Planning & Zoning - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to tonight's meeting of the planning and zoning uh Brian County Board of Adjustments and Planning and Zoning Commission for October 21st, 2025 in Richmond Hill, Georgia. Uh before we begin, I'll briefly review the rules for public hearing. Um staff will present a summary and recommendation first. The applicant or their representative will speak next, followed by public comments for those who signed up. Uh if you do wish to speak and haven't signed up, please complete a speaker slip now. Uh when called, please come to the podium and I have to clarify this. Please state your name, your address, and whom you represent. Um if speaking on behalf of an individual organization as well, depending on the number of speakers in large groups, especially individuals may be limited to three minutes just to keep time concise and constrained. um if you're part of a group, a large group, that sort of thing, please designate a representative um to speak on your behalf of the group's behalf. Um please direct your marks only to the commission. Uh in previous events, we've had persons talking over others and unfortunately other things that have disrupted the meeting. Um and we try to maintain order here the best we can. Um personal attacks, off comments or addressing other in or questioning others during the um course of the meeting are not permitted and repeated violations after any warning may result in loss of your speaking time. After the hearing, the commission will vote on each item. Um we have to make this point clear that the board of adjustments in the planning and zoning we are the final decision of that for the board of adjustments. Um planning and zoning commission decisions are recommendations. Um the second part which is the planning and zoning is recommendations only which we will be be providing our recommendation which will be later forwarded to the board of commissions uh at their next meeting for final action. Um you are welcome to leave the meeting following the items you are here for. However, please exit quietly and refrain from conversation until you are outside the meeting room to avoid disrupting the rest of the meeting. Uh thank you for cooperation and we will now proceed with the agenda. Has everybody gotten a chance to uh read

the the minutes? Uh can I get an approval of the minutes, please? Motion to approve the September minutes. Second. All in favor? I would like to have a motion to open up board of adjustments variance project 2025634. Motion to open public hearing. Second.

We are in session. Um so this first hearing is a variance request for property um located at 725 CScape Drive. Uh the property is zoned R15 single family residential and is approximately6 acres. Uh the property is currently vacant and the applicant is planning to construct a home on the property um approximately 4,500 square ft. In order to construct this residence, they are requesting a front setback reduction from 100 ft to 70 feet at the closest point and side setback reductions from 15 feet to 10 feet on both sides. In terms of a hardship, the applicant cited their HOA requesting they um ask for these reductions as well as their desire for a larger backyard. Staff cannot consider HOA requests um or regulations as a hardship. However, the property's shape and location adjacent to state waters does impact the development of the lot. Additionally, there is a special flood hazard area on the rear along the water. Um, and the property has a larger front setback than the neighboring lots, which are approximately 70 to 75 ft. These conditions do create a hardship for this property and are unique to this property. Uh staff did find that these requests were consistent with the UDO as well um as they accommodate lot conditions while still maintaining appropriate setbacks and limiting impact on that river marsh area. So staff is recommending approval of the requested variances to reduce the front setback to 70 ft at the closest point and the side setbacks to 10 feet because the criteria are met and I can answer any questions you may have.

Any questions? No questions. We have the applicant, a representative, and the applicant here.

If you could please as well, please state your name, address, and who you represent. Good afternoon. I'm Billy Norwood. Uh, live at 70 Marsh Cove, Richmond Hill, and I'm representing Andy and Vicki Hit. Thank you, sir. Um, she pretty much summed up, you know, what we're requesting and and why. And unless you guys have any questions for me, I don't really have anything to add to that. So, is that no questions unique requirements? Thank you.

Thank you very much. No other speaker slips for this particular variance. Uh, anybody from the audience who has not signed a speaker slip wish to speak for or against? Before we close this, we have any additional comments? Okay, perfect. All right. Can I get a motion to approve or deny? I apologize. Motion to close my apologies. Sorry, taxes are burning me out. I apologize. Motion to close public hearing. Second. All in favor? I. Perfect. Okay. And can I get a motion to approve or deny, please? Motion to approve. Second. All in favor?

Any opposed? Okay, motion carries. Like I said, variances are our governance. Uh, motion to open. Uh, can I get a motion, please, to open variance project 2025 0581? Motion. Second. All in favor?

