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« on: September 19, 2008, 09:38:16 AM » |
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PLANNING COMMISSION
August 18, 2008
The Planning Commission met Monday, August 18, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The following members were present: Don Hamilton, Chairman, Mario DiPietro, Pat Webb and Ray Williams. Brian Gosey was absent. Tommy Holcombe, Building Official, was also present at the meeting.
Mr. Hamilton called the meeting to order.
Present at the meeting is Randy Turner of 211 Montague Drive, Easley, South Carolina. Mr. Turner, acting as the agent for Annette J. James of 506 Lena Drive, South Carolina made petition to rezone Pickens County Parcel 5029-17-12-8065 which is further described as 300 Saint Lo Circle, Easley, South Carolina from R-10 zoning to GR2 zoning. The parcel contains 2.43 acres and is further described as Lots 6 and 7 of Normandy Heights.
Chairman Hamilton called upon Mr. Turner to make his presentation to the board. Mr. Turner explained that his concept for this property is to purchase this dormant piece of property with an older home and revitalize the property by building townhouses. He offered a picture of a recent project that he had built on Dayton School Road as an example of what the townhomes would look like. Mr. Turner’s concept includes a 5 building project with 2 units on the first floor and 2 units on the second floor of each building. Mr. Turner emphasized that his intent is not to build an apartment complex. Mr. Turner believes that the townhouse concept will increase the property values of the neighborhood. He further explained that since this property has been on the market for 1 ½ to 2 years without sale, that it is improbable that an individual will purchase the property for a single family residence. Mr. Turner offered a drawing of the property with his ideas which included preserving many of the trees on the property to shield and buffer the properties neighboring this site. In addition to the trees bordering the properties, he proposes a 6 foot privacy fence to surround the project which will have a landscaped front entrance.
With his presentation complete, Chairman Hamilton called on community residents who had previously requested to speak at the meeting. Heather West of 110 McCue Street, Easley, South Carolina addressed the board as to the property values of surrounding properties in the neighborhood. Ms. West presented the board with copies of 5 recent sales in this neighborhood showing that residents can still get their money out of their homes in this neighborhood. However, she believes that because GR2 zoning would allow rental properties in their one-family residential neighborhood that the rezoning request would evoke more transient people into the neighborhood thereby hurting property values.
Next, Chairman Hamilton recognized Susan Sauls. Although Ms. Sauls now lives in Liberty, she was born and raised in the neighborhood with the zoning request; her mother still lives in the neighborhood. Ms. Sauls told the board that restrictions recorded in July 1945 restricted the neighborhood to single family dwellings. She went on to explain that the present property of 300 Saint Lo Circle inherited the property and has always rented the property in spite of receiving the 4% tax break from the Pickens County Assessor office. Ms. Sauls told the board that the property owners were unanimous in their desires to get this zoning request denied. Most of the residents in this neighborhood have lived in their houses all their lives. Ms. Sauls pleads with the board to consider the lifelong investment of each resident and deny the request to rezone 300 Saint Lo Circle.
Chairman Hamilton then recognized Mike Durham of 110 Edgewood Avenue who was speaking on behalf of his elderly Father, Paul, whose property borders the petitioned property. Mr. Durham presented for record a petition containing the signatures of 132 neighbors opposing the rezoning request. If the zoning of this property were changed to GR2 then the property could potentially fit 73 residences, Mr. Durham explains, which would take away the quiet neighborhood that the residents now enjoy. Mr. Durham went on to explain that the concern of most of the residents was the fear of the future of this property. He pointed out to the board that this fear is substantiated by the townhouses built by Mr. Turner on Dayton School Road which have since construction been turned into rental properties.
Randy Parks was then recognized to the floor. Mr. Parks owns the property to the rear of the subject property. He again expressed great concern for the property values if such rezoning change was allowed. Mr. Parks is an architect specializing in multi-family structures and as a result is aware that although a person has intentions and a concept that sometimes circumstances happen that would prevent the concept from becoming a reality. If such circumstance happened in this case then the GR2 rezoning would open the property to anything allowed within that zoning. He believes that the present owner of the property is obviously not concerned with the neighborhood and its future. In his argument for denial of the zoning request, Mr. Parks offered verbage from the City of Easley’s Zoning Ordinance wherein R10 zoning is to preserve and protect single family lots. Therefore, he plead with the board for them to do what is right by denying the request and protecting the neighborhood as is the intent of the zoning. Mr. Parks added that he did not believe that property zoned as GR2 was intended to be stuck in the middle of a single family development as this request was proposing.
Hearing all scheduled speakers, Chairman Hamilton then opened the floor to other speakers. Jerome Bundrick of 206 Saint Lo Circle wanted to verify that changing this one property would not change the entire neighborhoods zoning. He was answered with a “no”, but then went on to state that it would however make it easier to get the other properties rezoned should this request be approved; the board agreed. Mr. Bundrick is still in opposition of the rezoning request made by Mr. Turner. Pat Owens of 301 East 3rd Avenue expressed concern for increased traffic on this small road. The street is not well maintained now and there are drainage issues. He believes that even more traffic would be a detriment to the neighborhood. Carl Watkins, who lives behind the subject property, asked the board to look at Mr. Turner’s past as a developer and consider the same in their decision to rezone this property. He reiterated to the Board that the property on Dayton School Road was built as townhomes to be sold as individual units but were later sold as a whole as rental property. Susan Sauls acknowledged that the property had been for sale for a period of time but that neighboring property owners had made offers to the present property owners which were refused. Mr. Kenneth Haley of 206 East 3rd Avenue told the board that he moved to his property three years ago from Greenville and in that time he has already seen an increase in traffic. Saint Lo Circle is used as a cut-through road to the Post Office and to WalMart. The neighborhood, Mr. Haley went on to say, is a residential neighborhood and that the community encourages revitalization of the houses. However, the concept presented by the petitioner is only a concept and not a foregone. Mr. Ray Duncan of 305 Saint Lo Circle told the board that the power line on the subject property has always been a playground for the neighborhood children. He believes that the proposed concept for the property which will increase the number of people and traffic to the neighborhood is not the solution for the people living there now. Palmer Stegall of 208 Saint Lo Circle advised the Board and the developer, Mr. Turner, that the neighborhood encourages growth but they preferred the community to grow with single family residences instead of condominiums, townhouses or apartments.
Hearing no further comments from the audience, Chairman Hamilton turned the petition over to the Board for discussion. Ms. Welborn asked whether or not the restrictions referenced by Susan Sauls were deed restrictions or covenants. Ms. Welborn went on to ask whether or not the covenants were expired. Ms. Sauls told the Board that the covenants expired on January 1975. Ms. Welborn asked Building Official, Mr. Holcombe how many dwelling units are allowed in GR2 zoning. Fourteen units are allowed per acre. Mr. DiPietro verified that the closes GR2 zoning to the subject property is at the corner of East 3rd Avenue and Charles Street and is further referred to as the William Farr Apartments. However, Mr. Durham, interceded, that these apartments were built before zoning.
Because of her strong favor for stable neighborhoods, Pat Welborn made a motion to deny the rezoning request of 300 Saint Lo Circle. Ray Williams seconded the motion. The motion was denied unanimously. Chairman Hamilton then explained to the petitioner that the Planning Commission Board was only an advisory board to the City Council. This petition moves to the City Council for a reading on September 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.; if the petition is denied at that time then the petition dies; if it is approved the City Council will have a final reading on October 13, 2008.
The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Hamilton.
TOMMY HOLCOMBE
Building Official
City of Easley
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