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Planning commission approves Culver's preliminary plan for Buckwalter Place
Summary
Commission approved a preliminary development plan for a 4,400-square-foot Culver's at Buckwalter Place with conditions to refine landscaping and consider pervious parking. Commissioners emphasized corner landscaping and pedestrian-crosswalk safety near adjacent attractions.
Beaufort County Planning Commission approved a preliminary development plan for a 4,400-square-foot Culver's restaurant on a 1.52-acre parcel in the Buckwalter Place master plan, voting to accept the plan as submitted after staff recommendation.
Town staff presented the proposal and concluded it met UDO criteria for a preliminary development plan, describing a layout with 61 on-site parking spaces (plus two on-street spaces adjacent), an 18-space queue prior to the pay speaker and an additional 10 "order-waiting" spaces beyond the pay window. Staff noted that garbage pickup will be coordinated to avoid conflicts with queuing.
Applicant William Heintz and owners Fred Coles and Tom Zinto described the Culver's model, stressing double drive-through operations and service goals: "Our goal in getting you from that speaker to the window is under 50 seconds," Coles said, and the restaurant team described a typical order-to-food time of about five minutes. The owners said they intend to be active community partners.
Commissioners asked targeted questions about site details. Commissioner Lydia DePauw encouraged use of pervious surfaces where possible for the extra parking spaces to reduce runoff and protect nearby waterways. Several commissioners requested robust landscaping on the corner lot and asked staff and the applicant to coordinate improvements to a nearby high-traffic crosswalk between the restaurant and nearby entertainment uses to enhance pedestrian safety.
Following the discussion a commissioner moved to approve the preliminary development plan as submitted, a second was given, and the commission approved the motion by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will process the approved preliminary plan and the applicant will prepare final landscape and utility plans as required by town code. Commissioners suggested the applicant consider pervious paving for some non-queuing spaces and to coordinate crosswalk improvements with the property owners association or public-rights-of-way stewards.
