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Blythewood Council directs town staff to draft opposition letter to Richland County rezoning
Summary
The Blythewood Town Council voted unanimously to direct the town manager and attorney to prepare a town-issued letter opposing a pending Richland County rezoning for parcels adjacent to municipal boundaries, citing infrastructure and public-safety concerns; staff will transmit the letter prior to Dec. 8.
The Blythewood Town Council on Nov. 24 voted unanimously to direct Interim Town Manager Ed Driggers and Town Attorney Pete Baltahazor to draft a town-issued letter opposing a pending Richland County rezoning for parcels adjacent to the Blythewood town boundary.
The motion was made by Councilman Rich McKenrick and seconded by Councilwoman Patricia Hovis; the roll call vote was 5–0 in favor. Council instructed staff to transmit the final letter before the Dec. 8 Richland County meeting.
Council members said the letter should reflect the body’s official position, not individual signatures. Town Attorney Pete Baltahazor told the council the correspondence will be transmitted as a Council-issued statement and will emphasize concerns about infrastructure capacity, growth strain on schools and public safety.
Mayor S. Griffin and other members noted the town’s interest in maintaining zoning consistency along the municipal boundary to reduce potential impacts on town services and nearby neighborhoods. No vote on the rezoning was taken by Blythewood; the action directs staff to communicate the council’s opposition to county decisionmakers.
Next steps: staff will prepare the letter for Council review and transmit it to Richland County Council by the Council’s stated deadline. Any subsequent public or individual communications by council members would be separate from the town-issued correspondence.
