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Lake Park council denies rezoning request for three Sheavette Road parcels
Summary
The Lake Park City Council voted down a request to rezone three Sheavette Road parcels for single‑family lots after residents and at least one council member raised concerns about drainage and tree preservation; the proposal cannot be reintroduced for one year.
Mayor Jena Sandlin and the Lake Park City Council on Sept. 2 rejected a request to rezone three parcels at 610, 614 and 618 Sheavette Road that had been presented as a 96‑acre separation of lots from adjacent Church of Christ property.
Alexandra Arzayus of the Southeast Georgia Regional Commission and Steve Magee, representing the church, asked the council to rezone the parcels from R‑15 to R‑10 so the land could be divided into single‑family residential lots. Arzayus said the request complies with the character of surrounding properties and meets R‑10 zoning requirements. She clarified that both R‑10 and R‑15 are defined in the commission’s materials as single‑family residential zones.
Several nearby residents questioned the change during the public forum. Melissa Cason asked whether the rezoning would allow duplexes; Arzayus responded that the zones under discussion are single‑family. Jim Kannberry asked why rezoning was necessary and asked the council to protect the site’s large oak trees. City Clerk Lisa Johnson said the rezoning was requested to avoid split zoning that resulted from right‑of‑way variance requirements.
Council Member Busby Courson raised concerns about drainage impacts; Courson said drainage issues are typically handled during the engineering phase but noted localized ponding has occurred at Broadway and Sheavette Road. Resident Weston Luke also told the council that water ponds in the neighborhood.
Council Member Michelle Lane moved to rezone the Sheavette Road lots from R‑15 to R‑10; Council Member Zachary Fletcher seconded. The motion received yes votes from Lane and Fletcher and no votes from Courson, Council Member Oscar Griffith and Mayor Sandlin, and the motion failed. Arzayus told the council that, because the application was denied, the same request could not be reintroduced for one year.
The Southeast Georgia Regional Commission will continue outreach as part of the Lowndes County comprehensive‑plan process and is seeking stakeholders to participate in that planning effort.