Okay. Yet, this variance is a as a request to reduce side setbacks from 13 to 13 feet from 50 feet for property located at 9365 Georgia Highway 204. And the property is currently zoned A5 agricultural. And you can see it's surrounded by other A5 zonings as well as as well as Fort Stewart to the south. And you can see some existing conditions of the property here where it is currently vacant, but the applicant is proposing uh to locate a manufactured home on the property. The property is currently less than the required acreage. So A5 typically requires 5 acres in size. This property is just about 1 acre. So it's about a fifth of what we would typically require. So it never meets the minimum uh road frontage requirements or the lot width requirements that we would require as well as the zoning district. So we are recommending approval of the variance criteria as we feel the criteria are met and I can answer any questions you may have.

Do we have any questions? No question. Okay. Thank you. Do we have the applicant or applicants representative here?

Good evening sir. If you kindly state your name, your address, and whom you represent. Yes, sir. My name is Chris Martinez. My address is 128 Windmill Drive, Savannah, Georgia. Uh I am the applicant. Uh this property is a family property. It's been in our family. My mother grew up there. It was my grandma's property prior to that. Uh I was just trying to move back out there. There has been a house and a trailer out there at one time, a long time ago, pretty sure before zoning.

Uh then there was a trailer out there. close as to probably 2011 2012 it was removed and we've just been keeping up with the property as to where I've been trying to get back out there. Uh I'm trying to get my mother back out there as to where my grandma has a plot out there just to to join them back because we took care of that property after she passed. My condolences. Appreciate it. And that's pretty much it. Do you have any questions? No. Thank you again, sir. My condolences sincerely. Appreciate. Thank you. Um, we do have one speaker slip. Uh, wasn't advised for. You can have a seat. Thank you. Uh, Miss Lauren Jennings.

And again, for the record, if you can kindly state your name and address, too, please. It's Lauren Jennings and it's 174 Williams Road in Hinesville, Georgia. I'm with a manufactured home dealership that is selling uh Mr. Martinez's home and it is it is a brand new. It's a 2025 uh 32 by 80. Uh obviously a zone 2 as you know for this um so it'll it'll look very nice. We're not bringing an old home into the county. So just wanted to let you know that it's not going to deteriorate or make things look bad. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate that. Any questions? Okay. Thank you very much.

Okay. No other speaker slips for this particular case. Okay. Uh can I get a motion to close variance project 2025 0581? Move. Second. All in favor? Okay. Uh can I get a motion to approve or deny? Motion to approve the variance. Thank you. All in favor? Any opposed? Carries. Excellent. Okay. Can I get a motion to approve the planning and zoning commission or motion to open project uh 20250681 resoning? Motion. Second. All in favor? We begin.

Hello again. So item number one under planning and zoning is a request to reszone approximately 20.6 acres from the RR 2.5 to the RR1 rule residential district. This is located on the south end of Bryan County off of Highway 144 just south of Michael Drive. And so you can see the location map zoomed in up closer here. And you can see the current zoning map. It is currently zoned RR 2.5. It's surrounded by some other A5 zonings as well as properties on Michael Drive that are non-conforming in the A5 as well as some other RR1.5 properties. And you can see the character area map here where it falls into the low density coastal residential character area which is one unit per acre or less due to the lack of infrastructure which does recommend the A5 the rule residential as well as some other zoning districts for that character area. And then we went out and took some pictures of some existing conditions. So you can see the existing drive onto the property, some of the acreage that they're going to be proposing for home sites, as well as their existing encroachment from the state road uh 144 there. And here you can see their concept plan. So what the applicant is proposing is to do three lots served by a private road, which may would have to change a little bit from this configuration to include like a culde-sac bulb or anything. Um with the 20.6 acres total only having that one access point. Um, and the concept shows three possible home sites. Now, I do want to note because I think there has been some questions in the community. Um, they're looking to reszone really just due to the lot sizes being a little smaller on what they're showing here as lots two and three, those two smaller ones closer to the front. But they actually could get the same number of lots if it was zoned R2.5. Due to the minor subdivision provisions in the ordinance, they could get a maximum of six lots. Now, that doesn't change when they reszone to the rural residential 1acre district, just the size of the lot. So, they're not actually creating any more density out there.

