Proposed car wash/shopping center at South Belair, Oakley Pirkle Rd. intersection

Hannah Litteer
·2 min read

MARTINEZ, Ga. (WJBF) – A proposed shopping center and car wash could be coming to Columbia County. But, some people have mixed opinions on it.

The new development at the South Belair and Oakley Pirkle Rd. intersection would require a rezoning from residential to commercial – something that could affect those who live around there.

Developers want to split the roughly 8-acre property into four parcels. One would be a car wash, the others haven’t been determined, but would likely include retail.

Right now, the property is vacant. Developers want it rezoned C2 for the car wash, and CC for the other parcels.

In the site plan, they state that there are about 40 properties within a mile radius to the site that are zoned C2.

Some people we spoke to think the area could use the upgrades, but see it from both sides.

“Pros, it does add more jobs,” said Elizabeth Koon, who frequents the area. “But the cons, you got traffic, you know people worry about their property and people breaking in. I could understand both parts.”

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Others feel the same way about the traffic.

“There’s already a lot of traffic on this road now, a lot of shopping centers up the road now so it’s gonna be making it more congested,” Cathy Smith.

But a main concern we heard is how close it is to the Fox Run neighborhood. The site plan shows the property would be connected to the Oakley Pirkle Extension of the neighborhood.

The developer said this can be changed and it wouldn’t affect the development either way.

But, neighbors still have doubts.

“I for one would be completely against it,” said Brenda Hicks, who lives near Fox Run. “We already have enough traffic congestion in this stretch of Belair Road and to be quite honest I don’t want to see anything else retail come in here that could attract the wrong crowd.”

There would be 30 ft. of natural and added buffers between the property and the neighborhood. But, Hicks thinks it should stay residential.

“I’ve lived here for thirty years and we’ve had zero issues, but I would be concerned about what issues may come about if that’s able to go from residential to commercial,” she said.

The proposal will go to the Columbia County Planning Commission on April 4th.

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