Commission retables rezoning request for proposed Silk Road truck terminal, asks for water/sewer and technical data

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners retabled a rezoning request by petitioner Alpha Corp. Inc. for a 12.56-acre parcel on Silk Road that proposed a truck terminal.

The Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended approval, but county staff and engineers told the board the site would not serve as a stormwater detention facility because of its position near the outfall and the local topography. Commissioners requested additional technical information, including how close water and sewer service is to the site, before a second reading.

A staff presentation noted that, because the parcel sits at the bottom of the watershed near the Hardin Canal outfall, placing detention infrastructure there would not produce the intended benefit of slowing stormwater; staff described the area as more suitable for moving water out quickly to avoid upstream flooding. The county also said the property had been considered in prior meetings and earlier tabled actions.

Commissioner questions centered on drainage, the feasibility of floodgates, elevations, and whether pumps would be required to move water under and across U.S. 17. Staff offered to provide a technical memo and to meet with commissioners and engineering staff to map the elevations and explain the limitations.

Commissioner(s) also asked the petitioner to provide the distance to the nearest water and sewer lines because the cost of extension could change the property's development potential. The board voted to retable the item and directed staff to obtain the requested engineering information and to notify nearby property owners before the next hearing.