Planning commission recommends annexation of Starlight Ridge planned development

A majority of the Clifton Planning Commission recommended annexing two parcels on Highway 72 and designating the combined site a Planned Development (PD) to permit the Starlight Ridge mixed campground and highway-front commercial proposal.

The developer’s representative, Joseph Dyes of Canterbury Civil, told the commission the concept includes a commercial frontage along Highway 72 and a rear campground with cabins and recreational-vehicle (RV) sites, and that the project would use Clifton city water and sanitary sewer — requiring annexation. “My name is Joseph Dyes with Canterbury Civil,” he said while outlining buffers, setbacks and a 100-foot exterior buffer to separate the campground from adjacent industrial uses.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on infrastructure and operational details that would affect public safety and city costs. Dyes said required infrastructure — including a sanitary sewer lift station and water mains — would be installed by the developer and typically transferred to the city or built to city standards, and that internal roads would be privately constructed and maintained. He also said fire hydrants would be provided within 500 feet of campsites and that road cross-sections and maximum grades were being designed to meet NFPA guidance and the fire marshal’s preferences.

Neighbors and commissioners raised concerns about trespass onto adjoining properties, stormwater runoff into a nearby creek and long-term occupancy. An adjacent property owner provided written comments expressing trespass and boundary worries. Dyes said the plan includes creek buffers and that construction and post-construction water-quality controls will be implemented under state permitting programs (including the South Carolina construction general permit and related inspections); he also described weekly erosion-control inspections by a certified inspector as part of the construction program.

Commissioners debated operational limits in the PD text, including whether the ordinance should require a specific standard for an “all-weather” road surface and whether the proposed maximum 180 days of occupancy in any 12-month period should be shortened. Some commissioners said 90 days would better prevent long-term residence, while others noted the 180-day limit accommodates contractors working multi-month projects.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend annexation and designation as a Planned Development as proposed, with the recommendation that city departments (public works, fire, police) and the city attorney review the proposal before council action. The motion was seconded and approved by voice/hand vote; the commission recorded the recommendation as favorable and will forward it to city council for final action.

The commission did not record individual roll-call tallies in the minutes; staff said city council will receive departmental comments and legal review prior to any final approval. The developer said he expects to proceed with a development plan if the ordinance is adopted and that the campground phase would likely come first.