Panel wants to hear from potential buyer

Columbia County Planning Commissioners tabled a rezoning request Thursday for property on Washington Road that they had initially rejected.

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In January, the planning and zoning board opposed the rezoning of about three acres at 4515 and 4521 Washington Road in Evans from single-family residential to general commercial.

Planning staff advised the board that the property was outside the Evans Town Center node, where commercial development is urged. Some of the planning commissioners also were leery of the request because there was no immediate buyer.

County commissioners tabled the request at their Feb. 2 meeting after applicant Eric Crawford said a buyer was interested in the property, contingent upon the rezoning. The item was then sent back to the planning and zoning board.

Thursday, Crawford told planning commissioners that a potential buyer, who didn't attend the meeting, was interested in building a chain restaurant on the property.

The issue was tabled until the planning commission's May 6 meeting in order for Crawford to bring back paperwork and other documentation before the board.

"We want to help you and move on with this," Chairwoman Jean Garniewicz said. "If tabling it will help, then I think we need to take a vote and give him a reasonable time to bring it back."

Crawford said the additional time would be beneficial for both he and the buyer.

"If the documentation is not in at that time, I will withdraw," he said.

Also at the meeting, the planning commission approved a preliminary plat for 77 lots on nearly 62 acres in the Allen Farms subdivision off Hereford Farm Road.

A minor revision for a section within the Canterbury Farms planned unit development also was passed. Developers requested that the number of single-family detached homes within the Hawthorne subdivision increase from 88 to 102, with a total of 112 residential units previously approved. Possible long-term plans include building as many as 10 townhouses on the property.

In other business, the county's planning staff announced interest in creating an annual awards program recognizing the best developments in the county.