Two boat storage facility plans were submitted to the Hall County Planning Commission for approval at Tuesday's meeting. One went off without a hitch while the other had some issues to work out with neighbors.
The boat sales and outdoor storage business proposed along Lanier Islands Parkway by Red Mountain (Tennessee Carefree) LLC was self-explanatory and was recommended for approval without any issue.
The same can't be said for a proposed boat and RV storage lot along Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville which was met with opposition from neighbors.
North Lanier Storage, Inc. submitted a proposal for a gravel lot that would primarily be used for the self-storage of boats, RVs and other large commercial vehicles.
"All these people are building homes up and down Browns Bridge Road," said Christian Ford Smith, Vice President of North Lanier Storage, Inc. "They can't have a boat, an RV, a jet ski. They have to have somewhere to store it."
A couple neighbors of the property voiced concern over the use of a one-lane road, Sherri Drive, which would provide the only access points to the storage facility and has the potential to congest traffic. All the large vehicles going in and out of the storage lot could block those living along Sherri Drive access to Browns Bridge Road, their only way out of the neighborhood.
"This is a one-lane road," said Curtis Iocca, who lives on the property behind the proposed storage facility. "They're going to kill us back here. We're not going to be able to get out."
There was some question as to whether or not Sherri Drive was a county maintained road, which caused some confusion and the meeting ended without a definite answer. Regardless of this fact, Smith returned to the podium to state that he would be more than willing to install turn lanes as well as a hammerhead curb cut at both entrances to his property along Sherri Drive to help alleviate the traffic concerns. He stopped short of putting up the expense to make Sherri Drive a two-lane road as that cost alone would be more than his property is worth.
Other concerns of the neighbors were the fact that all their mailboxes are located along Browns Bridge on the property now owned by North Lanier Storage. Smith assured the neighbors, as well as the planning commission that the mailboxes don't interfere with anything he wants to do with the property and he has no issue with leaving the mailboxes as is. The same goes for the neighborhoods water meters that are reportedly located in the setbacks of the storage property. Smith told the commission and the neighbors that he would not touch or infringe upon the mailboxes or water meters.
After these concessions were made, the commission voted to recommend the request for approval. Both requests will go before the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 26 for final action.
