Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to the town election and planning commission work session. This meeting allows the commissioners to discuss town related matters in a less formal setting while there are no public hearings tonight. We encourage you to follow along including the town's YouTube channel where this is streamed live. This is a work session. The work session will now commence with the first uh business item. I do want to make uh one other announcement. If you're planning on coming tomorrow morning, uh be here before 8:00. If you're planning on speaking and sign up on the signup sheets that will be located outside the door, they will be collected promptly at 8:00. And after that, if you did not sign up, you will not be able to speak. All right.

All right. So, Jessica, first item.

Good evening. Um item new business items number one and two go hand in hand. Um, the first item is for annexation of Lexon and County tax mount number 004300-07-162 and then um 004300- 07-13 or 031 and 004300-07-133 which is in the 1100 block of West Main Street. Um, Satra Properties owns approximately 29.31 acres of West Main Street and on West Main Street and Highway 378 and has petition to annex the property. A car dealership and commercial center is planned to be developed on the site. Properties in town near this one are zone general commercial office commercial highdensity residential and protected residential. West Main Street and Highway 378 are classified as arterial roads. Um the property is shown on the future land use map as a regional node area. This is described in the comprehensive land use plan as a node containing medium to high intensity commercial retail hospitality businesses and offices. Um so for the project to be compliant it would um should be zoned general commercial and west main street and highway 378 should be classified as arterial roads. Um, as I stated in that write up, there is a proposed car dealership and commercial center um, planned for the site. Um, the applicants are here tonight to speak if you have any questions after I'll go through the staff report. 156 Highway 378 LLC is requesting sketch plan approval for a proposed automobile dealership and future commercial development located along West Main Street and Highway 378. The development

is proposed as a phase commercial project. Phase one includes construction of an automobile dealership facility of approximately 48,000 square feet, including showroom, service areas, and associated vehicle display and parking areas. The remainder of the property is shown conceptually as future commercial outpended for retail or service oriented uses. Those areas are illustrated as conceptual development blocks to maintain flexibility for future tenants and site configuration. The layout incorporates setbacks and buffering consistent with the town zoning standards, including a preservation corridor and enhanced buffering adjacent to nearby residential areas. as a sketch plan. At the sketch plan stage, the plan is intended to establish the overall development concept and site organization. Detailed design elements such as final building locations, internal circulation, landscaping, architectural design, and utilities will be evaluated during subsequent site plan and engineering review processes by town staff. Access for phase one is proposed from West Main Street and Highway 378. The development includes a ride-in ride out access serving the dealership with the potential for left in movement subject to SC DOT spacing requirements. The plan also includes channelization such as a median or island to prevent lastminute lane shifts and improve traffic safety along the corridor. A traffic impact study is currently underway and will help determine the final access configuration and identify any necessary roadway improvements. Access points for phase two will be re-evaluated at the time future tenants are identified and detailed site plans are submitted for review. The proposed development is consistent with the goals and objective of the town's comprehensive plan which designates the property as a regional node on the future land use map. Um, and I know that Randy will be here

shortly to speak to the transportation in this corridor. You said their traffic studies underway currently. Where is it in the process?

Um, I'll let the applicants speak. Um, and then when Randy gets here too, he can he can add to that. Uh, we felt comfortable at a staff level bringing this to you all despite it not being completed considering Randy has um other projects in the area under design and has just completed the LTIP 2.0 which he will give you a report on tomorrow. Um so he has a pretty good read of the traffic situation uh based because of all the studies he is had underway right now. So if you want the applicant can come up and speak or if you have any questions for staff. Has there has there been any discussion of a full service access point to this property?

That's going to be a a Randy question or for the if J might be I'm going to let them weigh in on that. I figured most of your questions were traffic related. Uh my name is Jamie Puit. I'm with Cox and Nickens. We're the civil engineer on the project and we have been discussing this with Randy. Um the only full service or full service entrance that we would be looking to get is the the westernmost drive uh which would be uh in the buildout of the commercial. If if if traffic warranted, it would probably be signalized at the Duncan. Yes. Parking lot.

