Hartsville approves new business zoning
(left to right) Hartsville City Council member Teresa Mack, Mayor Mel Pennington, and Mayor Pro Tempore Johnny Andrews
Photo by Samantha Lyles
Here is an excerpt of a story Samantha Lyles is preparing for our upcoming issue on March 13:
Hartsville approves new business zoning
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Hartsville City Council held a special meeting May 5 and voted, with some opposition, to approve the location of a storage facility near the downtown area.
Council approved first reading of Ordinance 4197, amending Hartsville’s zoning codes to allow the establishment of self-service storage businesses in the B2/B3 zoning district. This change was spurred when businessman Joe Lavender requested permission to open a self-storage facility in a stand-alone building located at 642 Poole Street. Plans call for the storage units to be located inside the building and not set out as rows of exterior lockers.
The planning commission had previously voted unanimously to recommend this zoning change, and both commission chair Dick Boiteau and Hartsville senior planner Brenda Kelley spoke to council in favor of this amendment.
Kelly provided council with an additional list of conditions, which council incorporated into the ordinance. These conditions restrict self-storage facilities from locating along major thoroughfares (like Fifth, Sixth, and Fourth Streets), and prevent them from locating adjacent to any residential property. Also, no business other than storage of personal items may be conducted at the storage facilities, meaning all other retail, manufacturing, or service operations are forbidden on site.
Council members Bernice Wilson and Teresa Mack voted against both the amendment and the ordinance, citing concerns over the potential negative impact to the surrounding neighborhood.
“I hear everything that’s been said, I’m just very cautious and wary about it because of some current things that we have in the community,” said Mack
Boiteau told council that the planning commission will soon begin the process of rezoning Sixth Street as a solely residential area, thus preventing more businesses from locating there. Existing businesses would be grandfathered in and exempted from the zoning restriction.
Council also heard a budget update from finance director Shannon Morrison, who informed council that, after extensive workshopping, the upcoming year’s budget is balanced and meets anticipated capital needs without imposing any tax increases or service rate increases.
Hartsville’s 2015/16 fiscal year budget comes up for first reading at council’s May 11 meeting, which will take place at 5:30 pm in Hartsville City Hall’s Council Chambers, located at 100 East Carolina Avenue.
Samantha Lyles won First Place in the S.C. Press Association this year for Political Reporting of Darlington County Council in our division.
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