Planning commission approves final plats for Tillery Park Section 3A and Rabbit Run Phase 1

The Columbia County Planning and Zoning Commission voted Aug. 7 to recommend approval of final plats for Tillery Park Section 3A and Rabbit Run Phase 1, moving both applications to the Board of Commissioners for final action on Aug. 19, 2025. Danielle, a planning staff presenter, outlined the developments and staff recommendations.

Tillery Park Section 3A is a portion of the planned residential development off Baker Place Road and includes 55 lots, a mix of single-family and future townhouse lots. The approval brings the overall development to 271 lots. Danielle said the section is “bound by a zoning condition that does require completion of the second access point prior to plotting of 300.” She reported minimum single-family lot sizes of 5,500 square feet, an average lot size of 8,414 square feet, front setbacks of 15 or 18 feet depending on water line location, 7.5-foot side setbacks (reducible to 6 feet on alley-loaded lots), and 11.39 acres of open space that include a future amenity area and an existing cemetery. Sidewalks and street trees will be provided on both sides of the roads. Staff recommended approval, and the motion to approve the final plat carried.

Rabbit Run Phase 1, located off Cobham Road in the residential-agricultural zoning district, includes 16 single-family lots with a stated minimum lot size of 2.5 acres and an average lot size of 2.86 acres. Danielle said the required setbacks for the subdivision are 125 feet from the centerline of Cobham Road, 75 feet from the centerline of local roads, 10 feet from side property lines and 25 feet from rear property lines. Staff noted that no dedicated open space is required for this type of larger-lot development. Construction was not complete for either project, but staff said the developers could proceed with final plat processing while finishing on-site work; the commission recommended both plats for approval.

Discussion and next steps: Commission members asked no substantive questions during the presentations. Each recommendation will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final review at the Aug. 19, 2025 meeting. No conditions beyond those noted in staff presentations were recorded by the commission.

Tillery Park and Rabbit Run are subject to the county's subdivision and zoning requirements; staff cited the PRD (planned residential development) conditions for Tillery Park and standard residential-agricultural lot standards for Rabbit Run. The commission's approvals on Aug. 7 constituted recommendations only; final approvals will be made by the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 19.