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Developers seek annexation for West Main/Highway 378 site, propose 48,000‑sq‑ft dealership; traffic study ongoing
Summary
Planning staff presented an annexation and sketch plan for roughly 29.31 acres on West Main Street/Highway 378 to allow a phased development led by Highway 378 LLC and Satra Properties, including a 48,000‑sq‑ft automobile dealership; access and a traffic‑impact study will determine final roadway changes.
Staff presented an annexation petition and sketch plan for parcels in the 1100 block of West Main Street, saying Satra Properties owns about 29.31 acres and has petitioned to annex the land for a phased commercial development that would include a proposed automobile dealership and future retail blocks. The town planner said the site is shown as a regional node on the comprehensive plan and that, at the sketch stage, detailed building locations and utilities will be reviewed later during site plan and engineering review.
Jamie Puit, the civil engineer on the project, said phase one would focus on a roughly 48,000‑square‑foot dealership with showroom and service areas. "The only full service or full service entrance that we would be looking to get is the westernmost drive," Puit said, adding that the three eastern entrances were being proposed as right‑in/right‑out for the initial configuration.
Transportation staff (Randy) told commissioners the project team will coordinate with the South Carolina Department of Transportation to determine spacing and whether a signalized intersection is appropriate. "We could start construction as early as early 2027," Randy said when asked about timing for the intersection redesign; he added that recent corridor studies and a separate intersection redesign near Gibson/US‑1/378 are expected to improve level of service.
Bill Atkins of Pyramid Contracting described DOT work on the corridor as an auxiliary‑lane type improvement and said permitting and early construction activity could begin in the early part of 2027, subject to approvals. Staff emphasized that the traffic‑impact study currently under way will help determine final access points and any necessary roadway improvements.
Applicants said the plan includes setbacks, enhanced buffering next to residential areas and a preservation corridor. Until full access is warranted and approved by SC DOT, staff and the applicants said the dealership would likely operate with right‑in/right‑out access plus an internal driveway designed to allow downstream left‑out movements and shared connectivity with adjacent properties. Town staff indicated the sketch plan aligns with the town's comprehensive plan's regional‑node designation and that more detailed review will follow at the site‑plan stage.
The planning commission took no formal vote tonight; staff invited the applicants to return to the commission and to town council as the traffic study and subsequent engineering reviews are completed.
