City Council meeting to order for this fine day of July the thirteenth.

Um, we're gonna stand for a moment of silence, and we all have heard about the passing of Lindsay Graham keep his family in prayer, our state as well and the country.

Council um Smith is on vacation.

So she's missing us.

I'm sure she's watching online.

Hey, Megan, how are you?

But uh and I'm back, so I was on vacation on the last one, but uh she will be out today.

Approval of the minutes for June twenty second, twenty twenty-six city council meeting.

So second.

All in favor, aye.

Any that opposed, eyes have it.

Item four, approval of the agenda for the July 13th, 2026 City Council meeting.

Second.

All in favor?

Any that opposed?

I have it.

We have public comment.

Uh at this time we have a couple uh public comments, and the way it's gonna work, once you get up to the mic, and after you uh restate your name, uh you have two minutes to state your comment.

And so we have Miss Moultrie, Miss Moultrie from Whitlock Street, okay.

Miss Jones, Miss Jones from Fairfax.

From Fairfax.

Well, I I went by and talked with the uh clerk today, and the mayor has a public comment that he wanted to make in recognition of a student athlete at Spartanburg High School.

And I have to read off her bio, guys, and just bear with me.

And Miss Riley Vaughn, if you don't mind standing or coming down front so everybody can see you.

But this was sent to her coach back in June 25th, 2026.

Dear Coach Jones, the Gatorade Player of the Year program is proud to recognize Riley Vaughn as the 2025-2026 Gatorade South Carolina Girls Track and Field Player of the Year.

In receiving this award, they uh they joined a 41-year legacy that includes past winners such as Peyton Manning, Paige Becker, Jason Tatum, and Mallory Swanson, and many others to name.

As the top award high school sports, Gatorade Player of the Year award honors the most elite high school student athlete in 12 varsity sports for their athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.

All finalists, all the final candidates selected to determine by the selection committee, assessing thousands of okay, okay, okay.

Now I want to get to you know, in order for Riley to win this award, her resume, resume.

Let me know when that two minutes go up.

All right.

As I go through her resume.

Ah, look at this.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

Oh, that Wi-Fi.

Yeah.

Come on.

You got you have to hear this.

And then we're gonna, there we go.

All right, this is just 2026 track and field highlights.

She holds the uh a record at Clemson Spartanberg High School and Dorman.

She's a record holder, qualified for the Adidas New Balance, Under Armour, and Nike High School Nationals.

Nominated various times for the mile split after the other week.

All county, all region, all state, state champions for both for both shot puts and discus.

Discus, county champion, meet record holder, region, upper state champion, state champion, under armor high school national champion, shot putting county champion, meet record holder, region champ, meet record holder, broke school record twice.

Upper state championship, meet high school record holder, broke school record three times, state champion, underarmor high school national, top three finisher, all American.

And not only is she a student athlete, really, guys, but uh community service, turkey giveaway, back to school supply giveaway, uh humane society volunteer, stock the pantry, a total ministry located in Spartanburg, McCracken Middle School Leadership Workshop, prom and homecoming cleanup crew setup crew, work day volunteer, bake sale fundraiser, concession volunteer for football, basketball, volleyball, community uh uh carnival volunteer, prom homecoming ticket sales, youth group, connected scholars, bra mentor, Delta Gems, church uh activities, member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, uh student leadership, student body vice president this coming year, correct?

So that says she's a junior, well, rising senior, so she's still in high school.

Now, uh student body vice president, junior leadership of Spartanburg, Coach O Ambassador, uh student organization, student council, beta club, national high school, national honor society within my high school and nationally.

Move Alpha Theta uh uh uh award, yeah, Interact Club, junior leadership of Spartanburg, fine arts, eight-year cello player, five-year piano player.

Man, this list goes on and on.

Exemplary student, but we were on vacation when we got the message, and I was out at the last uh council meeting.

But I just wanted all of you all to meet Ms.

Riley Vunn, or Rising High School Senior, the South Carolina State uh Gatorade female athlete of the year.

Congratulations to you, Riley.

We are so proud of you.

Ryan and Natasha, uh right there in the back.

Uh Ryan's video and everything, and most friends do all the time.

But uh Ruth, get that camera together.

I want to make sure you get this.

You're gonna be in room news there.

Go working.

Congratulations.

Oh, okay.

Also is on her intern, she's interning this year with attorney.

