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Commission conditionally approves LiveWell Terrace affordable housing plan tied to parking and verification steps
Summary
The commission approved a 120-unit LiveWell Terrace preliminary plan—allowed a 100% density bonus and unit income restrictions (30 units at 40% AMI, 60 at 60% AMI, 30 at 80% AMI)—but attached conditions requiring a traffic impact analysis, additional parking to meet Buckwalter PUD standards and verification of wetland delineations.
The Planning Commission conditionally approved a preliminary development plan for LiveWell Terrace, a 120-unit multifamily project proposed on roughly 10 acres within the Buckwalter Commons master plan. The project, proposed by LiveWell Terrace LP on behalf of Beaufort County, includes a leasing office, a future 6,000-square-foot medical pad and a mix of income-restricted units created through a 100% density bonus for workforce housing.
Town staff and the applicant explained the units and affordability mix: 30 units restricted to 40% of area median income (AMI), 60 units at 60% AMI, and 30 units at 80% AMI. "The units will be available to Beaufort County Memorial Hospital employees, but also to any other person seeking affordable housing," staff said in the presentation. WOTA Cooper’s on-site management team (represented by "Sophia" during the meeting) said they will manage leasing and work with South Carolina Housing to verify income qualification.
Commission questions focused on parking and wetlands. Staff told commissioners the project proposes 263 parking spaces versus 291 required under the Buckwalter PUD calculation (2.25 spaces per apartment), and noted opportunities to find an additional approximately 28 spaces prior to final review. The TIA is underway and will capture school-related traffic, with data collection planned to conclude by mid-to-end September. Applicant representatives said they expect to work with staff to meet the parking requirement.
Concerns about wetlands raised by a public commenter led staff and the applicant to note that Army Corps delineations were completed in 2003 and re-verified in 2022; the town’s wetland ordinance treats certain pre-2023 delineations as binding if terms are complied with. The commission’s conditional approval requires the applicant coordinate with town staff to meet parking requirements and to satisfy other UDO/PUD conditions before final development plan review.
The motion to conditionally approve passed in a roll-call voice vote.
