Jeff Whitten, correspondent
A request to rezone land surrounding the historic Burnt Church Cemetery in South Bryan for commercial development won't go before Bryan County Commissioners at their June 9 meeting in Richmond Hill after all.
The reason? The request was deferred by the county's Planning and Zoning Commission until that board's June 16 meeting.
If approved, the rezoning of a 38.86-acre parcel at Highway 144 and Belfast Keller Road from agricultural to general commercial could pave the way for a grocery store, medical offices, strip malls, and more near the cemetery, according to county documents.
Commissioners held a first reading of the rezoning request at their May 12 meeting, where no action was taken.
The request by Bouhan Falligant, a Savannah law firm, on behalf of The Cape Group, a real estate development company, was on the Planning and Zoning Commission's May 19 agenda. It isn’t the first time a developer has sought to have land near the cemetery rezoned to clear the way for development.
A plan to build a Parker’s Kitchen convenience store on a 3.8-acre site near Burnt Church Cemetery ended in August 2025 after public outcry prompted the developer to withdraw a rezoning request that would have allowed the store.
This time, despite developer claims the rezoning is in line with commercial activity nearby, the proposed development would likely change the nature of the area around the cemetery, the county’s Community Development Department said.
“While commercial development exists across Highway 144, those uses have generally remained buffered from the corridor, with primary frontage and access oriented toward Captain Matthew Freeman Drive and Veterans Memorial Parkway,” according to the findings of county staff members. “The subject side of the corridor has historically remained largely undeveloped and is defined by woodlands, churches, and the Burnt Church Cemetery. As a result, the proposed development would introduce a substantial commercial presence along this corridor.
“Of particular note is the Burnt Church Cemetery, which is included as part of the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail. Existing wooded areas surrounding the cemetery currently contribute to its natural setting and provide visual separation from surrounding development. Development of the subject property would reduce much of this existing natural buffer and introduce commercial activity immediately adjacent to the cemetery,” the document continued.
Also at their May 12 meeting, commissioners approved an amendment to the county's chicken ordinance – and delayed its enforcement for 60 days.
The measure, part of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance, previously limited the number of chickens residents who live in R-15 zoning could keep to four. Under the amended ordinance, residents in R-15 zoned areas can keep four chickens if they live on less than an acre. Anyone who lives on an acre or more can now keep an additional five chickens per each half acre up to 20 chickens, maximum.
The county voted to delay the enforcement of the ordinance in order to allow HOAs to decide whether to be more restrictive.
Commissioners also approved a pair of measures to allow continued operation of a “heavy automotive repair shop” to conduct business on a 7.86 acre parcel at Wilma Edwards and Bill Futch roads in Ellabell.