Yeah, attorney Richard.

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Very, very talented.

Mr.

Mary, I just want to note I'm going home and talking to my rising 11th grader.

He needs to step it up a bit.

Congratulations.

Awesome, awesome, man.

Great news to come back.

Uh uh as they are about to head back to school within a couple weeks.

So school starts early this year.

But great.

That was good news for me.

I'm so proud of her.

Uh has an uh older brother heading to LSU this year as well.

Yeah, yeah.

So great, great family.

Thank you guys.

Uh from a uh player of the year.

I mean, she she she was back in the day, but her resume.

I mean, her resume is always the CDS.

Awesome, also awesome.

Love it, love it.

Thank you, Robert.

Did I turn my phone off?

All right, good.

Now, item six, public hearing.

Uh, we have an ordinance to amend the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan, land use element um by amending section 206, change the district boundary specifically to property located at 154 Ridge Street from the current zoning uh D5 Urban Center um zone to D T4 General Urban Zone to accommodate the development for a single family dwelling and providing um the effective date and okay, all right.

Fredlin Frazier had a bunch of stuff to read there.

Planning director, Miss Fraser, thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

Uh, I don't have anything as exciting as Riley's information, but uh we'll try to make this fun for you as well.

Um the item before you this evening is a rezoning of 154 Ridge Street.

The owner applicant is um Okanag Property Group, Christopher Jefferson, someone that I know you're familiar with as the developer.

Uh, this particular home is part of the city scattered site affordable housing program.

So this uh lot was released to Mr.

Jefferson early in 2025.

So uh the request is to reclassify this parcel from a DT5 to DT4 in order to accommodate a single family um residents, uh affordable single family residents.

DT5 requires two-story homes, which then made it a bit prohibitive in terms of affordability.

Uh so where we are in the rezoning process, as we always do, we make sure that there is a public information session.

So that was conducted on May 14th.

We did not receive any public comments or uh written or into the office, and then following the public information session, we also held the planning commission meeting on May 21st.

This was the formal hearing.

We had two members from the public that did attend.

They were uh nearby neighbors, I believe.

Uh, but they were there to speak to a different project.

So we did not receive comments at that time either.

However, at that point in time, the count the commission approved the rezoning as vote to 4-0.

So you unanimously they voted to approve the project.

So that brings us to where we are today, which is the first of the public hearings in order for this to be reviewed by you, and then if it is approved, it would move forward to final approval and adoption at your next council meeting, which would be the 27th of this month.

Just a little bit of context, and I'll go through this quickly just to give you an idea of where this location it's you know the in the north side neighborhood, uh right off of church, particularly really off of Magnolia.

Right.

Very small lot, um, point one one acres.

As I mentioned, it's currently vacant and it's surrounded by DT5 and DT4.

Uh this is an area of that.

This is an older image from the tax map.

So if you've gone by there recently, you know that the other town homes by Mr.

Montgomery are up and leasing, and that's uh a good portion of that area that you see that's currently um graded.

But there's um town home development right there adjacent, and then it also is uh adjacent to the Ellington.

I'll show you that a little bit closer here.

So um with the DT4 uh general urban zone, this is a zoning classification that is really geared toward more residential and um predominantly residential, but you'll see some mixed use.

So the transit that you see highlighted there, T4 really shows a general kind of land use pattern that you would see there, a bit dense, but not as dense as what you see in um T5 and T6, which is closer to the urban core.

So this is the project right here, 154.

You can see that it's surrounded by either DT4 or DT5.

That DT5 where you see the Ellington, the senior housing, that entire parcel is the Ellington.

So it's not um bifurcated or anything like that.

That's all of the Ellington, and that's actually their drive.

Um, and then you see the fire station there in DT5.

Right.

Um with all rezonings, we always check with what we consider our blueprint, which is a comprehensive plan.

So, what does that say in terms of this particular project?

It falls within the center in fill growth center, which means we're looking for infill, either mixed use or residential.

So it comports with that.

Um, also as part of any rezoning analysis, we have by law five criteria that we have to review, not just staff but also the planning commission.

And so this is what each application is uh reviewed against for consistency with the comprehensive plan.

I think I mentioned what that it does, compatibility with the zoning.

You see that all the other surrounding zoning is um of like zoning, suitability of the property, and this is um the single family piece, it's not a departure from anything that would be too dense.

