Planning commission recommends rezones, conditional uses and variances; key items go to county commissioners

Bulloch County Planning & Zoning Board members on Feb. 18 voted to recommend several zoning and land‑use actions to the County Commissioners and to approve a number of conceptual plans and conditional‑use requests for later review.

The board’s recommendations included lifting an alcohol sale restriction on a commercially zoned parcel on Kennedy Bridge Road, recommending approval of multiple rezone requests (including duplex development on Cody Lane and an AG‑5 rezone for a large tract near Lotts Creek/Lost Creek Road), recommending approval of a drive‑through conditional use for a highway commercial truck stop at U.S. 80 and Burkhalter Road, recommending a variance for a rebuilt home on Cypress Lake, and approving a conceptual plan for a mixed residential PUD at Burkhalter and Highway 80. Several requests were recommended subject to the conditions listed in staff reports; all recommended items now move to the county commissioners for final action.

Why it matters: the planning commission’s recommendations set the agenda for final county decisions that affect where and how homes, businesses and infrastructure will be built. Several items discussed (a proposed truck stop, a planned PUD with required turn lanes and utility extensions, and a large AG‑5 rezone) raise public concerns about access, road impacts and covenants that the board and applicants discussed at length.

What the board did (selected items and outcomes)

1) Condition modification — 6980 Kennedy Bridge Road (Jerry Washington) Staff presented a request to remove a prior condition that had prohibited alcohol sales at a convenience store on the property. Applicant Jerry Washington told the board he was seeking the change in order to allow a manufactured‑home placement and typical convenience‑store operations. Staff noted that even if the condition were lifted the applicant would still need to follow the local alcohol permit process and state distance rules (for example, proximity to churches can independently preclude a license). The board moved to lift the condition and voted to recommend lifting it to the county commissioners (recommendation passed unanimously at the meeting). The county commissioners will consider final action at their March 4 meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the same room.

2) Rezone request — 5.15 acres near Lily Creek Road (manufactured home) Staff described a request to rezone 5.15 acres at the north end of the county near U.S. 301 to allow a manufactured home; staff recommended approval, noting adjacent parcels include AG‑5 zoning and the proposed zoning would be consistent with neighborhood pattern. The board recommended approval and referred the matter to the county commissioners for final action (date/time as noted above).

3) Rezone / subdivision concept — Cody Lane (Barbara Berry / 7.21 acres to R‑2) The applicant (agent Reuben Ramos) requested rezoning 7.21 acres from AG‑5 to R‑2 to allow a subdivision of duplexes (nine lots, 18 dwelling units on sketch). Staff recommended approval with four conditions from the staff report (including infrastructure and access conditions). The board voted to recommend approval with the staff conditions; the matter will advance to the county commissioners.

4) Rezone request — 162 acres near Lotts Creek / Brandon Lake Road (owner Tim Redding; agent John Dodson) Applicant John Dodson and property owner Tim Redding asked to rezone approximately 162 acres back to AG‑5 from R‑80 to enable a lower‑density development pattern and to remove older conditions tied to a 2018 rezoning. Staff recommended approval with one condition (conventional built homes). Multiple neighbors spoke in public comment with questions about access points to Brandon Lake Road, covenants and future change of ownership; speakers asked that access not be solely onto Brandon Lake Road and that covenants be coordinated with existing neighborhood covenants. The board voted to recommend approval with the stated condition; the recommendation goes to the county commissioners.

5) South Wind Road — sketch plan to create four 4–5‑acre lots (William Southwell representation) A sketch plan was presented to divide roughly 50 acres to create four lots using a bridal/private road; the applicant said the remainder would be retained as farmland. Staff recommended approval and the board voted to recommend approval of the sketch plan. The applicant indicated the private road would be maintained by an association and that mobile homes would be allowed in line with AG‑5 zoning and septic limitations.

6) Conditional use / daycare — Simons Road (conditional use request) Staff presented a conditional‑use application for a daycare on Simons Road in a residential area and noted the use is needed but staff recommended denial as presented because of concerns about changing the residential character, outdoor play‑area noise, parking and lighting; the staff report included suggested conditions to mitigate impacts should the board approve. The transcript records staff recommendation of denial. The board discussed but the staff recommendation and next procedural steps were noted in the record; final action, if any, will be before the county commissioners.

