Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Call the meeting to order. All Lexington County Committees are being broadcast live on the Lexington County Spectrum channel 13 o two and Lexington County's website meeting portal. As such, this commission meeting filmed today will be available for viewing anytime on demand at our county website. If you would, please join me in an invocation. Let us pray. Heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the gifts of grace and redemption. We pray that you will be with us, guard our hearts and minds, and help us to glorify you in all that we do. We ask that you please be with those who serve our county, our state, and our nation in uniform. Be with them, guide, protect them. All these things we ask in our risen Lord and savior's name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Amen. Please join me in

the pledge of allegiance. I

pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under All God.

Right. Thank you. First item of business is approval of minutes from 03/19/2026. Do we have a motion?

I'll motion. I have

a motion. Second. Second. Alright. Call the roll, mister chairman.

Commissioner Cox? Yes. Commissioner Shealy?

Yes.

Commissioner Otto?

Yes.

Commissioner Campbell?

Yes.

Vice Chairman Frost?

Yes. All right. Next item is activity reports. Mr. Derrick.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In your packet is, of course, the activity reports, development reports from March. Will not go through those in detail, but on the screen is our monthly report on site build and manufacturing home permits. The first chart just kinda gives you the historical trends for these permits over the past almost thirteen years.

Zoomed inversion of trends for the permits, so slightly remained steady over the last three or four years. The 2026 appear to be consistent with the first quarter of last year, a little bit lower, but it does appear to remain consistent as far as the number of permits issued. Likewise, with mobile homes, again, this first quarter for 2026, a little shy of what we had 2025, but the mobile home permits are remaining consistent. Pipeline lots for this past month. In March, we had two submittals that were submitted for engineering review.

One is actually located within the city of West Columbia. It's a four lot townhome development. The other was located in County Council District 1. It is Edgemont with 34 lots. Density is almost three dwelling units per acre. We are still tracking the concurrency projects. We did have two submitted in March. One of those was approved for Huckabee Mill, which is within school district four. The other one's adjacent road track, which is just inside Lexington County school district one. As we stated before, these projects were actually submitted prior to council's change in the policy to allow school districts to to review the projects for concurrency.

So we did email the school districts and give them the data and information regarding these projects as far as timeline for construction estimated build out to to help them with their planning processes. And I'll update you. We are still going through amending the policy for council approval. We have some meetings scheduled within the next week to update that policy to take back to council. As I've mentioned in the past, as soon as I have more clarity and guidance on that, I'll be getting that to you both in email form, and I'll be bringing it up in full discussion in in planning commission meeting.

Alright. Alright. Any questions? Alright. Thank you very much. Alright. Next item of business, tab e, access policy Miss Donna?

Yes. Good morning. Good morning. Today's access policy variance is on the property of Kenneth Hite. It's identified by TMS number 006798Dash05Dash010.

Mister Height currently owns 8.12 acres located on the corner of East Steele Road and West Dunbar Road in West Columbia, which is north of the town of South Congaree. This portion is shown on a plat that was recorded in 2023. Mister Hite would like to subdivide the parcel and deed portions to his daughter, Carrie Berry. Miss Berry had a survey prepared in 2026. That's the one that you see on your screen now.

This plat would propose to use an established easement to access an additional landlocked parcel. The existing easement was first established in 2019 and provides access to TMS 6798Dash05Dash047. This existing easement is accessed from the portion of a property on West Dunbar Road, and the separation distance between that existing easement and East Still Road, which is an existing collector road, is a 108 feet as measured from centerline to centerline. This proposed configuration would continue to provide access to that existing landlocked parcel and a newly created landlocked portion. So this survey that you're seeing now is currently under full development review since it is going from one lot to four, but what the variance request is today is for the family allowed to use an existing easement to serve two landlocked parcels.

So they would need variances to items two, three, and eight of the access policy. Item two states if an access easement is used to provide a driveway for a landlocked parcel, that access easement may only be designated over one parcel. Item three states, if an access easement is used to provide a driveway for a landlocked parcel, that access easement may not serve another landlocked parcel. And item eight states in part an access easement serving a two acre or larger landlocked parcel shall be directly aligned with or separated at least a 175 feet from an existing or proposed collector road as measured from centerline to centerline. This is a aerial view of the property here.

You'll see that the shaded out areas where the town of South Congaree is, so they're just north of the town. This is just a closer view, and you'll see, the existing landlocked portion. Oh, so the red line is the existing easement. The blue portion would be the remaining portion that would be created by this approval. We do have some photos of West Dunbar Road at the driveway location.

