[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6076507,"mediaKeyId","2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551","parentId",2969310,"title","Beaufort County School District presents River Ridge annexation and rezoning workshop; no action taken","audioSeconds",176,"startMs",7444000,"endMs",7620000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551&start=7444&end=7620","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551/thumbnail_7444000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6076507/Bluffton/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Beaufort-County-School-District-presents-River-Ridge-annexation-and-rezoning-workshop-no-action-taken","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076507-ec70a2b86b3c1234a4318854a4996e30/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445445&Signature=TEGpfiKzUZWuPNZKFMTrvhOuAb8vKnuc3V8vPXBv0NFppCVimRVAm82qK31oFDRnTJKlVn-td7~LX8aswq0nBCXeduVi4-Z2wnKWCNCSLXl7Kpn~TwJhcaZw8J8W5Xksqgxb73lRiSLPJEDUaV71itYcHVqLVMqMWJm7xWb9CQ17azIWRdxZ3Wpd9uooeXh6a1YVbwVLYkUW~CEt3oDmvkp~dk7hlj0~1SipSmKw5AteQE29p5pnnk7ml~C1tU0FkrcXd2JCgVq1grPcTH-FIvb95IBYAkfUESOUz8SY9yWSi4nYR~sn5kzeQcNcojLmmRA5BfQLlHCJKa09p63arw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bluffton, SC","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","Beaufort County School District representatives presented a planning workshop to the Bluffton Planning Commission on the proposed annexation of two parcels totaling about 24.12 acres into the town and a concurrent rezoning request to the town’s preserved (PR) district.

Town staff explained the annexation packet, which included two parcels proposed to be rezoned to PR and two additional town parcels on the existing River Ridge campus proposed for rezoning to PR as part of the consolidated campus zoning. The district said it is considering an early‑childhood center either on the annexed parcel or on adjacent athletic fields; if the school uses the athletic field, the playing field would be relocated onto the annexed parcel.

Council previously reviewed an intent to annex and directed staff to proceed; the planning commission workshop is informational under UDO Section 3.22(f). The commission received the presentation with no vote at the workshop stage; a public hearing and recommendation to council are scheduled for the next planning commission meeting, and council first/second readings were tentatively scheduled for May and June under the timeline staff presented.

Staff explained that schools were not previously a permitted use in the PR district and that the UDO administrator has initiated a text amendment to allow schools by right in PR concurrent with the rezoning. The change would remove the risk that the school parcels could be rezoned or redeveloped for residential units if sold in the future.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mar 26, 2025 Town of Bluffton Planning Commission","oneSentenceSummary","The school district presented a workshop on annexing two parcels into Bluffton and rezoning to the town’s preserved (PR) district to enable River Ridge Academy expansion and protect the site from residential development; the commission heard the overview and will hold a public hearing at a later meeting.","taxTitle","Bluffton, Beaufort County, South Carolina","taxId",71072,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076511,"Planning commission recommends conditional approval of Parkway Corners master plan with requirements on narrative, will‑serve letters and open space",4060,3615000,7675000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551&start=3615&end=7675","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551/thumbnail_3615000.jpg","/articles/6076511/Bluffton/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Planning-commission-recommends-conditional-approval-of-Parkway-Corners-master-plan-with-requirements-on-narrative-willserve-letters-and-open-space","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076511-735fed3ca84b180f3ae5c571789f2af0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445445&Signature=QaZmODaigyri9~o7TfEKY80QZiSb8S1JuPf-Hn7LaJYJLguk3yJALDODLIrLoDbfEOAol9EFwhE4OvtDngCRU~JxExiYpVUG37E1H67cJ9B-qf~1DOvdueAjE3eHlYTpDMsRNTq94Sz2Nptxj~wSxNkK0lhA5KXU9G4iBD4~ltAzZbtSzE7Zky2HXpPT05k4MoYGC404nRB9kg4CsY5l8NV5yEBJeZrK23IyBliiWTSpg3zP3dr9~ACmmPq9HILmdzsriSFCzGOGfj6rUJMPnD-4oubBE~xsF1WkgR7Lxtdx6Od5KH2tNg~frR24809nVFH9lt9za2Ragbf5RlGVJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bluffton Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend conditional approval of the Parkway Corners initial master plan in the Buckwalter PUD, subject to conditions requiring updated utility ‘will‑serve’ letters, an expanded master‑plan narrative addressing development‑agreement standards and demonstration of a minimum 10% non‑wetland open space.

The applicant proposed a 114.5‑acre initial master plan divided into northern commercial/mixed‑use and southern medical/commercial tracts; the submission identified development areas labeled A through G and included a detailed conceptual layout for a Novant medical site. Staff found the initial master plan lacked some of the detail required by the Buckwalter PUD and development agreement, especially with respect to the future realignment of Bluffton Parkway, and recommended three conditions if the commission were to recommend approval.

