Columbia County planning commission recommends 10-foot rear setback for storage building at 938

The Columbia County Planning Commission on Oct. 16 recommended approval of a variance to reduce a rear setback to 10 feet for a proposed storage structure at a parcel identified in the meeting as 938.

The variance recommendation will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action on Nov. 4, 2025, the commission chair said at the start of the meeting.

Dylan Douglas, a staff member who presented the item, said the request — filed as VA 25-10-01 in the meeting record — would allow construction of a roughly 30-by-30-foot storage building for lawn equipment and watercraft near the western corner of the lot, where two boats were visible in the aerial imagery shown at the hearing. Douglas told the commission the northern portion of the parcel is taken up by a pond and a creek that feed the pond, and that topography and an existing underground gas line limit feasible building locations on the lot. Douglas said a “PUD zoning condition” tied to the adjacent planned unit development also restricts development within about 40 to 50 feet of the shared rear lot line on neighboring property. He recommended approval with the condition that the applicant mark the rear lot line prior to footing inspection so the building location can be verified.

Applicants identified in the record as Joseph Jones and Cynthia Jones were present but did not add to the staff presentation during the hearing. No speakers registered opposition at the meeting.

The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote; meeting minutes record the motion as carrying but do not show a roll-call tally in the transcript. The commission also took routine actions at the start of the meeting, approving the minutes from the Sept. 18, 2025 meeting and the evening’s agenda by voice vote. Two members, identified in the record as Mr. Holloway and Mr. Wilder, were absent.

The commission’s role is advisory: the chair reminded attendees that decisions on rezoning and variance requests will be forwarded to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners for final action on Nov. 4, 2025. Members of the public wishing to speak at the commissioners’ hearing were directed to obtain a request-to-speak form from staff member Nixon. The staff presentation and the commission’s motion noted that, if the Board of Commissioners schedules a public hearing, each side would have a minimum of 10 minutes for presentation and may cede time if desired.

The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn that carried by voice vote.

Details recorded in the meeting transcript indicate the staff-recommended condition requires the rear lot line be marked before footing inspection; no additional conditions, building permit approvals, or final permit outcomes were recorded at this meeting.