Wed, Jun 27, 2007

By BRANDEE A. THOMAS

The Brunswick News

Developers are still eager to build a high-tech business community complete with numerous residential units near U.S. 82, but they're now thinking smaller.

Developers behind the proposed Turtle River Community Improvement District project, continuing their push to bring the blueprints to life for a planned development that has been in the works for around two years, are now seeking county approval for 6,066 (ed. note: correction from original article showing 3,845) single and multi-family homes.

Plans for the project originally called for nearly 9,000 dwelling units.

The nearly 3,000-acre business and residential community is targeted for southwestern Glynn County. Running parallel to U.S. 82 and around five miles west of Interstate 95's Exit 29, the project area is bordered on the northwest by Georgia 99, on the east and south by Turtle River and on the southwest by Georgetown Road.

"We reduced the number of dwelling units to conform with the master plan," said John Carbonell, managing director for the project, during a meeting with the Mainland Planning Commission Tuesday. "There's no reason to ask for more units than we need."

Carbonell and A. Chris Amos, project engineer, met with the Mainland Planning Commission at 700 Gloucester St., formerly a Barnett Bank, to discuss the project and its changes.

"We are looking to establish a workplace community and create a long-term relationship with the county," Carbonell said.

Amos said the rezoning request, which has not been met with opposition, has been fine-tuned since the original March 20 application, which was deferred.

"We've performed a water and sewer analysis and traffic and water and sewer studies," Amos said. "We have provisions for a possible school, elevated water storage and a decentralized wastewater treatment facility."

If plans for the Turtle River project are approved, it would be like a mini-city within Glynn County and would be phased in over a 10-year period.

A CID is a district that by law can impose taxes for infrastructure and enhancements within the development. The districts can contain private commercial properties as well as residential structures.

"We are getting information on what companies want to come to Georgia and we want to make a marker on the map for those industries," Carbonell said. "We are trying to create an environment that would allow employers to retain their employees by making a community where they're happy to be a part of."

Carbonell said there will be some commercial use of the land.

"(But) it's not going to be your grandfather's warehouse or even a distribution center," he noted. "We're targeting technology based businesses."

The Mainland Planning Commission is expected to vote on the rezoning request during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at 700 Gloucester St. Final say will rest with the Glynn County Commission.

County planning staff is recommending approval of the project.