Anderson City Council approves Beltline Connect PDD annexation, 7–1, after resident objections

Anderson City Council on first reading approved an annexation and Planned Development District (PDD) for about 22 acres along the East West Parkway known as the Beltline Connect, voting 7–1 after public comment and questions about buffers and future development.

Planning staff told the council the PDD covers the northern 22-acre parcel; phase 1 would develop about 8 acres with a maximum of 80 multifamily units (roughly 10 units per acre), while the remaining ~14 acres (phase 2) have no firm plans and would return to the planning commission and council for review. The PDD requires a 100-foot green setback from the East West Parkway, building setbacks, tree preservation and landscaping, sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity.

The nut graf: The vote clears a first reading of the annexation and zoning that supporters say balances new housing with conservation-minded design, but it drew opposition from at least one nearby resident who urged the council to maintain the city’s ‘small town feel.’ Council members pressed staff and the applicant on visual buffering, access, and the procedural protections for phase 2, which staff said can only be changed after the standard referral, planning commission review and two readings of an ordinance.

Planning staff summarized the project and said the planning commission unanimously recommended approval at its April 15 meeting, citing the PDD’s conservation design and the applicant’s commitments to tree preservation and a broad green buffer. Staff described the 100-foot green setback along the parkway, a single negotiated access point, and a goal of preserving existing trees where feasible.

At the public-comment podium, Lee Watson — who said he lives just outside the city limits — urged council to oppose development along the connector and preserve the city’s character: “We don’t need it to be Greenville … I don’t go to Greenville anymore because of the traffic.” Watson said many neighbors oppose development but had not attended the meeting.

The developer’s representative described site topography and screening: the middle-to-back of the site drops roughly 63 feet, and the developer said building rooflines would be largely not visible from the East West Parkway. The applicant also proposed donating a portion of land for a greenway connection; staff noted potential coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for wildlife-viewing improvements and a boardwalk in the lake area.

Council members sought and received assurances from staff that protections for phase 2 — including tree preservation, the 100-foot buffer, and pedestrian connectivity — are recorded in the PDD and cannot be removed without returning through the public process. After discussion, a motion to accept the annexation and PDD passed 7–1; Mayor Pro Tem Newton cast the lone dissenting vote.

The ordinance was advanced on first reading; staff said detailed development plans for phase 1 will be brought back to the planning commission and city council as required, and any change to phase 2 protections would require a formal amendment, public notice and two readings of an ordinance.