A Development of Regional Impact (DRI) report outlines plans for two million square feet of warehouse space for a project on the Bryan and Bulloch County line.
Developer Portman Industrial is expected to seek the rezoning of 128 acres in Bryan County for the project that would include three industrial buildings. The development would be located on Highway 80 in Ellabell near Highway 119. A traffic study estimates the development could generate 2,852 traffic trips per day.
Projected jobs and tax revenue
The proposed project is expected to generate $831,500 in annual tax revenue for Bryan County. The development is valued at an estimated $121 million and is projected to create 560 jobs. According to the DRI report, the applicant expects the regional workforce to be sufficient
to fill those positions.
Flooding and environmental concerns
The DRI report states the development would generate 542 tons of solid waste annually once construction is complete. The industrial site is expected to require 10 megawatts of electricity, with backup diesel generators available if necessary. A portion of the property is located within a floodplain and plans under consideration include on-site drainage swales and detention ponds to manage stormwater runoff.
The Ogeechee Riverkeeper raised concerns about potential environmental impacts and questioned the need for additional warehouse development, citing millions of square feet of vacant warehouse space in the region.
"The proposed location for this development faces serious and sustained flooding risks," said ORK in a statement provided in the DRI report. "Flooding and its associated damages and pollution risks will be an ongoing and growing issue on this site."
Is Ellabell becoming a hub for growth?
Ellabell could see significant residential and industrial development as a series of proposals promise to reshape the rural Bryan County community, raising questions about the effects on housing, infrastructure, traffic and the area’s long-term character.
Bryan County commissioners rezoned more than 1,000 acres from agricultural to industrial use January 2021, followed by another 400 acres across two parcels in July 2023. In June 2024, the county rezoned 259 acres from agricultural to industrial.
In 2023, commercial real estate website LoopNet said due to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the area will need more commercial and residential development in North Bryan County. Since then, several projects have been proposed around Ellabell.
One potential focal point for that growth is the area around the intersection of highways 80 and 280, where developers have targeted several parcels.
Developer Taylor Smith will go before county commissioners Nov. 10 to petition the board to rezone 65 acres for a 267-home rental community. During the Oct. 20 Bryan County planning and zoning meeting, a resident came forward to address concerns regarding's Smith's project, Kelly Street Development.
The resident asked the planning board to consider existing traffic congestion and whether the area's infrastructure can accommodate additional development. The board ultimately voted to recommend approval of the rezoning.
"I live on Queens Way," she said. "My grandchildren play at the end of Queens Way. It's very important to me that my grandchildren are safe. It took me 20 minutes to pull out of Queens Way to get on Highway 80 to get here tonight. The rolling trucks coming from Savannah on Highway 80 cause immense problems. [If] we put this in before we have the infrastructure to handle it, it is going to create more and more accidents. I want you to look at the infrastructure first."
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: Is Ellabell becoming a hotbed for growth? | Exclusive
