Brooklet City Council members approved the annexation of 278 acres of land into city limits at the Thursday July 18, 2024 meeting. 25 acres of adjoining property, also belonging to the Weyerhaeuser company, was already within city limits, and the entire 300 acre tract of land was rezoned as R-3.
The approval of this rezoning came with heavy restrictions to the classification of R-3, which typically includes for the allowance of multi-family dwellings, but was essentially limited to only single family dwellings.
The land could potentially be the site of 500 homes on 10,000 square foot lots in the future, but representatives of the developer stated that they do not intend to overwhelm the infrastructure of the city, and would build houses in 100-unit phases, meeting the needs of housing supply and demand over multiple years.
Representatives stated that while more people and houses does add to the problem of limited water infrastructure, the developers would play a key role in the solution of constructing the new system connected to the Statesboro sewage system.
The second reading and approval of these items attracted about two dozen attendees to the meeting, including long time residents and members of the Bulloch Board of Education, who expressed concern about the strain of the potential addition of hundreds of new families to the city's schools, water and sewage system, and emergency service area.
Others expressed dissatisfaction with the idea that new residents would have access to city water before longtime residents, to which the Mayor asked for suggestions on better options to pay for the $8 million project, to get it started at all.
The city will also be moving forward with the Coastal Regional Commision's project proposal to draft a Comprehensive Master Plan for Brooklet. If the contract for the service is signed in August, it will take about 6-8 months until the plan is prepared and ready to go into effect.
Continue reading for more details about these items, and other topics of discussion from the July 18, 2024 Brooklet City Council meeting.
The council welcomed around two dozen attendees to the July 18, 2024 Brooklet City Council meeting and began the meeting with a prayer and The Pledge of Allegiance.
The agenda was adopted with one amendment: Mayor Pro-Tem Rebecca Kelly asked that Aaron Carpenter of the Coastal Regional Commission make his presentation separately from public comment, as to make clear that public comment is a different interaction.
Public Hearing
- Application RZ 2024-018:
Weyerhaeuser Company submitted a request to rezone 25.87 acres, located on Brooklet Leefield Road (Parcel #136 000024 001) from A-1, in connection with an annexation of 278.13 acres located on Brooklet Leefield Road (Parcel #136 000024 000) presently zoned A-5/R-80). The proposed zoning after annexation is R-3 multifamily residential, so a subdivision may be established. Minimum lot sizes will be 10,000 square feet with minimum frontage of 80'.
Councilman Bradley Anderson said that WTOC published an article stating that developers were planning to build 500, which contradicts the 100 homes he had understood as the unit number discussed in the previous meeting.
Cody Rogers, Statesboro branch manager for EMC Engineering Services, says applications don’t require a number of homes in rezoning, as this is a preliminary step in surveying the land
“I was stating 100 homes per phase,” Rogers clarified, furthering that construction on the first phase of homes would begin in about three years. He said that supply and demand would ultimately determine the number of phases and total number of homes that would be built.
Rogers assumes with city sewer lines tied in, 500 total homes could be built.
“This council has been solely stuck on one thing; sewer and water,” Dave Bircher added during the public hearing, asking that the city take a harder look at the needs of the Police Department and traffic concerns.
Donna Clifton, District 4 Bulloch County School Board representative, said she is very concerned with the potential impacts to Brooklet’s infastructure with the addition of this housing project after two other developments were recently approved
“If we approve this, where are we going to put our children?” she asked, adding that ‘flooding’ the schools would be detrimental to the students. “People move to Brooklet for SEB schools.”
Cheryl Lynne and Tom Ferrari are residents on West Lane St. who are concerned that new Brooklet residents are getting priority to the incoming city sewer system.
Mayor Gwinnett responded that rather than raise taxes and indebt the city, having developers contribute to the multi-million dollar project is the most financially sound way of getting the sewer system constructed and running as quickly as possible.
Attorney Steve Rushing is representing the developers, and stresses that construction will occur in phases as the infrastructure can handle it.
While adding new homes contributes to the problem of increased demand for city sewer, the developer wants to be a part of the solution.
Donna Clifton asks if those solutions only include sewage and water, to which Rushing says traffic studies also need to happen as well.
Clifton said the new SEB school likely won’t operate until 2030 at a capacity of 2,500 students, and suggested that the developers need to contribute in this way as well because this will be a significant stress on Brooklet’s infrastructure.
Rushing said that the R-3 rezoning was selected for the 10,000 minimums. City Attorney Ben Perkins asked if the client would mind restriction to single family dwellings, and Rushing said it would likely not be a problem.
The council then ended the public hearing and returned to the regular session.
TABLED: Item 6, concerning the Mayor’s personal property, was tabled due to the inability for Mayor Gwinnett’s attorney to appear.
