BLYTHEWOOD – A number of rezoning requests for both commercial and single and multi-family residential development in Blythewood 29016 are scheduled to come before Richland County Council for a public hearing Tuesday, Feb. 25. The first of three required votes on the rezoning requests will be taken at that meeting. Of the three required meetings, the Feb. 25 meeting is the only one that the public will be allowed to speak for or against the proposed rezonings.
The separate rezoning requests include: a 14.03-acre property at Wilson Blvd. and Turkey Farm Road, where the developer proposes to bring commercial and retail businesses; adjacent to that property is a 19.83-acre parcel where the developer proposes to build 300 apartments; a 198.84-acre property at 800 Mount Valley Road combined with a 111.41 acre property at 812 Mount Valley Road, where the developer proposes to build 600 single family homes; and a 10.55-acre property at 624 Langford Road, where the owner is requesting to divide her property into four two-acre parcels and a larger parcel.
A complete planning commission agenda packet of information about each re-zoning request is currently available on Richland County website and with this story on The Voice’s website: blythewoodonline.com.
The county council agenda packet of information about these requests should be online at the Richland County site by this weekend.
Commercial Zoning
(Map # 1) The county’s planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning of 14.03 acres (case 24-061MA) at the corner of 10205 Wilson Blvd. and Turkey Farm Road from HM/RT (Homestead/Residential Transition) to GC (General Commercial). The staff report states that the rezoning complies with the 2015 Comprehensive Plan which allows commercial and retail development on the site.
The Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend the requested GC rezoning to Richland County Council.
300 Apartments
(Map #2) Across Turkey Farm Road from the recommended commercial rezoning at 10205 Wilson Boulevard is a request for 19.83 acres at 10141 Wilson Boulevard (case 24-052) and Turkey Farm Road to be rezoned from HM (Homestead) to GC (General Commercial) for a combination of commercial and approximately 300 apartments.
The maximum allowed density for residential uses is 16 dwelling units per acre or 317 dwelling units for the site. The staff report recommends disapproval of this map amendment as it is not compliant with the 2015 Comprehensive Plan recommendations. While the proposed rezoning would allow for retail and commercial uses along a primary road, the site is not located with a Neighborhood Activity Center and is not within a contextually-appropriate distance from an intersection as prescribed by the Comp Plan.
NOTE: The Voice stated in the print edition of the paper that the Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend that county council approve the proposed GC zoning as printed in the Agenda Richland County sent out for the Feb. 25 County Council meeting. However, the transcript of the meeting states that the Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend that the county council DISAPPROVE of the GC rezoning request. The Voice regrets the error.
600 Homes Requested, 1,800 Homes Allowed
(Map #3) The 2015 Richland County Comprehensive Plan for two large-acre parcels at 800 and 812 Mount Valley Road (Cases 25-002MA and 25-003MA) designates this area as Neighborhood (low density). A developer has requested that the parcels (198.84 acres and 111.41 acres) be rezoned from AG (Agriculture) to R3 (Residential District 3). Richland County’s planning staff concluded that these properties should not be rezoned from AG to R3 because R3 zoning is not compliant with the objectives for Neighborhood (low density).
Representative for the developer, consultant Brandon Pridemore, appearing before the Richland County planning commission on Feb. 3, conceded that the requested R3 zoning does not comply with the comprehensive plan, but he said he’s looking at the big picture of what’s happening in that area with Scout’s arrival.
“These properties are within half a mile of Scout and we felt this would be a good opportunity to supplement the housing needs that will probably be coming with Scout,” Pridemore has not been clear about the number of units per acre the developer plans to build but says it will be relatively low density. “What we’re building will be complimentary to what’s there.”
While Pridemore has suggested that only 600 homes will be built, R3 zoning allows the developer to build up to 6 homes to the acre and 1,800 homes for the entire development.
The Planning Commission voted 6-1 against recommending to council the proposed rezoning of both Mount Valley parcels.
Sandfield Road Rezoning Request
(Map #4) Applicant Fil Mabry has requested that 64.84 acres at 812 Sandfield Road (case 24-058) be rezoned from AG (Agriculture) which allows minimum lots of 5 acres to HM (Homestead) which allows minimum lots of 1.5 acres. While the applicant has not stated what is planned for the property, according to the Richland County Staff Report, the maximum number of units for this site (based on gross density calculation) is approximately 42 dwelling units.
The staff report states that the requested HM zoning is not compliant with the objectives of the Neighborhood (low-density) designation, which recommends low-density housing developments in these areas.
Additionally, the policy states that “new residential developments should be served by adequately supplied public water and sanitary sewer service.” However, records indicate that the area is not currently served by public utilities.
A number of neighbors spoke out against the rezoning.
The Planning Commission voted 8-0 to recommend rezoning to HM to Richland County Council.
Neighbors Support Rezoning
(Map #5) Property owner and Blythewood resident Carol Crooks requested that the planning commission recommend that 10.55 acres she owns at 624 Langford Road (case25-004) be rezoned from AG (Agriculture) to HM (Homestead) so that she can divide the parcel into three two-acre parcels and another larger parcel.
“I’m not a developer and I don’t have [immediate] plans to sell these parcels,” Crooks told the commissioners. She said she wants to be able to sell them separately when she might need money to pay for repairs on her own home across the street.
Several of her neighbors came forward to support Crooks’ rezoning request, and no one opposed it.
While the requested HM rezoning does not technically comply with the comprehensive plan, it offers less density than the current zoning.
The Planning Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend that council approve Crooks’ request for HM zoning.
Public Hearing Set for Feb. 25
All five rezoning requests will go before the Richland County Council on Tuesday, Feb. 25, for a public hearing and first vote on the requests. While council will take two additional votes on the request, this meeting will be the only opportunity for the public to address council concerning the rezonings. The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. in the county council chambers at 2020 Hampton Street in Columbia. Those wishing to speak must sign up prior to the beginning of the start of the meeting.