And so, for that reason, staff is recommending approval of the reszoning as we feel it is consistent with the character area map. And I can answer any questions you may have. I did have a question about you said it could um accommodate up to six homes. So that could be a potential um in the future. They could potentially do that, but they could potentially do that now under the current zoning. Okay. So, no more questions. I don't understand the USC regulations on permitting and stuff when it comes to the wetlands area there. Yeah. So, their property is pretty high um and we don't see any potential wetlands shown on their track of land.

Excellent. Thank you. Yep. No speaker slips for this particular one. Awesome. Can I get the uh applicant and or the representative? They're here.

Good afternoon. Uh Daniel Crawford. I live at 19331 Georgia Highway 144. I'm the owner of the property. Um, in a nutshell, we're subdividing it for a family compound, so to speak, and kind of with that long road that we're turning it into, that takes about four and a half acres of the land. So, more or less, we're just shortening those two front lots to accommodate for four acres that are going to make for the private road. That's pretty much the bulk of the reason we're trying to make this change. Okay, any questions for y? Sounds like the dream everybody wants. So, congratulations. We're trying. family compound.

We look to like I said the uh the planning and zoning aspect of it as a referendum. We will actually make our recommendation of course to planning and zoning in the next commission meeting that will probably make decision at that as well. So I recommend of course attending just the same. Thank you very much for your time sir. Thank you. Any persons? I know we haven't had any speaker slips for this particular one. Is there anybody wishing to speak for or against this particular zoning? Okay. Can I get a motion to close the zoning project 20250681? Motion to close. Second. All in favor? Can I get a motion to approve or deny? Motion to approve. Second. All in favor? I thank you. Can I get a motion to open up conditional use per permit project 2025672?

Motion. Motion. Second. Okay, we're good.

Uh so this is a conditional use permit request for a cell tower to be located off of Waterways Parkway. Uh the proposed location um is on parcel five of the waterways development and is adjacent to the existing county fire station and well site. Uh the tower will be on an 80 by 80 foot leased area accessed again off of resource way which is off of uh the parkway there. Um and will be 215 ft tall. The area is currently used for an office trailer, gravel parking and maintenance equipment. These items will be relocated or removed from the site. Uh the applicant is also requesting a reduction in the required 215 foot setbacks on all sides. Um so they are requesting the following reductions. Um 64 feet and 9 in setback on the northeast, 121 ft and 9 in on the southwest and 44 feet and 9 in on the northwest. uh telecommunication towers or cell towers are subject to the telecommunications ordinance which includes specific standards that they have to meet in order for this conditional use to be approved. As I mentioned, the ordinance requires the setbacks to be equal to the height of the tower though they can request reductions as they have. Uh the fall zone for this tower as they show has a 40ft radius um per their structural engineer which the applicant has highlighted as justification to reduce these setbacks. Uh the proposed setbacks would contain the tower within this fall zone. The tower is also over 600 feet from the nearest residence. Um the proposed access off of resource way, which is an existing paved access easement. The county engineering department indicated they will need to review a copy of the ingress egress agreement for approval as they do utili the county does utilize this access currently. The engineering department also indicated that any new utility lines for this use uh will need to have location reviewed and approved prior to the installation. Additionally, the applicant did identify

the need for this tower by providing documentation um that the nearest towers over three miles from this site and that this tower will fill in a gap in current coverage. Uh additionally, they did also indicate a willingness to work with the county on colllocation um to help fulfill any county communication needs. Uh the subject parcel is uh is an area that is surrounded by a heavily wooded area. Um and the applicant did also provide a visibility study with their application indicating the tower will not be visible um from surrounding areas. Um as discussed, the surrounding area does include that fire station um and some county utilities as well as vacant areas. Um in addition, the applicant did also provide a petition which is in your package um showing support for the tower um signed by waterways residents. Uh the applicant also provided documentation for their federal reviews and approvals that are required um including offices such as the state preservation office and US fish and wildlife services. Um the consultant that completed these reviews for them did provide guidance on procedures in the event that there is inadvertent discovery of Native American materials or human remains during construction. Um, and in these cases, they would have to cease work immediately. And if the county was notified of such a discovery, we would reserve the right to issue a stop work order if needed. Um, so staff did recommend approval of this conditional use for the cell tower, including the requested setback reductions with the following conditions. Prior to construction permit approval, the applicant must provide plans for off-site cable or conduit and telecommunications utilities that are coming to the tower site. If new, the respective utilities will need to be coordinated with the county. This will include providing plans indicating utility location prior to construction commencing. Prior to construction permit approval, the county will require a copy of the proposed 30-foot ingress, egress, and fiber utility easement. The county must approve this easement prior to permit approval. And I can answer any questions you may have.

