Commissioners deny proposed truck‑and‑trailer parking near Sunrise Gardens cemetery after safety objections

Douglas County commissioners on Feb. 3 denied an application for a truck‑and‑trailer parking facility on Veterans Memorial Highway, siding with neighbors and funeral‑home representatives who said the location would create unacceptable safety and traffic conflicts near Sunrise Gardens Of Memory Cemetery.

Planner Melody Glenn told the joint Planning & Zoning Board and Board of Commissioners that staff recommended approval of the special‑use permit S2026‑03 with conditions, including GDOT permits for deceleration and left‑turn lanes, curb and gutter, a 20‑foot landscape strip and fencing, and driveway alignment opposite the cemetery. Applicant Tracy Payne said the operation would be a gated, reservation‑based parking lot — “not a truck stop” — with 24/7 camera surveillance, on‑site security and limited engine idling, and that she accepted staff conditions and planned to obtain GDOT approvals.

But dozens of nearby residents and family members of those buried at Sunrise Gardens testified in opposition. "I've already seen big rigs kill drivers on that road trying to turn in and out of already existing truck parking," said Noah Stockton, a neighborhood resident. Several speakers recounted a history of serious crashes on the stretch and warned that large trucks entering and exiting near funeral processions could endanger grieving families and first responders.

Bruce Mercer, a county transportation representative, told the boards Veterans Memorial carries roughly 12,400 vehicles per day; he said trip‑generation estimates for the proposed 55‑space site amounted to about 84 vehicle trips per day, with roughly 10–12 trips during peak hours. The applicant's traffic engineer said the team submitted plans to GDOT and proposed deceleration/acceleration lanes and sight distances to address turning movements.

Planning & Zoning voted to recommend denial of the special‑use permit after deliberation. On Feb. 3 the Board of Commissioners debated competing concerns — property rights, the county's need for truck parking, and public‑safety risks — and after procedural clarification took a final vote to deny the request, 3‑2. The board cited unresolved concerns about vehicle mixing near the cemetery, funeral procession impacts, and the project's history of stop‑start approvals and permitting delays.

Commissioners and staff noted applicants retain other procedural options, such as submitting revised plans or pursuing alternative sites, but for now the denial prevents the requested use at the proposed Veterans Memorial Highway location.

What happens next: Denial closes the application at this hearing; applicants may seek other sites or revise plans to address the traffic and safety issues raised here.