Category: Business

BLYTHEWOOD – The Town’s Economic Development consultant, Ed Parler, made another pitch during Council’s work session on Tuesday for the Town to invest in a shell building to be built across from Town Hall where a restaurant was previously planned under former Town Administrator John Perry.

In its aborted decision to build the restaurant, Town Council rezoned approximately 2 acres of the Town’s new park next to the railroad in front of Town Hall for a business park. The Town acquired a $240,714 grant from Fairfield Electric Cooperative and a $456,881 loan from Santee Cooper to pay for the construction. After a new Council majority, consisting of Bob Massa, Bob Mangone and Tom Utroska , elected in 2012, voted to dismantle the restaurant plans, the Town paid back the loan, plus $18,000 in interest to Santee Cooper. Now Council must use the Fairfield Electric grant money specifically for economic development or return it with a penalty and interest.

“Therefore,” Parler told Council, “we have been moving toward a way to use that grant money.”

Calling himself ever the optimist, Parler called on Council to consider investing the grant money into a shell building with three possible uses: a restaurant, an office building or an office/café combination.

A couple of months ago the Town engaged Parker Poe law firm, which recently obtained a comfort letter from the S.C. Department of Revenue for the investment project. With that, Parler outlined a pathway he envisions for Council to effectively carry out the shell building project, which he envisions as a 3,800-square-foot shell to be built in the designated business park area of the Town park. Parler asked Council to give guidance as to what they feel is the proper use of the building.

Parler said the exterior would be a replica of the former town depot as it had been planned for the restaurant.

“But while the restaurant had been planned with the highest quality construction,” Parler explained, “we are going with industry standards for the shell building.”

For the design of the project, Parler asked Council to consider engaging architect Ralph Walden, who previously designed projects for the Town before moving out of state for several years. Parler said he expects the design, plan and specs to be completed by Oct. 15 and the project to be awarded to a contractor by November. He told Council members he would present them with a bottom line budget for the project at the Sept. 28 Council meeting.

Parler said he expects a sale to be consummated on the shell building around the first of the year.

 

BLYTHEWOOD – After voting unanimously and without discussion to recommend the final draft of a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan to Town Council for passage, members of the Planning Commission Tuesday night moved on to what Chairman Malcolm Gordge referred to as “the principle business of the evening – to affix zoning for a 4.56-acre parcel at 121 McLean Road.”

Until it was recently annexed into the town, the parcel was one of several surrounded by the Town of Blythewood but lying in unincorporated Richland County with a Rural (RU) zoning designation.

The owners of the 4.56 parcel, Wright and Gray Partnership, represented by NIA Avant realtor Tombo Milliken, appeared before the Planning Commission to ask the Town to rezone the property to Town Center (TC) District zoning, which is the same zoning as Doko Park across the street. That zoning designation is the fifth most intense of six commercial zoning levels in the town.

Several neighbors who share a property line with the annexed property spoke out against TC zoning for the parcel. One of those neighbors, Jessica Nuttall, said her family did not want commercial zoning next to their property, which is zoned Rural.

The Town’s Planning Consultant, Michael Criss, pointed out that the TC District does allow a wide variety of commercial uses, including retail, service, office, institutional, civic and multi-family housing. Criss said, however, that TC is the commercial district with the most demanding architectural controls of all the town’s commercial districts.

“So the question is,” Criss said, “if it’s going to go commercial, which designation is the most appropriate?”

Milliken said the Wright and Gray Partnership property was already “surrounded by commercial zoning, all the way around, no if’s, and’s or but’s.”

Nuttall said that was not the case. A review of Richland County GIS mapping by The Voice indicated that all the properties touching the 4.56-acre parcel are zoned Rural. Doko Park, which is zoned TC, is across the street from the property.

After some discussion, Milliken responded that he and the property’s owners were rethinking their zoning preference and “now we think the Multi-Neighborhood Commercial designation might be more appropriate for what the property is best suited for.”

“Personally,” Milliken said, “I think it would be a great location for a professional office.”

