Planning commission backs rezoning recommendation for U-Haul site with subdivision condition

The Blythewood Planning Commission voted to recommend that Town Council approve a zoning map amendment to rezone roughly 18 acres in the 800 block of Community Road from Town Center (TC) to Limited Industrial (LI), with a condition that the developer subdivide the site and limit the LI rezoning to 10 acres or less while the remainder remains TC.

The recommendation, made during the commission’s regular meeting, came after a presentation from the applicant’s representative and discussion among commissioners about long-term land-use goals, traffic, stormwater review and options to preserve part of the parcel for town-center uses.

The proposed rezoning applies to tax map parcel R15100-04-02, a largely undeveloped property adjacent to Johnny’s Produce and behind the existing public storage facility. Steve Strunk, owner’s representative for the U-Haul Company, described the company’s plan to build two buildings on the southern end of the property: a customer storage facility and an indoor warehouse to hold U-Box units. “We’re going to have approximately 800 units in the building,” Strunk said, and he described security measures including keypad/swipe access, individual unit alarms and 24-hour camera recording.

Commissioners and staff emphasized that the planning commission’s action is only a recommendation to Town Council. A staff member clarified that any council vote contrary to the planning commission’s recommendation would require a three-fourths majority under state law. The application will proceed to the council for first and second readings if the council schedules it.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on the amount of land needed for the U-Haul project. Strunk said the company would need “at least 6” and possibly up to 8 acres for the proposed facilities but later agreed that they would not likely use more than 10 acres; the commission’s motion conditions approval on subdividing the parcel so that the LI rezoned portion is 10 acres or less and the front portion remains Town Center. Commissioners said that approach protects the town’s longer-term economic-development aims — such as space for hospitality or retail under the new land-development ordinance — while allowing the applicant to develop the rear portion.

The commission and applicant also addressed other implementation constraints. Driveway and entrance approvals would require South Carolina Department of Transportation encroachment permits, and the stormwater plan will be reviewed by DHEC during later permitting. The applicant estimated a construction timeline of less than 12 months from final approvals and said the site would be company-owned and operated, with initial employment expected to ramp to local hires.

In a final roll-call vote, commissioners voted to recommend approval to Town Council with the subdivision condition. The meeting record shows the motion carried; the commission did not record an itemized vote tally in the transcript.