Planning Commission

Town of Summerville Planning Commission The public and Town Council members are invited to attend August 20, 2018 – 4:00 PM Summerville Town Hall, Training Room 200 S. Main Street, Summerville, SC For additional information regarding items on this agenda including any public hearings, please contact the Planning Department at 843.851.5200. Applications and related documents for this meeting are available for review at any time at www.summervillesc.gov, Public Notices; and, in the Planning Department during regular business hours, Monday– Friday, 8:30–5:00 excluding Town of Summerville holidays. I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Approval of minutes from meeting on July 16, 2018. II. PUBLIC HEARINGS: (public hearing signs posted beginning on 08.03.18 with notice in Post & Courier on 08.05.18) 1. Request to amend the PUD for the Pine Forest Country Club development, owned by Southeastern Country Club Group, located off of W. Butternut Road, Congressional Boulevard, and Pecan Drive. Amendments include but may not be limited to the following: allow townhome use (single-family attached). Parcels affected by this request include: TMS# 136-01-04-033. (Council District 4) 2. Proposed road name change to section of Holiday Drive within the Weatherstone subdivision. III. OLD BUSINESS: IV. NEW BUSINESS: 1. New Street Names (as needed) Weatherston Drive - Proposed road name change to section of Holiday Drive within the Weatherston subdivision. 2. Request to amend the PUD for the Pine Forest Country Club development, owned by Southeastern Country Club Group, located off of W. Butternut Road, Congressional Boulevard, and Pecan Drive. Amendments include but may not be limited to the following: allow townhome use (single-family attached). Parcels affected by this request include: TMS# 136-01-04-033. (Council District 4) V. UDO WORKSHOP: 1. Discussion of revisions to the complete draft of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and proposed zoning map. VI. MISCELLANEOUS: VII. ADJOURNMENT: ____________________________________ Chairman or Vice Chairman Posted August 13, 2018  The Town of Summerville Planning Commission Meeting Minutes July 16, 2018 This meeting of the Town of Summerville Planning Commission was attended by Commission Members, Jim Reaves, Chairman; Charlie Cuzzell; Will Rogan; and Sarah Bares. Elaine Segelken and Margie Pizarro were unable to attend. Staff in attendance included Jessi Shuler, AICP, Director of Planning and Meredith Detsch, Town Planner. Jim Reaves, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM. Approval of Minutes: The Chairman called for a motion for the approval of the minutes from the meeting on June 18, 2018. Mr. Cuzzell made a motion to approve the minutes as presented with Dr. Bares making the second. Dr. Bares commended the staff on their accurate representation of the extensive public comment, following which, the motion carried. Public Hearings: The first public hearing opened at 4:02 PM and was for the petition by Town of Summerville to annex a portion of N. Maple Street right-of-way, known as Tract 2A and a portion of Bear Island Road right-of- way, known as tract BI Tract 1. Mr. Reaves introduced the request. Ms. Shuler briefly explained that this was right-of-way that the Town already owned, but was not currently within the town limits. Hearing no public comment this public hearing was closed at 4:03 PM. The second public hearing opened at 4:03 PM and was for the request to rezone TMS# 137-05-04-002, 700 Central Avenue, approximately 0.38 acres, and owned by Upper Crust Holdings, LLC from B-2, Neighborhood Business Center, to R-5, Mixed Residential. Mr. Reaves introduced the request and opened the floor to public comment. The following people spoke: Frank Dreyer, Executive Director with Dorchester County Community Outreach (DCCO), represented the owner for the rezoning. He explained that the purpose of the rezoning is to use the home as a homeless shelter for women. Their organization runs the men’s homeless shelter down the street, Home of Hope. When it was opened in 2016, 180Place, the women’s homeless shelter was still operating in Summerville, but it closed soon after. He stated that they planned to start with six women and no children at this time. Dr. Bares questioned the safety of the property in regards to having children on site due to the proximity to two roads, and Mr. Dreyer responded that they planned to fence in the rear yard and would have a security system installed. Mr. Cuzzell asked if any other improvements would be made to the property, and Mr. Dreyer noted that they would have to change out the windows for emergency egress and were considering enclosing the carport for storage. Mr. Cuzzell followed up with a question on how many women would be housed and if a state license was required. Mr. Dreyer stated that they only planned to house six women at this time, and no state license was required unless they decided to also house children. Mr. Rogan asked about the number of employees and