Criss told the Commissioners that Multi-Neighborhood commercial zoning is one level below TC commercial zoning.

Given the 1.3 acres of wetlands on the site and a half acre on the opposite side of the wetlands that would not be usable in a development unless the wetlands were mitigated, Milliken said he felt the most likely use of the land would be the 2.5 acres nearest the railroad side of the property, as far away from residents as possible.

At one point in the meeting, Milliken turned to the Nuttall family and said, “The property is for sale and we’d love to sell it to you if you’re interested.”

Jessica Nuttall responded that the family might be interested and asked for more details, which Milliken said he would give them following the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, instead of calling for a motion, Gordge suggested the principals of the 4.56 acres meet with the neighbors and “try to come to terms, either for the neighbors to purchase the property or for the applicant to bring a rezoning proposal back to the Commission at the next meeting.” The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission is Oct. 5.

 

WINNSBORO – Town Council during their Aug. 18 meeting approved for a third time a water agreement for the development of 26 acres on Rimer Pond Road.

Last March, Council approved up to 42,800 gallons per day for 107 residential lots on a 26-acre tract at 502 Rimer Pond Road in Blythewood, while also approving 25,000 gallons per day for 5 acres of commercial property adjoining the tract, both for Sycamore Development, LLC. At their June 16 meeting, Council voted unanimously to transfer Sycamore’s water agreement for the residential tract to LandTech, Inc. of S.C.

On Aug. 18, Council passed another resolution authorizing the Town of Winnsboro to enter into a water service agreement for development with Rimer Pond Land Investors, LLC (a development under parent company LandTech, Inc.) for the 26 acres. Sycamore, with the consent of the Town of Winnsboro, has transferred meter and water capacity as set forth in a Water Capacity Availability and Willingness to serve letter dated April 10.

The latest agreement calls for about 33,000 gallons per day for 100 residential lots for a subdivision the developer calls Coatbridge. H. B. Chuck Munn Jr., a principal in LandTech, Inc., said the company expects to begin construction about the first of next year on the development, which is located across from Blythewood Middle School. Munn said buildout is expected to be complete in 2-1/2 to 3 years.

Capital Expenditures

Council approved a request from the Electric Department for $4,800 for a panel Christmas tree to replace the one recently pruned by Fairfield County in Gazebo Park, along with $3,500 for holiday decorations.

Council also approved a bid from A-1 Paint contractors to repaint the interior of Town Hall. The cost for painting the first floor was approved at $5,725 and the second floor at $3,800.

 

WINNSBORO – After months of secrecy, County Council revealed Monday night the identity of the company that will be the recipient of a new Fee-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (FILOT) agreement.

Prior to the third and final reading of an ordinance establishing the FILOT, Interim Administrator Milton Pope said AEC Pellet 1 USA, LLC, the company previously referred to as “Project USA,” plans to construct a wood chipping facility off Highway 321 N. in Winnsboro. Pope said the terms of the FILOT include a $125 million investment by the company, as well as the creation of 75 new full-time jobs. AEC Pellet will be assessed at a ratio of 6 percent, Pope said, and will pay a fixed millage rate of 423.3 mills for their first 30 years. They will also receive a special source revenue credit of 60 percent per year for the first 10 years.

According to documents on file with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), AEC Pellet applied for their Synthetic Minor Construction Permit through the Bureau of Air Quality last December. A public notice was posted to the DHEC website last February, with the comment period closing on March 12.

According to the notice, AEC intends to construct and operate a wood pellet manufacturing facility on Cason Road in Winnsboro. The facility would have an annual production rate of 530,000 tons, with a minimum hourly production rate of 71 tons.

The manufacturing process comprises four units, the DHEC documents state, to include a wood yard, a drying process, a pelletizing process and a storage/load-out area. Equipment would include dryers, pelletizing lines (hammermills, pellet mills and pellet coolers), storage and load-out silos and telescopic sleeves.

