Planning commission recommends rezoning 139 Goose Pond Road from A-1 to C-1 with highway-access condition

Coffee County Planning Commission members recommended on Aug. 26 that the county commission rezone a 3.3-acre parcel at 139 Goose Pond Road from A-1 (agricultural) to C-1 (rural center) and add conditions requiring the property entrance to be from Woodbury Highway (Highway 53) and a site plan prepared by a licensed engineer.

The applicant, Justin King, said he and his wife operate Complete Exteriors and a new business, Shady Grove Homes, and want an office and garage on the corner of Goose Pond Road and Highway 53 so the company has public visibility and space to park company vehicles. "It is just a place to park the company trucks, and they will be inside the building," King said.

The request drew multiple public comments from Goose Pond residents who said the area is primarily agricultural, is served by narrow and fast-moving county roads, and presents safety and drainage concerns. "My farm is nearing being a century farm," said Donna West Fletcher, who identified herself as a Goose Pond landowner. "We do not want to see the community get commercialized. I am opposed to changing the zoning to commercial. I'm very much opposed to that." Other residents raised similar concerns about speeding on Highway 53, existing drainage that flows onto neighboring property, and the loss of farmland.

Planning commissioners discussed whether the corner lot met the county's C-1 (Rural Center) standards and whether Woodbury Highway qualifies as an arterial or collector required by the C-1 rules. Commissioner Gonzales read the code's C-1 description into the record, noting the district "is intended to be a flexible zone...to allow for change and growth within these areas, but also to prevent this mixture of land uses from unnecessary spreading into the adjacent countryside." After discussion, a motion was made to recommend the A-1 to C-1 change; the commission added the conditions that (1) any vehicle entrance for the business must be from Woodbury Highway (Highway 53) and (2) the applicant must submit a site plan prepared by a licensed engineer showing access and drainage details.

The planning commission's action is a recommendation to the Coffee County Commission; it does not finalize the rezoning. Planning staff told the public that the full county commission will hold a public hearing on Oct. 13 at 5:00 p.m., followed by the county commission meeting on Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m., when the commission will take final action. Commission staff also reminded the applicant that additional permitting and site-plan review will be required and that the planning commission's recommendation is one step in the approval process.

Clarifying details in the record: the parcel under consideration is 3.3 acres; the applicant described a proposed building about 50 by 80 feet; the applicant said most construction materials would be delivered to job sites rather than stored on the property. The commissioners required the engineered site plan to address access and drainage; several residents said stormwater currently flows through a culvert under Highway 53 toward adjoining property.

The planning commission's recommendation and the pending county hearing mean the final zoning decision is subject to additional review and possible public comment. If the county commission approves the rezoning, the applicant will still need to submit the required site plan and comply with any conditions of approval and applicable county standards before construction and business activity begin.

Votes and next steps: The planning commission voted to forward the rezoning recommendation with the access and site-plan conditions to the county commission; the full commission will take final action following a public hearing scheduled in October.