By: Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer | jeremy@thewoodrufftimes.com
The Woodruff City Council chambers saw a rare, packed house for the May meeting, with several area residents showing up to express their opposition to the annexation of nearly 150 acres for a proposed housing development.
“Y’all need to think about the safety of this more than anything else,” expressed on resident.
“We cannot have another huge subdivision come in,” said another.
“It’s not the growth, it’s how the growth is being done,” said a third.
All the speakers were expressing their frustration regarding the proposed annexation of several parcels in the area of Highway 221, Old Spartanburg Road, and Chestnut Road for the potential development of a new subdivision. Most also indicated that the annexation process is not transparent enough.
According to the Municipal Association of South Carolina, to have a property annexed and begin building, the property owners must request annexation. If 100 percent of the property owners petition the city, that request then goes to the city council as a petition for annexation. If the City Council accepts the petition, then it becomes an ordinance for annexation, and that ordinance then faces two votes in separate council meetings. Additionally, an ordinance to zone the property requires two votes and a public hearing before the second vote. Once the ordinance is passed, the city must file notice with the Secretary of State, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and the Department of Public Safety.
During that time frame, the city may also post a notice at the property regarding the proposed annexation. The zoning request must also pass the Woodruff Planning Commission, which makes a yes or no recommendation to the City Council. The Council may or may not follow the Commission’s recommendation.
Finally, all public meetings in which these items will be heard require a 24-hour public notice before the meeting that the items will be on the agenda. That 24-hour period does not count holidays or weekends.
Several speakers expressed frustration with that process, saying that with such consequential decisions, the city should do more to notify people of the meetings and the proposed annexation and zoning requests.
Since the comments were all made during a public hearing, by law, the City Council and staff were not allowed to address the comments at the meeting, as they were not part of the published agenda.
Following the public hearing, the City Council voted to approve the annexation and the zoning of the parcels as single-family residential. The approval is the first step toward development, as plans will still need to undergo the planning process.
Assistant City Manager Brandon McMahan addressed the Council and audience during one of the zoning items to address one concern expressed during the public hearing – the lack of proper infrastructure, particularly Chestnut Road and North Kelly Road, for a development of this size.
McMahan explained that before any development, the South Carolina Department of Transportation would conduct a traffic study in the area where the development would be located. This study would provide the infrastructure upgrades that the developer would need to make to the roads in the area to continue with the development.
In other business, the City Council approved a request to annex 23 acres at Highway 101 and Old Orchard Road and zone the property for industrial use. They also approved the rezoning of a nearly 2-acre parcel at 601 East Georgia from single-family residential to neighborhood commercial to allow the property to continue to be used as a dentist’s office.
In new business, the Council approved the first reading of the new fiscal year budget, which would take effect on July 1. City Manager Lee Bailey said the city’s budget includes some new capital expenditures and will be approximately $7 million. The second reading will be at the June meeting.
The Council also approved the first reading to annex 37 acres of city-owned property at 493 Godfrey Town Road, 37 acres on Phillips Lane, 281 acres on Godfrey Town Road, and four acres on Godfrey Town Road. All 360 acres would be combined and zoned as planned development for a future mixed-use development. The annexations were handled separately because the properties have different owners.
Finally, the council approved a resolution to join a Joint Industrial Business Park with other municipalities in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. The partnership offers improved financial opportunities to attract new industries to the area.
They also approved a resolution to adopt a new policy for the Woodruff Police Department regarding options for pregnant employees to comply with federal requirements. The policy allows employees to transition to light duty and/or a limited schedule, as recommended by their doctor.
Woodruff City Council meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The meetings are open to the public, and the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 24.
Author: Tracy Sanders