And, again, this photo was just showing that separation from where the existing driveway is to East Steele Road. This is looking into that easement driveway, and this is you'll see there is an existing driveway apron on West Dunbar Road. And then this is back to that survey that she's had prepared. She did submit standards in the letter to you, which you have a copy of, and I'll go ahead and read those standards into record. A, there are extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to the property or properties.

The property is uniquely situated at the corner of West Dunbar and East Steele Road and relies on the existing easement for practical access. The layout and location of the parcels require shared access through this easement for family members who utilize the adjoining properties for residential and agricultural purposes. B, these conditions do not generally apply to other properties in the vicinity. Most surrounding properties in the area have direct road frontage and individual access points. This property, however, depends on the easement for access due to its configuration and relationship to adjacent owned and used by family members.

See, because of these conditions, the application of this ordinance to the particular property or properties would effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict the utilization of the property or properties Without allowing the limited use of the easement by three immediate family members, access to the related properties would be unreasonably restricted. This would limit the reasonable residential and agricultural use of the property despite the easement already existing and being suitable for this purpose. D, the authorization of this variance would not be a substantial detriment to adjacent property or the quality of life for the residents of the county. The easement will only be used by three family members and will remain residential in nature. This limited use will not significantly increase traffic or create noise, safety, or environmental concerns.

The easement will be maintained and kept clear to ensure it does not interfere with neighboring properties or public use. E, when deliberating a variance request, financial hardships alone cannot be considered for the basis of a variance. This request is not based on financial hardship. Instead, it is based on the practical need for reasonable property access due to the property's layout and the family ownership of the adjoining parcels. The request simply allows continued residential and agricultural use while respecting the intent and conditions of the easement. And miss Berry is in attendance today if you have specific questions for her.

I have a I have a general question, and the others may know the answer to this. But the history of the easement to serve only one parcel, why did that come about? Why can't it serve two?

I think in general, the history of the language with the easement was if you have a flag lot and an owned property, it's easier to control how that area is managed if it's actually owned and not dedicated. Obviously, we're going through some of our updates to ordinances, and I believe the easement is nonconformity with some of these tracks or some things we're going be looking at. But in general, I think just in practical, it's easier to maintain property to zone rather than what you're giving permission to come through another property with.

Was it mostly just for developers to stop developers from putting 10 lots out there with one easement excess in all of them?

I I don't think so. The the easement policies or access policies were adopted really in the late eighties. Obviously, things have changed between now and and what the development practices were back in those days. So I don't think it was any means to try to stop a certain type of development or not.

Okay. Thank you.

I do have a couple of questions, and I'm trying to figure out how many lots are being established here. I understand the access back to the Ray property, and then there's going be a new landlocked parcel just before that and then the big agriculture piece. But it appears like there's also potentially two new lots on steel. If you would

Oh, yes, sir. So I think this would oh, I'm sorry. You can come up and and speak if you like.

If you would please identify yourself for the record.

Carrie Barry. That first spot is supposed to be for, like, a mobile home, and I didn't wanna put all five acres attached to one mobile home. That's why we split it up to the one acre plus the four, and then my dad gets the back.

Okay. So the two new lots on East both will access from East Steel. They won't use this access point in the on the left side. They will come off of East Steel, I I assume. Direct Track 3 B, which is the one I think you're gonna put the mobile home on? Yes. That will come you will access that from East Steel? Mhmm.

Okay. Okay.

But the one in the back, it needs to be

accessed through the variance because there is

no out.

Okay. So the Ray property, I guess, your father's piece, and then the agricultural piece will be the access through that variance.

Okay. Alright. Miss Beer, can you just state your address for the record, please, ma'am?

That I live at right now?

Yes, ma'am.

120 Stomont Drive, Gaston, South Carolina.

Thank you. Other questions?

Is this the subdivision plat?

Yes, sir. This is the plat that she has submitted for review. It's currently going through our red line process now. So there will be some revisions requested there that they would need to survey that remainder portion in its entirety.

So how many lots are actually going to be accessed off of this easement should this variance be approved today?

It would just be two landlocked portions. It would be the existing parcel that was already established, and then it would be this remainder portion that would be in this area. And I believe mister Heights gonna retain ownership of that portion.

So today, we're only really considering adding one more lot to the east? Yes. I will say that the shape of the property is very unusual, sort of extraordinary. So it does make it a likely candidate for agreeing with the first extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to the property. It's deep and angled and all kinds of crazy stuff going on with that lot.

Are you

proposing to put that in the form of a motion?

I suppose I will. There you go.

Or, Megan, do you have a question for

the office?

