Glynn County approves Myers Hill planned development over resident objections

The Glynn County Board of Commissioners approved a county‑initiated rezoning on Sept. 4 that will merge two parcels off Myers Hill Road into a single Planned Development allowing up to 345 lots, a measure supporters say will add workforce housing and opponents say will erode the area’s rural character.

Planning and Zoning Director Stephanie Leaf told the board the request would combine parcel 02‑02181 (about 189 acres) and parcel 02‑01207 (about 82 acres) into one PD. The PD text the board considered sets a maximum of 345 lots; the applicant’s master plan shows 344, and the plan presented to the Mainland Planning Commission was reduced from an earlier, larger proposal. “They are proposing 335 of those lots would be 8,000 square foot lots and 10 that are half‑acre in size,” Leaf said, adding that the latter would be located on the existing forest‑agricultural parcel and that all units would be single‑family homes.

The project’s permit history includes a Development of Regional Impact review when the proposal exceeded 400 units; the applicant subsequently reduced density. Leaf said the school system returned no specific objection but is tracking the development for potential redistricting. She also noted significant wetlands on site and said final subdivision/submittal phases will require county engineering review for drainage and traffic mitigation.

During the public hearing, dozens of residents and a community group pressed the board to deny the rezoning. Brooke Roberts, speaking for the Southglenn Community Group, said the community had gathered “888 signatures” opposing rezoning and criticized the process: “From day 1, our message has been crystal clear. It is inappropriate for that forest agriculture parcel to be rezoned into planned development,” she said. Reverend Rice and other nearby residents raised similar concerns about traffic congestion, emergency access and the lack of sidewalks connecting to Baldwin’s Park.

Opponents also questioned public‑safety and fiscal impacts. George Hernandez cited a University of Georgia study he said shows residential development typically consumes more in county services than it generates in property taxes and urged the county to consider commercial uses to balance costs.

Representing the property owner, Jake Lemmings of Robert Civil Engineering said the development had been revised several times and emphasized that the primary entrance would be from Lakes Drive, not Myers Hill: “The main access point is gonna be on Lakes Drive,” he told the board. Lemmings said the design team had completed an initial drainage analysis and that the proposed stormwater ponds are “overdesigned” to handle existing runoff, including flow routed from the nearby lakes; he added sewer would be routed via Live Oak/Buckswamp with an on‑site lift station rather than extended along Myers Hill Road.

Glynn County Fire Chief Vinnie DeCustafalo and Police Chief Scott Abner answered capacity questions. DeCustafalo said Station 6 (Exit 29 area) currently averages multiple daily responses and that the ambulance unit‑hour utilization was roughly 11–12% year to date while the engine was around 6%; he said capacity is adequate today but must be monitored as density increases. Abner said patrol coverage is organized by zones and the department is building capacity in response to county growth.

Commissioners debated the tradeoffs between preserving rural character and adding smaller, lower‑cost homes. A commissioner who seconded the final motion explicitly noted support for workforce housing, saying the extra lots could help local employers find workers who can afford to live in Glynn County.

The motion the board approved required that “any change in land use, increased density, street access or alignment, public or common areas, building setbacks, buffers or park spaces . . . shall be treated as and required to amend in accordance with the procedures set forth in [the county] zoning ordinance,” i.e., the developer must return for approval of substantial alterations. The board voted in favor by show of hands; no roll‑call tally by name was recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

What happens next: The approval is a rezoning decision. Before any lots are built the developer must complete subdivision, civil and construction plan reviews; those future phases will require drainage and traffic studies and additional permits. The developer indicated buildout would be phased over multiple years.

Why it matters: The decision changes zoning on roughly 270 acres in southwest Glynn County from forest‑agriculture and an older PD to a single planned development with higher residential density than historically present in parts of the area, raising questions about long‑term drainage, school impacts and infrastructure costs.