A developer will not be allowed to place a mixed use of commerical and residential on 23 acres across Springdale Drive from the National Guard Armory.
That was the decision of the Clinton Planning Commission last Tuesday when it was asked to change traditional residential neighborhood land, which includes a city sewer right-of-way, into a planned development.
The plan was too vague, commissioners agreed in deciding 7-0 not to move the request forward to the Clinton City Council. The Planned Development would have carved out 2 of the 23 acres for commercial development at the intersection of Willard Road and Springdale Drive, with the rear portion on Baldwin Circle, a small residential street that connects a back entrance to Clinton High School to the back parking lot of Clinton Middle School and Wilder Stadium.
The commission was told the petitioners for rezoning were ETC Holdings, ETC 4712, Henry Lee McGowan, and the City of Clinton (whose right-of-way would serve as an access road). A speaker before the commission at its public hearing disputed that McGowan was a party to the rezoning request.
Janet Baker owns property across Baldwin Circle from the property, and she opposed the request. The commercial aspect of the planned development could open the area to vape shops and warehouses, she said.
She urged the commission to not let developers “jump on the PD bandwagon” to build mixed-use areas like this, especially adjoining an established R1 neighborhood and located between two schools.
The sign (right) announcing the rezoning request was placed on sparsely traveled Baldwin Circle, rather than on 4-lane Willard Road, across from Rosemont Cemetery, where it would have been more visible.
Seth Henry, the developer, said he has these developments throughout the Upstate and said he is looking to capitalize on Clinton’s growth. Houses expected on 55 lots would be in the high $200,000 to low $300,000 range, he said. Commissioners expressed reservations because they already have authorized R2 and R3 zoning that promotes these price-point subdivisions and they fear R1 (low-density) neighborhoods are being left behind.
Henry said the fact that there’s a QT just down the road on Hwy 72 at I-26) and the fact that a travel baseball complex/subdivision is being built on former Whitten Center property (its main entrance will be across the highway from QT) make the Willard Road - Springdale Drive - Baldwin Circle tract attractive for development. Commission members agreed, however, that it would be incompatible with the existing neighborhood and could be a traffic hazard, especially for young drivers and faculty going to and from CHS and walking to and from CMS.