Yeah. And so everything the the three back east or right in right out only in the final configuration we're we were going to ask for and Randy I think is there he is. I'm speaking on your behalf. I think Ry's comfortable with this. the in the first phase which is the first two entrances the western most would have a left in uh from the median that's there and um we plan to meet jointly with DOT on that uh as the as the next two entrances were built out to the west that left end would go back away since we would then have a full access on on the westernmost entrance

and you mentioned a signal where would that be where would that the western missed entrance. So, all the way down at the far end of the property. Yeah. Yeah. Closer to the I guess past the Burger King exit somewhere down in there. Yes. Your dealership's not going to have much now traffic going. Well, you would know. Yeah. You would definitely know. All righty. Randy, they um before you walked in, they were asking about the traffic impact study and I told them at this point staff felt comfortable with them coming before planning commission without that due to the multiple studies you have already conducted in the area.

Correct. So I guess tomorrow I guess we'll update you on the LIP. M um but the Gibson US1 378 intersection has been restudied. Um and currently there's a project in design to actually make changes to that intersection. Um and so we know what the I don't know tonight but the level of service will improve. Um the first part of this project um really wouldn't have that much of an impact.

That would be phase two and three. Yeah. And again with with we don't know they don't know what that will look like at this point and so obviously there'll be that opportunity

um in the future and so that's why we kind of like hey you need to provide some type of left access off of 378. Um so they'll have to have some type of drive and obviously that will be permittable by SC DOT as far as distance away from that intersection. We have certainly shared with the developer our desire to keep that as a um I don't want to use the word high speed because I don't want to take it out of context but free flowing intersection you know so any type of actual signalized access those types of things will be as far away as um reasonably possible

and uh but but all in all the the first phase of the development would have seemingly little to no impact even with the traffic impact analysis. the key component if uh I don't I'm assuming you have the sketch all in front of you but Michael

there's SC dot myself the civil will need to get with them and talk about the actual access um for that right in right out um I not sure they'll get a right out at that location that's been expressed um we anticipate supporting access of a rightin um as far east as we can physically get it. Um and then there would be kind of a driveway through that landscape area to get to the um showroom itself. So, so but that all has to walk through SC DOT's review process and um so

Randy, how far out on the horizon is the uh redesign and development of this intersection? Uh we could uh start construction as early as early 2027. Um so we're in the final stages of design at this point. Um and then we'll go into rightway acquisition. And um I'm just I just wonder if if it'd be prudent for us to be able to see the traffic impact study before making a recommendation to council. This is a busy busy corridor and traffic sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes traffic backs up on 378 almost to the Twisted Root uh

restaurant. Yeah. I mean, I've been stuck there waiting

quite a bit. A lot of that and this is again, this is just information like so many weeds. The adaptive signalization system there needs a place to where we can queue up traffic. And so both those legs are queued in a way to where once you get through that intersection, you can actually make good movement through the next several intersections. They're all timed and set up so that we we feed the platoon in such a way. So unfortunately, you do get that backup, if you will. We've got one at Bar Road. Everybody's familiar with that. And then this one here at 378 does does queue up. We've also got the um the we've got two lanes from 378, two lanes from number one going into two plus then one from Gibson. So four doesn't equal three no matter how you cut it. So one of the things that the new improvement will make once that goes to construction is the split phasing will go away at that intersection. So Gibson Road and the 378 will move at the same time um because the lefts will coincide and then um the through movements will happen because we're adding a lane there um going southbound to cross over to Gibson. Does that make sense? So there'll be a true dual left and a through lane at that intersection. Then

if we were making a recommendation to council and this is approved, what will be the timing of the construction of this project? Good evening. I'm Bill Atkins with Pyramid Contracting. So, the the timeline right now is to start in uh given permitting process would probably be in the early part of 27, I'm sorry, midpoint of both the improvement project and this project could be going on simultaneously is my point. Yeah. I think something to note just from a retail standpoint, car dealerships aren't going they're not heavy volume traffic in and out. I mean,

yeah, I don't want to speak how many they can sell a day, but it's generally speaking, it's not not a heavy volume, low quantity. Right. Right. Certainly, it's a it's it would phase two and phase three would be the correct where it would need to be. The destination is the car dealership. The driveby stuff is anticipated to be the um the commercial area, but that's not on the table at this point. So from our perspective, we don't really have any issues with it provided um and they know that obviously they're going to have to meet all SE dot requirements to get access. Yeah. Well, literally across the street, you got another dealership that's not impacting. Yeah. Yeah. And uh and there's improvements over there too with that impact fee project I was talking about.

