Commission approves rezoning for six townhouses on East House Springs Road

The Florence City Planning Commission voted to rezone two parcels on East House Springs Road from campus zoning to NC6.3 to allow construction of six townhouses on the site, staff said during the July meeting.

Planning staff presented a tentative sketch plan showing the existing house on one lot and a vacant second lot at the intersection of Redbud Lane and House Springs Road. The parcels are adjacent to Fire Station 5 and across the street from the Bluffs at Mill Creek subdivision. The future-land-use designation for the area is neighborhood conservation, staff said.

Kevin Pulis of P3 Engineering, who was at the meeting representing applicant Mister Patel, told commissioners the proposal provides the required parking for two spaces per dwelling unit and that access would be taken from Redbud Lane. "Yes, sir. 2 per dwelling unit. Is that correct? It's required. We do we do meet that requirement," Pulis said when asked about parking.

Staff said the city received one phone call opposed to the rezoning; the caller's primary concern was traffic associated with adding units near the Bluffs at Mill Creek. A member of the public who spoke during the hearing expressed a policy preference for single-family homeownership and concern that townhouse developments are often rental properties rather than owner-occupied.

The commission opened and closed the public hearing and then moved to approve the rezoning as submitted. The chair called for the vote and declared the motion approved.

The staff presentation identified the parcels by tax-map references given in the record as "0015201127 and 017" and noted the property sits immediately adjacent to Fire Station 5. The applicant is expected to follow permitting and site-plan review steps before development begins; the meeting record did not specify construction timing or ownership plans for the individual townhouse units.