I've got one question. Okay. On our tab c, when I was going through the commercial projects and subdivisions, the last page of this shows this particular property as already, I guess, being applied for through is this part of the red line process that

we're out there? Yeah. We already submitted this to go ahead and start.

Part that we weren't seeing. Okay.

I'll make a motion to approve the request for the variance based on the fact that I believe there are extraordinary and exceptional conditions pertaining to this property based on its shape and unusual shape and depth from the main road. And so I think it's that condition, if not more than that, but at least that one at the very least.

Second it.

Alright. Motion and a second. Further discussion?

No. Commissioner Cox? Yes. Commissioner Shealy? Yes. Commissioner Otto?

Yes.

Commissioner Hutto? Yes. Commissioner Campbell?

Yes.

Vice Chairman Frost?

Yes.

Thank you very much, ladies.

Thank you

for being here. Alright. Tab f.

That is for information only.

Alright. Thank you very much. Tab g, road classification.

I make a motion to approve them.

Alright. Motion to approve. Do I have a second?

Second. Ahead.

Sorry. Beat you to it. Second.

Commissioner Cox?

Yes.

Commissioner Shealy?

Yes.

Commissioner Otto?

Yes.

Commissioner Hutto? Yes. Commissioner Campbell?

Yes.

Vice Chairman Frost?

Yes. All right. I think that concludes all of the business items we have unless anyone has any questions or anything else to add.

I think

we should

talk about training.

Training reminder. I think Rebecca sent out an email last week with some opportunities for training. If you have any questions or have any professional training you think may qualify, please send it to me. Tracy had some with her professional search that that was able to qualify. Just a couple quick updates. We are working on the iPads. Hopefully, Target is made to have them deployed, but it looks more like it's gonna be June. They've gotta work on some SharePoint access for each one of you all, so working through that. Just a couple quick updates. We're going through our strategic meeting, zoning, and development regulations.

I have met with all three spokespersons for the three overlay areas, so to speak. I'm taking this back to council on the twenty eighth to get approval to move forward with potential ordinance amendments. So this will be on your plate probably mid late summer at the earliest. School districts one and four, still working to get those folks in here to present their facility study and demographic study. Working through administration to do that.

Most likely, that'll be summer once the school schedule. On that, that's all I have. We do have some agenda items next meeting. I believe we will have another map amendment in the Irmo area, potentially a text amendment with some minor amendments to our zoning ordinance which will be before you all. Do.

Sorry. Can can we request a training, a specific type of training? I don't know if there would be enough interest, but I personally, the in the building process, the application of the current larger common plan policies and how what needs to be done. I know everybody I talked to outside of here really don't know. They're just it's just confusion around it. So they could kinda walk through this is what is being looked for on just single type stuff?

We can request some training

through

DES. The way the training is laid out through the South Carolina Planning Enabling Advisory Committee is there are certain topics and certain organizations that can provide the training to meet your three hours every year. If it is actually a training session that is put on by SCDS, which is a state agency, then yes, it will qualify. We can reach out to Jill Stewart and John Pool with DS and see if they can provide it. I promise you, we've been through several training sessions or several informational sessions regarding larger common plans too.

There's still a lot of confusion, not just with our organization, but other entities as well. Once it gets to the definition of LCP, basically, the conversation and discussions really shut down. So we're trying to work through that. The state is going through their updated general permit. I think there's some ice items that are gonna be addressed through LCP within that general permit. I won't put commissioner Frost on the spot, but I know he's aware of some things going on too. So but I will reach out to to Jill and John and see if they can potentially be interested in providing an hour and a half or three hour training session. I will suggest if we go that route that we do have several folks that attend because there's a lot that go into them putting on that.

If there's enough interest in that

otherwise. Yeah, we'll reach out to them.

Can I also make maybe an in house recommendation on training, which would be either we, as a group, sit down during a DRM or the process of, you know, getting these developments from start to finish so everyone can kind of see what goes into that or even doing like a mock one of sorts?

We'll start doing is I'll ask Rebecca to copy Angel on our DRMs. The DRMs are usually set up in the afternoons on Mondays and Thursdays. Location, it gives you sketch plans, just the general information. We can do is we'll basically invite you if you all want to attend just to see how these projects are kicked off. Once you go through that process, if you want to sit down with staff when we're doing some of our plan reviews, our due diligence, we're more than happy to allow you all to do that.

Alright. Yeah. And I will I will touch base with some folks at DS as well. What we are doing, we have one training scheduled now for air and storm water for concrete batch plants in May, early May. And so we've we've got some folks working on some training. So help put something together, we'll do

that. Alright.

Anything else? Hearing nothing else, we'll stand adjourned. Thank you very much.