Mauldin council approves rezoning of 25.8-acre ‘Cottage Green’ after hours-long debate over traffic and infrastructure

Mauldin — The City Council voted 4–3 on Nov. 17 to rezone a 25.8-acre parcel at Fort Shoals Road and Ashmore Bridge Road from commercial (C-2) to multifamily residential (RM), approving what developers call the “Cottage Green” project after extended public comment and technical review of traffic mitigation proposals.

The meeting included significant public turnout. Corinne Campbell, a resident who said she lives near Fork Shoals Road, told the council that the corridor “lacks a median and a shoulder” and warned that approving more housing without infrastructure improvements would endanger first responders’ ability to reach residents. Multiple other neighbors raised similar safety and quality-of-life concerns during the agenda-specific public-comment period.

Developer representatives and consultants disputed that the project would worsen conditions. Alan Reed of Impact Designs, the project’s traffic consultant, said he submitted an updated traffic-impact analysis to the South Carolina Department of Transportation and that SCDOT “does not recommend the roundabout” at the Perimeter/Ashmore intersection. Reed also said the updated TIA identifies nearly $1,000,000 in developer-funded mitigation improvements, including turn lanes and signal adjustments. Tim Crawford, speaking for the developer, confirmed the mitigation list and said construction on initial phases could begin within a year if the project proceeds.

Council debate focused on the geographic scope of the traffic study, whether existing and planned GPATS/SCDOT projects address the corridor, and the balance between future planning and current crash history. Councilmember Steinbeck asked engineers how widely traffic counts were taken; the consultant said the study concentrated on Fork Shoals, Ashmore Bridge and Perimeter Road and did not model several nearby intersections outside that scope. Council members discussed trade-offs between allowing rooftops to attract retail and the strain added to roads, water, sewer and public safety services.

The rezoning motion, made on second reading, passed by voice vote after discussion. Council then approved a separate second-reading motion to annex 7.2 acres owned by Take Heart Church at 1330 Fort Shoals Road (100% petition), assigning the property RM zoning; that measure was reported as passing by a 5–2 count.

What passed - Rezoning of 25.8-acre tract from C-2 to RM (approved on second reading, vote reported 4–3). - Annexation of a 7.2-acre parcel owned by Take Heart Church and assignment of RM zoning (approved on second reading, vote reported 5–2).

What remains unclear Council members and residents pressed for more detail about the long-range traffic impacts beyond the immediate study area and for stronger guarantees that the mitigation work will be completed. The traffic consultant and developer said improvements are included in the TIA and will be bid; council members asked staff to ensure the city’s checklist and permitting process require contractors to deliver the promised infrastructure.

The council’s action on second reading allows the development to proceed to final site-plan steps under Mauldin’s permitting process; additional approvals, construction timelines and any required off-site improvements will be handled through subsequent staff reviews and building permits.

Sources: statements and votes recorded during the Nov. 17 Mauldin City Council meeting. The council closed the public-comment period before moving to council discussion and votes.