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Board denies request to store multiple commercial campers on Gerald Plantation property
Summary
The Jones County Board of Appeals denied a variance allowing the Reynolds family to park more than one commercial camper on a 16.57-acre agricultural parcel, citing neighbor opposition and questions about conservation easements and zoning limits.
The Jones County Board of Appeals and Adjustments on Monday denied a variance request that would have allowed Haley Reynolds and her husband to keep multiple commercial campers on their 16.57-acre property at 1355 Gerald Plantation Road.
Haley Reynolds told the board she and her husband operate a camper-rental business and need space on their property to clean and prepare units between rentals. “We store or we keep our campers on our property when they're not rented out… we are requesting to be able to keep them on our property so that we're able to clean them,” Reynolds said.
A neighbor who lives adjacent to the property opposed the request, saying the number of campers visible from the road has grown to seven. “Now it's up to seven that I see every day,” the neighbor said, urging the board not to allow the property to become a commercial storage site near the historic Gerald Plantation area.
Board members and staff discussed two legal and factual constraints: the county permit for the business allows one commercial vehicle on-site, and portions of the parcel may be subject to a conservation easement that limits development. Staff explained a county business permit permits operation from the property but does not exempt multiple on-site commercial vehicles from zoning limits.
After discussion and noting the public opposition, a member moved to disapprove the variance. The motion was seconded and the board voted to deny the request. No formal vote tally was announced on the record.
The board did not set a new deadline for the applicant to reapply; the denial stands as the board’s final decision for the appeals hearing.
What happens next: Because this is an appeals hearing, the board’s decision is final and does not go forward to the board of commissioners unless other legal avenues are pursued.