Um that's forthcoming. So, like I said, we do anticipate starting construction first of the year, 6 months, nine months because it's basically auxiliary lane construction. So, phase one at the dealership would have a right in ride out.

That that's what they're proposing. Okay. So, if customers are exiting and they wish to go south or back east into town, what would they do? Go down and make a U-turn? No. So, what we've told them at our meeting is they would have and it's not shown on that sketch, I don't believe, but essentially some form of driveway would have to be constructed far enough down to where they can gain left out action.

So, so we anticipate that that's what it would look like. A true phase one by itself would frankly a right in would be built. The right out is somewhat problematic or challenging. Um, but almost all movements can be moved down far enough, several hundred feet away, and it would be just a simple across the grass, two-lane driveway to get down there, which is not uncommon in a big planned development like this. So, there would be connectivity through all the Oh, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Showing it. And it it also would connects uh back to uh Topsider and that's the name of the street. Top.

Yeah. So, so it's it's connected. It'll be connected through both sides along the back of the development. Yeah. That gives extra access. That can actually get access, right? Okay. They will be. Okay. Okay. Um, so what he's referring to is topsider core. The dealership kind of had some discussion as to they would be using it for service access. Some of the movements would go out that direction. Um, but I don't know customer-wise that that was kind of on the table. Is anybody I don't recall. Yeah, it's Yeah, I think the plan is is for that would be gated when they're closed.

Oh, just for securing the the inventory, but during hours where customers would come and leave, it would be open. Yeah. Similar how JTs does theirs now. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And and frankly, they have access road to you. Yep. Yep. All righty. Anybody else? Rosco, any questions? No. All right. Anything else from you, Jessica?

No, sir. All right, we'll move on to the next item. Thank you'all very much. Thank you guys. See you in the morning.

All right, so um items three through five are all related. Um the first two items are reszoning of 2011 Old Haven Road and resoning of 100 Snell Grove Road. Um, if you look at your maps that were provided in your agenda packets, um, because there is a potential pud, the request is to reszone the properties, um, from highdensity residential limited commercial being the 100 Snow Grove parcel, land swapping that with the same size, a 0.80 acre that will then front on Old Chapen Road. that will be reszoned from highdensity residential to limited commercial and 100 Snow Grove Road will be reszoned from limited commercial to highdensity residential, not to make it super confusing. Um, and all of that will have a planned unit development overlay is the request. Um, so with that covered, I'll go into the staff report regarding the proposed development. And the applicant is here for questioning um after we get through that. Sorry, one second.

So, are you you switching all the way to item number five? Yeah. So I just briefly went over what three and four are. They're reszoning requests which for the PUD

um there's a land swap happening. So there's a reasonzoning of that land swap and the overlay of the plan unit development. Is everybody clear on that or have questions? Okay, we good? All right. Um Connley Development is requesting site plan approval for a plan unit development consisting of 50 town homes on 9.43 43 acres and80 acres of commercial office space located at the corner of Old Chapen Road and Snow Grove Road. Primary access to the development will occur from Old Chapen Road. Internal streets serving the town homes will be privately owned and maintained. The purp the proposed development represents the redevelopment of two existing properties currently occupied by a 30-unit apartment complex in the former JC Hut building located at 100 Snow Grove Road, which is currently vacant. The project would remove these existing structures and redevelop the site with a combination of residential town homes and limited neighborhood scale commercial office space. A previously approved development of proposal for the property allowed 104 residential units and 16 garage structures resulting in a density of approximately 11 dwelling units per acre. That project was not constructed. I do want to note that a land disturbance permit was obtained for that project um in February of 2022 and uh land disturbance permits are good for five years. So it is not expired. Um, the current proposal, sorry. Yes, the current proposal reduces the overall density to approximately 5.3 dwelling units per acre. The proposed buffers and setbacks are consistent with those previously approved by the board of zoning appeals for the earlier development. The project is requesting approval as a plan unit development due to the uni unique nature of the proposal and to allow modifications to traditional zoning requirements. The project differs from these requirements

