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Planning board denies request to allow commercial truck parking in residential Highland Drive subdivision
Summary
The board denied a resident’s request to allow commercial vehicle parking at 100 Highland Drive after neighbors cited covenants, property‑value and child‑safety concerns; staff had recommended denial of the conditional use and suggested a limited variance alternative.
The Effingham County Planning Board on June 11 denied a request to permit commercial truck parking at 100 Highland Drive, a residential lot that neighbors said is governed by subdivision covenants.
Senior Planner Chelsie Fernald told the board staff recommended denying the conditional-use application while offering—if the board preferred—a narrower variance that would allow limited truck parking subject to conditions such as fencing, a single truck limit and restricted hours. Applicant Luis R. Perdomo, represented in part by translator Wilfredo Aponte, said he has lived on the property seven years, operates several trucks and had recently cleaned the site.
Neighbors and residents told the board they opposed commercial trucking in a residential neighborhood. Comments cited homeowner-covenants, potential property-value loss, safety concerns for children at nearby bus stops and the risk of opening the neighborhood to more trucking operations. One neighbor asked whether an alternate access from Goshen Road might reduce impact; staff noted encroachment/driveway permits and ditch work could be required for a different entrance.
Board members discussed enforcement limits—county staff said covenants are private agreements enforceable through civil action—and whether a variance would be an appropriate remedy. The board ultimately voted to deny the request for commercial vehicle parking; the motion for denial carried unanimously.
Next steps: The denial ends the applicant’s request before the Planning Board. Any future application for a modified variance or different access plan would require a new filing and public hearing.
