Planning commission backs General Commercial rezoning on Highway 20, approves buffer variance

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a rezoning request that would convert a 4.21‑acre assemblage along State Route 20 from R‑40 to General Commercial, with a separate unanimous vote approving a variance reducing a DOT‑adjacent buffer from 35 to 25 feet.

Parks Huff, representing the applicant, told the commission the parking variance was being withdrawn and that the remaining request was a narrow buffer variance next to a detention pond acquired by GDOT for future road widening. “I’m going to withdraw the parking variance right now,” Huff said; he asked the board to consider the buffer variance as reasonable because the area in question is DOT right‑of‑way/detention and not typical residential buffer land.

Neighbors voiced concerns about drainage, nighttime lighting, dumpsters and security, and urged the zoning be limited to neighborhood‑scale commercial rather than broad General Commercial. Peter Smuts, whose property backs the site, asked that any buffer behind homes remain an undisturbed 35‑foot vegetated buffer and requested restrictions on uses (no fuel sales, no late‑night operations).

In discussion commissioners noted the highway widening to six lanes makes commercial uses more likely at this node; the applicant agreed to move dumpsters to the east boundary to reduce impacts on homes. The motion to recommend GC zoning with the dumpster placement and other standard conditions passed unanimously (9–0). The separate motion to support the buffer variance (35 to 25 feet on DOT property) also passed 9–0.

Next steps: the recommendations and the approved variance will be forwarded to the County Commission for final action.