in the following ways. The redevelopment of un underutilized property combined with an integration of limited neighborhood scale commercial uses makes the project appropriate for consideration under the planned unit development model. Front and side buffers and setbacks are reduced from the traditional zoning requirements. However, the rear setback and buffer adjacent to the existing single family neighborhood will maintain the required 100 ft buffer and 150 ft setback as required by the zoning ordinance. Parking standards are modified to provide adequate parking without garage structures for the town homes. Front facade variation standards for town homes will be achieved through architectural facade articulation rather than continuous roof line segmentation. The proposed plan unit development must meet the intent of the town's zoning ordinance for mixeduse developments. The ordinance outlies the follow outlines the following criteria for consideration. The project is reasonably located. The project has a zoning district that supports the development. The road classifications support the development. The proposed uses are compatible. The proposed setbacks and buffers are compatible with surrounding areas. The amount of parking is reasonable. The height ratio is reasonable. The project encourages pedestrian access to businesses and delivery times can be restricted between 7:00 a.m. and 700 p.m. In your agenda was their PUD document for review which went into more information um to include mentioning some transportation improvements and the architectural standards that will be upheld for the development. Um, as you all know with PUD documents, they have to be re reviewed by you all with a recommendation to town council and have approval from town council. If it is approved, just for everyone to know, if any changes were ever made to that PUD document, it would have to be brought back to you all and town council for approval.

So, just to be clear, is it a three- reading process to council? It is a two-reading process with a public hearing. Same as a reasonzoning request. We hadn't had many puds. We have not. It's been a minute. Jessica, assuming this is uh recommended to town council for approval with the pud and 50 units and that's approved by council, what happens to the permits for the 104 unit development. Th I mean this would take that point once once you have a putt that's supposed and approved they cannot do anything outside of what's approved of that document without coming back for you all with reasonable cause for a change to that document.

If I'm not mistaken that permit will be basically cancelled. Yes. The pud was superseded. The driveway shown looks like it's going to line up with the complex across the street. It's been redesigned to line up with across the street. Correct. Which would drastically help traffic from those two different directions. It eliminated any conflict, right? But it's not shown in this package. Um I don't think

No, it's not. Um, I know we've talked to the developer and the original plan actually required a left turn lane into the site and this plan will also require that left turn lane and because of the relocation of the commercial. So, this commercial will access off of the single drive and and so all access will happen at that single point. Um, basically Old Chapen Road from this development all the way to Rushes will become a three-lane road. Um, it'll carry all the way out. So, between this one and then Sandpiper, they'll marry together and create a a complete threelane section. How far will it go down? Uh, just from this driveway back, it'll just taper down. Okay.

Um, we did talk about leaving enough length, I think, just to have a left turn in to that opposing I think there's apartment across the street. So, it I think we talked about that when we did the original I know we talked about doing three lanes down when the 104 was Yeah. approved. These were the traffic mitigation. The original plan actually created somewhat of a gap between the two developments, Sandpiper and I don't remember the name of the old one, but this one because they're incorporating that commercial track that was on the corner of Snail Grove inside of this putt area, it picks all that up. So all that will they they will now butt and um be complete uh through that area.

Well, a reduction almost half the density will reduce traffic. Right. Yeah. So, yeah. Um, so they certainly are fulfilling any, you know, traffic mitigation effort. Yeah. So, the developer is also here if you have any questions or would like to hear from him. Yeah. There's more green space. Kevin, these are twotory units. Yes, that's accurate. No garages with surface parking. Correct. It looks like there's adequate parking for the number of units proposed.

Yes, those there's adequate parking uh according to the town standards. Okay. For both the commercial and the residential units. And along the western boundary where the detention pond is shown, it looks like you're keeping 150 foot of that natural area. Well, it's 150 foot um and I get this backwards sometimes, but 150 foot buffer and 100 foot buffer 100 foot buffer and 15 setback. There you go.