According to the DHEC documents, emissions generated by the facility would include particulate matter (less than 10 micrometers in diameter and less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter), nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP). If approved, the notice states, “a federally enforceable facility-wide limit of less than 250 tons per year” of the particulate matters, the carbon monoxide and VOC “would be established, thereby enabling the facility to be below Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) major source thresholds.”

Federally enforceable limits of 10 tons per year would also be established “of any single HAP, or less than 25 (tons per year) of total HAPs,” the documents state.

An air quality permit (permit number 1000-0039-CA) was issued to AEC Pellet on March 16, DHEC said.

“As this comes to fruition, this is going to be tremendous for us,” Pope said Monday night, “and it has the potential to have an impact on our timber industry.”

Elite, LLC

Council also Monday night transferred its existing FILOT agreement with Elite, LLC to Caterpillar, Inc., Elite’s new owners.

“Nothing changes in the documentation,” Pope said, “we’re just assigning those to the Caterpillar Corporation.”

 

BLYTHEWOOD – At a special called meeting and public hearing on Aug. 20, Town Council unanimously passed final reading of an ordinance to rezone 636 acres along Community Road for industrial use. The new zoning classification, Light Industrial-2 (LI-2) was requested by Richland County for an industry it says is interested in the site.

During the public hearing, only one person, Dwayne Bohannan, owner of Storage Express on Community Road, spoke to the rezoning.

“A few years ago we went through a rezoning process that was pretty taxing on the community,” Bohannan said. “Are we going to continue that pattern of rezoning? I’m concerned if the Town Center District is going to be considered for rezoning at some point (for more intense zoning). As a concerned citizen I’m worried that it (Town Center District) will be zoned to something else.”

Bohannan, whose storage facility is located in the town but not in the Town Center District, said he felt the industrial zoning for the 636 acres is a good use of the land, but he doesn’t want to see a new pattern of industrial zoning for properties in the Town Center District. When the Town Center Zoning was put into place several years ago, the Storage Express property, which was slated for Town Center District zoning, was allowed to stay out of the Town Center District and be zoned for Light Industrial use.

Neighbors Worried About Rezoning

During the public comment period at the end of the meeting, June Nutall and her daughter-in-law, Jessical Nutall, expressed concern to Council about the proposed rezoning of a newly annexed property located at 121 McLean Road. The owner of that property has asked for Town Center District zoning. Both women live on McLean Road and said they are concerned that some land uses permitted by the Town Center District might not be appropriate for the property in question.

Mayor J. Michael Ross told the Nutalls that the issue would be coming before the Town’s Planning Commission for a recommendation (to Council) on Sept. 1, and invited them to present their concerns to the Commission at that time. During Council’s July 27 meeting, Council members also expressed concerns as to whether Town Center District zoning would be appropriate on that same property, which is located across the road from the Town park.

Business Forum Rescheduled

It was announced that the second Town-sponsored Small Business Forum has been rescheduled from September to the first quarter of next year. Councilman Bob Mangone, who organizes the forums, also asked Council to allocate $3,100 to cover the costs of the next forum.

“But I would ask that the funds be allocated from the general fund and not from hospitality tax funds,” Mangone told Council.

He said he did not feel the statute governing allocation of hospitality funds provided for uses other than those that put people in the town’s hotels and restaurants.

“After I recently attended a workshop on this subject sponsored by the Municipal Association of South Carolina, I realized that we have not always invested these funds correctly, nor to the letter of the law,” Mangone told The Voice. “They are to be used for events that bring people to town overnight, people who will stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants. While we will have participants from out of town for the forum, just as we do for other events, they will most likely not be staying overnight.”

New Town Fees Approved

Council also passed a new fee schedule for the Town, but not as proposed. It was suggested that the Town charge fees for review of the removal of certain landscaping plants and trees: $25 for residents, $500 for commercial lots and $1,000 for subdivisions. Council voted unanimously for the commercial and subdivision fees but chose not to charge any review fees for residents.

