Planners might change design rules
Design guidelines for commercial developments near the intersection of Evans to Locks and Furys Ferry roads might soon undergo changes.
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The Columbia County Planning Commission decided Thursday to move forward with amending an ordinance for two node protection overlay districts.
At the Evans to Locks and Furys Ferry roads district, the proposed changes would involve the area's architecture, fencing materials and 45-foot-height restrictions on buildings.
The addition of fencing materials is proposed for the North Belair and Columbia roads district.
A public hearing will be held at the planning commission's Nov. 20 meeting.
At the board's Sept. 4 meeting, Matt Mills, of Blanchard and Calhoun Commercial Corp., presented a new rendering of a future retail development in that area featuring a Food Lion.
The renderings called for a "neo-traditional" style, which is not currently included in the Evans to Locks and Furys Ferry overlay district design requirements.
The Columbia County administrator, Steve Szablewski, served as the interim director of planning and development at the meeting after the retirement of Jeff Browning.
Szablewski, who served as a county planning director in the late 1970s, said he wants stability for the county and plans to include planning commission members in the hiring of a new director.
Also at Thursday's meeting, the board asked the planning and development staff to add wording in letters sent out to applicants requiring the meeting attendance of owners, applicants or representatives of rezoning, variance and preliminary plat applications.
Board members also would like to reword an amendment to begin advertising Planned Unit Development revisions through posted signs and newspaper ads.
"I think we need to get a little more public involvement," Planning Commissioner Jean Garniewicz said.
The board approved 44 lots of the second phase in High Meadows on Columbia Road, 47 lots in Tudor Branch on Columbia Road, and 75 lots in Creek Bend on Wrightsboro Road.
It also approved preliminary plat revisions for 14 detached housing units in Pennington Place at Riverwood West and the addition of a 27th lot at the Golf Bungalows at Champions Retreat.