Grovetown seeks smaller lot for annexation

Two issues of growth - annexation and consolidation - were topics of discussion at a Columbia County Commission meeting Thursday morning.

Dennis Trudeau, the mayor of Grovetown, went before the commission to discuss the size of lots that would be allowed by the county in Grovetown's proposed annexation of unincorporated land south of Appling Harlem Road.

Officials said the county allows lot sizes as small as 10,000 square feet. Trudeau, though, told the commission that his city is hoping for a smaller lot of 7,500 square feet.

"They (developers) say they can't make any profit on that size lot,'' Trudeau told the commission, referring to the county's permitted minimum lot size.

County Attorney Doug Batchelor said zoning that would allow a 7,500-square-foot minimum lot hasn't been approved in the past for the area that Grovetown wants to annex.

"Anyway, we'll work it out one way or the other,'' Trudeau said. "I hope we don't have to go to court to do it.''

The commission has been looking into consolidation for Columbia County, including a possible incorporation of Evans into a city.

Buck Story, a Harlem resident, told the commission that the public should be given more information on consolidation.

He said he is concerned it could harm the cities of Harlem and Grovetown. City officials have said consolidation could cause their cities to become landlocked.

"Why is Columbia County trying to destroy two towns to create one town?'' Story asked.

Commission Chairman Ron Cross said that that isn't the intent and that any consolidation would have to go before voters first.

"This is not something that's a done deal by the commission,'' he said. "This is probably the most important issue we'll face in our term as commissioners. We're taking it very seriously.''