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Planning commission recommends rezoning for Grace Baptist mission at 418 Old Evans Road after neighborhood concerns
Summary
The commission recommended rezoning 418 Old Evans Road from R-3 to S-1 to allow Grace Baptist Church to relocate a food pantry and clothing closet; neighbors voiced concerns about traffic, safety, property values and whether people would stay overnight; church representatives said hours are limited and no one will stay onsite overnight.
The Columbia County Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow Grace Baptist Church to relocate its food pantry and clothing closet to 418 Old Evans Road, forwarding the application to the Board of Commissioners for final action.
Planning staff said the site, currently zoned R-3, has already undergone substantial unpermitted site work including fill and a nine-space parking lot. The applicants are seeking S-1 special zoning to formalize operation of a food pantry, clothing closet and small-group meeting space. Staff noted the parcel is within an in-town neighborhood character area and said the proposed use can serve nearby residential populations while limiting operational impacts. The proposed site plan shows buffers, a privacy fence along two shared residential lot lines, a nine-space parking area, stormwater work and a single driveway access directly to Old Evans Road; staff said use hours are limited and the majority of activity occurs before 6 p.m.
Multiple neighbors spoke in opposition, raising concerns about increased traffic on Briarwood Drive, safety for children, potential impacts on property values, and whether the facility could become a site where people stay overnight. Resident Jeff Lamb said, “I'm not very happy about this ... It's a family subdivision. And the minute it gets converted into a commercial, it's a whole different ballgame.” Resident Valerie Lamb questioned impacts on children and whether people would stay in the home; Pastor/mission representative Greg Mason replied, “It is a house. It's not a halfway house. It's not a treatment center. Nobody's gonna be staying there.” Mason said the mission has operated at its current location for 2½ years and typically serves “maybe 4 to 6 families at a time,” and estimated up to “30 trips in a day” on its busiest days.
After public comment and staff recommendations, a motion to recommend rezoning (file RZ25-06-09) from R-3 to S-1 for a food pantry, clothing closet and small-group meeting space carried (voice vote reported as 4 in favor). The item will proceed to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action; staff and applicants said they will address required permits and bring the site into compliance with county land-development code prior to occupancy.
