Request Goes Before County Council Oct. 27
BLYTHEWOOD – After Richland County Council members voted to rewrite the county’s comprehensive plan last year to pave the way for higher-density zoning, more R3 to R5 neighborhoods are being approved rapidly by County Council in areas zoned Agriculture (AG) and Homestead (HM).
Both R3 and R5 allow minimum lot sizes of 5,000 square feet and 12 feet between homes. Many of those rezonings are being approved just outside the borders of the Town of Blythewood.
On Oct. 5, the Richland County Planning Commission recommended that County Council approve applicant Luke Boatright’s request to rezone 133.75 acres near the intersection of Blythewood Road and Highway 321 from Agricultural (AG) zoning to Residential (R3) zoning.
Based on a gross density calculation, 802 homes are allowed to be built on this site, not considering infrastructure and open space, according to the county’s planning staff.
Developers are allowed to build as many as six homes per acre in R3 zoning. County officials told The Voice that it is not yet known how many homes are proposed on the 133.75 acres, even though County Council will take its first vote and hold a public hearing on the rezoning request on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. That will be the only time the public will be allowed to address council regarding the rezoning. Council will then take two more votes after that.
The property is represented by Councilwoman Gretchen Cooper, who recently called for the public hearing on an R3 vote, to be separated by weeks from council’s first vote with the potential of lessening the impact of the public comments on the vote.
To the north, west and south of the 133.75-acre property, the existing zoning is HM/RT (large-acre and single-family residential/undeveloped). Property to the east is zoned AG (undeveloped).
Prior to council rewriting the county’s comprehensive plan last year, R2 and R3 zoning were non-compliant zoning designations for the 133.75 acres. After the rewrite, the county’s planning staff finds that R3 zoning of the 133.75 acres complies with the county’s new comprehensive plan.
The R3 zoning designation provides for property “located within walkable neighborhoods that are well-connected by a mostly gridded street system,” according to the county planning and development services staff.
While this property does not meet that criterion, the Comprehensive Plan, which is meant to be a guide for future zoning, now designates this property for Mixed-Density Residential use.
County planning staff concluded last week that the requested zoning of R3 for the 133.75 acres is now consistent with the purpose and guidance of the new comprehensive plan.
Staff lays out in its map amendment report why the property is now compliant with the new Comprehensive Plan. It “is located in proximity to public water and sewer service and a Mixed-Use Activity Center,” staff wrote in its comprehensive overview of the rezoning request.
However, there is no Mixed-Use Activity Center currently located near the site, only a service station at the intersection of Blythewood Road and Highway 321 and a circle on a map in the Comprehensive Plan where a Mixed-Use Activity Center is planned for the future.