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Council denies annexation and UCMX rezoning request for 1501 Central Avenue
Summary
Summerville Town Council voted to deny a petition by John H. and Nancy S. Hill to annex and rezone 1501 Central Avenue from county R-2 to UCMX urban corridor mixed use, citing concerns about single-use townhouse development, lot coverage, and roadway capacity.
The Summerville Town Council voted Jan. 9 to deny a petition to annex and rezone 1501 Central Avenue (TMS 13-60900036) from Dorchester County R-2 to UCMX (urban corridor mixed use).
Councilmembers debated the request at length after the planning and development committee forwarded the petition to full council with no recommendation. Opponents, including Councilman Waring and several residents, argued that the applicant's plan for the parcel appeared to call for townhomes only, which they said would conflict with the mixed-use intent of UCMX zoning. "The proposal at hand calls for the development exclusively of townhomes on this parcel, and the singular use contradicts that mixed-use philosophy of UCMX," a councilmember said during debate.
Concerns centered on UCMX allowances for 100% lot coverage and zero setbacks, and the potential for increased traffic on an already strained Central Avenue corridor. Supporters of the rezoning noted the town's need for greater housing density and pointed to recent infill development nearby; the planning commission had approved the rezoning 6-0 at its earlier meeting.
Town planning staff advised that a denial of the rezoning at annexation would effectively end the annexation request; under town rules the applicant could not reapply with the same request for one year unless the application were amended. Following discussion, councilmember (moved to deny) made a motion to deny the rezoning; the motion carried on a voice vote and the mayor declared the motion approved.
No specific vote tallies by name were announced on the record; the council's procedural ruling means the annexation application is defeated and the parcel will remain under Dorchester County zoning until and unless the owners submit a new, amended petition.
Councilmembers who spoke on the record urged future coordination with infrastructure improvements along the corridor and suggested that a mixed-use planned unit development could be an alternative for the property in the future.
