Elbert County continues Running Creek RV Storage land‑use hearing to July 9 after traffic‑access questions

The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners on June 11 continued the land‑use public hearing for Running Creek RV Storage (case EDZ2024‑3548) to July 9 at 1 p.m. at the applicants’ request so staff and the applicant can resolve conflicting engineering recommendations about access and turning movements.

County planning staff said the 50‑acre site off County Road 13 would place the project’s vehicle access near a segment of road where sight distance and proximity to two schools raised safety concerns. The packet included two new referral letters — one from county public works and one described in the record — that staff and the applicant said differ from prior engineering letters (Kimley‑Horn and earlier county review) and appear to request full‑movement access including left‑turn provisions and associated turn lanes.

The applicant’s consultant said the new letters contradicted previously posted approvals and did not include supporting evidence for why left‑turn lanes or a full‑movement intersection were necessary. Commissioners and staff noted that no traffic counts had been performed for this application and that the earlier review materials did not include a traffic count, which some commissioners said weakened the case for mandatory additional access improvements.

After a short recess to allow the applicant to confer with its team, the applicant asked for a 30‑day continuance to work with county staff to define whether full‑movement access, a left‑turn lane, or additional right‑/left‑turn deceleration/acceleration treatment would be required, whether easements or additional right‑of‑way would be needed, and to develop an approved design and cost estimate. The board voted to continue the hearing to July 9 at 1 p.m.

The continuance preserves the record of the public hearing; no final decision on the application, conditions, or required improvements was made at the June 11 meeting.