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Board recommends denial for large Honeycutt subdivision proposal on Highway 80 amid neighbor opposition
Summary
John and Marie Honeycutt Family Partnership sought rezoning of 51 acres to R-8 for up to 134 lots near Highway 80; after extensive public comment about density, drainage and traffic the planning board recommended denial and will forward the matter to county commissioners.
The Bulloch County Planning & Zoning Board on an advisory vote recommended denial of a rezoning request from the John and Marie Honeycutt Family Partnership to rezone 51 of 64.95 acres along U.S. Highway 80 East to R-8 (8,000 square-foot lots), a proposal that anticipates up to 134 single-family lots.
Attorney Steve Reshen, representing the partnership, said the project anticipates city water and sewer and would avoid on-site septic systems. Engineer Hayden Rollins explained the plan would avoid mapped wetlands and include stormwater detention and pocket parks; he said the City of Statesboro is extending water and sewer nearby. “As we continue our testing and engineering, we may not get quite this many lots, but that’s our proposal,” Rollins said.
Neighbors voiced strong opposition at length. Deborah Hatton, who owns adjacent land, said 134 houses on the parcel is “way too many” and raised concerns about runoff into a creek and pond behind nearby properties. Sam (Samantha) Midley, a tenant, spoke of horseback-riding safety on local dirt roads and traffic increases. Cynthia Collins, a nearby 50‑acre farmer, said recent nearby development already causes flooding of her horse barn and expressed concern about construction runoff and chemical runoff affecting ponds used for fishing.
Board members and the applicant debated buffers, traffic access and stormwater. Rollins said the engineering will provide on‑site detention and be reviewed by state and county engineers; he added the road is a planned corridor slated for future widening. A board motion to recommend denial passed unanimously; the recommendation will go to the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners for final decision.
Why it matters: The proposal is a substantial change in density for a corridor that neighbors and some staff said is in transition and that may require city utility extensions and sizeable infrastructure upgrades.
Next steps: The advisory denial will be forwarded to the county commissioners’ July 1 hearing; the applicant indicated willingness to work with staff and return with revised plans.
