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Council approves special-use permit to convert 920 Southwest Boulevard into four apartments
Summary
After a public hearing, the Clinton City Council approved a special-use permit (4-26-1) to convert an existing building at 920 Southwest Boulevard into four apartments, subject to required permitting including an N.C. Department of Transportation driveway permit.
The Clinton City Council on May 5 approved a special-use permit to convert an existing structure at 920 Southwest Boulevard into four apartments after a public hearing and staff presentations.
Planning staff (Sam) told the council the application (4-26-1) proposed converting the building on an approximately 1.9-acre parcel zoned R-8, with an adjacent RRA-20 tract to the south. The applicant will retain an on-site single-family dwelling and add eight paved parking spaces; staff noted the application must be considered under Section 11.4 of the Clinton Land Development Ordinance.
"If you choose to approve or deny this, section 11.4 of the Clinton Land Development Ordinance needs to be considered," the planner stated during the hearing.
Ronald Sparks, the project's engineer, described the physical work: exterior front and rear staircases to provide outdoor access to upper units, exterior lighting, and a paved driveway in place of the current dirt access. "This is an existing building, and it's been unoccupied for many years now. This is the opportunity to bring it back to life," Sparks said, noting that a driveway permit application had been submitted to the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and was in process.
Council members asked about the council's authority to add stipulations, whether approval should be conditioned on DOT permit issuance, and whether landscaping requirements could be attached. The city attorney said the council does not have "unfettered" authority to impose any condition but may adopt reasonable stipulations; planning staff noted local landscaping requirements apply to commercial uses and not to the residential conversion proposed.
Having found the proposal met the ordinance standards, the council moved and voted to approve the special-use request. The approval on the record was by voice vote with no opposition recorded; final permits and the NCDOT driveway permit remain prerequisites to construction and occupancy.
What happens next: staff will proceed with customary permitting steps; the applicant will need to secure the NCDOT driveway permit and any required building permits before work begins.
