Council moves to annex and rezone Wade Hampton parcels for corridor commercial use; planning and staff split on recommendation

Greer City Council on Jan. 14 considered two related items along Wade Hampton Boulevard: a small parcel on North Line Street Extension proposed to be rezoned from medium-density residential to corridor commercial, and an annexation-plus-zoning petition for three parcels at 1386 West Wade Hampton Boulevard to bring them into the city and zone them corridor commercial.

Planning staff opposed rezoning a small 0.3-acre parcel to commercial-corridor because the requested corridor-commercial zoning is more intense than the city's future-land-use map designation for the site; staff described the surrounding pattern as a mix of commercial and residential and said the parcel could be incompatible if rezoned alone. Planning Commission, however, held a public hearing and unanimously recommended approval, observing that the small parcel appears contiguous with an already commercial corridor parcel to the north and that combining the properties could make practical sense.

For the annexation at 1386 West Wade Hampton Boulevard, staff recommended approval because the comprehensive plan calls for suburban commercial uses along Wade Hampton; the applicant indicated the likely intent is to develop a fast-food restaurant, though corridor-commercial zoning allows a broader set of uses.

Council members discussed the parcel's relationship to adjacent commercial properties and whether additional properties behind Wade Hampton should be treated as transition zones if they are annexed later. Council voted to receive the rezoning and annexation items and directed that planning commission hearings be scheduled where required.