Markability, we uh for being a f affordable, we certainly hope that we'll have someone in there.

Um, and then the availability of sewer and water and storm water, that is a part of it as well.

So um here is the site plan and the floor plan.

So it's a proposed three-bedroom, two bath um structure.

Um, and once we get past this piece and they move to construction, is when we would start looking at site, you know, the site plan review.

So there would be another layer of review once this goes toward construction.

Uh, this is an example of uh what the typical home would look like on that site in terms of being a one-story home, and this is a property also that was delivered by um Okanab property group, and here are some other examples of projects that have been delivered as well.

Um, so that is really the overall summary, but I'm here to entertain any questions you may have.

Sure, Ms.

Frazier.

Just I I do have a question with that 154 directly beside it.

Is that if you go back one more?

That's just a little wooded area.

I have not been on that street and I don't know how long is that a shadow?

It's green space, just green space that who owns it.

It's part of the um Ellington.

It's part of that property.

There's no way he could talk to get a little bit more on that parcel there.

Did they even that's I'm not sure if that was discussed when it was issued.

She was uh young lady here is here representing Oakana.

Um yes, sir.

Sorry, what was the question?

The uh site right there beside 154 that the the green space.

Yes, sir.

So that does belong to the Ellington apartments.

Um we uh recently had to uh get them to agree to actually move a power pole from 154 over into that green space.

Okay.

Um the lot is big enough to develop the um uh the site plan shows, so um uh we weren't gonna really fight them on trying to make that part of the development.

Good good good.

Thank you.

Any questions?

I'm sorry.

Mr.

Mayor, I do have one question.

So I think this is a great project, and I'm glad we're seeing this property developed with a single family home.

Um I guess my question is why would we have released the property to Oak and Ave well before we had it properly zoned for this use?

Um I might be three dates.

I'm not quite sure.

So what I what we believe happened is when the Ellington development um was originally approved, they I believe all this entire uh the Ellington lot was DT4 as well, so they got it rezoned to DT5, and somehow this just got roped in along with that rezoning.

That's what we believe happened.

Well, councilman, I believe Martin Livingston can probably address that piece because it has something to do internally in terms of finance, I believe.

Okay.

So the question was why didn't city council rezone the property before we transferred it?

Well, I guess I mean, I guess the question is why did we deed the property to a developer before we knew exactly what they were gonna do with it?

Oh, so we we knew exactly what they were gonna do.

They were gonna do single family housing.

The zoning designation does allow for single family housing design to be built, but it it would have been a two-story home.

The rezoning allows them to build a single family home that's one story.

So that's part of the reason for the rezoning, but all of the lots that were provided to Oaken Avenue had to be single family homes, either two-story or single story structures.

Okay, and so the resonant orders required so that they can meet the requirements.

The resenting is just so that they can build a single story single story, that's correct.

Thank you.

From the apartments that are there.

For privacy, you know, for the people that would be moving into the property.

We can certainly ask them to do that if necessary.

You will do that.

Well, we can ask them to do that.

It's not us that we'll do that.

No.

Oh, okay.

We're not no, they're not going to be able to do that.

So you change their buffer requirements are that is something we'd have uh we can take to our builder to fit into our budget, yes, ma'am.

Okay, because it needs gonna be some privacy there because the people in the apartments are looking right down in their backyard.

I agree, yes, ma'am.

Yeah, thank you.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

This is a public uh hearing.

Make a motion we open up the public hearing.

Second.

All in favor?

The way the public hearing works, we will have uh anyone from the audience to come up and speak in favor or against each side has 20 minutes uh to present their case.

No one person can speak any longer than 10 minutes.

So if you would like to come up and speak in favor of this project, come up to the mic, introduce yourself, and let us know your thoughts.

If you would like to speak in favor of 154 Ridge Street, if you would like to speak against this project, this development going on Ridge Street.

If you would like to speak against the project going on ridge street, the mayor, I move that we close the public second.

Okay, all in favor?

Aye, that opposed, eyes have it.

Any other questions?

I recommend a motion.

Mr.

Mayor, make a motion we approve the um uh reserve request to uh DT4.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any of that opposed?

Ayes have it.

Thank you.

Resolution item seven resolution of certifying the building as an abandoned building site pursuant in South Carolina Abandoned Building Revitalization Act Title 12, Chapter 67, Section 12-67-100.

