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Council advances rezoning for 1259 North Main Street amid neighbor concerns about traffic and privacy
Summary
Planning staff presented RZ2601 to rezone ~8.8 acres at 1259 North Main Street from General Residential to General Commercial to allow RV parking alongside an existing manufactured-home park; neighbors urged buffering and traffic changes on private Jerry Street. Council approved second reading and asked staff to require the applicant to attend the next meeting.
A rezoning request for about 8.8 acres at 1259 North Main Street moved forward after a public hearing in Sumter County Council’s March 24 meeting.
Helen Rudman, planning staff, told the council the property, formerly Lee’s Mobile Home Park, is grandfathered as a manufactured-home park and the owners seek rezoning from General Residential to General Commercial to permit both the existing manufactured-home use and new RV parking spaces for short-term workers. "This is a request to rezone approximately 8.8 acres from general residential to general commercial," Rudman said, noting the site’s frontage on North Main and that the planning commission recommended approval.
Neighbors at the podium raised concerns about traffic and privacy on nearby Jerry Street. "My name is Deborah Nesbitt, and I live right on Jerry Street," said Deborah Nesbitt, who described long-term issues with unkempt property, trespassing and loud behavior. She asked whether the rezoning would trigger buffering or other protections for adjacent homeowners; Rudman responded that the park is a grandfathered, nonconforming use and current code does not impose a buffering requirement in that situation.
Resident Zach Hayes said he is concerned about through traffic using neighborhood streets and asked whether access could be routed to North Main instead: "If they clean it up ... is there any way that we can find a way for they come in or off of Main Street rather than coming down Jerry Street to slow the through traffic?" Rudman pointed out the park’s main entrance is on North Main and said she would expect any site-plan review to clarify access points.
Council members debated whether the council had sufficient information to approve. One council member made a motion to approve second reading, saying the rezoning could prompt improvements by the new owners. Another council member said they were not comfortable voting without more information and preferred to defer. The council ultimately approved second reading and a council member asked staff to ensure the property owner attends third reading to address neighbors’ concerns in person.
What happens next: The council advanced RZ2601 on second reading and instructed staff to contact the new owners so they can appear at third reading to answer neighborhood questions. Planning staff said site-plan review will be required later and could address access, buffering and fire-code concerns.
