Planning board recommends approval of 221.9-acre Goshen Road rezoning amid strong public concern

The Effingham County Planning Board voted to recommend approval of a rezoning request for about 221.87 acres on Goshen Road from AR‑1 (agricultural/residential) to R‑5 (residential), a proposal that would allow the developer to pursue a single‑family subdivision shown in conceptual plans as 377 lots.

The project team said the concept plan shows 377 homes with a gross density of about 1.7 units per acre and a net density near 3.3 units per acre. Neil McKenzie, project engineer for Coleman Company, told the board, "The total lot count shown on this plan is 377 homes, which would equate to a gross density of 1.7 per acre." He said proposed lots are roughly 55 by 120 feet and the plan includes about 35 percent open space (counting wetlands under county policy) and buffers that exceed the code minimum.

Why it matters: The site sits between two railroad rights‑of‑way and includes a significant wetland/flood corridor that feeds Black Creek. Residents raised concerns that adding hundreds of homes would worsen traffic on Goshen Road and increase flood risk for adjacent properties. The planning board’s recommendation sets conditions intended to address some of those concerns before the project goes to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.

Project details and county review process McKenzie said the application was received June 19, 2024, before the county moratorium that began Aug. 20, 2024. Utilities review shows mains in the…