Commissioners approve multiple variances and conditional uses, including massage business and setbacks

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved several land-use requests on Aug. 18, including a conditional-use permit for a therapeutic massage business seeking to relocate to Washington Road and multiple variances to allow smaller setbacks for residential additions, accessory structures and a pool with a high retaining wall.

Commissioner Middle moved to approve the conditional use for the massage business (tax map 072 partial 06N); staff said the business would operate one therapist generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The board also approved a variance to reduce a side setback to 2 feet for a 16x20 addition (tax map 073C parcel 163), a variance to reduce side setbacks to 1 foot for accessory structures on a corner lot (tax map 061 parcel 1434), and a reduction from 10 feet to 5 feet for side and rear setbacks to permit a pool and a 9-foot retaining wall (tax map 071 partial 082).

In another item, the board approved changes to setbacks and buffers for a commercial site behind Discount Tire (tax map 072 parcel 073Q), reducing a 30-foot structural buffer to 10 feet and a 10-foot side setback to three feet. All items were approved after staff presented maps and conditions from the Aug. 6 planning commission report.

Commissioners characterized these actions as routine planning decisions taken after review by county staff and the planning commission; none of the listed variances drew extended public debate at the meeting.