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Planning commission approves east-side buffer waiver for Jim Bethel church parking expansion
Summary
The Greenwood Advisory Planning Commission unanimously approved a waiver to omit the 40-foot buffer yard along the church's east property line, citing heavy existing tree cover and stormwater maintenance needs; the waiver applies only to the east boundary and requires perimeter plantings elsewhere.
The Greenwood Advisory Planning Commission voted 9-0 to grant a landscape-buffer waiver for the Jim Bethel Christian Church site, allowing no 40-foot large-size buffer yard along the church's east boundary where it abuts an RM-zoned, heavily wooded property. Richard Claiborne, appearing on behalf of the church, told the commission the church is enlarging its parking and installing subsurface drainage and that, because of existing site conditions including a steep, wooded ravine and stormwater access needs, the petitioner seeks permission to use nonpermanent vegetation in the impacted area while still providing visual screening. "We'll still have the same site integrity. We'll still have the same drainage ability, and we'll still have the same, visual screening," Claiborne said. Planning staff recommended approving a waiver limited to the east side of the property after consultation with stormwater staff, who asked that trees not be planted where they would impede pond and stormwater maintenance. Staff and multiple commissioners noted the east property line backs up to a heavily wooded ravine that is unlikely to be developed. The waiver petition cited a request under the Unified Development Ordinance and Greenwood Municipal Code to waive the required 40-foot buffer yard between commercial and residential medium zones; staff asked the commission to require parking-lot perimeter plantings and other landscaping where appropriate. Commissioners discussed whether the application intended to include any portion of the north side; the applicant confirmed the waiver under consideration applied only to the east side for the area circled in the plan. Planning staff said that if the applicant later needs changes on other edges of the site they must submit the proper paperwork. A commissioner moved to approve the waiver, finding that the applicant met the Greenwood Municipal Code criteria for a waiver of the buffer yard requirement; the motion named the specific UDO/municipal-code section cited in staff materials and said the waiver applies only on the east boundary. The motion passed 9-0. The commission chair then told Richard Claiborne, "we have a landscape waiver for the east side of your property."
