Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – December 19, 2023

The Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission met on December 19, 2023, at 6:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included consideration of several text amendments, a rezoning, a preliminary plat, and a subdivision ordinance amendment. After extensive public comment and deliberation, the commission approved a text amendment for the Mixed Use Institutional (MUI) district, denied a text amendment that would have allowed commercial recreation in the RA20 district, and unanimously approved the remaining items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 2 (MUI Text Amendment): Tim Elliott, petitioner and principal of Elliot Sidewalk Communities, spoke in favor, emphasizing the need for residential units to make the project financially feasible and to create a vibrant downtown. Merle Flood, Director of Millennial Campus Planning at East Carolina University, also spoke in support, noting that the development agreement prohibits student housing and that residential is a necessary component of the innovation campus. No opposition was voiced.
• Item 3 (RA20 Commercial Recreation Text Amendment): The applicant’s representatives (Scott Anderson, TJ Sawyer) spoke in favor, detailing the proposed standards (200-foot setback, 60 dB noise limit, half-foot-candle lighting, electric go-karts) and the need for a special use permit. A large group of residents from Quarry Ridge, Blackwood, and nearby neighborhoods spoke in opposition. Their concerns included: increased traffic on Quarry Road (currently 4,000–8,000 trips/day, road designed for 12,000), safety for children and pedestrians, noise from outdoor music and go-karts, light pollution, decreased property values, and a lack of prior consultation. Several speakers noted that Pitt County’s planning staff had recommended denial of a previous rezoning request, and the county planning board voted 7–0 against it. One resident submitted a recording of amplified music heard from her backyard 600 feet away.
• Item 6 (Subdivision Ordinance Amendment): Powell Due, a property owner, spoke in favor, explaining that his map had been recorded without city review, causing legal complications. He supported the amendment to require city staff review of lot line alterations to prevent similar issues. No opposition was voiced.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – Request by Elliot Sidewalk Communities to amend MUI district standards: The current code limits residential uses to 25% of total building square footage per phase. The applicant proposed changing the calculation to 35% of total land area (cap of 400 units) across the entire MUI district, to allow phasing residential construction earlier. Staff and the applicant argued that the change would enable a bankable first phase (125–150 units) and that the 400-unit cap prevents all-residential development. Commissioner concerns centered on ensuring that future developers cannot “front-load” residential and leave institutional uses unbuilt. After discussion, the commission voted to recommend approval, finding the amendment consistent with the comprehensive plan.
• Item 3 – Request by Amanda Bambrick to establish “commercial recreation; indoor and outdoor” as a special use in RA20 zones: The proposed standards included a 200-foot setback (reduced to 100 feet adjacent to city-owned recreational facilities), 60-decibel noise limit at the property line, vegetative buffers, and half-foot-candle lighting limit. Staff presented a comparative analysis of regulations in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, Wilmington, and Myrtle Beach, showing wide variation. Opponents argued that the amendment would effectively allow an expansion of Sawyer’s Fun Park (the likely applicant) and that the road, noise, and traffic problems are already significant. The applicant countered that gas-powered go-karts would be replaced with electric ones, and the driving range would use low-light TrackMan technology. Several commissioners expressed concern about citywide implications and the risk of setting a precedent for RA20 areas. The motion to recommend approval failed 1–5; a subsequent motion to recommend denial passed (approximately 5–1).
• Item 4 – Request by RaceTrac, Inc. to rezone 3.405 acres from RA20 to CG (General Commercial): The site is at the southwest corner of North Memorial Drive and Independence Boulevard. Staff reported that the future land use map was amended to commercial in October 2023, and the proposed convenience store with gas sales would generate a net increase of 2,594 trips per day. The applicant held a neighborhood meeting on December 13, 2023. No public opposition. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval.
• Item 5 – Preliminary plat for Lynndale East Subdivision, Sections 1–5: The plat adds 8 lots on 136 acres at the termini of Remington Drive and Stonehenge Drive. The Subdivision Review Board had already approved it. No public comment. The commission voted unanimously to approve.
• Item 6 – Subdivision Ordinance amendment: Staff proposed requiring city staff review of plats that combine, recombine, or alter lot lines prior to recordation, at no charge. The amendment aims to prevent zoning violations (e.g., creating multi-family lots inadvertently). No public opposition. The commission voted unanimously to approve.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2 (MUI Text Amendment): Motion to recommend approval passed (voice vote, no recorded dissent).
• Item 3 (RA20 Commercial Recreation Text Amendment): Motion to recommend approval failed (1 in favor, 5 opposed). Motion to recommend denial passed (5 in favor, 1 opposed). Final recommendation: denial.
• Item 4 (RaceTrac Rezoning): Motion to recommend approval passed unanimously.
• Item 5 (Lynndale East Preliminary Plat): Motion to approve passed unanimously.
• Item 6 (Subdivision Ordinance Amendment): Motion to approve passed unanimously.

The commission adjourned after completing the agenda.