Chatham County commissioners table rezoning petition pending GDOT fix for 18-wheeler U-turns

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 14, 2025 left a rezoning petition on the table, saying the item cannot move forward until the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) addresses safety issues that allow 18-wheelers to make U-turns at the Silk Hope Road and Derrick Inn Road intersection.

Commissioner Kigle, a member of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, told petitioners and nearby residents that while the petitioners had agreed to multiple conditions, a lingering safety problem at the Highway 17 intersection requires GDOT action before the board will approve the rezoning. “Before I could recommend that this be approved ... it’ll have to be contingent upon y’all receiving some type of fix from GDOT or something from GDOT that will stop 18-wheelers from doing a U-turn at the intersection of Silk Hope Road and Derrick Inn Road,” Commissioner Kigle said.

The petition will remain on the table rather than being denied, a choice the commission said was intended to avoid a six-month wait and additional fees if petitioners…