BLYTHEWOOD – At the Feb. 4 Planning Commission meeting, Chairman Mike Switzer reported on a meeting held by a Right of Way subcommittee, which was appointed at the last Planning Commission meeting. The subcommittee met in January, but the meeting was not posted for the public as required by the S.C. Freedom of Information Act for all public government meetings.
Perry had asked the subcommittee to set priorities for surveying rights of way in the town in order to initiate a ‘complete streets’ framework of roads in the downtown area.
Switzer outlined the four priorities for survey work related to road widening and other changes set forth by the subcommittee.
First Priority: Blythewood Road from I-77 exit 27 interchange to Main Street.
Second Priority: Main Street from Blythewood High School through McNulty Road intersection.
Third Priority: McNulty Road/McNulty Road Extension from future roundabout at Creech Road to Main Street, including segment between Exxon and Pope-Davis and Boney Road from Blythewood Road to McNulty Road.
Fourth Priority: Creech Road, new Creech Connector from Creech Road to Main Street and new street from Blythewood Road to Creech Connector along IGA entrance.
Having selected the roads, the next step is surveying existing rights of way, for future rights of way (95-foot wide rights of way for the first two priorities and 74-foot for the second two), above-ground and below-ground utilities, easements and a roundabout at Creech Road and McNulty Road Extension.
Perry said he will put the surveying costs into the budget which will be presented again to the planning commission as part of the new Capital Improvements Plan. Then the Planning Commission will vote on whether to recommend that Council initiate the surveying.
In other business, the Planning Commission passed first reading to change the zoning of a 2-acre parcel on Farrow Road near Highway 21 from Limited Industrial (LI) to Community Commercial (CC) District.
The property is owned by J. B. and M. L. Bishop and was previously used as a flea market. Bishop told The Voice that he plans to sell the property for recreational use.
Wayne Shuler of Central Midlands Council of Government gave a short interim report on the updating of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. He will give a full report at the next meeting on March 4.