DENIED: 7. Consideration of a motion to approve the planning and zoning commission recommendation for Application RZ2024-018 submitted by Weyerhaeuser Company.
The request was denied in order to make revisions, to expunge certain permitted uses from the agreement, as stated in ordinance. This matter was handled in item 8.
APPROVED WITH RESTRICTIONS: 8. Consideration of a motion to approve the second reading of an ordinance to annex 278.13 acres, more or less, parcel 136000024 000, owned by Weyerhaeuser Company.
The property will be rezoned R3, with revisions that the only permitted uses are accessory buildings and single family dwellings.
APPROVED with the same stipulations as previous item: 9. Consideration of a motion to approve the second reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning map to rezone parcel 136000024001, owned by Weyerhaeuser Company, from A-1 to R-3.
APPROVED: 10. Consideration of a motion to approve the second reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 15, Article II. - Water to provide for new water and wastewater rates and charges in the city of Brooklet.
APPROVED: 11. Consideration of a motion to approve resolution 2024-07-18 a resolution of the city of Brooklet amending the city’s fee schedule for certain items; to provide for severability; to provide and effective date; to repeal all ordinances and resolutions and parts thereof in conflict herewith; and for other purposes.
APPROVED: 12. Consideration of a motion to approve the second reading of an ordinance to amend Section 26-181(c)(2) Regulating Food Trucks.
APPROVED: 13. Consideration of a motion to approve the May financial reports as presented.
14. Guests who have asked to be added to the agenda - waived.
15 Guests who signed up to speak:
Ellen Perkins, Chair of the Brooklet Community Development Association that hosts the Annual Brooklet Peanut Festival, asked the council about this year's fees and potential sponsorship from the city.
The council agreed to hold a discussion at the July 30, 2024 called meeting. The Peanut Festival will be on September 21, 2024.
16. Reports from the City Engineer Wesley Parker, Parker Engineering, LLC.
Mayor Gwinnett expressed extreme gratitude to the team for the grant that they secured at a critical time of upgrading infrastructure.
Wesley Parker says that funding agency saw how Brooklet needed the improvements.
$600,000 is being used to build a large diameter water main from the water tank all the way to Cromley Road, which will improve fire safety.
Parker says the GDOT project is moving slowly, but moving. Street improvements that were approved earlier this year will begin ‘shortly’.
17. Report from the city consultant was deferred to the discussion items later in the agenda.
18. Councilman Keith Roughton is happy that the sidewalk projects are being finished in phases, and they have recently made improvements in front of the schools.
Roughton reiterates that changes in water fees are investments. The new revenue is to be used in improving current water lines that are 100 years old, and not for new construction.
19. Chief Gary M. Roberts
Chief Roberts reports that the cameras for the tag readers are “really paying off,” and council should, “expect to see an application for a couple more.”
The are not speed detectors, but they are used in helping identify non-licensed drivers and assist in crime and solving Amber Alerts.
20. Jim Stanoff - not present
APPROVED 21.1 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the Water/Sewer Bond Resolution, for providing issuance of the city of Brooklet, Series 2024, in aggregate principal amount not to exceed $8,200.
This resolution is a commitment by the city to the purchasers of the bond, that the city will set water rates and charges to amounts such that will generate revenue to sufficiently pay for this debt over the course of the 30 year deal.
APPROVED 21.2 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the Project proposal, presented by Aaron Carpenter with the Coastal Regional Commission, regarding the comprehensive master plan.
Planning Director Aaron Carpenter asked the council if they had any questions about the 5 task proposal project that was drafted for the council in order to begin the process of creating a comprehensive master plan for the city of Brooklet.
“Can you start yesterday,” Mayor Gwinnett joked.
Carpenter said that work can begin in August and it would take approximately 6-8 months until adoption. With fees of about $60 per hour, the council was ready to move forward and Carpenter will return to the council with a contract.
APPROVED 22.3 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the transfer of Derrell Smith from Public Works Laborer to Operator effective July 8, 2024, with a pay grade increase to $21.00 per hour and to authorize the mayor to sign an employment contract with the employee, mandating employee training for a CDL.
APPROVED 22.4 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve a 2% cost of living raise for all full-time city employees beginning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Gwinnett urged the council to allow for a 5% increase, but as the budget was already predetermined with the 2% figures, this was not feasible.
City Manager Carter Crawford said that while the budget is passed, after taxes come in it is possible to pay out a lump sum; the pay scale doesn’t go up but they get some more money.
APPROVED 22.5 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve proposal #6360 from Georgia Technologies for a Dell Desktop Computer and Dell 27’ Monitor that includes a three-year hardware warranty and Microsoft Office 2021, for city hall for $1,405.00.
APPROVED 22.6 Discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the quote form Core and water meters and materials for tap-ins for $29,467.80.
The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Gwinnett.
