Bulloch County’s 236-day moratorium on rezoning requests for higher density residential subdivisions in the southeastern portion of the county expires Friday, April 7, after the county commissioners approved major revisions Tuesday evening to the county’s subdivision and zoning rules and adopted an all-new Stormwater Control Ordinance.

“With those three things approved, we now have, I would say, modern ordinances that we can better protect the environment as well as have better subdivisions, better landowner protections,” county Planning and Development Director James Pope said Wednesday.

Among other things, unincorporated Bulloch County will now have zoning categories available for housing developments as dense as R-8, in other words, with lot sizes as small as 8,000 square feet – roughly one-fifth of an acre – in areas served by public water and sewer systems. Curb and gutter will be required on streets in subdivisions with 50 or more lots, and sidewalks in subdivisions zoned R-25, R-15 or R-8 and in planned unit developments.

Other safety, environmental or aesthetic features that county staff, the appointed Planning and Zoning Board or the elected commissioners have frequently required as conditions on specific projects are now mandated through the ordinances and regulations.

“This kind of brings us into a modern day rather than having to do those through conditions,” Pope said.

County-wide rules

Unlike the moratorium, which applied only to “Southeast Bulloch County,” from Statesboro and Burkhalter Road to the Bryan County line, the updated ordinances and regulations are now in effect county-wide. But county staff members involved in project reviews expect to have two strategic tools at their disposal to guide higher-density development to certain areas, especially in the Southeast Bulloch quadrant.

One of those tools is the proposed creation of water and sewer systems to be operated by the county government, as Bulloch County is expected to host four large wells supplying water to Hyundai Motor Group’s massive electric vehicle and battery plant now under construction in northern Bryan County. So, pipelines would be extended to also serve some residential areas.

Development Map

The other strategic tool is an amended Future Development Map proposed as an update to the Smart Bulloch 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

“So the last big  item that  we set out  to accomplish through the moratorium is  the Future  Development Map amendment,” Pope said.

It’s also the only major aspect of the regulatory and planning changes that has not been completed before the extended moratorium expires.

But he expects to present the map to the Planning and Zoning Board for its recommendation during the board’s May 11 meeting. The Board of Commissioners could then adopt the map June 6.

The Future Development Map suggests future land uses but is not a legally binding document. Instead, it guides the staff and planning board in their recommendations.

“The major changes are on the south side of Bulloch County along I-16,” Pope said. “In the area shown on the map we’ve modified the character area for more dense developments, residential and commercial, perhaps some industrial. But it’s going to be in that area where water and sewer is going to be the primary driver for development.”

If the proposed map is approved, the existing “interstate gateway” character area at the Georgia Highway 67 interchange on Interstate 16 will be extended up to the Denmark community. A “suburban corridor” will be created along Highway 67 and Old Highway 46 and a small portion of U.S. Highway 80, and a “suburban neighborhood” added south of I-16 to Seed Tick Road and north to Mud Road.

Together, these constitute the region where, as public water systems become available, the most concentrated developments, particularly the new R-8 zoning, would be allowed, Pope said.

“If it’s outside of that area and we feel like it’s not in conjunction with that plan, then likely you’re going to see a recommendation of denial,” he said. “Some of the cases that we saw prior to the moratorium would still get a recommendation of denial from staff.”

Also with the new regulations, the required flow of water available to fight fires in subdivisions has been doubled, from 250 gallons per minute to 500 gpm. This applies to new subdivisions served by privately maintained “community” water systems as well as those on public water.

“That’s going to help the Fire Department do their job,” Pope said.

The Planning and Zoning Board had unanimously recommended the zoning and subdivision revisions and added the expanded sidewalk requirement.

Stormwater control

The Stormwater Control Ordinance includes requirements for drainage plans, drainage and detention structures and inspections for new developments. It does not create a stormwater utility or fee like the city of Statesboro’s. The commissioners’ vote approving it, like those adopting the subdivision regulation and zoning revisions, was unanimous.  

The Board of Commissioners had imposed the moratorium Aug. 16, originally for 180 days to Feb. 10, but extended it in January by 56 days. County Manager Tom Couch and County Attorney Jeff Akins requested the extension to allow staff members to complete their revisions and review.

The moratorium barred processing of requests to rezone AG-5 agricultural tracts to R-40, R-25 and R-15 single-family residential, R-3 multi-family residential, R-2 two-family residential, PUD-1 planned unit development or MHP, manufactured home park.

After the moratorium expires Friday, property owners’ new, previously barred subdivision zoning change requests could be accepted as early as Monday, April 10.

“I feel sure there will probably be at least four, but maybe more,” Pope said.