Commission grants C2-to-M1 rezoning and variances for Gordon Highway site, agrees to three-year paving delay

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted May 7 to approve a rezoning from C2 to M1 for a Gordon Highway property and to grant associated variances tied to unpermitted site improvements, while modifying staff conditions to allow the applicant up to three years to pave the public parking area.

Staff told the commission the site (currently operating as Harlem Paint & Body) had added an awning without permits, uses a gravel parking and storage area and maintains a 10-foot chain-link storage fence that exceeds the standard 8-foot limit. Planning staff recommended conditions including paving the public parking area by the end of the year, requiring opaque screening for the storage lot, a stormwater runoff analysis for the gravel storage, fire-hydrant installation if additional buildings are added, and a septic inspection because no septic permit exists on file.

The applicant asked for more time—three years from today—to pave the parking lot to allow the new business to generate revenue. A commissioner advocated for the three-year extension and the board amended the variances to give three years for paving. Staff also said the existing 10-foot fence may remain now but may not be rebuilt with barb wire; any replacement must meet current code.

The commission approved the C2-to-M1 rezoning (tax map 043A parcel 043A) subject to the May 7 planning commission conditions (including the septic inspection and screening requirements), then approved variances to sections 90-98, 90-133, and 90-144 with the modified paving timeline. The motions were seconded and carried on voice/hand votes.

The county will require a stormwater analysis for the gravel storage area and will withhold issuance of business-license renewals as an enforcement lever tied to compliance timing. The transcript records the motions and their approvals but does not show individual roll-call tallies.