Walton County planning commission recommends approval of 13‑acre commercial vehicle parking lot with nine conditions

The Walton County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a rezoning and driveway variance for a 13.13‑acre commercial vehicle parking facility on Highway 78, forwarding the matter to the Board of Commissioners for final action on Dec. 2.

Andrea Gray, an attorney representing ELK Holdings, told the commission the applicant seeks to rezone B2/A2 parcels to B3 to permit a gated, leased parking facility with roughly 206 marked spaces sized to accommodate boats, RVs and trucks. Gray said the site plan includes an automated access gate controlled by an app, a 160‑foot stacking area inside the gate to avoid queuing onto Highway 78, and an opaque perimeter fence plus evergreen screening along the highway frontage.

“People rent their specific space and park in an organized way,” Gray said, adding the proposal prohibits on‑site repairs and overnight stays and limits access to reserved spaces.

Neighbors and nearby property owners strongly objected at the hearing. John Jessup, who lives on Horseshoe Road, urged a traffic study for the Highway 78/Broadnax Mill Road intersection and raised concerns about truck turning movements near school routes. Andrew Davis, who operates a business adjacent to the site, asked for a berm, fencing and plantings to protect his office’s elevation and sightlines. Other residents cited potential noise impacts, risks to private wells from vehicle fluids, and worries the facility could expand beyond the 13.13 acres in the future.

In rebuttal, Gray said the facility is not a truck stop, stressed that spaces may be rented for days to months rather than daily comings and goings, and noted the county roads director reviewed site access and favored aligning the driveway with Broadnax Mill Road to use the traffic signal. Gray offered to accommodate adjacent property owners with berms, opaque fencing and additional landscaping and said state environmental regulators would oversee any hazardous‑material risks.

After discussion, a commission member moved to recommend approval with nine conditions written into the record: a variance to permit use of the existing driveway; an 8‑foot security fence (opaque panel steel, gray or brown) along Highway 78 and Old Broadnax Mill Road; double‑row evergreen screening along Highway 78 of at least three species; an automated, operational access gate; a strict prohibition on overnight stays; clearly marked numbered parking spaces; prohibition on on‑site washing and vehicle repairs; no storage of junk/inoperable vehicles or parts; and downward‑directed, fully shielded lighting. The motion was seconded and passed. The recommendation and conditions will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 2.

The commission record shows the applicant offered multiple operational commitments and agreed to install a berm adjacent to an identified neighboring parcel; the board’s conditions incorporate several of those neighbor requests. The BOC will review the rezoning and variance as the deciding body.