The Coffee County Board of Commissioners continued to wrestle with what to do with rezoning properties along the Highway 32 West corridor at the February county commission meeting. The four-laning of 32 West has opened up that stretch of road to commercial interests. However, that section of road has historically been a residential area.
And now, commercial interests and residential interests are coming into conflict with each other.
The commission has had several such requests come before the board over the last several months. Some have been approved while others have not. Last week, commissioners voted on three more requests – one was from R2, Residential to C, Commercial while the other two were from R1, Residential to C, Commercial.
The first request was from Johnny Brantley Jr., for 9.52 acres at 6811 Highway 32 West. This tract is the R2, Residential property. Brantley would like to put up a building on the property that would allow him to work on his farm equipment. After much discussion, the commission approved the request contingent upon Brantley installing a privacy fence on both the east and west sides of the property.
Carlton Dorminey, who has brought several of such rezoning requests along 32 West to the commission lately, sought the other two rezoning changes. Commissioners approved both. The first tract, located at 3572 Highway 32 West (10 acres), was approved without a privacy fence while the other tract (3916 Highway 32 West, 10 acres) was approved with an eight-foot privacy fence. The fence is required if one or more sides of the property joins residential acreage.
Commissioners also rejected a rezoning request, this one from Alma Garcia, who had asked that 20.52 acres at 436 Old Country Road in Broxton be rezoned from AG, Agriculture to W-LI, Warehouse Light Industrial. Garcia wanted to build a welding shop on the property. Staff and the Planning Commission did not like the idea; commissioners agreed and unanimously rejected the request.
Regarding the other items on the agenda, commissioners took the following actions:
- Approved the purchase of a Western Star dump truck from Tom Nehl for $188,758;
- Approved the purchase of five vehicles for the sheriff’s office. Fitzgerald Ford submitted the low bid for the vehicles, 2026 Ford Explorers, of $223,695. Anderson Ford, however, submitted a bid that was only $11 higher per vehicle for a total of $223,750. The commission approved the Anderson Ford bid so as to do business with a local vendor;
- Approved a five percent increase in funding (from $68,600 to $72,030) for the Satilla Regional Library;
- Approved a price increase for commercial dumpsters (from $95 to $100 for four-yard dumpsters, from $125 to $150 for six-yard dumpsters, and from $150 to $200 for eight-yard dumpsters) effective beginning April 1; and
- Approved amendments to the land development code regarding recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds. The changes primarily deal with roads in a park. If a park has fewer than 100 sites, paved roads will not be required. If it has 100 sites or more, the park’s roads would have to be paved.
Commissioners also heard two first readings, one for a rezoning request and another for a subdivision application:
- A rezoning request from Chad Hobbs for 1.93 acres at 4120 Willacoochee Highway from A, Agriculture to C, Commercial; and
- A subdivision application from Seven Acres Properties at 140 Mingledorf Road. This property has been rezoned and the Planning Commission agrees with the subdivision application.