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Board approves Jennings Mill rezone after compromise on traffic study and drainage
Summary
Oconee County commissioners approved rezone P25-0188 for Lots 5 and 6 in Jennings Mill with conditions modified to require addressing outstanding traffic-study comments and to allow ditch restoration (meeting Public Works standards) instead of immediate curb-and-gutter in certain sections.
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 approved rezone request P25-0188 (Burgess Jennings Mill Land LLC) to combine Lots 5 and 6 and revise the concept plan for a two-building retail center, adopting staff’s standard conditions with two modifications after applicant questioning and staff explanation.
County planning staff recommended conditional approval but requested an updated traffic impact analysis and that the Goddard Way frontage for Lots 5 and 6 be updated to curb-and-gutter. Applicant representative Ken Bell (Bell and Company) said an updated traffic study dated August had been submitted and questioned why an additional study would be required, and he expressed concern that curb-and-gutter could increase runoff and require additional drainage structures. Bell said his team had already submitted multiple traffic studies and had spent tens of thousands on those analyses.
Commissioners and staff negotiated language to resolve the disagreement: staff clarified that the change in use (e.g., medical office to retail) requires capturing those changes in a revised study and that outstanding review comments needed to be addressed. The board modified condition No. 4 to require the applicant to address any outstanding comments on the submitted traffic study rather than require an entirely new study and modified condition No. 5 to allow restoration of ditch sections to meet Public Works standards instead of immediate curb-and-gutter, provided Public Works approves the restored cross section.
Commissioner Saxon moved to approve the rezone with the stated modifications; a second was recorded and the board voted 'Aye.' Planning staff said the applicant must submit development permits and revised plans reflecting any approved ditch restoration or curb-and-gutter changes, and Public Works will verify the road cross-section during permit review.
The approval is conditioned on the updated traffic analysis meeting outstanding planner comments and on site development plans incorporating the agreed drainage solution and other standard landscaping and architecture conditions.