the available parking on the site, and Mr. Dreyer explained that they would most likely only have one employee there at a time with three total employees, but they will also utilize volunteers, and that there was a parking area in the front that they would screen with additional landscaping, but they would anticipate having only about three or four cars there at a time. Dr. Bares inquired about any additional support services that would be offered and the length of the average stay. Mr. Dreyer noted that they did not allow any drugs or drinking, and offered help with financial planning, held bible studies, and could also address some medical issues. As for the average length of stay, using the men’s shelter as a basis, he stated that most stayed a few weeks, but others were there for much longer. Mr. Rogan asked about the possibility of combining with the men’s shelter, and Mr. Dreyer stated that the men’s shelter holds 16 men and is always at capacity. Marty Thomas, the Board President of the DCCO, provided some additional information on how their organization would run the homeless shelter. He noted that they were a faith-based organization that uses a relationship model. The individuals that are housed at the shelter must be willing to and capable of seeking employment. Mr. Thomas stressed that they had housed over 200 men at the Home of Hope and have had no issues so far. His organization has received numerous call from the community to open a women’s shelter, but they plan to start with six women at this location and stay small as the zoning would only allow for nine women total. Mr. Thomas explained that they would like to address children at some point in the future, but probably not at this location. He added that they would provide services such as life coaches, financial advisors, and partner with Dorchester County mental health. Mr. Thomas stressed that this site was ideal because it was close to their existing site and no major improvements to the building would be required. Dr. Bares asked if the individuals would be required to sign a statement of faith, and Mr. Thomas confirmed that they would not, but they would be required to sign a statement of rules, including no drugs and alcohol. Amber Williams who lives on Charlie Lane stated that she was worried about the impact of the homeless shelter on property values in the area, and she is concerned about the lack of parking and sidewalks. She agreed that Summerville needs a women’s facility, but she believes that this site is not the place for it. John Crump of 636 Central Avenue compared the proposed location of this homeless shelter to dropping one in the middle of Corey Woods. He also stressed that 12,000 cars go past a day on Central Avenue, which makes the location a safety concern due to traffic. Mr. Crump also agreed with his neighbor about the decrease in property values. Colleen Engbrock of 637 Central Avenue noted that she had the same concerns as her neighbors. She described the neighborhood as tight knit and all single family, and explained that the location in question was only a business because Dorchester County made a mistake and allowed it. She noted that the site has almost no parking spots, and it is impossible to back out onto Central Avenue. Ms. Engbrock also stated that the closest business was a barbershop that was a little ways down the road. Robert Ford of 633 Central Avenue stated that he concurred with his neighbors. He reiterated that the site is not big enough, dangerous to children, and would decrease property values. He stated that he believes there is a need, but suggested that they locate into more of a business zone, not a residential neighborhood. Michael Balga of 127 Charlie Lane stated that he agreed with his neighbors. He stressed that the house would not be big enough, and he would not want the issues that come with homelessness near his house. Hearing no further public comment this public hearing was closed at 4:30 PM. The second public hearing opened at 4:31 PM and was for the proposed road name change to section of Holiday Drive from N. Main Street to N. Maple Street/Nexton Parkway. Mr. Reaves introduced the request. Ms. Shuler explained the background for the request. She stated that with the new road alignment due to the new interstate interchange, Holiday Drive split in two different directions which poses an emergency response issue. Ms. Shuler described that staff had originally proposed changing the name within the Weatherstone subdivision, but after receiving extensive negative feedback, had decided to request to change this section of the road as it affected less total properties. The proposed road name of Millhouse Drive was to honor Tillman Millhouse, Jr., the first black State Trooper in the Lowcountry area. Mr. Reaves opened the floor to public comment. The following people spoke: Brian Limehouse with the Econolodge property explained that all of the properties on this section of Holiday Drive were commercial rather than residential. He stressed that these commercial