New Baker Place plans are approved

The Columbia County Planning Commission on Tuesday approved changes for a mixed-use development off Baker Place Road that eliminates apartments, senior housing units and offices.

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The planned unit development's nearly 188 acres are at 577 Baker Place Road, next to the new Grovetown High School.

The proposed revision removed more than 61 acres from the property and deeded it to the county's board of education.

In addition, the changes created 506 single-family lots and 115 townhomes in the development, which would include a community center and pool, 44 acres of green space and sidewalks.

The planning and zoning board required that vinyl siding be limited to trim applications on homes, as was approved when the property originally was rezoned in 2006.

"Our resident architectural expert suggested keeping that as a condition in order to improve the appearance of these units," said county planner Dave Van De Weghe.

Also at the meeting, planning commissioners approved the withdrawal of a rezoning request from planned unit development to neighborhood commercial at 577 Baker Place Road. The 12 acres are part of the larger mixed-use development and previously were approved for 88 townhomes.

The board also approved a minor development revision for Ellington II at Canterbury Farms and a final plat for a rear alley at Bartram Trail II.

The planning commission also gave the green light for planning staff to begin amending the current buffer code in an effort to make it more coherent and easier to enforce.