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Rincon residents protest proposed storage facility
Residents with protest signs
Rincon residents Sarah Bloodsworth and Dan Elliott were told they could not take signs into the council chambers. Bloodsworth was hoping to speak to the council about a proposed development at 923 Old Augusta Road, which is less than a mile from her property, but that item was tabled at the meeting. She also wanted to address the council about clearing of 400+ acres at 777 Old Augusta Road that has already taken place. (Photos by Barbara Augsdorfer/Effingham Herald.)

By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald

 

They don’t want to be “boxed in” said their signs.

Residents from Magnolia Drive and surrounding streets addressed the Rincon City Council at its regular meeting on May 22 during public comments. Their concern surrounds the proposal to construct and operate a storage facility on property adjacent to their houses.

Residents had cardboard signs, but were told those could not be brought into the council chamber.

Mayor Ken Lee and Councilmember Michelle Taylor were absent. Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Kirkland chaired the meeting with a quorum of members present.

The issue before the council was the first reading of a petition by BKB Properties for a climate-controlled storage facility. Residents are concerned that the facility, if allowed to be constructed and opened, would forever alter their quiet neighborhood streets, increase traffic, and make it unsafe for children to play there.

Charlene Reynolds, who’s lived on Myrtle Street for 50 years, told the council, “I can see the proposed site from my yard. Our green space will be gone. We’ll have no buffer between us and the highway noise.” She also expressed concern regarding the nearby railroad track.

“If they were carrying some hazardous materials; and if there was a wreck or something,” Reynolds said. “We would have to evacuate very quickly. Our only exit is Wisenbaker. We have no exit out of our neighborhood.”

Reynolds also expressed concern about the potential traffic caused by a self-storage facility as there is a school bus stop across the street.

“It's very unsafe, because we have children who catch the school bus right there on the corner of Myrtle and Magnolia,” Reynolds said. “Right across from where the proposed site will be. The traffic problem is not getting better in Rincon anywhere you go. The proposed storage building will kill our neighborhood.”

C. J. Chance
C. J. Chance from Savannah-based Hussey Gay Bell Engineering, on behalf of BKB properties, addressed the Rincon City Council at its regular meeting on May 23. (Photo by Barbara Augsdorfer.)
Because the lot is zoned “General Commercial,” a variety of businesses would be allowed under that designation – everything from a motel to auto repair to self-storage, etc. – but the city council can impose conditions.

Community Development Director Teri Lewis summarized for the city council how the applicant can use the property within current zoning laws, and how the city council can impose conditions if it desired.

“In 2021 Council voted to allow this use by condition in the general commercial zone zoning district. It's a use that is permitted but is required to go through planning and zoning,” Lewis explained. “It allows council to impose or require additional restrictions and standards as may be necessary.” Those additional restrictions can be imposed by the council to protect elements such as health and safety of workers and residents, property values, and provide consistency in the character of the neighborhood, among other requirements.

“So it is not permitted by right, but it is a use that's allowed by condition,” Lewis added.

Lewis added that the proposed climate-controlled self-storage facility is planning to have 250 units and that her research suggested such a facility has a “very low” trip-generation rate.

Nikki Carangelo lives on Magnolia Drive. She told the council the residents in the area were not adequately informed of the proposed development. She said there were no signs posted about any public hearing.

At one point the meeting became contentious as Carangelo suggested that Councilmember Damon Rahn “was shooting guns” with the developer “while he was discussing our neighborhood,” Carangelo asserted.

Kirkland gaveled the meeting back to order and said, “I’m going to allow (Councilman) Mr. (Levi) Scott to speak, and then I’m going to close public comments,” Kirkland said.

“I love this city. And I've been here a long time,” Scott began. “When I heard about the whole story I was kind of elated, because I knew what could go there and I did not want to see that go there.

He defended his colleague by saying, “It's typical for (a) Council (member) to go out and try to encourage the developer to do certain things,” Scott added.

In the end, the city council voted to table the resolution to its June 12 meeting.

In the interim, the group of residents met with the developer in the lobby of the council chambers and agreed to meet on June 1 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers to come up with amicable compromises.