Commission debate focused on whether the plan needed more lot‑level detail and internal site‑planning standards at the initial master‑plan stage and how to treat a notional Bluffton Parkway realignment shown in older plans. The applicant and their consultant said the submission followed the Buckwalter PUD master‑plan standards and that Exhibit M, a more detailed conceptual plan showing parking and building locations, had been withdrawn from the formal master‑plan application; the applicant agreed to provide updated will‑serve letters and to expand the narrative to describe typical lot sizes, widths, setbacks and buffers for staff and council review.

The commission’s recommended conditions require (1) updated will‑serve letters from utilities and relevant agencies, (2) an updated narrative consistent with Buckwalter PUD section 5.88 addressing proposed uses and internal site‑planning standards to manage compatibility between adjacent land uses, and (3) demonstration of a minimum 10% open space for the project exclusive of saltwater and freshwater wetlands as required by the development agreement. The applicant will coordinate revisions with staff and the commission designated three members (Chairman Wetmore, Commissioner Michael Brock and Commissioner Lydia DePaul) to help review narrative updates prior to the council hearing.","After detailed exchange about master‑plan specificity and a planned realignment of Bluffton Parkway, the commission voted unanimously to recommend conditional approval to council, requiring updated will‑serve letters, an expanded narrative per Buckwalter PUD section 5.88 and demonstration of 10% open space exclusive of wetlands.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076516,"Commission approves preliminary plan for 32 Bruin Road after access and tree‑canopy questions",1636,1964000,3600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551&start=1964&end=3600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551/thumbnail_1964000.jpg","/articles/6076516/Bluffton/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Commission-approves-preliminary-plan-for-32-Bruin-Road-after-access-and-treecanopy-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076516-80f4f177d434032e587fa92c92ece422/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445445&Signature=KoLrNopS8Ink1phIhwNcvQxdWaYnYCaKIf0oRfe4SCFn92F8CRZcGXE-fs7qYCgOsYqilMd2CRGzgnW3IwY-GieQogP1JE4lIayAULSemysCgnZmLP7AvbMtlzDZHAUoHlJH6N4YwrtUF6E8lqOxFltwRGfOmVcPynHogyN6pUCfffm6-KlD7lZvgQWMck5NxT1aRJwN306PODclreIm9kxSg91LLt-Jp0wNab2Zy~5-3s4XutMqGE4ps-Zd5c468s~fge1cnvFhbjf31CfgpUmkGV5fx1OIVouZlQjdiI95j3X~1vCYyunudSPH0yItKrJyvD9AR-iZYbwJy4VS6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bluffton Planning Commission approved a preliminary development plan for 32 Bruin Road, a 1.22‑acre site in the Old Town Historic District that would subdivide the property into two commercial lots and preserve the existing office building.

The applicant, representing ABPAL LLC, proposed Lot 1 to retain the existing office building and a carriage‑house accessory structure (up to 1,200 square feet) and Lot 2 to accommodate a proposed two‑story, roughly 3,000‑square‑foot office/retail shell with an accessory carriage house behind it. The submission demonstrated 45 parking spaces where 29 are required and met a 75% tree canopy requirement, with staff noting the applicant submitted revised materials following Development Review Committee comments.

Public comment and commission discussion focused on Barnacle Cut Lane, a narrow private side road used historically for neighborhood access and shown on master plans. Neighbors and the applicant said Tabby Rhodes (a neighboring master‑planned community) had requested the developer provide an exhibit to close or otherwise manage the Barnacle Cut connection; the applicant said it had provided an exhibit to Tabby Rhodes and would support collaborative submittals but that the road‑closure or master‑plan amendment process would need to be pursued separately by Tabby Rhodes. The developer also offered to show canopy trees on surveys when the application relies on trees on adjacent properties to meet canopy requirements.

Town staff and the commission discussed whether the preliminary plan should show an access easement to preserve interconnectivity. The town attorney and planning staff indicated that if the road connection were effectively removed without recorded easements or rights of way, it could be inconsistent with previously approved master‑plan connectivity and that a condition requiring an access easement to be shown to the property line could be imposed.

A motion to approve the preliminary development plan application carried 4–1. The commission approved the plan as submitted; staff will follow up on suggested documentation such as showing offsite trees on surveys when used for canopy calculations and clarifying whether existing access easements of record exist.","The Planning Commission approved a preliminary development plan creating two commercial lots at 32 Bruin Road; discussion centered on a privately owned side road (Barnacle Cut) and whether an access easement should be shown on the plan.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076521,"Bluffton planning commission endorses staff’s FY2026 capital improvement priorities",1270,693000,1963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551&start=693&end=1963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551/thumbnail_693000.jpg","/articles/6076521/Bluffton/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Bluffton-planning-commission-endorses-staffs-FY2026-capital-improvement-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076521-aa31fb01c90e99fcce6a368dd3a26d09/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445445&Signature=eXwto9OhAZCf5nssaGx8n~l1yerZO~q3DbQWZXQqhsX7GU1shV8s0CwD1qmIYrJoL-6RSXDxSaibbS8W9VTxdiDoZCAX5MrZk2fh1XzLwQU4GHpnp1tjx83nRUmr604SILBPzhYblXrlmHtV95YVhvJMSidRib0y22cYDqnczbdHhATOsNJ6Ufbe7thBPgHa7kV4YJIZ8D~AEH3Tm1Eas1Yb5jJMFbio~iGSJwgq1C9~rR0KcKXN5TI4D-419orGu1lbvTfRX50UYsFCIHdl3uYt~3vx8DOsbVu-1Swk4eEoWcgJVB6D2T9HqZjtRCugHS8ZICHxbModKU7GuI-b5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Bluffton Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the fiscal year 2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) priorities as submitted by staff for council consideration.

