ATLANTA,None — Before Zac Brown became a country music star and a Grammy award winner he was a camp counselor in north Georgia.
Those who know him said that experience made a huge impact on his life.
"This has been his dream," said Brown's longtime friend Jean Peck. "It was just serendipitous that this land would be available near his home. When he saw it he said 'Jean we have to get it.'"
The musician, famous for leading the Zac Brown Band, purchased a nearly 500-acre tract of land off Ebeneezer Church Road and Arnold Road in Fayetteville.
Now, he wants to develop it into a Camp Southern Ground, a seasonal camp where special needs children can interact with children with typical skill sets.
Channel 2's Carl Willis spoke with neighbors about the planned facility.
While none of them spoke against the good the camp is trying to do for children, some did have concerns about traffic.
"I think it would be affected, especially because it is very rural and a lot of people would be coming in and out," neighbor Brooks Buckner said.
Residents also have questions about noise and how it would affect their rural lifestyle.
Peck, who is also the executive director of Camp Southern Ground, said the group is working to address their neighbors' concerns.
"We are going to do some road improvements, a decel' lane is going to be installed out there as well as a little tree trimming, so that when you come around various curves that you will be able to see," Peck said.
The Fayette County Commission was scheduled to consider rezoning for the camp's future Thursday night.
The land is set for residential and agricultural use now, but Brown and his group are asking to have it changed for use as a retreat or a lodge.
"I really hope that after a year of the camp up and running that people will say 'camp, what camp? I didn't even know it's out there,'" Peck said. "That's really our goal."
"...that's also a good thing," said Buckner. "But, I think that we want to keep it quiet around here because it outside of the city limits and the traffic is low."
Peck said if the commission approves the rezoning they could break ground as soon as October of next year.