Um now inside of that we do have u there's going to be excess uh and this is the same thing on the previously proposed or approved application. they had um wasted excess dirt and a burm

uh along the uh that property line and then of course the property right now doesn't have the storm water retention uh basin. So we would be required to add one to bring it uh up to standards uh on water quality and water runoff. Um, so but before the previous plan only had about 15 foot of wooded area between the residential and this and we believe that we can keep about 40 ft instead of 15 ft. So that's part of the reduction in the density. We could pick up additional wooded area undisturbed. Of course, the buildings would meet any architectural requirements that the town has. Correct.

Um we do have arch the only thing we have for town homes is that there's that twoft variation. Um they are going to as I stated in my write up they are going to get that through um articulation facade articulation rather than a continuous roof line segmentation. So, our ordinance wants that roof line broken up, but they're going to get that through a different artic archite um architectural way. Sorry. And achieve the same look that we were looking for.

Yeah, that was more so just like a cl kind of a clarification between the zoning ordinance and what we're trying to achieve. We're leaving this same main roof line, but um you know, the gables come off over the front porches. Those will you change in depth. Um, so you'll still get that same feel. Um, just helps us out a little bit with um, you know, keeping that one that same the big roof line together and all the internal parking drive paths, all that will be handled through the HOA. Yes.

All that will be um maintained by um the apartment community which I will own. Um um and and I know I know most of you know me, but the my um my main office is right next door to this site. Um this kind of started out as um I wanted I've been wanting to redevelop this property for years, but things just haven't lined up. Uh it's either been under contract or several people tried to make it work and obviously didn't make it work. Um, but both of these properties are unique and have character, you know, troubling characteristics that make this a difficult site. You know, the pro the power line running through it is certainly a a hardship.

Um, the u property where the JC hut is um that had access off of Snell Grove. Um, so to change the use of that, for that property to be able to be redeveloped for much, uh, would have required road improvements. um a lot of changes and I don't know y'all are probably very familiar with Snow Grove Road but it is a very narrow very utilized road um and is not wellmaintained. So um we tried to as part of this uh you know redevelop that move the commercial further down old chap and provide one access that access point will be a shared road maintenance agreement between the apartments and the commercial. Um but it will be uh that along with the road improvements for the turn lane um will definitely you know help mitigate any you know traffic issues and also take pressure off of Snow Grove Road because the entrance where it is to the current JC hut is very close to the intersection with deep ditches on either side. It's just not not a good situation as it sits.

And a detention pond will be responsibility HOA as that's right. Correct. So to be it's not really an HOA but yeah they're not going to individually sell the Yeah. He's going he's going to town home condo association. Well no I mean it will be owned by the partnership and I own the partnership. Okay. And then he will lease to the tenants. Yes.

And we own like I said I've own several properties in town. on my own uh Autumn Wood by the old Kmart where they're talking about redeveloping or developing the rest of that property. I actually built the large storm water detention basin that's behind the property they're about to develop for the car dealership and the commercial. Um but u that's a you know prime example. It's very low traffic impact. Um then uh but you know I said both of these they're all similar and I still own all of those. I have kept them for over 15 years. So,

so how many people currently live in the housing that's that's existing now? I think there's um at one point, you know, there was there was an additional building, but that building burned down. Um so, currently, look at my notes. Um there was 30 units. Uh, one building burned sometime around 2019 and was never rebuilt. So, today there's 24 units and of those 19 are occupied, a couple of units are out of service. Will this be affordable housing? Yes.

What's your definition of affordable housing? We uh state law does not allow us to get into that. Okay. So when you say um or when it says in the request the proposed setbacks and buffers are compatible with surrounding areas, is that mean it meets current town standards or it's just compatible with what's around it?

It uh on the portion that abuts the single family, we're meeting the current requirements, you know, with or without the put. Um the uh the only setback uh reductions would be on the sides where the commercial properties are. One of which I own the other commercial properties um to the north. I guess that is Yeah. Deep wood estates. Yep. And then uh of course across uh Old Chapen Road. So it doesn't meet town standards. You're asking for a variance on those three commercial sites.