South Carolina Code of Laws in 1976 as amended regarding the building light at 630 Walford Street, City of Spartanburg.

Mr.

Chris Story, City Man City Manager presenting.

Mr.

Mayor, members of council, you're familiar with the South Carolina build abandoned building revitalization act.

It's a tool to encourage reuse of uh vacant or underutilized properties in the state, which is has the effect of strengthening neighborhoods and encouraging development within already developed areas as opposed to additional um expansion of the urbanized area.

And so we believe it's an important tool for accomplishing some of our redevelopment objectives.

Uh for generations but sat vacant for about 15 years.

It is now experiencing a uh two million dollar renovation.

The it meets the statutory definitions of abandoned building, and um we have um recommend your approval of the resolution which would allow the developer to apply for uh credits against some state taxes and fees um that would have no bearing on the city's revenue.

What would in fact increase the revenue for the city, county, and um school district is the increased property value from the from the positive investment uh there.

And it's uh as you can see here, it's a property that was in need of some significant work.

Um, and so it'll uh it'll uh uh diminish the attractive nuisance that comes with vacant commercial commercial structures and um strengthen um the community's tax base, so we recommend your approval.

Welcome any questions that you have.

Chris, I do have one.

They are doing a great job with that building.

Yeah, but it's it's way into being renovated.

Yes, sir.

Okay, yeah, they they uh they filed their notice of intent to rehabilitate, which uh this because it's a credit against state taxes, um it is uh administered by the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

And so they filed about 18 months ago with that organization.

Um and um so this resolution essentially would affirm for the state that nothing in our records or uh would indicate that that the building's not eligible.

Okay.

You were just confirming its eligibility for the credits, which would become real after the point at which uh the full renovation is totally complete, which it is almost close, it's close to complete.

What do they intend to use?

I mean, I know it's gonna be warehouse space of some sort, but is it specific to a company or is it?

Uh uh not it's not specific to an individual company that I know of.

There's a uh auto-related business nearby and that they may have some interaction with there.

It's uh one of them collision place fixed cars.

Yeah, gonna have something too.

Chris, what the the back side of that building runs up to what um that I believe it's called Greenville Street.

Is it yes?

Yes, okay.

Uh Greenville Street that comes off of Arch, runs along the back there.

Really can't see it off of Greenwood much.

So the the main portion of that um, I guess the forward facing part of that building would be Waffle Street.

Correct.

Yeah, it's not accessed off the rear.

It is you can by their last meeting they made tremendous improvements to the area, other than eight gate, you can't access it.

Okay, you can't even see over it.

Good.

Any other questions?

Do I hear a motion?

Because that went a public hearing with it.

No, it's not just right.

Do I hear a motion?

Mr.

Mayor make a motion.

We uh approve the resolution as read.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any doubt opposed?

Eyes have it.

Awesome, awesome.

Item uh eight, staff update.

Mr.

Story.

Mr.

Mayor, I've got a real short list today.

I just want to thank the the event team.

You know, since we've uh were last together, we had uh uh what we think may be a record crowd for red white and boom.

Um about 8,000 folks actually in the uh ballpark itself and others, of course, watching from blocks nearby.

Um tremendously successful uh America 250 uh um sort of special edition of our red white and boom.

Um, and just want to thank the team for all their efforts for that.

And certainly welcome any questions of that you all have on any other topics, but no other substantive updates.

I tell you, Chris, uh with red white and boom, we were out early.

We Shay and I did the parade over in Converse Height and uh went downtown for the kickoff with the Bon Jovi experience and uh the parade down to the park.

And once you got to the park, we all know how hot it was.

Um, you had a cooling station, which was the city bus running with AC free waters everywhere.

It was just really special just for the the staff and the team to see that need, just that forward thinking uh to to place a bus out there for you to sit on and cool down and grab a you know bottled water, not anything stronger than water.

Jamie.

But it was it was special when they have those 8200 inside the park and and the ones all around, but good, good stuff, good stuff.

I know you're really good rude when you said that.

Awesome, awesome.

Any other questions?

All right, thank you.

You guys rolling.

All right, city council update where we start.

Thank you, Mayor.

I guess Councilmember say that I did enjoy the little uh activity for my being there for the 250th birthday celebration in the part of our net park.

So I think that we did a wonderful job in putting on the event.

