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Planning Commission - October 17, 2005 |
Minutes McClellanville Planning Commission October 17, 2005 – 7:00 PM The McClellanville Planning Commission met on the above-noted date with all Commission members present: Chairwoman Priscilla Baldwin, Ted Dawson, Ginny Prevost, Oliver Thames, and Lowry Shuler. Planning Secretary Mary Duke was also present, as were AICP Planner Kathryn Basha and guests Malcolm Baldwin, Lucia Jaycocks, Allen Leland Dupre, and Mr. Hattaway. The minutes from the September 19 and September 26 meetings were reviewed. After consideration, Ginny Prevost made a motion to approve the minutes from September 19. Ted seconded the motion, and the motion was carried by unanimous vote. Oliver Thames next made a motion to approve the minutes from the September 26 meeting. Ginny seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous to approve the minutes. Priscilla then noted that the next item on the agenda was a public hearing for a proposed ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to provide for a Residential Transition District. The Commission reviewed with Planner Kathryn Basha the latest draft of the ordinance, which would provide for a transitional district between the more intensive commercial land uses permitted in the HCD and the existing residential neighborhoods. Lucia Jaycocks asked about the required setbacks for the proposed Residential Transition District, and whether parking would be allowed in the setback area. Kathryn said that parking areas could be located in the setbacks, although structures would be prohibited there. Mary pointed out that the proposed ordinance would require that parking be located to the sides or rear of buildings on the property. No further concerns were voiced with regard to the amendment to provide for a Residential Transition District. The Commission agreed by common consent to recommend passage of the ordinance to the McClellanville Town Council. The Commission next held a public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed subdivision of a 3.53 acre parcel on Kitt Hall Road, TMS # 764-00-00-164. Allen Dupre, owner of property adjacent to the parcel in question, indicated her concern that much of the total lot area, especially of the rear lot, might be made up of wetlands. Malcolm Baldwin said that more than half of the rear lot was highland, and that he understood that marsh could be used when calculating total lot size. Mary Duke agreed that the zoning ordinance allowed marsh areas to be included in measurements for total lot size, although only the area of high ground could be used for determining the maximum impervious surface ratio allowed for buildings and pavements, etc. on the lot. Malcolm said that the two front one-acre lots had been approved by SC DHEC for standard septic systems, and that the rear 1.53 acre lot had been approved for an experimental septic system. After discussion, the Commission agreed that the proposed new lots would meet the requirements of the zoning ordinance for lot size, and that, upon receipt of the septic system approval letters from SC DHEC, the subdivision plat could be approved and signed. Priscilla next recognized Lucia Jaycocks, who had further comments concerning her request for Planning to consider a means for her to use a sign in town to indicate an information center with printed materials on local Prudential Carolinas Real Estate listings. Ginny asked whether Lucia could lease property in Town and place a sign on that property. Kathryn Basha said that, in order for an off-premises sign or other sign to be legal, there must be a business conducted on the premises that the sign indicates. Kathryn suggested that, in the future, signs such as these could perhaps be allowed as special exceptions, if the Board of Zoning Appeals was given criteria for determining when the special exception would be appropriate. Kathryn said that the best course of action for Lucia to take at this time would probably be to appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals Zoning Administrator Dorothy Small’s decision that the sign would be illegal. Planning then discussed efforts to reach an agreement with Charleston County for an overlay district along Highway 17 for properties in the unincorporated area adjacent to McClellanville. Planning would also like to pursue an arrangement for extraterritorial jurisdiction or some basis for input into zoning decisions for properties located in the approaches to town, approximately four miles to the north and south of McClellanville’s borders. Kathryn said that she had spoken with Andrea Pietras at Charleston County, who had discussed McClellanville Planning’s proposal with County Planning Director Jennifer Miller. She said that Ms. Miller had requested that McClellanville present a specific proposal to the County, clearly outlining what we would like to see put in place. Kathryn said that the County might appoint a committee to work with the Town and iron out details of the arrangement. Kathryn added that the proposal for the County should come from the Planning Commission and Town Council, and that the proposal should be sent to County Planning c/o Ms. Miller, the director (Kathryn suggested copying the proposal to all of the County Planning Commission members). Kathryn said that, at this point, the Commission should agree on exactly what would be included in the proposal and put the proposal into a letter to Town Council. Kathryn added that, if the Commission could speak to Town Council at their November meeting and receive their authorization to proceed with this action, the letter concerning the proposal could probably be sent to County Planning before the end of November. The Commission discussed details concerning the proposal they would present to Town Council and to the County. There was general agreement that the overlay district should include the unincorporated “pockets” currently surrounded by Town property on Hwy. 17, and perhaps extend as far as Thornhill Farms on the north and the McClellanville Diner on the south. The depth of the overlay district was proposed to be 1/4 mile on either side of the centerline of Highway 17. The Commission discussed that the “approach areas,” where Agricultural zoning would be supported, should extend approximately four miles north and south of town limits, or to Buck Hall Road on the south and the southern entrance to South Santee Road on the north. In the “approaches,” again, they would ask for extraterritorial jurisdiction or other formal input into zoning decisions. Ted Dawson said that he felt that the Town should approach some of the owners of property on Highway 17 adjacent to the Town’s HCD to encourage them to consider annexing into the Town. Malcolm Baldwin told those present that Wells Morrison, owner of property on Highway 17 just north of the N. Pinckney St. entrance to town, had recently submitted an annexation petition to the Town. Malcolm said that Mr. Morrison would be seeking Highway Commercial District zoning for the property. Ginny Prevost said that she would rather see the property retain Agricultural zoning, but Malcolm and the other Commission members pointed out that the County might allow Community Commercial zoning for the lot, which would not require the setbacks and buffers as in the Town’s HCD. The Commission then reviewed maps and information indicating the Town of Mt. Pleasant and Mt. Pleasant Waterworks’ investigation of the feasibility of extending their planning and service area as far north as Steed Creek Road in Awendaw. The Commission expressed concern over the information and agreed that they would need to be watchful for any further developments. The Commission briefly reviewed the information that Kathryn had provided with regard to updates to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. As no one had been able to thoroughly study the material, discussion of the updates was postponed until the November meeting. Kathryn said that she would like for the Commission members to look over the statistics she had compiled and determine whether they felt they accurately reflected current conditions in Town. Priscilla asked Mary to make sure that work on the Comprehensive Plan update was placed as one of the first items on the agenda for the November meeting. Kathryn agreed that she would come with the Commission members to the Town Council meeting on November 7 to help them present the request for Council’s support in seeking the County’s approval of the overlay district on Hwy. 17. There being no further business, a motion was made, seconded, and unanimously approved to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 PM. Mary S. Duke Secretary McClellanville Planning Commission |