Hundreds of acres in Harlem could be rezoned for housing development (Thomson: homes, school)

[Airforceguy]

I-20 needs to be widened to the McDuffie County line ASAP.

"This will be the next development node in the county," said Andrew Stickland, Columbia County's Planning Services Director.

Sounds odd, right? But with a brand new school on the horizon, county leaders are looking to rezone 230 acres right next to it. That land will be the home of a massive housing development.

"You look at the Appling and Harlem area, and there's really no development of that size out there," said Strickland.

That subdivision could add up to as many as 600 homes, the largest housing development Harlem has seen in years. It's a big development for anywhere in the county.


"We don't want the area to develop with a character that really ruins Appling and Harlem. That's a rural area. It needs to stay rural," explained Strickland.

Developers for that subdivision plan to preserve almost half of that green space, so a rural Harlem holds onto its charm.

"It's been good for the last 45 years. I wouldn't take nothing for it," said Hampton.

Not even the unavoidable growth.

That project won't start for at least another year. Rezoning those 230 acres went before Columbia County's planning commission earlier this week. It will then go before the full commission who give it the final approval.

Hundreds of acres in Harlem could be rezoned for housing development

[luke2401]

Columbia County seriously needs to get ahead of the curve of development. I agree, I-20 to McDuffie County should be widened ASAP. US 221 needs to be widened between the four lane section in Appling and Harlem (and I really think the new I-20 bridge should be four lanes and a turn lane for the on-ramps should be put in because it gets backed up in the mornings--I drive here everyday). Wrightsboro Road between the traffic circle and Jimmie Dyess Parkway should be widened to four lanes. Columbia Road should be widened to four lanes in its entirety. Gordon Highway needs to be widened to four lanes from Harlem to the four lane section in Grovetown. These are my suggestions. Who cares if it isn't needed now? In 20 years, I think most of these fixes will be needed, and if they're not done now, people will be complaining that we should've done them 20 years ago when they're needed.

[cst8670]

I personally favor them doing work on Gordon Hwy first like adding in dedicated turn lanes and suicide lanes for both directions so as to ease the flow during peak hours but thats just my opinion though I could certainly understand a need to widen I-20 from the weigh station all the way to Augusta.
In fact maybe they should consider moving the weigh station towards Thomson to make room for another exit for Grovetown with roundabouts connecting it to Baker Place seeing as there are alot of subdivisions over in that area.