Call to order

Vice Chairman W.J. "Buck" Buchanan, in absence of Chairman William C. Etheredge, called the meeting of the West Columbia Planning Commission to order on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 6 pm. All members, excluding Etheredge, were present: Vice Chairman W.J. "Buck" Buchanan, Preston Cantrell, Elizabeth "Liz" Deas, Julie Huffman, Harold Prater, and Billy Lynn Williams.

Hook Avenue proposal

A large crowd was in attendance, awaiting word on the commission's only item of old business: a request for a PUD- R (Planned Unit Development- Residential) in the Hook Avenue area. City Councilmen L. Dale Harley and Jack L. Harmon were present. David Tuttle of Landmark Homes International, the group who had proposed the development, was also in attendance. Vice Chairman Buchanan explained that the commission had decided the public could not comment on the issue at this meeting and announced that, in fairness, the commission would not be asking Tuttle any further questions. After a small procedural motion, the commission voted 6- 0 to recommend to city council that Landmark Homes International's development request be denied. This drew loud applause from the crowd.

Although the Hook Avenue issue was now closed to the Planning Commission, Vice Chairman Buchanan used his discretion as acting chairman throughout the meeting to explain why the commission had rejected the Hook Avenue proposal. He said that city staff had given the commission a series of questions that Landmark Homes International needed to answer to the commission's satisfaction before the commission could recommend the proposal to council. He said many of those questions were not adequately addressed, and he and other commissioners felt the development would change the makeup of the neighborhood. Buchanan and other commissioners felt the developer was proposing too many houses for too small a space.

In his final remarks on the matter, Buchanan thanked Zoning Administrator Brian Carter and city staff for their hard work on the issue. Buchanan explained he felt Landmark Homes International had not adequately briefed city staff on its proposal. He added that on certain issues, particularly PUDs, developers should come to the commission first. Carter noted that developers sometimes ask for a planning meeting with commissioners prior to public hearings, although this is not required. He pointed out that Landmark Homes International had asked to go ahead with the public hearing due to deadline pressure to finalize the project. Public hearing and new business

The commission unanimously approved a request to zone a Quality Inn at 2516 Augusta Road as C2- General Commercial. One citizen asked that this be explained further and Zoning Administrator Brian Carter went over the request with the citizen, as he had with council.

In new business, the commission gave approval, pending acceptance from DHEC and West Columbia staff engineers, to plans from the Georgetown Group Development concerning property located on the south side of the 2200 block of Augusta Road.

Adjournment

Having no further business, the commission adjourned at 6:30p.m.