Washington County Commissioners heard a proposal from Janie Reid of R2 Management Consulting and Kevin Lawrence, a property owner from Washington County, concerning tiny housing for veterans at their Thursday, June 10 meeting.
Janie Reid explained that the proposal is for a development for veterans on Hwy. 24 east in Washington County; this project is known as “Home of the Brave.”
“It will be a development for veterans who are residents of this community, and are looking for a place to call home, a place where they can live independently and take care of themselves,” said Reid.
When discussing the project, Reid stated that they had reviewed the requirements for unincorporated areas of the county. She noted that based on their understanding of the codes and ordinances, the maximum number of bedrooms per acre is four.
“There’s no rule that we could find for or against more than one dwelling on an acre that equals the four bedrooms,” stated Reid. She added, “We ask that Washington County look favorably and venture into the tiny housing market.”
In continuing her presentation, Reid explained that the goal is to provide housing for the men and women who have served this nation.
The proposal includes placing four tiny houses per one acre of property; each tiny home will include one bedroom.
“This adheres to your guidelines,” said Reid.
Lawrence currently has six acres in the county that he is considering for development.
Reid stated that there are similar projects in Dublin, Warner Robins, and Brunswick.
“This tells us that there’s a need for these houses,” said Reid. “We think this will be a win-win situation for the community – veterans will have affordable, stable housing, Mr. Lawrence will fulfill his long-time dream, and this Board of Commissioners will have helped move a piece of property that’s a vacant lot to a tax-generating entity that provides a valuable service to all American Veterans.”
The Commissioners recommended that Reid and Lawrence meet with the Washington County Health Department concerning the septic tank permitting process. Following their approval, Reid and Lawrence will apply for a development permit from the County.
“We thank Mr. Lawrence for his vision,” said Commissioner Edward Burten.
No action was taken during the Thursday, June 10 meeting.