Brynn Grant
Guest Columnist
Our region is growing. That is not a prediction or a preference; it is already happening. The ports of Savannah and Brunswick are continuously expanding. Major employers are making historic investments, like Hyundai in Bryan County.
More housing and basic infrastructure are necessary. All of this is impacting Liberty County in good and challenging ways. We can agree or disagree about whether growth could have happened differently, but we cannot reverse it. What we can do is deal honestly with where we are now and make thoughtful decisions about what happens next.
For many who call coastal Georgia home, growth brings mixed emotions. It does for me. People are drawn here for the marshes, the quiet, the dark night sky, and a way of life that feels increasingly rare. Long-time residents understandably worry about losing the character of the places they love.
At the same time, growth can bring good jobs for our children, a diversified tax base, expanded local services, stronger schools, and infrastructure investments that are required for a healthy and safe society.
Interstate 95, the backbone of the East Coast, runs straight through the eastern end of our county, carrying more than 70,000 vehicles every day. That level of traffic and visibility makes Liberty County’s two exits attractive for development.
If managed thoughtfully, development along I-95 can be a powerful economic advantage. Commercial and industrial investment can create higher-wage jobs and diversify our economy, which can lower property taxes. It is a proven model we have seen in neighboring counties.
Responsible residential growth can help meet workforce needs and offer choices for families who want to live where they work. Sales tax revenue reduces the pressure on Liberty County homeowners and businesses to shoulder the cost of services alone.
One reason Liberty County’s millage rate is higher than most is that household incomes and housing values remain low. The cost of providing core government services is relatively the same for a family of four in a $178,000 home (the average home value in Liberty County) as in a $400,000 home. Public safety, roads, schools, emergency response, parks, drainage, and basic infrastructure must still be funded. Yet when the tax digest is based on lower property values and more households are struggling to make ends meet, the burden is heavier.
In Liberty County, where 52% of households are considered ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — many residents work hard yet cannot afford the basics. That reality affects more than household budgets; it impacts educational and health outcomes, crime, and the overall quality of life in our community.
A call for collaboration
Many want to see progress, but we want it to happen in thoughtful ways that respect the people and places that make Liberty County home. That requires collaboration. People can continue arguing about the past and undermining our future, or we can choose to work together. Advancing a modern wastewater treatment solution for Liberty County has highlighted concerns about growth, which is understandable, though withholding the most environmentally responsible infrastructure solutions in an attempt to control growth that is already here and coming threatens the very things we most want to protect.
The Tradeport East Water Reclamation Facility is not about inviting reckless development; it is about managing reality in a cleaner, safer, and more accountable way. Liberty County must insist that it be served by modern systems that protect water quality, reduce environmental risk, and give the public more oversight than scattered, piecemeal alternatives. Refusing responsible infrastructure does not stop growth. It only makes growth harder to manage, lowers the quality of development, and increases the likelihood of harm.
One constructive way forward
Many residents are talking about how to play a positive role in determining the quality of future development rather than feeling powerless and complaining about it. One solution in these circumstances is well-crafted overlay districts, such as the Liberty County Gateway Overlay District, which provides a framework and guidelines for reviewing and approving development along portions of US 84, US 17, Highway 119, and Islands Highway, and in the surrounding areas of Midway, Riceboro, and unincorporated Liberty County. There are also overlay districts in Hinesville, Flemington, and Allenhurst.
Overlay districts do not stop development. They shape it. They allow communities to set clear standards for density, building height and materials, buffering, landscaping, lighting, signage, architecture, and environmental protection — before decisions are made, not after.
This approach gives residents a voice, protects long-established residential areas, and provides clarity for landowners and investors. It acknowledges growth is happening, while ensuring it reflects local priorities and preserves what matters most.
The Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission is a great asset to our county. They can educate residents and business owners who want to work with their local governments to organize around this effort to better understand the overlay district guidelines already in place, how they are created, and under what authority. They can bring expertise on future development opportunities and approaches, contribute to discussions, and facilitate updates if requested by the government entities they serve. I have not spoken with one elected leader who does not want the very best future for our community and who is not willing to engage with constituents in this important work.
We may not see everything the same way, but I think we can agree that Liberty County deserves opportunity, that our coastal environment is an asset worth protecting, and that the future can be shaped intentionally with input from those who live here. If you haven’t been involved in past efforts, maybe you could talk with your elected leaders about how to work together productively for this purpose.
Or buy land, and hold it. Most people cannot afford to do that. We celebrate those who do. Visit Melon Bluff this weekend and thank them.