Council approves first reading to allow commercial office on Riverside Village Parcel D

The North Augusta City Council on March 16 approved first reading of Ordinance 2026‑06 to revise the Riverside Village general development plan and change Parcel D (about 0.83 acres) to permit commercial office and parking uses.

City staff summarized the history: the planning commission reviewed the proposal to change Parcel D from townhomes and limited retail to commercial office, describing the change as being motivated by an interest in supporting cyber infrastructure uses. "What you have in the table is what are the maximum allowable building footprint is, not actually what's going to go on there," Clifford said, adding that the 80,000‑square‑foot figure in the document represents a maximum and that the likely development would be much smaller given current construction costs.

Council members asked practical questions about parking and accessibility, and Clifford said the city "can't accommodate all handicap parking on that facility through the parking deck" and that a minimum amount of ADA‑compliant parking will have to be provided on the lot itself adjacent to any new facility. Staff indicated that if council passes the ordinance on second reading, expect the companion resolution to purchase the parcel and stadium deck to appear on the next meeting’s agenda.

The motion to remove the ordinance from the table and the motion to approve it on first reading were both recorded as unanimous. Staff noted that further details about the size, siting and parking will be developed as the transaction and project are refined and that additional approvals will be required for any property purchase or specific development plan.