The Columbia County Commission's decision on Tuesday to reduce the residential density at Marshall Square might cause developers of the Evans property to set aside their plans.
Commissioner Trey Allen's motion to approve changes to the 2007 site plan with conditions recommended by the Columbia County Planning Commission passed by a vote of 4-0. Commissioner Charles Allen abstained from voting.
At their April 16 meeting, planning commissioners decided to eliminate one of seven four-story residential buildings from the site, which would reduce the number of apartments from 338 to 288.
After approving those conditions, commissioners made one of their own Tuesday by further reducing the possible number of apartments on the 47-acre planned unit development.
When commissioners reduced the density to 14 residential units per acre on the 13.5 acres designated for the apartment development, it cut the number of apartments to about 182 units, said Miller-Valentine Group senior developer Bill Marsh, who was heading the property's residential development.
Marsh said the commission's decision was a "complete defeat" and made the project infeasible.
"There's 0 percent chance that we would proceed with what they approved," he said.
A county ordinance limits residential density to 14 units per acre in an apartment zoning, Commission Chairman Ron Cross said.
"We really didn't want to create the precedent there and didn't feel like that kind of density would be good in that location, either," he said.
The commission's decision affects the outcome of the entire project, Marsh said.
Developers wanted to construct residential units partly in hopes of attracting businesses to the property.
"They (commissioners) basically killed the project for the time being," Marsh said. "As a practical matter, there's going to be a big mud hole sitting there because of this for a long time."
Several residents living in neighborhoods surrounding Marshall Square have spoken against the developers' plans for the mixed-use development since February, when site-plan revisions were tabled by the planning commission.
"I've been in the county a long time, and you want to see the area developed," said Ron Lewis, who has lived in the Northwood subdivision since 1991.
"We want to see Marshall Square do well, but more along the lines of the Town Center concept."
Though he's happy with the outcome of Tuesday's meeting, Lewis said he doesn't want the property to remain undeveloped.
"I would not want to see it stay an empty hole by no means," he said.
"I don't think that would be good for anyone as well."
Kirk Gilliard has owned homes in both Northwood and Summerplace since 1993. He said he was satisfied with the decreased number of possible apartments as approved by commissioners.
"I'd be very disappointed if they didn't develop anything," said Gilliard, who spoke on behalf of Northwood's Homeowners Association at the meeting. "What I hope they will do is develop it the way it was originally planned, which was really nice. We were very excited about it."
Cross said the commission never intended for the development to become an apartment complex.
"We're ... limited in what we can enforce because it is private property, but the concept has just changed so much from what we endorsed back in 2004," he said. "There's some real concerns that it's going to deteriorate and not be anything the county (can) be proud of."
As for the developers' next step, Marsh said they haven't yet had time to weigh the options.
In other action at Tuesday's meeting, the commissioners:
- Approved without debate the installation of 13 speed humps on Sugarcreek Drive, and tabled a plan to install speed humps on Lone Oak Road at Commissioner Scott Dean's request.
Dean, who represents the largely rural District 4, said he wants the installation of speed humps in "nontraditional areas" -- less-traveled roads outside of subdivisions -- to be studied further.
- Agreed to spend nearly $15,000 for illuminated street signs at three major intersections surrounding the Columbia County government center in Evans.
- Renewed a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in which the corps will pay the county up to $31,500 for the sheriff's office to patrol the corps' parks at Thurmond Lake.
icon.