Council approves trail, planning ordinances

Emergency ordinance renewed

Simpsonville, S.C. — The City of Simpsonville has adopted ordinances to update its comprehensive plan, regulate the Swamp Rabbit Trail and renew emergency measures to cope with the worsening pandemic.

At a regularly scheduled business meeting Tuesday, Simpsonville City Council unanimously approved second and final reading of Ordinance 2020-04, which sets restrictions on the one-mile stretch of the Swamp Rabbit Trail on South Main Street between West Trade Street and Fairview Road. The restrictions include prohibition on the trail of operating motorized or off-road vehicles or a bicycle at more than 20 mph and conducting commerce without permission by the City.

The ordinance gives 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. 

Councilwoman Sherry Roche of Ward 4, who made the motion to approve second reading of the trail ordinance, said that she has seen vehicles parked on the trail or driving over the trail to park along the tracks since Warehouse at Vaughn's on West Trade Street opened.

"That's become a really sprawling complex with a very limited parking area," Roche said.

City Administrator Dianna Gracely reported to Council that the Public Works Department has moved a garbage can to the intersection of West Trade and South Main streets to signal to the public that parking in the area between the Swamp Rabbit Trail and railroad tracks is prohibited. Gracely said the City plans to install "No Parking" signs in the area and then remove them once the public grows accustom to the prohibition.

"We don't want a lot of sign clutter, but we do need a steady straight row of signs at least in the short term to keep (motorists) from assuming they can park there," Gracely told Council during the virtual meeting. "We also have ordered a couple of bike racks that look like bicycles. They're actually very cute. We're going to install those as another measure to keep cars from being able to come in where that stop sign is at Trade Street." 

In response to Roche's concern about limited parking near Warehouse, Gracely said ample parking is available in and around the downtown area and pointed to the parking lot at the Activity & Senior Center on West Curtis Street and the new public parking lot at the corner of North Maple and West College streets.

"I think it's a matter of educating people that because we are now an urban center you can't expect to park right where you're going," Gracely said. "Part of the reason people go to downtown is to people-watch ... and see other activities that are going on, so we want to try to get people to change their mindset to understand you can park a block or two away and take a short walk."

The ordinance went into effect immediately upon approval by Council, which voted unanimously to approve first reading of the ordinance in November.

Council also unanimously approved second and final reading of Ordinance 2020-03, which adopts a new comprehensive plan establishing planning goals for the City for the next two decades. The Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act passed by the General Assembly in 1994 requires that municipalities like Simpsonville adopt comprehensive plans.

The ordinance went into effect immediately upon approval by Council, which voted unanimously to approve first reading of the ordinance in November.

Read the news release on the November meeting when Council took up first readings of the trail and comprehensive plan ordinances at the following link: November Simpsonville City Council business meeting.

Council also renewed measures to help prevent the spread of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 by voting 6-1 to adopt Emergency Ordinance 2020-06. The ordinance is identical to the previous five emergency ordinances approved by Council in setting procedures for Council meetings; allowing Council meetings to be conducted electronically; disallowing public attendance at Council meetings and directing the city administrator to provide public access to meetings via the internet.

Councilman Lou Hutchings of Ward 6, who voted in favor of the ordinance, said the emergency ordinance was the "right course to take" at this time.

"I as much as anyone would like to see us meeting again face to face, but I understand the spike that we're having in cases and understand the need for consideration of doing this," Hutchings said. "One thing I would like to bring up is it's been brought to my attention that if we do these meetings and try to keep them as much face-to-face type meetings as possible that we keep our cameras on. I've had some concerns from some folks who feel like that there's maybe a little bit lack of transparency if we don't have our cameras on and can't see everybody's faces participating in the meeting, so I would just like to request that we do that and try to keep it as close to a face-to-face meeting as possible until we can get through these circumstances." 

Councilwoman Stephanie Kelley of Ward 2, who voted against the ordinance, said Gracely has done a "stellar job" throughout the COVID-19 crisis and recognized the pandemic has been "difficult" for everyone. Kelley added that Council should conduct meetings in person, since businesses are unable to conduct commerce virtually.

"Right now, I'm seeing businesses close because I think they sometimes can't stay open, but they don't have the luxury to conduct business virtually, and I think it's kind of our responsibility to set an example that maybe we can get through this together," Kelley said.

With the previous emergency ordinance set to expire Jan. 9 and no regularly scheduled Council meetings planned until Jan. 12, Council had to adopt Emergency Ordinance 2020-06 to avoid a lapse in measures designed to help protect public health. Emergency ordinances require only one reading.

Emergency Ordinance 2020-06 took effect immediately Dec. 8 and is set to expire Feb. 6.

Council also voted unanimously to reappoint Sharilyn Carpenter, Isabel McFadden and Elliot Hirshorn to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Ed Brasher to the Planning Commission. Councilman Matthew Gooch of Ward 1 thanked the board and commission members for serving.

"I just want to say to those who have signed up to serve I appreciate it because it is hard to find folks willing to serve, and these folks have continued to come back to serve the City that they live in and that they love, and it makes us all a better place, and I appreciate your service," Gooch said.

The Simpsonville City Council business meeting held Dec. 8, 2020 can be viewed on the City of Simpsonville YouTube Channel.