Community Leaders Recognized

Several community leaders and organizations were recognized by Council. Capt. Harry Stubblefield of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was introduced as the new commander of Region 6. He will be located at the Region 6 headquarters on McNulty Road. Capt. Stubblefield said he has been in law enforcement for 37 years, 26 years of that time with the S.C. Highway Patrol. He was most recently assigned to the Richland County Courthouse.

Two of Blythewood’s new school principals were also introduced: Dr. Cheryl Guy at Westwood High School and Sean Bishton at Muller Road Middle School. Guy was previously the assistant principal at Westwood and Bishton was previously the principal at Rice Creek Elementary.

Mangone, on behalf of Council, presented a check for $2,500 to Jon Covert, treasurer of the Christian Assistance Bridge located on Blythewood Road. The donation is intended to provide assistance to the homeless in the Blythewood community.

Council will hold a workshop at 9 a.m., Sept. 15. The next regularly scheduled Town Council meeting is Sept. 28.

 

BLYTHEWOOD – A public hearing will be held on Thursday night, Aug. 20, prior to Town Council’s second and final vote on whether to rezone 636 acres along Community Road for industrial use. The new zoning classification, Light Industrial-2 (LI-2) was requested by Richland County for an industry it says is interested in the site. No discussion, opposition or questions were raised during first reading at the June 29 Council meeting.

While the LI-2 zoning district will allow a wider variety and greater intensity of manufacturing uses than the Town’s current Limited Industrial District (LI), Town Administrator Gary Parker said LI-2 supports Council’s new focus on economic development policies in the Town’s proposed Comprehensive Plan. That plan is currently moving through the Planning Commission and should go to Council for a vote in September.

Ed Parler, the Town’s consultant for economic development, has said the LI-2 zoning will help the Town establish a regionally significant industrial site.

Fees for Tree Removal/Park Use

Thursday evening’s Town Council agenda includes a proposed ordinance that will add several fees to the Town’s fee schedule. Under that ordinance, a landscape/tree removal fee will be charged for the Town to review such projects. These fees would be established at $25 for residents for an individual lot review, $500 for a commercial lot review and $1,000 for a subdivision review.

New fees are also proposed for those who bring plans before the Board of Architectural Review that are subject to review by the Town’s consulting architect.

“According to our consulting architect, a fair design review fee for a plan would range between $500 and $1,000, depending on the type of plans and number of changes to be reviewed,” Parker said. “We therefore recommend setting the fee at actual cost of the architect charges up to $1,000.”

The current charge for appearing before the Board of Architectural Review is $100.

The ordinance would also reduce the zoning map amendment fees to cover only the cost of ads, posting the property and mailing of notices. Parker suggested that could reduce fees from about $500 to $250.

There will also be a separate proposal to set fees for the rental of various facilities in the town park. A $30-per-hour fee for residents ($35 for non-residents) is proposed for the amphitheater and soccer field and $25-per-hour fee for residents ($29 for non-residents) is proposed for the multi-purpose field.

Budget Amendment

A final vote will be taken on an ordinance amending annual capital, operating and enterprise fund budgets for the Fiscal Year 2015-2016.

 

WINNSBORO – With the matter breezing through its public hearing without any member of the public signing up to speak, Ordinance 652 unanimously cleared second reading during County Council’s Monday night meeting.

The ordinance, pending a final reading on Aug. 24, puts into place a Fee-in-Lieu-of-Taxes agreement (FILOT) for the economic development project code named “Project USA,” which Interim County Administrator Milton Pope said at Council’s July 27 meeting would require the company to invest $125 million in the project over five years and create 75 new jobs.

The company would be taxed at a 6 percent assessment ratio, Pope said last month, with real property not subject to reassessment. Pope also said the County would be partnering with the Town of Winnsboro to extend a natural gas line to the undisclosed project site at no cost to the company. The company would also be seeking to rezone 180 acres of the proposed project site, Pope said.

Council also gave the third and final OK to an ordinance to rezone 0.75 acres of land at 67 Rocky 1 Road in Winnsboro from Rural Residential District (RD-1) to Rural Commercial District (RC).

