Clinton City Council will consider taking the first action to annex property beyond Ingles on Hwy 56 for a 409-home subdivision, on Monday. Cambridge Farms has been before the Council before, in another form, and is still awaiting an appeal from Laurens County in its win over the county in circuit court.
Developer Patrick McNair has said the development company - Veranda Homes - is acquiring the land and is going to develop it. That's not a threat, he has said; that simply is a fact. Clinton City Council delayed action in August because a full council was not available to consider the matter -- the annexation was approved by the City Planning Commission on a 3-2 vote.
The Clinton City Council's regular meeting - delayed from Sept. 7 because of Labor Day - will be Monday, 6 p.m. in the PS Bailey Council Chambers of the MS Bailey Municipal Center, 211 North Main Street, Clinton.
The meeting is open to the public. Public Comments on agenda items is Item #5 on the agenda, limited to 2 minutes per speaker.
The Cambridge Farms matter is Item 8A under old business, and it calls for the annexation of contiguous real property at the intersection of South Carolina Highway 56 and Cambridge Road. Critics say the subdivision's preliminary design is out of character for the Neighborhood, and the City as a whole, it will produce too much traffic for a 2-lane road, and it has the potential to dump too much stormwater into adjacent Bush River. The plan has at least 1 Council opponent because it contains R-1, R-2 & R-3 zoning, and the City previously had told the developer it wants just R-1 zoning (because R-2 & R-3 already are represented in the 2,200 housing units already authorized for Clinton).
McNair has said, in addition to other benefits, Cambridge Farms will offer up-scale housing AND places to live for police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other moderate-income residents -- also, it will have a publicly accessible 11-acre park.
Under New Business, Council will consider 1st reading of a Planning Commission-approved zoning change for the intersection of Willard Road and Springdale Drive -- an area across one road from Rosemont Cemetery, across the other road from the National Guard Armory, and between Clinton Middle School and Clinton High School. A Lowcountry developer wants to move his RV Sales & Repair business to this undeveloped, wooded site, that right now is zoned residential - long-range plans could include an Outdoor Station addition for promoting-healthy-lifestyle businesses.
The move would require 2 "yea" votes by a majority of the Council before becoming official. Public Hearings are not required on this matter, or on the Cambridge Farms annexation, because those already were conducted by the Planning Commission.
City Council has the final say in all things related to annexation and/or zoning.
Also, Council will adopt 4 proclamations:
September as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month;
September as Bicycling and Pedestrian Awareness Month;
September as Childhood Cancer Awarness Month; and
Tapestry celebrating 40 years service in the City of Clinton.
An ordinance change related to single family residential in R-MH, consideration of election law changes, ordinance suspending the blue laws (no sales on Sunday) for the next 6 months, action on a Comprehensive Plan update, and replacement of Planning Commission members from Wards 4 & 5, and At-large also are on the agenda. Reports & Recommendations from the city manager, finance director, council members, and the mayor round out the agenda.
Agendas here.