properties, particularly the hotels, had more emergency response calls than the residential area. Mr. Limehouse also detailed all of the costs and time that it would take to change a business address versus a home address. He then noted that his hotel has been in its location on Holiday Drive much longer than the subdivision. David Kalik with the Wyndham Hotel stated that he agreed completely with Mr. Limehouse. He noted that he understood the numbers of individual properties, but he did not think that costs had been considered for the businesses. He explained that a large percentage of their business is now done over the internet, and with all the different internet platforms for reservations, it would take 60-90 days to get everything changed, not to mention the costs for marketing materials and phones. Mr. Kalik stressed that changing the businesses addresses would take considerably more time and resources than a home address. Hearing no further public comment this public hearing was closed at 4:38 PM. Old Business There were no items under Old Business. New Business: The first item under New Business was New Street Names (as applicable). Mr. Reaves asked if there was a motion for the proposed road name change to section of Holiday Drive from N. Main Street to N. Maple Street/Nexton Parkway. Mr. Cuzzell asked for clarification on an item. He questioned how many units were in the apartment complex that would be affected by the change, and Ms. Shuler responded that she believed it was around 72. Mr. Rogan made a motion to deny the name change as proposed, and Mr. Cuzzell made the second. Mr. Cuzzell then asked who had initiated the change and if it was purely for public safety reasons. Ms. Shuler responded that Berkeley County had initially requested the change, and confirmed that is was strictly to address emergency response. Mr. Cuzzell stated that he agreed with the business owners that it is much more convenient for residential properties to change a road name than businesses. As both a homeowner and a business owner, Mr. Rogan agreed completely. Mr. Reaves called for the question, and the motion passed unanimously. The second item under New Business was the petition by Town of Summerville to annex a portion of N. Maple Street right-of-way, known as Tract 2A and a portion of Bear Island Road right-of-way, known as tract BI Tract 1. Mr. Cuzzell made a motion to recommend annexation to Town Council, and Dr. Bares made the second. The motion passed unanimously. The third item under New Business was the request to rezone TMS# 137-05-04-002, 700 Central Avenue, approximately 0.38 acres, and owned by Upper Crust Holdings, LLC from B-2, Neighborhood Business Center, to R-5, Mixed Residential. Mr. Cuzzell stated that he had been in and out of the property when it was JuJu’s and it was not a good spot. He made a motion to recommend denial of the rezoning to Town Council, and Dr. Bares made the second. Dr. Bares stated that she had two reasons for recommending denial. The first is that the parking on the site is not adequate, and the second is that she believes it would be a spot zoning, which is not allowed by state law. Mr. Rogan stressed that he has a heart for the ministry, but this specific location is hard to support. Mr. Reaves agreed, explaining that his family was the first to live on the property and verified that the County mistake was the reason it became commercial in the first place. He stated that he would love to see a shelter for women and children soon, but one that has adequate safety and capacity. Mr. Reaves called for the question, and the motion passed unanimously. Ms. Shuler then explained to the public in attendance that the request would still go on to Council with a recommendation for denial and she provided the dates for the meetings in August. UDO Workshop: Ms. Shuler reminded the members that the next UDO workshop was scheduled for August 15, 2018 at 2:00 PM. She asked if the members had any specific issues that they would like to see addressed at the workshop other than those that were raised by the public at the public hearing last month, as the consultant would be reviewing all of the comments and providing options for revisions to address them. The members stated that they did not have any other additional issues. Miscellaneous: There were no items under Miscellaneous. Adjourn With no further business for the Commission, Mr. Rogan made a motion to adjourn with Mr. Cuzzell making the second, and Mr. Reaves adjourned the meeting at 4:58 PM. Respectfully Submitted, Jessi Shuler, AICP Date: __________________________ Director of Planning Approved: _________________________________________________ Jim Reaves, Chairman or Elaine Segelken, Vice Chairman  PUD AMENDMENT REQUEST, & ROAD NAME CHANGE STAFF REPORT PLANNING COMMISSION August 20, 2018 TMS#s: 136-01-04-033 Location: Pine Forest Country Club (W. Butternut Rd., Congressional Blvd., and Pecan Dr.) Description: one lot totaling approximately 3.29 acres Request: PUD amendment to allow townhomes on the property The applicant