Councilman Billy Smith, whose district (7) includes the property, said the rezoning will allow the residents there to continue to operate their home daycare business in the face of new regulations from the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

Also approved by Council was an expenditure of $35,261 for the purchase of a replacement patrol car for the Sheriff’s Office. The expenditure was recommended to Council by the Administration and Finance Committee on July 27. The 2014 Chevrolet Caprice replaces a car that was totaled last month after striking and killing two cows while responding to an emergency call.

“At least it wasn’t a horse,” District 3 Councilman Walter Larry Stewart quipped.

Regarding the mare and colt who died last June after spending a month in the custody of the County’s Animal Control services, only one citizen made comment Monday night.

Beth Jenkins (District 2) suggested Council enact a moratorium on large animals until regulations governing their care could be tightened.

“I realize that an ordinance or some sort of laws need to be done, and that takes time,” Jenkins said during Monday’s second public comment session. “I think immediately (Animal Control) should not be allowed to take in large animals and that Hoof and Paw should be called in immediately, so no more animals are treated the way that they were and the horrific deaths that they went through.”

Reviews on how Chairwoman Carolyn Robinson (District 2) handled a third and final outburst of applause during the July 27 meeting (see the July 31 edition of The Voice) were mixed Monday night.

While Rockton Thruway resident David Brandenburg called the incident, in which Robinson cleared the chambers, a “fiasco of epic proportion,” he also said he thought the Chairwoman was set up to look bad.

“It was a ruse, all planned,” Brandenburg said. “You (Robinson) got a lot of Facebook playtime on that. I’m sad to say, I think you fell for it hook, line and sinker.”

Darlene Johnson of Greenbrier, meanwhile, said she was “outraged” by Robinson’s decision to clear the chambers.

“I am certain that Roberts Rules of Order does not foster the interjection of personal privilege as was done during the Council meeting of July 27,” she said. “Too long has personal privileged been imposed on every citizen of Fairfield County.”

While Dawkins resident Jeff Schaffer said he missed the July 27 meeting, he said he hoped Council could improve its relationship with the citizens.

“Leaders don’t intimidate young children,” Schaffer said. “Leaders don’t act like dictators. Leaders don’t spew racial innuendoes. Leaders don’t incite the general public.”

Schaffer went on to criticize Council’s senior leadership, telling them, among other things, “It’s obvious to all of us you don’t know what you’re doing, why you’re up there. And sadly, you’ve been elevated beyond your authority to function.”

Responding during County Council time, District 4 Councilman Kamau Marcharia, who represents the Dawkins community, asked for specific, constructive suggestions.

“I’ve heard a lot of grandiose ideas about how we’ve failed and what we did do and what we don’t do,” Marcharia said. “I would like for these folks to give me a structural analysis of what they mean by moving forward, attach a budget to it and bring it to us and we’ll take a look at it and maybe we can move forward.”

 

BLYTHEWOOD – A medical office designed to be shared by two private medical practices in downtown Blythewood is expected to seek final approval from the Town’s Board of Architecture Review (BAR) Monday night. The project received partial approval from the BAR in June. Architect Matt Davis represents the project and is also the Town’s architectural consultant.

The 7,000-square-foot, two-story building, to be located on Blythewood Road across from Companion Animal Hospital, will house the offices of Dr. Jim Ellis, an optometrist, and Dr. Frank Dorn, a pediatrician.

The request for a certificate of approval met with several obstacles when it came before the Board in June. Because the Town Center zoning ordinance requires all new commercial buildings to have multiple stories and meet a height requirement of 24 feet, the BAR voted to give the applicants a variance for the two one-story wings, allowing them to be limited to a height of 16 feet. And because the Department of Motor Vehicles requires that driveways (entrances/exits) align with driveways across the street, the BAR also voted to allow a shift of the building toward the east lot line to allow for that driveway match up.

Additional architectural details (materials, colors, etc.) and the final site plan with landscaping, lighting and signage are expected to be submitted on Monday evening for the balance of the approval. The meeting will be held in The Manor at 7 p.m.