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Planning commission backs Augusta Christian elementary site across from existing campus on Baston Road
Summary
The commission recommended rezoning to allow an elementary school site adjacent to Augusta Christian’s existing campus; staff and school representatives discussed traffic staging and sewer connection requirements.
The Columbia County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a rezoning request for an elementary school site proposed on Baston Road by Augusta Christian School. The school seeks to site a separate kindergarten-through-fifth-grade building on property directly across from its existing Baston Road campus.
Why it matters: The project would consolidate elementary grades closer to the main campus and allow facility upgrades that administrators said would improve safety and operations. Neighbors and staff raised traffic flow and pick-up staging as the principal operational challenges to address before construction.
Staff presentation and school comments: Planning staff reported that the property is a split-zoned parcel and that the proposed elementary building would be roughly 42,000–46,000 square feet with a gymnasium and outdoor play areas. Staff said the health department requires connection to sewer, and the applicant indicated the school and county were working to secure that connection before the Board hearing. Joe Todd, who said he serves on the Augusta Christian board, explained the project is intended to let the school phase out older buildings and improve campus security and operational efficiency.
Traffic and public input: Staff and the applicant discussed existing traffic patterns at the site and the need for queuing and staging to avoid spillover onto Baston Road. Residents at the hearing noted concerns about heavy traffic and visibility — for example, one neighbor cited instances of people running across Baston Road during football events. The applicant said reconfiguration of pick-up patterns and staggered dismissal times would be considered and that final engineering would address queuing and sight lines.
Decision and conditions: The commission voted to recommend approval with conditions; staff listed traffic and sewer-connection conditions to be resolved at the engineering and site-plan stage. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action.