Staff asked the commission to categorize new and carryover projects into priority 1 or priority 2 to inform council’s budget decisions. The CIP lists approximately 36 projects, with staff estimating about $27 million in capital funding requested for FY2026 and roughly $86.5 million across a five‑year projection.

Key new projects proposed as priority 1 include development of a Riverside Barn Park event pavilion and related park phase work, design of public services facilities, and impervious‑surface restoration projects tied to the May River Watershed Action Plan at area schools. Staff recommended three school-related impervious‑restoration projects be assigned priority 2 pending formal agreements with the school district.

Commission discussion clarified that the planning commission’s role is to prioritize projects from a planning standpoint; financing, bonding and final budget allocations are determined at council and finance staff levels. Commissioners asked for clarity on projects removed from previous lists; staff confirmed prior requests to remove certain items (for example, Cove Skids from Old Town) had been applied.

A motion to adopt the prioritization list as submitted by staff was approved unanimously. The recommendation will move to the town council for consideration in the FY2026 budget process.","The commission voted unanimously to recommend the staff-prioritized FY2026 Capital Improvement Program to town council, endorsing staff’s list of priority one and two projects and asking for council consideration as part of the FY2026 budget process.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076526,"Bluffton planning commission approves revised CVS design and landscaping",433,246000,679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551&start=246&end=679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2969310-7335d57a2ff8f42235cf9cc4f6c91551/thumbnail_246000.jpg","/articles/6076526/Bluffton/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Bluffton-planning-commission-approves-revised-CVS-design-and-landscaping","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076526-cf641520471d14a9b1a65fa7e2a6c3bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445445&Signature=oe9TeE34vPca-vV1l1FxIIfYYcyMa8szJsPaCAXZKDJd9JmZABKhvzFNO5FL4ixs40Ryr0Lq~BSn3DlNBmmLjpK-hNqkSoUrivs01r0XeeHJP5bFldrX3nZbrb4w1pTnoDuyZrefj8eOFKT7pTnrocmdA0IH5ec2JUu8T8AE19zZpA2QyDwcBvfpaDOpdyn-McmXwnCy5zKwvvds53lybdXG8KUfG0V-KvAx03vlsS5VNYWqbzccR43DNB4Pn8V~Fb~G6DyrzLWxOwI-o8DNWTMvyBlQ~2OqcPVXo3bGDJ4DW70hgcrpYvaexhfG3XdD12ozGBYlG8FHaY~zcXwvHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Bluffton Planning Commission on an evening meeting approved a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed 11,286-square-foot CVS retail clinic and pharmacy with a drive-through in the May River Crossing Highway Corridor overlay.

The approval followed a staff presentation and a set of design revisions the applicant made after the item was continued in January. Staff noted the applicant added an 8-foot landscape strip along Highway 170 and Evan Way, extended a brick base, relocated an emergency door to the building front, adjusted windows and awnings and added Bahama shutters and light sconces.

Planning staff recommended approval if the applicant provides a letter from the master developer (the declarant), submits a separate signed permit application and revises the final development plan to reflect landscaping changes. The commission also needed to determine the acceptability of the building’s flat roof form and approve the proposed LED lighting.

Commissioners asked about rooftop mechanical screening; staff confirmed HVAC equipment details were submitted and the commission emphasized that certificates of occupancy would be withheld if roof units were visible from Highway 170 or other public viewpoints.

A motion to approve the application “as submitted” with staff recommendations carried unanimously. The commission did not add further conditions after discussing rooftop screening enforcement through standard permitting processes.

The project site is in the Jones Estate PUD and May River Crossing master plan and will require a separate certificate of appropriateness review for the Historic District and a signed permit application before construction permits are issued.","The Bluffton Planning Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed CVS along May River Crossing after the applicant revised landscaping, fenestration and other architectural details and agreed to staff conditions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Beaufort County School District presents River Ridge annexation and rezoning workshop; no action taken

Planning commission recommends conditional approval of Parkway Corners master plan with requirements on narrative, will‑serve letters and open space

Commission approves preliminary plan for 32 Bruin Road after access and tree‑canopy questions

Bluffton planning commission endorses staff’s FY2026 capital improvement priorities

Bluffton planning commission approves revised CVS design and landscaping