This South Hall boat and RV storage business could be expanding

Jeff Gill, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

Dec. 1—A boat and RV storage business off Lights Ferry Road in South Hall could be expanding.

Anchor Inn RV & Boat Storage at 6127 Lights Ferry Road, approved in 2019 for a 410-space business, is hoping to add a second phase consisting of 172 spaces on 9 acres at neighboring 5871 McEver Road.

Access to the new site would be through the existing entrance on Lights Ferry Road, with no access proposed from McEver Road, according to Hall County planning documents.

And the expansion would have the same hours of operation: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Anchor Inn is set to go before the Hall County Planning Commission on Monday, Dec. 5, with the request. The business is seeking to rezone the 9 acres from agricultural-residential to highway business.

The business says in a statement that it believes the request "would not create problems for any of the neighbors," as a storage facility is already operating near the site.

Hall County planning staff is recommending approval of the project with conditions.

The first phase of the project raised concerns in 2019, including from the city of Flowery Branch.

Then-City Manager Bill Andrew said at the time the city had always regarded the area around Lights Ferry and McEver roads as "functioning more as a neighborhood shopping kind of district."

Lights Ferry Road is a busy road in Flowery Branch, leading to Atlanta Highway/Ga. 13.

Several residents, particularly from the nearby Silverthorn subdivision on McEver Road, spoke in favor of the 2019 proposal.

"We feel like that will be a low-impact business," said William Baxter, president of Silverthorn's homeowners association, at the time.

The planning commission will make a formal recommendation of approval or denial. The Hall County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to take final action after a Jan. 12 public hearing.

Hall County Planning Commission

What: Proposed rezoning for boat and RV storage

When: 5:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5

Where: Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville