (about 10,000 square feet) and that the concept shown to the county was nonbinding; the plan presented to commissioners estimated roughly 1.88 units per acre. Staff and commissioners emphasized multiple conditions will apply if the rezoning stands, and that the developer must pay for road and water upgrades and other required infrastructure.
The zoning change matters because the developer must rebuild or redesign portions of Callaway Road to meet fire and traffic requirements, install hydrants to meet fire-protection standards, and potentially add or fund turn lanes on neighboring Herber Farm Road, county staff said. Planning staff told the board the county expects the developer to pay for all required road improvements and hydrant installation, which staff said would also benefit existing neighbors.
Staff described several specific requirements drawn from the Planning Commission report dated March 20, 2025: redesign of the Callaway Road extension and the cul-de-sac to allow fire apparatus turning, upgrades to the local water system and hydrant spacing to meet fire code, traffic-calming measures, and possible construction of left- and right-turn lanes if triggered by the project development process. Staff said the precise density and lot layout were not final and that a variance on cul-de-sac length and turnaround would be presented to the Planning Commission at a later meeting.
Commissioners asked about neighbor input and technical details. Staff said many neighbors attended the Planning Commission meeting but did not submit on‑record opposition or support. When asked about hydrant spacing, staff gave a range rather than a firm figure, saying initially that requirements might be "500 feet" or "1,000 feet" depending on the applicable standard and final design.
The Board approved the rezoning 4-1. County staff noted the concept plan is not binding; the Planning Commission will review the developer's detailed concept and variance requests before final subdivision approvals.
Next steps: Planning Commission review of the nonbinding concept and any variance requests; developer submittal of detailed engineering for road, water and fire protection work; and subsequent administrative review and permitting as required.
