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Commission recommends updated Morgan Tract PDD and approves Block A initial master plan; spine road to SC‑46 required
Summary
The planning commission recommended an update to the Morgan Tract PDD and approved Block A's initial master plan, including a developer‑funded spine road that will connect US‑278 to SC‑46 and provide new networked access to reduce pressure on 278.
City staff presented a revised plan development district (PDD) for the Morgan Tract, updating a 2006 PDD and development agreement to current standards and removing industrial land uses in favor of mixed use, parks and open space. The revised PDD covers about 2,629 acres with a maximum residential density the applicant described as unchanged; staff identified a maximum of 6,700 units citywide in the new documents, including up to 1,000 multifamily units.
Initial master plan action: commissioners considered Block A, an 841‑acre initial master plan for the Morgan Tract that would be the first phase. The applicant disclosed a Block A program of up to 974 single‑family units and up to 370 multifamily units (a total of 1,344 residential units), internal sidewalks and trails and a 10‑foot multi‑use pathway. The plan includes a spine road that the developer will build, providing a multi‑access connection from US‑278 down to SC‑46; staff and the applicant said the spine road is intended to reduce traffic concentration on US‑278 and provide more networked access.
Traffic, buffers and utilities: consultants said SCDOT has approved an access management plan for main access points, the traffic impact analysis has been reviewed by the city, DOT and a third party, and the developer is coordinating John Smith Road intersection improvements (signalization and turn lanes) with SCDOT and with other developers. Staff proposed increasing typical residential perimeter buffers from 10 feet (in the 2006 PDD) to 50 feet and carrying new stormwater and landscaping standards from the city’s 2024 MZDO into the updated PDD.
Public comment and construction access: neighbors asked about use of Stryker Road and other existing dirt roads for construction traffic; consultants acknowledged construction traffic will use existing internal roads and several private access points during early phases and said they expect the spine road and designed accesses to reduce longer‑term reliance on ad hoc routes. Commissioners approved the PDD amendment recommendation and the Block A initial master plan and asked staff and the developer to coordinate construction access, drainage and required environmental reviews before permitting.
Next steps: the PDD package and Block A will go to City Council for workshop and action; site development permits for each phase must still clear staff review committee and obtain DOT and environmental approvals prior to construction.
