Council approves first readings of trail, comp plan ordinances

Major changes for innovative development sites allowed

Simpsonville, S.C. — Simpsonville City Council approved first readings for an ordinance regulating the Swamp Rabbit Trail and an ordinance adopting a new comprehensive plan at a business meeting Tuesday night.

Both ordinances require two readings before adoption. Council is expected to hold a second reading for each ordinance in December.

Trail ordinance

Council voted 7-0 to approve first reading of Ordinance 2020-04, which would set restrictions on the use of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a mile-long stretch of trail on South Main Street from West Trade Street to Fairview Road. The ordinance would prohibit the operation of a bicycle at more than 20 miles per hour and motorized or off-road vehicles and the selling, soliciting and advertising for any commercial enterprises unless allowed by the City.

The ordinance would also give the Simpsonville Police Department and Greenville County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction over the trail. Exceptions for motorized or off-road recreation vehicles are motorized wheelchairs by a person with a disability and vehicles operated by public safety officials and the Greenville County Recreation District.

City Administrator Dianna Gracely said in the online meeting that the predominant reason for adopting the trail ordinance is to prevent motorized vehicles from using the trail.

"We do have vehicles pulling across the trail to park, and it's damaging the barriers that we have there, so we need some enforcement tool that the police department can use to prevent that from happening," Gracely said. 

Gracely added that the cities of Greenville and Travelers Rest and Greenville County have already adopted the same ordinance and advised Council to "incorporate the same rules governing" the South Main Street section of trail.

Councilwoman Sherry Roche of Ward IV said at the meeting that while walking the trail Tuesday she witnessed an SUV drive over the trail to park near the railroad tracks, thereby damaging one of the barriers.

"It's one more reason that we need to have some sort of ordinance in place, something for the police to enforce the rules and have some sort of penalty for breaking them ... ," Roche said. "I'd like to see this ordinance passed."

Gracely advised Council that police would be able to cite motorists that drive over the trail if the ordinance were to pass.

Comp plan ordinance

Council also voted 7-0 to approve first reading of Ordinance 2020-03, which would adopt an updated comprehensive plan for the City of Simpsonville that addresses planning efforts for the next two decades. The Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act passed by the General Assembly in 1994 requires that municipalities adopt comprehensive plans.

Planning & Economic Development Director Jason Knudsen told Council that he has received a lot of positive feedback about the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. In response to questions from the public received by Council, Knudsen clarified the difference between the comprehensive plan and the Downtown Master Plan on which the City is also currently working.

"The downtown master plan is very site specific, and it doesn't have as broad of a scope, so those are ideas and directions that we would like to go, focusing on just our downtown," Knudsen said. "The comprehensive plan really covers the entire city, so we're not just looking at one area. Now different elements may look at different areas in the city, but overall the document is for how we are going to grow as a city for the next 10 to 20 years."

Councilwoman and Mayor pro-tem Jenn Hulehan of Ward III asked Knudsen what kind of public feedback about the comprehensive plan has the City received despite the limitations on public gatherings that the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic has forced. Knudsen said the public input about the downtown master plan has helped guide the direction of the comprehensive plan and added that input includes feedback about other areas in the City.

"(Downtown is) an area that's growing very quickly, so a lot of those concerns of traffic and density and aesthetics even really do apply to other areas of the city as well," Knudsen said.

Major change for Waterleaf at Neely Ferry

Council voted 7-0 for final approval of a major change to the innovative development property Waterleaf at Neely Ferry, an apartment complex. Real estate and investment firm Graycliff Capital Development, LLC requested to change the design and intent of Phase II of Waterleaf apartments by reformatting the building layouts to include multi-family apartments above flexible office space.

The request is a response to the changing work environment caused by the pandemic.  

Major change for Burdette Central

Council also voted 7-0 for final approval of a major change to the innovative development property Burdette Central. Real estate agency Four Oaks Property Group requested to add to its statement of intent a "Permitted Uses" section, which would include entertainment, private events, construction services and light assembly.

The Planning Commission voted 5-0 and 4-0 respectively to approve the major changes to Waterleaf at Neely Ferry and Burdette Central. 

A packet containing the agenda and two ordinances can be found below under Supporting Documents.

The business meeting Tuesday night also featured a proclamation read by Mayor Paul Shewmaker in support of Small Business Saturday, regular report by Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO/President Allison McGarity and executive session for the receipt of legal advice concerning Grounsell v. City of Simpsonville. Council did not take any action upon the conclusion of executive session.

Council will hold its last regularly scheduled business meeting for 2020 on Dec. 8. The meeting will be live streamed on the City of Simpsonville YouTube Channel which can be subscribed to for alerts and live stream reminders.