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Columbia County commissioners elect vice chair, approve minutes and several zoning variances
Summary
The board elected a vice chairman for 2026, approved minutes and passed a series of routine variances and rezones including sign and setback variances, a PUD revision and a rezoning to allow a retail building; several items were approved unanimously by voice vote.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners opened its Jan. 6 meeting by confirming a full quorum, approving minutes from Dec. 16, 2025, and electing Lisonbee Couch as vice chairman for 2026.
Commissioners approved Resolution 26‑01, which sets qualifying fees for county offices, and moved through a sequence of planning items from the consent and debate agendas. Motions that carried by voice vote included a variance to Section 90‑135 to reduce setbacks for a freestanding sign on Tax Map 074A Parcel 019A and a variance to Section 90‑53 to allow rebuilding on a house footprint demolished by Hurricane Helene (Tax Map 078A partial 025), subject to encroachment agreement terms.
The board also approved a major PUD revision to permit C‑2 uses in new buildings on Tax Map 072 Parcel 043T and a rezoning from R‑1 to CC for portions of Tax Map 068 Parcels 018 and 019D to allow a retail building, with a 50‑foot buffer requirement between commercial and adjacent residential parcels. One applicant asked to withdraw a self‑storage rezoning without prejudice and that request was granted.
Later in the meeting commissioners approved a rezoning for Student Creek Church (S‑1) and discussed a committee decision to withhold a tax‑assessor software item from the full commission.
Most routine zoning motions were seconded and approved by voice vote; the minutes and motions were read into the record and entered as part of the official proceedings.