is requesting that the Pine Forest Country Club PUD be amended to allow townhomes on the above referenced parcel. Additional changes to other zoning and development requirements (parking, setbacks, streets, etc.) are also being requested. This property is included in the Town’s ‘Medium Residential Neighborhood’ area as identified within the Town’s 2009-2011 Comprehensive Plan and Update as well as on the accompanying Future Land Use Map. The ‘Medium Residential Neighborhood’ District is intended to promote single-family neighborhoods of medium density. The primary land use is single-family residential housing with an average density of 4 to 6 dwelling units per acre. The request for a maximum of 26 units puts the proposed density of this property at just under 8 dwelling units per acre. Staff has reviewed the proposed amendment and would like to see the following comments addressed: 1. Request specifies three stories for height; however, no definition of story is provided. A story either needs to be specifically defined, or a maximum height needs to be specified. 2. Amendment proposes 49% coverage for all buildings. The Town regulates total impervious surface, which is 50% for the R-3 zoning which allows for townhomes. Total impervious surface allowance needs to be specified, not just building area. 3. Two parking spaces should be provided per dwelling unit as the proposed streets are not wide enough to allow for on street parking and the project is not in an urban setting where residents would be able to easily walk/bike to places. 4. Ponds should not be included as a percentage of the open space unless they are treated as an amenity, which is not specified. Utility service areas are also not typically allowed to count toward open space percentage. 5. Plantings required in the 15 foot landscape buffer should be specified, and a required buffer along W. Butternut Rd. should be considered. 6. Sidewalks internal to the site should be included in the design. 7. Turn lanes on W. Butternut Rd. along with other roadway improvements recommended in the Pine Forest Phases 1-3 Traffic Impact Analysis will be required to be installed with this project. Phases 1-3 have been permitted yet these roadway improvements have not been done. 8. Need confirmation from Dorchester County on their approval of the connection to Pecan Dr. (previous developments have shown connections to roadways maintained by another entity as part of the plan but then the entity does not allow the connection). 9. Access point onto Congressional Blvd. is located on a curve. Staff will need an exhibit showing site distance to determine if this location is safe. 10. A 24’ ingress/egress easement for a 22’ roads seems to narrow, and the private road will need to be built to public standards for construction. 11. Staff is concerned about the ability to turn around at the southern end of the ingress/egress easement. 12. Recommend changing section f. regarding the number of retention ponds from “shall” to “should or may,” as full stormwater design has not been completed for this project, so it cannot be confirmed that three ponds will be appropriate. If ponds are to be wet, they will need to have sufficient depth to discourage weed/mosquito growth. Location: Holiday Drive in Weatherstone Subdivision Description: Right-of-way Request: Road name change to Weatherstone Drive Based on the Commission’s denial of the name change at last month’s meeting, staff is returning to the original proposal to change the name of the section of Holiday Drive within the Weatherstone subdivision. Staff has received a number of responses in opposition to the change and one in support. All responses that have been received so far are included in your packet, and any additional responses will be forwarded. As a reminder, this change is proposed to avoid confusion with emergency response and delivery of services. It was originally brought to our attention by Berkeley County addressing. 2 6  RD D ISLA N SH EE P Unnamed Section of Road - proposed to be Holiday Drive DR ON AYL W W AL TO DR N LD PL SI A FIE G EL M D A RUNDLE LN DR Existing Holiday Drive - proposed to rename to Weatherstone Drive DR AY LID H O LN E H OP N TO C OT BU KF C IELD DR LA FIEL D BA RN W EL L Existing Holiday Drive LN O RT DE ST HP UT DR SO R CI DR AI L AY ET LID O V H O D DELA FIELD I2 DR 6 N ER YL PI NC BEAR KN ISLAN LO D RD W EY M AR SH LN AVON SHIR E DR I2 6 DO N OVA NC T EY C T RIPL CRANS TON LN HOLID AY DR Proposed Renaming of Holiday Drive  within Weatherstone Subdivision MP RA Legend Streets AZALE A SQ UA RE BLVD Town Boundary Parcels N 0 125 250 500 750 1,000 Feet D ISLAN DR SHEE P T Disclaimer: This map is a graphic representation of IN S N MA data obtained from various sources. All efforts RAMP have been made to warrant the accuracy of this map. However, the Town of Summerville disclaims all representation and liability for the use of this map. VA R NF RAM IE August 31, 2016 LD DR DR D WAY AY P RACKA ST AW CK AIN NM RA Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community R