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Long County commissioners deny Pearl Davis Road rezoning after heavy public opposition; other rezoning actions split the board
Summary
Long County commissioners denied a request to rezone 10.87 acres on Pearl Davis Road for six manufactured-home lots after multiple neighbors raised concerns about deed restrictions, groundwater, traffic and impacts to surrounding farmland. The board tabled a separate 6.5-acre rezoning until the county updates its Comprehensive Plan and approved a separate lot-conformance rezoning 4–1.
Long County commissioners voted to deny a rezoning request that would have transformed a 10.87-acre parcel on Pearl Davis Road from Agricultural Forestry to Rural Residential, after residents warned the proposal could harm nearby farms, strain roads and water resources.
Representatives for the applicant, speaking for a request to subdivide the property into six individually owned manufactured-home lots, argued the development would increase tax revenue and use shared driveways rather than creating a manufactured-home park. Planning and Zoning staff had recommended denial because the project is inconsistent with the county's 2024 Comprehensive Plan character map.
Multiple neighbors spoke against the proposal at the March 3 hearing. Steven Gordon said his family farms land surrounding the parcel and asked the board to preserve farmland. Charles Gordon and others presented concerns about deed restrictions and whether the proposal could constitute a mobile-home park under state law. Gloria Sweet and other speakers raised groundwater and well-capacity concerns; Randy Simmons warned of added traffic and strain on county services. Residents also told the board they expected commissioners to review Planning and Zoning meeting minutes and to explain departures from the Comprehensive Plan when present.
After hearing testimony, the board voted unanimously to deny the rezoning. Commissioner Benji Strickland moved for denial and Commissioner John Reddish seconded.
Separately, the board tabled a 6.5-acre rezoning at Woods Circle NE that had been presented to correct a previously unrecorded plat. The motion to table — made by Commissioner Strickland and seconded by Commissioner Reddish — paused consideration until the county completes updates to its Comprehensive Plan so the request can be reconsidered in that context.
The board also approved a third rezoning to bring a 5.5-acre parcel on Lee Place Road into single-family R1 to conform to existing lot sizes; that motion passed 4–1, with Commissioner James Craft recorded as the lone dissent.
Why it matters: Commissioners repeatedly referenced the Comprehensive Plan as the primary guidance for land-use decisions. Several speakers urged the board to protect agricultural character and ensure consistent application of land-use guidance; staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission emphasized that the Comprehensive Plan map currently governs consistency determinations and that deviations should be explicitly justified.
What’s next: The board has approved a temporary hold on most planning-and-zoning requests while it updates the Comprehensive Plan and land-use map, and it has scheduled community input sessions for the map revision process.
