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Council approves annexation and multiple rezonings to clear way for new commercial and workforce housing projects
Summary
Lexington council approved Satra Properties’ annexation on West Main Street and three related rezoning/PUD requests for Connelly Development — clearing final reading approvals and a PUD site plan for about 50–51 townhome units with 0.8 acres of limited commercial; council noted developer assistance for resident relocation and traffic improvements funded by the developer.
The Lexington Town Council on May 4 approved a series of land-use measures to allow a commercial center and a workforce-housing project to move forward.
Council unanimously ratified the annexation of roughly 29.31 acres owned by Satra Properties LLC on West Main Street and Highway 378, which the town said is planned for a car dealership and other commercial uses. Council then considered three related measures tied to Connelly (appearing in documents as Connley/Connelly) Development: rezonings and a planned-unit development (PUD) supporting a 50–51 unit townhome project with about 0.8 acres of limited commercial office space fronting Old Chapen Road.
Council members discussed site-specific issues, including power-line easements, setbacks in the PUD, buffer distances from potential wetlands, and traffic improvements along Old Chapen Road. Planning staff and the developer said easement language prohibits structures under high-voltage lines, and the town attorney and planning staff said standard utility easements remain on title and that liability remains primarily with the utility if a line fails.
Council also heard that the project represents a net gain of housing units relative to the pre-fire configuration of the site: the parcel previously contained about 30 units prior to a fire; the approved project will total 50–51 units, a net increase of roughly 20 units compared with the pre-fire situation. The developer told the council that tenants on the existing site are being assisted with relocation, and planning staff said the developer plans outreach to current residents.
Traffic mitigation was emphasized: council members said the developer will pay for improvements identified in coordination with SCDOT to address queuing and signal timing along Old Chapen Road. Planning staff indicated internal streets in the PUD will be privately owned and maintained.
All of the related items — the annexation, the two rezonings with PUD overlays, and the PUD site-plan approval — passed on final reading by unanimous council votes as recorded in the meeting.
The council also approved a separate resolution certifying 100 Snail/Snell Grove Road as an abandoned building site under the South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act, a step the developer sought to support state tax-credit eligibility for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of that property.
Next steps: the developer and planning staff will proceed with the site-plan and permitting process and coordinate relocation assistance for current residents and traffic improvements required as part of the PUD approvals.
