Planning board recommends denying Turtle Landing rezoning after resident protests over roads, fire response and water

The Bulloch County Planning & Zoning Board on an advisory vote recommended denying Turtle Landing Investments LLC’s request to rezone 71.17 acres along Sinkhole Road and Ephesus Church Road from AG-5 (5-acre agricultural) to R-80 (80,000 square-foot lots).

The request, presented by agent John Spandell, would allow a residential subdivision with phased interior roads and a private water system. Planning staff noted the property’s distance from the nearest fire station exceeded five miles and recommended conditions that would require access from Ephesus Church Road rather than directly onto the county-maintained Sinkhole Road.

Residents told the board they oppose the rezoning because they said it would change the rural character, strain emergency and utility services, and increase traffic. “We have 67 people in front of you that … do not support this rezoning,” said Gary McCorkle during public comment. Judy McCorkle and other neighbors cited the county’s land-use guidance and the planning staff review, saying the proposal “does not appear to conform with suggested land use policy.” Amanda Klingle said outages during storms make the area vulnerable; Kaye Anderson, a longtime resident and farmer, said ag zoning “is to preserve a way of life.”

Spandell said the developer plans an “upscale subdivision” built in phases with interior roads and a community water system, and said the project could supply water volumes “for supplemental water for fire trucks.” He also agreed to staff conditions limiting structures to site-built, conventional construction and restricting access to Ephesus Church Road. The applicant consented to increasing required fire flow and to return with a clearer site plan.

Board members questioned whether any lots should be left AG-5 along the Sinkhole Road frontage so that paving would not be required; staff explained that more than five homes accessing a dirt road triggers paving requirements. After public comment and applicant responses, a motion to recommend denial passed; the item will be heard by the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners at a later date. The developer was told they may revise the plan and appear July 1 to present changes.

Why it matters: The board’s recommendation sends the decision to the county commissioners and highlights recurring tensions in Bulloch County between agricultural preservation, rural road limits and new housing demand.

What happens next: The item will be presented to the county commissioners; the applicant may revise the sketch plan and meet with neighbors beforehand.