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Jones Creek HOA seeks ADA upgrades; planning commission recommends reduced setbacks for pool house
Summary
Jones Creek homeowners association requested variances to rebuild and expand an aging pool house to add ADA-accessible restrooms and larger pump space. The Planning Commission recommended reductions to setbacks and buffers to accommodate the existing pool footprint and the proposed accessibility upgrades.
The Columbia County Planning Commission on June 18 recommended approval of variances to reduce setbacks and buffers at the Jones Creek community recreation area so the HOA can rebuild and modernize its pool house.
Staff presentation: Danielle, planning staff, said the pool and pool house predate current standards and that an expansion to provide ADA-accessible restrooms and enlarged pump space triggers nonconforming-structure requirements. Staff recommended reducing pool setbacks to 35–40 feet in places and allowing building and buffer reductions (including a 6-foot building setback adjacent to residences where the pool house currently intrudes) so the HOA can rebuild without fully redeveloping the site.
HOA rationale: Trip Nanny, president of the Jones Creek HOA, said the existing building has structural and functional deficiencies after roughly 35 years, the pump room is undersized for modern equipment, and restrooms do not meet accessibility standards. He said improvements are necessary to maintain the amenity for about 579 homes and to ensure safe, code-compliant operation.
Neighbor issues and mitigation: Adjacent homeowner Larry Carter requested clarity about fencing and landscape buffers after trees and a prior fence were removed years earlier; he asked that an 8-foot privacy fence be restored along the full property line. The HOA’s pool and tennis chair, Carrie Wynn, confirmed the plan includes an 8-foot wooden privacy fence and evergreen plantings; she said the HOA discussed the plan with neighbors. Another neighbor asked that construction materials not be stored overnight in the public right-of-way; staff and commissioners said laydown will be coordinated to keep equipment in the clubhouse parking area when possible.
Outcome and next steps: The commission voted to recommend approval of RZ26-06-05 with staff conditions. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action; the HOA expects to close the pool after Labor Day for construction and reopen in spring following the build-out schedule discussed at the meeting.
