Columbia County planning commission recommends 10-foot rear setback variance for Windmill Station parcel

Columbia County Planning Commission members on Oct. 16 recommended approval of variance VA 25-10-01 to reduce the rear setback to 10 feet for a proposed storage structure on a parcel identified as 938 in the Windmill Station area.

Planning staff described topographical constraints on the parcel, including a pond and a stream that feed the pond and a sloped western corner, and said those features limit buildable area. "This is the request for a variance for a rear setback reduction for a proposed storage structure at, 938," planning staff member Dylan Douglas said during the public hearing.

The applicant proposes a 30-by-30 storage structure for lawn equipment and watercraft in the western corner of the lot, where two boats are currently parked. Douglas said the structure would still be 10 feet from the rear lot line and that an adjacent, larger parcel to the rear is zoned as a planned unit development with conditions that likely prevent development within 40 to 50 feet of the shared rear lot line. Douglas said those factors greatly reduce the likelihood that the structure would have a negative impact on neighbors now or in the future.

No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing. The owner(s) — listed in the record as Joseph and Cynthia Jones — were present but did not add comments when asked.

Commissioners moved to recommend approval with conditions; the motion passed by voice vote and will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action on Nov. 4, 2025. The planning commission noted that staff had recommended approval provided the applicant meet the unspecified condition(s) listed in the staff report.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to recommend approval of meeting minutes from Sept. 18, 2025 — moved and seconded by commissioners; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to recommend approval of the Oct. 16 agenda — moved and seconded by commissioners; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to recommend approval of VA 25-10-01 (reduce rear setback to 10 feet at parcel 938; proposed 30x30 storage structure) — moved and seconded by commissioners; voice vote, motion carried. Outcome: recommendation to county commissioners (final decision 11/04/2025). - Motion to adjourn — moved and seconded by commissioners; voice vote, motion carried.

Why it matters: A recommended variance that reduces a rear setback changes the allowable location of accessory structures on a residential lot; the planning commission is an advisory body, and the Columbia County Board of Commissioners will make the final decision. Nearby parcel zoning and existing physical constraints on the site were cited by staff as limiting any future negative impact on adjacent properties.

Other details from the hearing: the subject parcel is zoned RA and lies opposite Windmill Lane, with frontage on Clanton Road nearby; staff showed aerial and topographic imagery documenting the pond, creek, slope and the proposed structure location. Staff also noted an in-ground gas line on the adjacent vacant parcel behind the subject property and the PUD condition that restricts development along that rear boundary by approximately 40 to 50 feet. The staff presentation and commissioners' discussion did not specify the precise text of the recommended condition(s) beyond that the applicant must meet them for the recommendation to stand.

The planning commission met with a quorum; Commissioners Holloway and Wilder were absent. The commission's recommendation will be on the agenda of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners meeting set for Nov. 4, 2025.