Planning Commission

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION FEBRUARY 13, 2019 MINUTES Present: Joseph Wren, Chair, DeAudre Gregg, John McNeill, Kathy Smith, Rodly Millet, Roy Neal (entered at 11:14 am) Absent: George Gates, Peter Lehman, Tripp Cuttino Staff: Jeff Ulma, Brad Morrison, Michele Canon, Liz Boyles, Austin Rutherford, Lynnette Lynes Mr. Wren called the meeting to order at 11:02 am. 1. Approval of Agenda Mr. Wren moved for approval of the agenda. Ms. Smith seconded the motion. All in favor. 2. Public Comment There being no comments, Mr. Wren continued with the agenda. 3. Continued Review of the Draft Comprehensive Plan, including issues and public comments Ms. Boyles reviewed the updates with the Commission. Mr. McNeill suggested that the resiliency of the Town will be important in future years. He suggested that including the expenditures are important as well and should be included. Ms. Boyles provided this for the Commission. The Commission discussed what information should be included in the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Neal entered at this time (11:14 am). Mr. Neal suggested that some incentives could be considered to encourage commercial development. He suggested that possibly in the way of lower impact fees might be one way. Mr. Morrison reviewed impact fees and how they are determined.  Special Planning Commission February 13, 2019 Page 2 of 3 The Commission discussed whether the hubs could be an area where reduced impact fees could be considered. Mr. Morrison answered that this might be possible but would need to be studied and reviewed by legal. They expressed concern with the impact fees being too cost prohibitive for the smaller businesses that are desired and fit within the character of the Town. Ms. Boyles reviewed hubs with the Commission. The Commission discussed the importance of hubs in creating the fiscal resiliency needed in the future. They discussed the importance of determining the special area plans so that there is guidance on how the hubs areas would be developed and redeveloped. They discussed the importance of educating the public on the hubs and how they can generate revenue for the Town. The Commission agreed that one recommendation should be to lower the impact fees to encourage more small business development and redevelopment, particularly in the hub areas and in the special area plans. Mr. Ulma stated that Town Council is aware that there needs to be solutions to keep the Town fiscally resilient for the future. The Commission discussed changing the title of the hubs to remove the “regional” title as it is confusing. The Commission agreed that the titles should be “Neighborhood”, “Community”, and “Town” hubs. The Commission discussed the hub guidelines and that there should be design guidelines for each hub. The Commission discussed that there should be a priority for the special area plans so that the plans are in place when development and redevelopment take place. The Commission convened for a short break at 12:20 pm and reconvened at 12:35 pm. The Commission reviewed the classification criteria for hub designation. The Commission suggested that pedestrian access should be encouraged. The Commission reviewed the land use maps and made recommended changes to the maps.  Special Planning Commission February 13, 2019 Page 3 of 3 4. Confirmation of next meeting date/time – February 20, 2019, time TBD Ms. Boyles stated that she would provide a summary of the changes for the Commission. Mr. Wren suggested that any recommendations not receiving unanimous consensus would be discussed and voted on at the next meeting. The Commission agreed that a meeting with the Forum would not be needed. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:05 pm. Submitted by, L. Lynes SpPlanComsn02132019