Columbia County commissioners approve multiple rezoning, variance and signage requests; approve relocation payments for road widening

Columbia County commissioners on July 1 approved several land-use and infrastructure items, including rezoning and variance requests for private properties, a request to allow a church site to operate a food pantry and a master signage plan exception for a local hospital, and authorized two relocation payments tied to the Herford Farm Road widening project.

The approvals came on voice votes after staff presentations and limited public comment. Commissioner Allen moved the motions on the zoning and variance items and each motion “carrie[d]” after being seconded, according to the meeting record.

The most detailed approvals were a rezoning from C-2 to C-3 for Tax Map 078C Parcels 160A and 161 to allow a contractor’s office with outside storage, and an accompanying variance to reduce a required 30-foot rear building setback to 10 feet and reduce buffer requirements for the outdoor storage area. Staff said the use reflected how the site was originally built and that the new owner must bring the property into current code compliance. Conditions in the 06/19/2025 planning commission report were attached to both the rezoning and the variance approvals.

A separate major S-1 site revision for Tax Map 001 Parcel 002 was approved to allow reduced building setbacks adjacent to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property, including a request to reduce the buffer from 20 feet to 0 feet. Staff noted that any building placed closer than 5 feet to the property line would be subject to fire-rating requirements under…