He would not need a variance because of the pud. it it would have its own ordinance under the plan unit development overlay. Um so that's part of what you're reviewing and making a recommendation on to council. But it's important to note that this property had already received the variance through the board of zoning appeals for the same setbacks that he has listed in in this document. So so right. So in essence they could do 104 units with the variance already implemented because it's already on on correct and it would it would be these same setbacks and buffers that is proposed in the pud. So basically it's already been approved really.

So the commercial po component I'm assuming would be like general office type commercial. It would be um the recommended zoning or the what they are requesting depending on what you recommend to town council. They are requesting limited commercial zoning. So it would be neighborhood style kind of what's across the street now. Correct.

Which is that is the zoning across the street limited commercial. Along those same lines is if the two buildings are leased to we don't know who that would be at this point commercially but if they required more parking than what is provided on this plan could you create more parking underneath the power line across the entrance for the commercial. Uh we could possibly work that out, but I don't think that um I mean currently um the JC Hut u is owned uh by Rut Bonsel is here tonight also, right?

And u the plan is to basically do a property swap. We're going to purchase that and put some of the uh town homes on that parcel uh so that they'd be residential and would not need access. They could access through our site. Um we will be building a building a new commercial building to meet architectural standards of the town on that first site and u you know there's reserve space for a second building if if you know so needed. Um but he's he will basically own the confines of that commercial site. So if he decides he wants to change use instead of doing a second building, then he has room to do more parking to change that use of one building. It's a little more flexibility.

Or the tenant, the person looking to lease as as commercial property, they have to conform. They have to know what their parking situation is based on their limited plan here. Commercial plot, 3,000 foot building, 10 spaces minimum. So if you do two 3,000 buildings, that's 20 spaces. I'm assuming that's 20 spaces shown on this drawing plus requirement is one space for every 300 ft for office use. Yes. So the parking requirement will be met. It will meet the town's ordinance

or I mean the tenant who looks at least it's going to have to be the business that's going to fit the parking. That zoning limits what's allowed in there as well. 288 park.

That's about all I got.

Okay.

Let me just say that if I can to take one minute. Um I'm excited about redeveloping the property. I think that this plan is solid. Um, it uh completely raises uh the buildings that are there. The commercial building, the JC Hut's been there for a long time. Uh all these buildings are in disrepair. They they're not, you know, very attractive for our town. Um we're doing, you know, $700,000 worth of road improvements to mitigate way more than mitigate any traffic impact we would have. Um, and like I said, I've been trying to get, you know, redevelop this property for years. Uh, and I will own it. It's next door to my building, uh, my office where I spend more time than I do at home. Uh, so I promise you, I want it I I want it to, uh, you know, be a improvement for the town as well as, you know, all the neighbors. So, we're doing everything we can to meet all the requirements. Uh but it is a difficult site with the uh you know we've tried to make every situation better. Um but you know there's just limits on what you can do and make it economically feasible.

What's your construction timeline of getting started should everything work out in your favor. It'll probably be about two years. It'll take about um a year to get all the um engineering, permitting, and all that done. And then probably about a year for construction for all those the structures. And it gives Randy his road improvements.

That's all I got. Anybody else has got anything? Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you. Thank you.

Anybody else got anything? Um, just a quick update. I know that uh you all may be aware that we have hired a third party consultant to look at our sign ordinance. We've we've talked about the sign ordinance a good bit. Um, so I wanted to give you an update. Um, we are hoping to host stakeholder meetings um to get some feedback from the community and business owners and um sign contractors in our area at the end of the month, hopefully the week of March 30th. We will be nailing down that date soon and sending out invites. Um, so I just wanted to encourage you all to look out for that. Um, and for anyone watching at home to please sign up for alerts on the town's website because we will be posting there as well. Um, and we would love for you to join us and give some feedback.

All righty. Anything else? Good. All righty. Motion to adjurnn. So move. So all righty. Thank you all for watching the town election and planning commission work session. I wish you a good evening.