Are they going to have buried line going to the tower or is it going to be utilizing any likely? So, but they might be able to give more detail, but that's what they're showing on the Okay. Land. And you said there's a willingness to also coincide with communications for emergency comms. They indicate a willingness to work with the county. Okay. Yeah. You said the closest home is 600 ft. I think over 600 and no other lots for sale in the immediate area. It's in an open area or utility parcels there in the fire station. Great. Oh, I know exactly. That's it. Okay. Any additional questions? We have the applicant or applicant's representative. If you could sir, state your name, address, and whom you represent.

Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the board. Jonathan Yates, 105 Broad Street, Charleston, South Carolina. Here on behalf of Next Tower. Also, I have with me Mr. Joel Russo, my my boss at Next Tower, Mr. Dana Braun, our local council, and Michael Nelson of Savannah Land Holdings LLC. First and foremost, I got to thank this lady and this lady uh during this process. I don't think Sarah kept track. Was it a hundred stupid questions I asked her or 101? She never laughed at me. You got some real professionals here and it was a pleasure to work with them. We're also pleased to announce um I've been doing towers about 30 years. I've never walked into a meeting where I had in my hand a petition signed by 468 people saying we want the tower. It's a first. Why is that? You got to have phone service. Uh we refer to wireless as the fourth utility wireless infrastructure. The fact is when I was sitting here waiting on the meeting tonight everyone sitting these tables they were doing the same thing. They were looking at their phones. It's become stupidest thing I did recently was a few years back. I gave my son an iPad. It is like that thing is glued to his hand. Long way of saying it wireless infrastructure is intrinsically important. Uh Michael has been very good in trying to help us solve this problem. We have a perfect location to cover waterways. Uh we are in what used to be sort of their staging area. They had an office trailer there. On one side of me I have the county well site. On the other side I have fire station TED. Perfect. And if you drive in there it's amazing the trees, the woods. We're doing a 210 foot pole. Five additional five feet for the lightning rod is what we call the monopole. What is a monopole? Monopole is a pylon. Uh what

you'd see in front of say a Hardies or Walmart except with a lot thicker steel. So we have a very clean silhouette and we've designed it initially for T-Mobile, then Verizon, and there was additional space for at least two additional broadband carriers. Our goal here is to bring this infrastructure to waterways and the surrounding area. I think when you look at it and look at our application, look at the site where we are, what we can achieve, I think it's a win-win, and we hope that you'll see it that way. People joke about me. It takes me six minutes just to say my name. I'm sorry. You've had very brief applicants before me. I apologize for that. But here for any and all questions. I mean, we've done a lot of work on this. Um, just to point it out, the FAA has reviewed and approved it. Uh Sarah talked on the NEPA approval and it's a perfect location to provide the infrastructure and it really works out very nicely. I'm here for any and all questions. Michael can ask questions, answer questions about the development itself. Joel is the guy if we are later approved by the board commissioners, he'll take it from there and and develop it. And Dana is my favorite lawyer in Georgia. I'm here for any and all questions.

Well, I do appreciate you working with especially the aspect of comms for the county as the expansion goes north and south. You know, it's always need for clear communications for emergency services. So, I do appreciate your willingness to potentially work with them to ensure that their communications are expanded. That's essential. And you know, we we talked about people playing on their phones, but one to me one of the most important aspects access to 911.

You're in trouble. You don't want to go look for a phone, knock on a door. you want to pull it out of your off your belt or out of your pocketbook. So that access to first responders, whether they be fire, police, EMS, also, as we touched on, the Brian County um u emergency management agency, sorry, I'm a little tongue tied. Brian County Emergency Management Agency, Code Red, they want to put those alerts out there. We got bad weather coming. We got something coming. It doesn't work that well if you don't have a phone that can pick up the the code red. So all that goes into it. We joke about people playing games on their phone, searching the internet, but they're vital, particularly bad weather or some kind of other alert where we have a situation going on that part of county. We want folks to know what's coming.

