Greer council adopts fee changes, rejects Mount Vernon rezoning and approves North Line rezoning

Greer City Council on Jan. 28, 2025, voted to adopt a change to the city's fee schedule that adds impact fees and new peddler/solicitor identification and permit charges, rejected a rezoning request for property at 116 Mount Vernon Circle, and approved a rezoning for property at North Line Street Extension.

The fee-schedule change, listed as Ordinance No. 1, 2025, was presented by staff with no substantive amendments at second and final reading. The ordinance adds impact fees and explicitly adds peddlers to the peddler ID card language and creates a solicitors/canvassers/peddlers permit fee. The measure passed on a roll-call vote: Mr. Booker — Yes; Mr. Hopper — Yes; Mr. Dumas — Yes; Mr. Bettis — Yes; Mayor Danner — Yes.

The council considered Ordinance No. 2, 2025, a rezoning request to change a parcel at 116 Mount Vernon Circle from rural residential to suburban neighborhood, a change the applicant said would allow the lot to be split and a single-family detached home built. During discussion council members raised concerns about the proposed lot configuration, describing it as a shoehorned flag lot that is out of character with the neighborhood and asking whether Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) standards or homeowner association rules would provide safeguards on materials, driveway paving and grading. Staff indicated the request was for a straight suburban neighborhood zone rather than a planned development and that few additional safeguards beyond the zoning district standards would apply. After discussion the council voted: Mr. Booker — No; Mr. Hopper — No; Mr. Dumas — No; Mr. Bettis — Yes; Mayor Danner — Yes. The motion did not receive a majority and the rezoning failed on the recorded vote.

Council then took up Ordinance No. 3, 2025, a request by B. Scott Streetman LLC to rezone property on North Line Street Extension from medium-density residential to commercial corridor. Staff recommended denial; the planning commission had unanimously recommended approval. Council voted to approve the ordinance at second and final reading on a roll-call vote: Mr. Booker — Yes; Mr. Hopper — Yes; Mr. Dumas — Yes; Mr. Bettis — Yes; Mayor Danner — Yes.

The council also voted to hold over consideration of Resolution 3-2025 at the request of the applicant and staff; that procedural motion passed on a unanimous recorded vote.

Votes at a glance (recorded roll call from the transcript): - Ordinance No. 1, 2025 (amend comprehensive fee schedule: add impact fees; peddler ID card language and solicitors/canvassers/peddlers permit fee): Approved. Booker Yes; Hopper Yes; Dumas Yes; Bettis Yes; Mayor Danner Yes. - Ordinance No. 2, 2025 (rezoning — 116 Mount Vernon Circle: rural residential → suburban neighborhood): Failed. Booker No; Hopper No; Dumas No; Bettis Yes; Mayor Danner Yes. - Ordinance No. 3, 2025 (rezoning — North Line Street Extension: medium-density residential → commercial corridor): Approved. Booker Yes; Hopper Yes; Dumas Yes; Bettis Yes; Mayor Danner Yes. - Resolution 3-2025 (first and final reading held over at applicant/staff request): Motion to hold over passed (recorded unanimous yes).

Council members who spoke during debate asked questions about lot configuration, UDO safeguards, and potential visual impacts of building materials and driveways; staff told the council that the suburban neighborhood zoning request would be governed by standard district regulations rather than a planned development with additional restrictions.

The meeting record shows the planning commission recommended approval of Ordinance No. 3 while staff recommended denial; council action followed the planning commission recommendation.