Planning commission recommends approval with conditions for Parker's gas station at 3900 Washington Road

The Columbia County Planning Commission on June 5 voted to recommend approval with conditions of variance requests for redevelopment of the former Walgreens site at 3900 Washington Road, to allow a Parker’s gas station subject to specified buffers, landscape and lighting conditions (File VA25-0502).

Planning staff presented a revised concept showing increased separation between the new commercial structures and adjacent single-family lots, additional landscaping, relocation of the dumpster, and a reduction in the fuel canopy from 10 pumps to 8. Dylan (planning staff) said the latest plan increased separation to roughly 54 feet from the residential lot line and included a required 16-foot landscaping buffer as a condition of approval. Staff recommended requiring a photometric plan and shielding of lights away from adjacent homes.

Cody Rogers of EMC Engineering, representing Parker’s, said the applicants added clearance bars at the driveway that accesses Caribe Drive to deter commercial trucks and altered the layout to reduce parking on the side nearest residences. Rogers said the clearance bars would be set at roughly 9 to 10 feet to restrict commercial box trucks and larger vehicles.

Residents who spoke against the variances cited traffic and cut-through concerns. Kimberly Yance (3914 Casa Rosa) urged the commission to require a cul-de-sac or restrict left turns from the neighborhood onto the driveway, saying residents had seen similar cut-through traffic from past commercial uses on the site. Sylvia Elam (speaking for her mother at 205 Casalinda Drive) said the adjacent properties had gradually shifted from residential to commercial and that morning deliveries and fallen fencing had caused disturbance; she asked the commission to consider neighborhood impacts carefully.

Planning staff said they had consulted traffic engineering and the county engineer. County engineering staff determined converting the back road to a cul-de-sac was not a viable option because of broader circulation and public-safety considerations; staff said the idea would also create unintended consequences for other nearby streets. Staff noted GDOT improvements on Washington Road are ongoing and that the county will continue discussions with DOT as projects progress.

The commission approved the variance recommendation with conditions that reflect the revised site plan: the 54-foot structural separation, 16-foot landscape buffer, reduced canopy size, relocation of the dumpster, and lighting requirements including a shielded photometric plan. The motion recommending approval with those conditions carried by voice vote. The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action on June 17, 2025.