Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - March 21, 2023

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM on March 21, 2023, in City Hall Council Chambers. Chair Kevin Faison presided. The commission approved minutes, continued a preliminary plat, recommended approval of a rezoning for affordable housing, and discussed zoning amendments for alcohol establishments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the February 21, 2023 meeting were approved unanimously.
• Preliminary Plat – Manning Forest North: The commission voted to continue this item to the April 18, 2023 meeting, as the surveyor had not yet returned the plat for staff review.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rezoning Request (Woda Cooper Development): Patrick Olding, representing Woda Cooper Development, spoke in favor of the rezoning from CG (General Commercial) to OR (Office-Residential). He explained that the company is an affordable housing developer with over 30 years of experience, 400 properties, and 16,000 units. The proposed project would use low-income housing tax credits to create multifamily units at 40–60% Area Median Income. No opposition was voiced.

Discussion Items

• Rezoning (Item 3): Staff presented that the 2.89-acre property is located along West Arlington Boulevard, west of Evans Street. Under current CG zoning, a convenience store could be built; under proposed OR zoning, about 10 multifamily units are possible, resulting in a decrease of approximately 1,800 trips per day. The property is partially in a flood hazard zone. The future land use plan designates high-density residential for this area. Staff recommended approval, finding the request consistent with the Horizons plan. The commission voted to recommend approval.
• Microbreweries and Microdistilleries (Item 4): Staff provided a follow-up from the February 21 meeting. The commission had previously voted to delete the 500-foot separation rule between bars. Staff discussed potentially allowing microbreweries and microdistilleries in additional zoning districts. Currently, they are only permitted in CD (Downtown) zoning via special use permit. Staff analyzed the city's four industrial zones (IU, I, PUI, PI) but noted that PI has no existing properties and that applying the 500-foot residential buffer would leave few viable sites. Staff recommended allowing microbreweries and microdistilleries in the commercial districts where bars are already permitted (CD, CDF, CG, CH) while retaining the special use permit requirement. The commission made a motion to allow microbreweries and microdistilleries in CD, CDF, CG, and CH zoning districts. The motion passed unanimously.
• Wine/Beer and Keg Store Consolidation: Staff proposed combining the "wine, beer and keg store" and "wine and craft beer shop" uses into a single use called "wine and beer shop." This is a cleanup measure that would not affect existing non-conforming uses. The commission approved the motion to combine and rename the use.
• Packaging of Amendments: The commission discussed whether to send the three pending items (bar 500-foot rule deletion, microbrewery/microdistillery amendment, and wine/beer shop consolidation) to City Council as a single package or separately. Concerns were raised about bundling potentially controversial items. The commission voted to have staff present three separate agenda items for the next meeting, allowing independent votes on each.

Key Outcomes

• Rezoning Approval (Woda Cooper): The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning from CG to OR for 2.89 acres on West Arlington Boulevard. The recommendation will go to City Council for final decision.
• Microbrewery/Microdistillery Zoning: The commission voted to recommend allowing microbreweries and microdistilleries in CD, CDF, CG, and CH zoning districts, subject to special use permit. This will be presented as a separate text amendment.
• Wine/Beer Shop Use: The commission voted to combine the two similar uses into one "wine and beer shop" use. This will also be a separate amendment.
• Bar 500-Foot Rule Deletion: The commission affirmed its previous vote to delete the 500-foot separation between bars. This item will be brought back as a separate ordinance with final language and a public hearing before being sent to Council.
• Next Steps: Staff will prepare three separate staff reports for the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting (expected April 18, 2023) for final votes on the language of each amendment. After commission approval, the items will be forwarded to City Council.