Columbia County Director of Planning Services Scott Sterling noted that new residents in these areas will be close to health care facilities and the Gateway commercial center.

The development slated for the area off Baker Place Road is about 321 acres, with the Horizon South Parkway and Gateway Boulevard projects, each totaling approximately 335 and 61 acres. Work on the Baker Place Road project has already begun.

Not everyone on the Commission has fully supported these development plans. District 1 Commissioner Connie Mealer expressed concerns about population density in two project sites.

“There’s a lot of growth in Grovetown, and I’m not against growth as it is, but density is not always our friend, so that’s something I feel strongly about putting a lot of extra density into these developments and pods,” she said in an interview with FOX 54 News.

Mealer also noted she would rather see more homeowner occupancy instead of rental properties, citing problems with blight for unmaintained rental units.

New homes in these areas also mean more people and more vehicles on the roads. To address these concerns, the Commission is working on plans for a collector road project and road rerouting to alleviate traffic demands on the roadways.

While each development is progressing at a different pace, no project completion deadlines have been set to date. The Commission estimates the work could take several years.