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Board of Zoning Appeals approves buffer variance for proposed school at 1255 Belleville Road
Summary
The Orangeburg County Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-1 to grant a variance removing required bufferyards along Chestnut and Belleville roads at a proposed school site at 1255 Belleville Rd.; staff required remaining buffers along Campus Drive and a 50% reduction along Mingo Drive and landscaping around signage.
The Orangeburg County Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-1 on May 19 to approve a variance requested by M. B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc. for property at 1255 Belleville Road (TMS# 0173-12-02-005.000). The board granted relief from Article 4 (appearance, buffering, screening, landscaping, and open space) of the county zoning ordinance that would have required a full perimeter bufferyard around the proposed 24.79-acre school site.
Planning Director Preston McClun told the board the site is zoned Commercial General and described staff’s recommendation: eliminate the bufferyard along Chestnut and Belleville roads while retaining landscape buffers along the property lines that border Campus Drive and Mingo Street to protect adjacent residential uses, and require landscaping around any monument or school signage to meet minimum ordinance standards. “Staff recommends approval for a variance to eliminate the bufferyard along Chestnut and Belleville roads,” McClun said.
Applicant representative Shawn Foster gave a brief presentation about the school’s planned appearance and the project’s effect on the area, saying the requested change was tied to student safety. “It’s a hardship for the kids’ safety,” Foster said when asked why the company considered the buffer removal necessary. Board member William Weathers questioned that characterization after Foster referenced costs during the presentation.
Member Yvonne Gooden-Johnson moved to approve the variance with conditions that retain landscaping along Campus Drive, reduce Mingo Drive buffers by 50 percent, and require landscaping around signage; Member Glenn Edwards seconded. The motion passed by a 3-1 vote. The transcript does not record how individual members voted; the board tally reported was three in favor and one opposed.
The board’s approval is limited by the motion’s conditions: buffers along Campus Drive must be maintained to “adequately buffer existing residential uses,” buffers along Mingo Drive are reduced by half, and the applicant must landscape any monument or school signage to satisfy the ordinance’s minimum standards. The decision does not itself authorize construction; any building, site-plan, or permit approvals required by county code remain subject to separate staff review and permitting processes.
No members of the public spoke in support or opposition during the public comment period for this item. The board moved on after the vote and later adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
