A new subdivision is coming to Douglas. At Monday morning’s county commission meeting, commissioners approved a rezoning request from Seven Acres Properties for 31.21 acres located at the intersection of Iron Road and Mingeldorf Road from R2, Residential, and C Commercial to R4, Residential.
This was the second time the commission heard this request. At the January meeting, Seven Acres had also requested a rezoning request, this one to RM, Residential Mixed. However, RM allows for mobile homes and both commissioners and nearby residents alike were uneasy with that zoning. Commissioners rejected the request on those grounds.
Seven Acres representatives refiled a second rezoning request, this time asking for R4, Residential, which would prohibit mobile homes. The commission held the first reading at last month’s meeting. They held the second reading and public hearing Monday morning.
At the public hearing, several citizens spoke against the request, mainly on the grounds that R4 allows for as many as four homes per acre if the homes are tied into city water and sewer.
Matt Seale, CEO of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority, addressed the commission in favor of the request. Seale stated that he had been working with Seven Acres on this project for about a year and a half. “In my role with the development authority, we see workforce housing as a serious issue in our community. If we want to continue to grow like we have in the past several decades that’s a problem we’ve got to solve. We’ve got an opportunity to go after some grant funds that have recently been opened up by the state. And so this project is in cooperation with the development authority if this zoning does take place – which I hope it does. We plan on applying for a $2.5 million grant for the infrastructure for the housing . . . These are for workforce housing to be bought by individual families and owners. That’s something that’s a great need for our community. I ask you to approve this zoning request so we can build more houses and continue to grow,” said Seale.
After hearing the comments, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the request.
Commissioners also approved a resolution between the county, the school system, and the cities of Coffee County regarding 2024 tax bills as they relate to Hurricane Helene. According to county administrator Wesley Vickers, the resolution would extend property tax deadline from December 1, 2024 to February 1, 2025 without penalty due to issues from Hurricane Helene. The commission approved the resolution unanimously.
County commissioners also approved the following items:
- LMIG road resurfacing for several different county roads, including Alvin Geiger Road. The low bidder was East Coast Asphalt for a total amount of $3,517,788.48;
- Engineering services for additional LMIG resurfacing to Statewide Surveying for $28,132.81. Broxton, Nicholls, and Ambrose also received additional LMIG funds and their engineering costs increased as well. The county will pay their engineering tab and the cities will reimburse the county, plus an administrative fee. The total cost of the county’s engineering services plus those of Broxton, Nicholls, and Ambrose is $48,132.81;
- 2024 budget amendments in the following amounts, the majority of which are due to Hurricane Helene and overtime paid to employees during the storm:
- $700,000 to the general fund. The county will cover the increase by moving funds from the contingency fund;
- $82,000 to the special district fund with a corresponding increase in revenue of the same amount;
- $10,000 to 911 with a corresponding increase in revenue.