Planning commission tables U Haul Overlay District zoning changes and schedules workshop after extensive questions

Planning staff presented a multi‑article zoning text and map amendment package for the Broad River planning area intended to create a U Haul Overlay District and rework primary districts (including removal of RP‑10 and the addition of a Village Commercial district). The package includes new PDD standards for projects over 10 acres, a 30% permanent open‑space requirement, and a minimum 50‑ft continuous landscape buffer adjacent to Highway 462.

Commissioners raised detailed questions about allowed uses in the proposed Village Commercial district (for example whether personal care services should be permitted), the district’s geographic extent, and why the map had been expanded in places compared with earlier drafts. Smitty Cooler, a local resident and member of the Broad River Task Force, urged commissioners to protect waterways, wetlands and the rural character of the area, saying the map had at one point been expanded beyond the original intent of community input.

Members said they had not had sufficient time to digest the 33‑page ordinance packet before the meeting and asked for more time. A motion to table the proposal and to schedule a one‑hour workshop before the next regular meeting passed; staff will notify affected property owners by letter as requested by county council. The commission did not make a final recommendation to county council at this meeting.

Staff noted the ordinance will still need to return to planning commission if county council makes material departures from the version the commission recommends; commissioners asked for follow‑up materials and a dedicated workshop to address outstanding technical questions before a final recommendation.