7) Conditional use — drive‑through at proposed truck stop (Gas Pro AMPM LLC; U.S. 80 & Burkhalter) The applicant (Billy Hodges representing Gas Pro AMPM LLC) sought a conditional‑use approval for a drive‑through restaurant component at a truck‑stop/convenience site that also includes diesel pumps. Staff explained truck stops are a permitted use in highway commercial zoning and recommended approval of the drive‑through conditional use; staff noted future conceptual site‑plan review will address detailed traffic, turn‑lane and development‑of‑regional‑impact (DRI) coordination with the Coastal Regional Commission and GDOT. The board voted to recommend approval of the drive‑through conditional use; the applicant and staff will address required site‑plan and traffic details in the next review stage.

8) Variance — rear yard setback, 2031 Cypress Lake Road (Denise Burns) Applicant Denise (Denise Burns) requested a rear‑yard setback variance from 10 feet to 0 feet to rebuild a single‑family dwelling destroyed by storm/flood damage. Staff recommended approval with conditions that would require the house to be elevated to mitigate future flood risk. Cypress Lake Inc. (adjacent property owners) provided a letter of support. The board recommended approval with conditions; the applicant noted plans to use steel framing, elevated finished floor greater than 10 feet and rated windows.

9) Rezone to heavy industrial (10 acres) for peanut warehouse / limited industrial expansion A property owner requested a 10‑acre rezone to heavy industrial to match adjacent heavy industrial parcels and to allow a peanut warehouse expansion; staff recommended approval with a limiting condition tying the approval to the peanut warehouse use rather than opening the parcel to the full range of heavy industrial uses. The board recommended approval with the stated condition.

10) Conceptual PUD plan — Burkhalter / Highway 80 mixed residential (PUD‑1) Staff presented a conceptual plan for a PUD with townhomes, duplexes, single‑family units, playground and amenities and a will‑serve letter from the City of Statesboro for water/sewer service at the developer’s expense. Staff emphasized conditions requiring early construction of the playground, a required turn lane into the first entry, and utility extension/pump‑station details; staff and the applicant discussed detention capacity, turn lanes and sewer routing to Beacon Place. The board approved the conceptual plan and recommended the project advance into preliminary plan and site‑plan phases with conditions.

Votes at a glance (planning commission recommendation) - Lift alcohol sale condition, 6980 Kennedy Bridge Road — recommend lifting condition; passed (unanimous at meeting). Referred to county commissioners March 4, 5:30 p.m. - Rezone 5.15 acres near Lily Creek Road (manufactured home) — recommend approval. Referred to county commissioners. - Rezone 7.21 acres to R‑2 (Cody Lane; duplexes) — recommend approval with staff conditions. - Rezone ~162 acres to AG‑5 (Lotts Creek / Brandon Lake area) — recommend approval with condition (conventional built homes); public comment raised access/covenant concerns. - South Wind Road sketch plan (four lots) — recommend approval. - Drive‑through conditional use (Gas Pro AMPM LLC, U.S. 80 & Burkhalter) — recommend approval; detailed traffic/turn lane to be addressed at site plan. - Cypress Lake rear‑yard variance (Denise Burns) — recommend approval with elevation and other conditions. - Heavy industrial rezone (10 acres) for peanut warehouse — recommend approval with a limiting condition. - PUD conceptual plan at Burkhalter & Highway 80 — approve conceptual plan and advance to preliminary/site plan review with conditions. - Daycare conditional use (Simons Road) — staff recommended denial as presented; board discussion recorded; next steps to county commissioners.

What comes next Most of the board’s recommendations are advisory and will be considered by the Bulloch County Commissioners at their public meeting(s). Several items require additional technical review (site plans, traffic/turn‑lane design, DRI coordination, utility/pump‑station design and final covenant language) before building permits or final approvals can be issued.

Public comment and concerns emphasized access points (particularly access onto Brandon Lake Road and potential need for an additional ingress/egress via Lotts Creek Road), coordination of developer covenants with existing neighborhood covenants, drainage/detention capacity for new developments, and the timing and construction of amenities (playground and sidewalks) as early elements of new subdivisions.

Notes on procedure Where the board recommended approval subject to staff conditions, those conditions were captured in the staff reports and appeared on the record; the board’s recommendation does not override statutory or ordinance requirements such as alcohol‑permit distance rules, state licensing criteria, or county road‑access approvals. Final legal authority for rezones and many conditional uses rests with the county commissioners.

Ending The board adjourned after electing officers for the year and sharing conference takeaways; the next step for most of these items is a county‑commission public hearing (the transcript and staff reports list March 4, 5:30 p.m. as the next commissioners’ meeting for several referred items).