The Bulloch County Planning and Zoning Commission is considering a zoning change that would allow an RV park to be built within sight of Bulloch Academy's campus.
A public hearing on the rezoning request will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Bulloch County Commissioners' Annex Community Room, 115 N. Main St.
Lewis Properties LLP submitted an application to rezone 28.3 acres at Veterans Memorial Parkway and Pulaski Road from Ag-5 (Agricultural 5 acres) to HC (Highway Commercial) to allow for a recreational vehicle park and campground.
According to an email addressed to "interested parents and BA friends" that was posted on the Statesboro Herald's Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, the property in question extends along the bypass to Westside Road, "directly across from (BA's) football/track/soccer stadium and in very close proximity to our campus."
"In addition to aesthetic concerns, many of our board members and parents have safety concerns if this rezoning is granted," the email says. "While the majority of persons utilizing such a facility would no doubt be lovely, law-abiding people, such as retirees, it would unfortunately also lend itself to the very real possibility of a transient who is staying one or two nights with the intention of causing harm being right next to our K4-12 school."
The email raised the possibility of the RV park possibly hosting sex offenders, who "are only required to register within 72 hours of changing residences or where they are sleeping if homeless.
"This would result in a transient community being located across the road from, and possibly even within yards of, our campus, where our students are playing on the playgrounds, running the cross country trails, practicing their sports, hitting in the batting cages and walking to and from the cheerleading and wrestling buildings and their vehicles," the email says.
Other permitted uses in the Highway Commercial zone include automobile towing, bus station, truck stop and storage and warehouse units.
At the meeting Thursday, the Planning and Zoning Commission will take public comments and make a recommendation to the county commissioners. The commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, and make a final determination on the rezoning request.