Although a market for new apartments in Columbia County might exist, don't expect any new properties in the county to earn an apartment rezoning. Enough such zonings are already in place, officials say.

Eight locations in the county are currently zoned for apartment complexes and represent the potential for more than 2,600 apartments, according to county records.

That's nearly 2,000 more than the area needs, county Commission Chairman Ron Cross said.

During the summer, just before the commission denied the rezoning for an apartment complex on Wheeler Road, Mr. Cross said he conducted an inquiry into the number of potential apartments that could be built under the existing zonings. Initially, he said he was told a figure of 800 to 900 apartments. He said he was shocked to learn the true potential number was nearly three times that.

"In that situation, that's plenty for our county and, really, it's too many," he said. "That's what started us thinking we better close this door and not approve any more and see what happens with these that are already zoned."

This month, the commission closed just such a door when they denied the rezoning of 10 acres at Washington and Kroger roads for apartment uses. Also, Mr. Cross said he and other commissioners have discouraged property owners from seeking apartment-residential rezonings for land on Evans to Locks and Blanchard roads.

"There have been several inquiries, because the market is there, but we have too many opportunities and don't want to establish any more," Mr. Cross said.

Dennis Trotter, of Meybohm Commercial Properties, represented the property owner who sought the rezoning of 10 acres to apartment-residential.

"The market, supply and demand, should dictate how many apartments are built, not the county," he said.

Workers at four apartment complexes in Columbia County said last week that they have occupancy rates higher than 90 percent. There are at least six apartment complexes in the county's unincorporated area, but county officials were unsure of the exact figure for the entire county.

Mr. Trotter said high occupancy rates are the case for most complexes in the county, and he disagrees with Mr. Cross' assessment that eight zoning sites for new apartments are enough.

"These developers aren't stupid," he said. "They do their market research before they come to town and look for sites, and the market research tells them there is a need for more."

The number of potential apartments matters less than the location of those apartment zonings, Mr. Trotter said.

"The problem is that they're terrible sites for apartment complexes," he said. "Those 2,600 Columbia County keeps saying they have potential for are out in the boonies. They're on the outer edges of the county where no apartment developer wants to be."

Locations for apartment zonings in the county include Riverwood Plantation near William Few Parkway, two at River Island near Blackstone Camp Road, Marshall Square on Evans Town Center Boulevard, off Old Evans Road near the Evans Lowe's, off Columbia Road near the eastern border of the county, a site near Interstate 20 close to Grovetown and a site on South Belair Road.

As the county continues to develop commercially and professionally and expand its urban base, it is likely more apartments will come to those areas, said Jeff Browning, the county's director of planning and development.

"The Riverwood development feels like it's out on the periphery today, yet they may be getting a grocery store pretty soon. There's a lot of zoning out there for offices," he said. "You might soon have both the commercial services and the employment base out there, which would make it a suitable location for apartments."

Mr. Trotter said "soon" can be a moving target.

"It could be viable five or 10 years down the road, but for now, nobody wants to be out there, or else you'd see them breaking ground," he said. "Places like Greenbrier (Riverwood Plantation) and River Island are so far away that they'd be a failure."

Both Mr. Browning and Mr. Cross said they expect apartment construction to begin soon at a site on Old Evans Road. Unless the commission changes a zoning, there is little anyone can do to prevent a developer from building apartments at locales with an apartment zoning in place, Mr. Browning said.

Mr. Cross said that although the commission could change the zonings to something other than apartment-residential, they likely won't do so.

"We don't think it's right to do that," he said.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.