A proposed 126-acre mixed-use development could bring new housing options and businesses to Ellabell, raising questions about how the project could change the community’s landscape and character.
During Tuesday's Bryan County planning and zoning meeting, Joshua Yellin, who practices commercial real estate for Hunter Maclean, represented landowners Brooks Warnell and Timothy and Randall Goodwin for a rezoning request for agricultural to general business.
“We are not seeking conditional use approval tonight - our intent is to make sure this property is suitable for the zoning that we were requesting so that then we can find the right developers to come in and actually develop this site,” Yellin told the board.
During the meeting in Richmond Hill,
county officials revealed that an error made by staff may have prevented some residents from being aware of the rezoning request.
"The UDO (unified development ordinance) requires if a property has two noncontiguous road frontages that two signs have to be posted and we failed to have two signs posted for this project," said Brett Kohler, planner for Bryan County. "Because of that, we don't feel like this item was adequately noticed by the public for this meeting."
Kohler recommended the board defer their recommendation to next month and the board accepted.
'We the people'
Jason Padgett moved to Bryan County 11 years ago, giving his family access to the "small town" feel they desired.
Padgett urged board members to consider the pace of growth already occurring in northern Bryan County. The project would be located near the intersection of Eldora Road, Highway 80 and Highway 280, an area where dump trucks and big rigs are seen frequently traveling to warehouses and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, which have brought about a significant increase in traffic.
"The authority having jurisdiction does not have to approve the request if it's not in the best interest of we the people,” said Padgett. “I didn't really know enough about this property because I wasn't able to find anything. We're all concerned [about] growth of this area. I understand growth is typically good but it could also be a hindrance. The areas my family and I chose [is] secluded. This nice small town is just blowing up and it's not where we want to be.”
What would the project consist of?
The conceptual plan allocates just over 57 acres for commercial uses and about 42 acres for residential development, including 13 acres designated for townhomes. The DRI report shows a proposed 600 residential units, although the type is unclear.
The DRI report also states the project is expected to bring more than $1.4 million in annual tax revenue to Bryan County and that at full build out, the project is estimated to be worth $165 million. The commercial project is predicted to see some 869 employees working on the commercial property, although details on employment opportunities have not been revealed yet. The applicant believes the region's workforce is sufficient to fill employment needs. Traffic counts show the mixed-use development could generate over 18,000 traffic trips per day, including 1,700 at a.m. peak hours and nearly 2,100 at p.m. peak hours. The DRI report shows turn lanes will be needed on Highway 80 near the project. The expected completion date for project is 2037.
A conceptual plan shown during the planning and zoning meeting show six access points, including five on Highway 80 and one on Eldora Road.
Yellin said he would provide an in-depth presentation at the next planning and zoning meeting Sept. 15.
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 18,000 daily traffic trips proposed for Ellabell mixed-use development
