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Residents urge transparency as council delays rezoning of town-owned parcel
Summary
Neighbors and preservation advocates pressed the council over a proposed rezoning and questions about a town-owned tract bought in 2020; the council postponed a second reading on the rezoning and sent related UDO amendments back to committee for more review.
A rezoning tied to a town-owned parcel and broader development concerns drew sharp public comment and prompted the Summerville Town Council on Nov. 13 to delay action.
Preservation advocates and nearby residents said they had been blindsided by rezoning plans and urged more neighborhood involvement before title transfers or zoning changes. Christopher Lizzie, a local attorney who identified himself as a Gadsden Manor resident, said the town had purchased a tract in 2020 for $6,500,000 "under the premise that they wanted to keep unwanted development away from the historic Woodlands mansion, and preserve wetlands, and put a public park. Where did that go?" He added, "We strongly oppose it," and urged the council to honor earlier promises to residents.
The issue was linked to a second-reading ordinance to rezone TMS 1371109001 (roughly 2.95 acres at Burlingy Myers Parkway, East 6 South Street and South Gum Street) from PL (Public Lands) to NMX (Neighborhood Mixed Use). At the meeting the council voted to postpone that second reading until the December meeting. Separately, the council voted to send proposed UDO amendments affecting chapters 8, 13 and 14 back to the Planning and Development Committee for further discussion and refinement.
Preservation advocates urged concrete protections. Mike Strecker of the Summerville Preservation Society noted long-term historic changes in the area and called for title covenants to protect neighborhood character; Peter Gorman, speaking for neighbors, asked the council to attach a covenant to title that would allow a Jewish Community Center to build but would "restrict future commercial uses" such as banks, restaurants and ATMs. Gorman said the town is "losing 10% of our tree canopy annually," citing a recent study, and warned that infill and canopy loss would worsen flooding.
Council members and staff acknowledged the concerns. One council member said the UDO amendments and rezoning merited further committee review; staff and council moved the calendar to allow additional discussion on Dec. 8. No formal covenant language or binding restrictions were adopted at the meeting.
The postponement will give the Planning and Development Committee and staff time to consider neighborhood-proposed covenants, tree protection measures and stormwater implications before the council takes up the matter again.
