Overview
- The Effingham County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday, June 2, to rezone about 450–452 acres in Guyton for the Hughes Tract, allowing the proposal to move into permitting and site-plan review.
- Developer Stanley Martin Homes proposes roughly 1,000 homes — about 750 single-family and 250 cottage-style units — on the site with 141 acres of open space, 18 acres of wetlands and 40 acres set aside for stormwater lagoons.
- A development report estimates the project could be worth about $455 million and generate roughly $6.2 million a year in tax revenue, while developers say the phased buildout could take up to 10 years.
- Residents who packed commission meetings warned the subdivision could worsen local flooding, add heavy traffic and strain schools and other services, and the county’s planning board had recommended denying the rezoning.
- The rezoning is a major step but not final approval; the project still requires detailed permitting, engineering of stormwater systems, and staged construction that will determine how roads, water service and school impacts are managed.