Gateway Sector Plan Preserves Georgia Coast, Improves Mobility in Liberty County

The Georgia coast, like many coastal areas, is growing rapidly. This growth places a huge demand on the area's existing transportation resources, and with the recent funding shortfalls, seriously impacts the ability of state and local governments to meet the burgeoning transportation needs.

Liberty County, which was primarily rural until recent years, has become an area of particular interest because of the amount of developable land, beautiful coastal scenery and natural resources, and easy access to I-95. In addition, the expansion of Ft. Stewart, a major U.S. Army installation, has and will continue to have direct impacts on the amount of growth in Liberty County and its neighbors.

Located between Bryan and McIntosh Counties, Liberty County has taken a proactive and comprehensive approach to provide the transportation infrastructure needed to meet the existing and expected demand in high-growth areas. The Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission (LCPC), which serves as staff for the Hinesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (HAMPO), has focused its efforts on a number of initiatives designed to address these transportation issues. These initiatives include a transportation and land use study for US 84 and the implementation of a new transit system serving the Cities of Hinesville and Flemington and Ft. Stewart, but the most comprehensive of these efforts is the Gateway Sector Plan.

Sector plans focus in on smaller, high-growth study areas and include a much more detailed assessment than traditional transportation planning processes. A sector plan identifies the infrastructure and facilities needed to support future growth of an area at build-out, and identifies strategies designed to minimize negative impacts on the surrounding areas and resources. Desired development densities and intensities are also identified in this process. In addition, the sector planning process can include overlay districts that incorporate corridor guidelines and even architectural guidelines to preserve and enhance the character of the area.

A major focus of development pressure in Liberty County is in the eastern portion, particularly in the area surrounding the I-95/US 84 interchange. US 84 is the area's only major arterial connecting Liberty County to the Interstate system, and its interchange with I-95 has been identified by County officials as the premier "gateway" into the County. As one of the few undeveloped interchanges along the 125-mile stretch of I-95 in Georgia, there is an abundance of developable land. That asset, combined with its proximity to the City of Savannah and its port and the Port Brunswick, are major catalysts of growth in the area. In order to address the anticipated development and maintain the interchange as the gateway into Liberty County, the LCPC/HAMPO identified the need to develop a sector plan for the surrounding area. RS&H, an engineering and planning consulting firm that serves as the LCPC's General Planning Consultant, was tasked to develop this plan with help from Lott+Barber.

Planned developments in the interchange quadrants include several large master planned communities, as well as the site of the County's major industrial park, which houses a Target Distribution Center. The designated area for the sector plan encompasses 25,275 acres with wetlands comprising nearly 11,980 acres, almost half of the land area. Of that, approximately 8,000 acres are listed in the 100-year floodplain. Because of the topography and hydrography of the area, the team recognized the need to carefully manage upland development in order to minimize negative impacts on the sensitive area.

US 84, which becomes Islands Highway east of I-95, is the only major east-west facility in the area. There are also only two major north-south facilities, I-95 and US 17. The few existing developments in the area are the typical suburban patterns with separated developments, and when combined with the amount of wetlands, there is an existing lack of connectivity within the area. Although the transportation system currently operates efficiently, it is anticipated to significantly degrade with new development unless steps are taken to address the impacts on mobility.

To develop the Gateway Sector Plan, RS&H and Lott+Barber first assessed the existing land use and transportation conditions, as well as identified the area's environmental, historical and cultural resources. The team also reviewed other planning initiatives within the sector area, including the City of Midway's recently completed master plan, to ensure coordination and avoid duplication.

Once these existing conditions were identified, the team reviewed the proposed densities and intensities of the planned developments, which provided the data needed to formulate the near- and long-term build-out scenarios. These scenarios included the projected additional population, employment and housing

The HAMPO travel demand model was updated based on these scenarios and then utilized to determine anticipated deficiencies within the transportation system for the near- and long-term. To address these deficiencies, the LCPC/HAMPO decided to incorporate connectivity requirements for new developments, as well as identify new infrastructure necessary to improve interconnectivity. These recommended strategies were structured to ensure the transportation system could handle the needs of the area as it develops.

A rather unique component of the sector plan was the development of an overlay district that focused on both transportation and the overall "look" of the area. An overlay district incorporates special regulations that are applied on top of the regular zoning requirements for a specific area. The team coordinated the development of this overlay district with existing ordinances and master plans that also impacted the sector planning area, and the resulting ordinance was adopted by the impacted local governments.
Properties within the area were categorized by visibility, accessibility and the appropriate intensity of development. The plan outlines three tiers and provides appropriate design standards for each tier. The plan also provides special considerations for properties visible from I-95, as well as properties with other uses, such as civic, big-box retail, industrial and protection for areas of cultural, environmental or historical significance.

Tier I properties include the areas adjacent to the major transportation facilities, such as US 84/Islands Highway and US 17 (I-95 is identified as a special consideration). These areas are subject to the most comprehensive guidelines, as well as an additional standard requiring any frontage/backage roads to be parallel to the major roadway.

Requirements for areas within Tiers I and II focus on property access, including shared driveways onto major roadways, maximum block dimensions and the location of parking areas. Tier III has the least comprehensive guidelines, which focus on general circulation and access accommodations.

The special consideration areas, which include properties visible from I-95 and those designated as resource areas, are subject to more specific design standards. Sunbury Road is the only transportation facility in the Gateway area that is designated for preservation under the special consideration category because of its historic value. The goal is to have Sunbury Road meet the standards of the National Scenic Byways Program; thus, new development in the area will need to be consistent with the current design of the roadway and include alternative routes to address the needed connectivity.

Liberty County, long a hidden treasure along the Georgia coast, has become more and more recognized for its valuable historic and cultural assets and growth opportunities. With this in mind, County and local officials are working to manage and prepare for this future growth. The Gateway Sector Plan is just one component of the planning effort underway to ensure the character of this once hidden treasure is preserved while at the same time welcoming and accommodating new residents and businesses.