Commission approves rezoning of Highway 17 property to allow standalone warehousing

The Mainland Planning Commission voted 6-0 on March 4 to recommend a county-initiated rezoning (ZM-25-2) of 4424 Highway 17 North (Parcel 03-00446) from Highway Commercial to a Planned Development District to permit standalone warehousing and related uses.

Stephanie Leaf, the county planning and zoning director, said the property most recently housed a retail flooring business and that Highway Commercial allows mixed retail-and-storage uses but not standalone warehousing. The owner, Blake Commercial Rentals LLC, sought flexibility to allow warehouse tenants; Frederick Stroud, representing Blake, told the commission the immediate impetus was a request from the paper mill to store electric motors temporarily while the mill expands its electrical shop.

Leaf explained that the PD text would retain all Highway Commercial uses while adding warehousing similar to those allowed in the General Industrial zoning ordinance. Stroud said the motors are metal and stored on the floor and that county staff initially told the interested party they could not keep pure storage on the site under the existing zoning, prompting the county-initiated rezoning. "They told them they couldn't keep electric motors ... that's how this was initiated," Stroud said.

Commissioners asked about driveway location and buffer requirements along the residential edge; Leaf said the planning commission could require changes to driveways or buffers at site-plan review or allow buffers to be modified where existing conditions limit revisions. No members of the public spoke for or against the rezoning at the hearing. The commission moved to recommend approval and recorded a 6-0 vote.

The rezoning recommendation will proceed through the county adoption steps; future site-plan or permit reviews will evaluate buffers, driveways and any conditions the commission sets.