I thank y'all. I I assume there's a a lapse in coverage in that area. Is it? Yes, absolutely. Yes, sir. When you hit the sanctuary neighborhood on the left just before I have AT&T, which I hope AT&T comes because one of my best friends lives there and she has to say I have to let you go now because and then call me back on her home phone. So you're going to make home landlines um null and void in waterways. But there is a much need for that service there. Plus the expense of cell phone coverage in the river too. forget because I worry about medical um

if anyone in that area that doesn't live there um comes and has a medical emergency. There have been several pretty severe accidents on that road um in the past few years and it's a it's a real need to have cell service there. So, thank you.

Commissioner Watson, just to repeat, I've been doing this a long time. I've never walked in with a petition signed by 468 people. I think they want it. I think they want it. I wish I could move them around the rest of the state to write the same petition, but they they're right here. But that's it. Um, wireless has become so important again, whether it's playing on the phone or medical or getting to a first responder or having the county emergency management agency let you know, hey, we got bad weather coming or we got someone loose in the neighborhood that shouldn't be there be on the lookout for this Jeep. That's important information and we we have a good way to disseminate it if you have the tower that can provide

also like the silver alerts um for the older people. We have a lot of people that are retiring to waterways. Um I'm a nurse so I think through all of the safety aspects. So this is much needed. Since I'm a former first responder, things like FirstNet, repeater communications and stuff for the county emergency services so they can collaborate on radio is is of the utmost importance as that area potentially as as the propagation and expansion of where it's going.

Absolutely. Um you know talking to Michael there about 780 livedin homes now but at build out there going to be 3,300 homes there. You multiply that, you know, number of people at home, you got a lot of folks and you knowing about emergency, you you being in the health care. If someone's being transported to the hospital, we want that information flowing from the transport vehicle to the folks at the hospital trying to do that initial triage that can, you know, we talked about the golden hour. It's important. It's important.

Now, are cell phone towers based on bandwidth? how they support cell phones like the imagine how many cell phones they could support per tower. Um do towers have expansive you know capabilities in case that they the population does increase from the amount there to potentially 3,300 or it's going to degrade or can be can it be upgraded to facilitate just in case expansion does happen in that region. The structure itself is is steel that is designed to hold their carriers and the carriers they have the ability to new technologies are coming out whether they're migrating from I started with show you how old I am I started when it was 1G we're now in the 5G and we have 6G on the horizon and that's a factor for the you know the carriers you know they switch out their radios their format that's something they do to try to serve everyone as best they can.

Yes sir. Well, I'm glad that uh you have the Verizon network there uh because I know of being a Vietnam vet. I uh have a 411 that I wear around my neck and uh you need that just in case that you're in any portion of the house that you have emergency.

I think that's the key. You don't want to have to run into uh Commissioner Carwell, first and foremost, thank you for your service, sir. Thank you, sir. You don't want to you're having a situation you don't want to have to run into the yard to make that connection. So yeah, the the facility is designed for at least four broadband carriers. T-Mobile will be the initial followed by Verizon leaving Space open. We'll see if AT&T makes that election also. But yes, sir. Might have to switch. I'm not going to switch. She can switch. We have to. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Any other questions, folks? No. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Appreciate you.

Um and there's no speaker subs. Is there anybody in the audience particularly would like to speak for and against this particular adjustment? Yes. So for the CP project 2025 0672, can I get a motion to close? Motion. Second. All in favor? I. Okay. Who would like to make a motion for or against? Make a motion to approve this conditional use permit project 20250672 with with condition with staff recommendation. Do I second? All in favor? Anybody opposed? Okay. Thank you. Okay.

And just as a reminder, it's going to be going in front of the board of commissioners at the next meeting. Thank you very much for your time. Do we have any other news pending news? Old news business. Anybody? Good. Okay. No other business listed talked about the future training and stuff too. So, can I get a motion to adjourn? Motion. Second. Okay. So, all in favor?