And thank you to the event staff.

Also, I want to thank each and every one of you who are here with us today.

And hope to see you again in two weeks.

All right, Councilman Palmer.

Uh, yes, sir, Mr.

Mayor, there's there's a lot to talk about, but I think I'll keep my remarks brief and and and focused.

Um as you pointed out earlier, South Carolina's in mourning at the loss of our senior senator.

Uh, and I think uh we can all uh agree that regardless of politics, uh Senator Graham led a great American life.

Uh he he loved this country, uh he served his country admirably uh and was a consequential figure uh in its history.

Um, you know, and so uh I think um one of the things that that I've been particularly that's a particularly impressed me over the course of the last 48 hours is the tributes of porn in uh for Senator Graham has been the fact that the tributes are coming from friend and foe alike, uh fierce uh advocates that were uh supporters of his as well as uh you know staunch adversaries who who fought with him tooth and nail on a daily basis uh have all spoken with great admiration for his ability to work across the aisles and to uh interact with civility and respect for people that he did not uh agree with.

Uh and so you know, I think that's a powerful lesson for all of us as we engage civically and we do so both uh at the state and local level.

And so I think you know, irregardless or regardless of of the politics of it, um part of his legacy will be that civility and respect, and it's a lesson for all of us.

Thank you for that.

He was a great person, just a great overall human being.

Mayor Pro Tel.

Yes, I got up on yesterday morning and I saw that flashing across the television, and I thought it was out of order, and I asked Horace to come in and I said, Well, do you see this?

Um my heart, because you my sympathy goes out to um Lindsay Graham's family.

It also goes out to the family of Nolan um Wells.

My heart goes out to them as well.

And I just want to uh really take a moment to explain something.

I've had a lot of phone calls, and I've gotten a lot of text messages from friends who were very upset about something that they have seen on Facebook, and so when they are questioning me about it, and I just want to kind of explain something.

I moved back to Sparkenberg in February of 2007 after being away for 32 years.

Horace retired got from the Air Force in 1996 after 21 years of service, and we lived in Florida up until 2007, and we moved back to Spartanberg mainly because his mother was ill.

And we lived in Florida up until 2007.

And we moved back to Spartanburg mainly because his mother was ill.

And that's why we came back.

Once I returned to Spartanburg, I got busy cleaning up our neighborhood.

Starting in 2007, I want to know more about Spartanburg because I did not know.

So I enrolled in every class, session, and tours that were offered because I wanted to know much more about the city and the county of Spartanburg as possible.

The BMW plant was built during my absence in 1994.

And for a couple of years after returning, I just assumed the plant was in Greenville County because of its location.

I spoke this assumption in a class in a session that I was taken during the early years of my return.

Because of this era, an elected official has posted on his Facebook page that I am not fit for public office because I did not know that BMW was in Spartanburg County rather than Greenville County.

I asked for the sake of our community, especially the young people who look up to our elected officials.

Please try and set a more positive image for our city.

And that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ruth.

Thank you for clearing that up.

Councilwoman Rogers.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for being here.

Um I am coming off uh vacation time myself with family.

I was able to uh spend some time on the north tip, northwestern tip of Washington on an island with about the size city of Spartanburg, and um I it was just an amazing experience to literally be on an island that that was very connected by ferry to all these surrounding islands, but to see so many similarities to the place that we love and call home, and that my my uncle and my aunt have really loved where they've been for the last 30 years.

So I I look forward to kind of comparing and contrasting and bringing some thoughts.

Um but it is definitely a sustainable community that really interacts with nature, respects the fact that they're on the coast and leans into uh surrounding islands.

Um there's transit, there's um multiple farmers markets, there's events, there uh there was a sailboating uh competition this weekend, which was was beautiful to see.

So just to share with you, it's it's a pleasure to not only serve and witness this community and hear about all the events all the time.

The event staff is doing so much communications, thank you.

Um, but also to just pick up and go to a place that that reminded me so much of the home that I appreciate.

Um, I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, and uh one last thing.

Um I I think I think we've all said it.

I will I will finish.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Brown.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, things are pretty quiet, so thank you all for being here.

Appreciate it.

Awesome, awesome.

Um Councilman Former and I had the opportunity to be at Duncan Park this past Saturday for the 100th year of um Duncan Park Stadium.

Um outstanding event that morning, we had little ones out there participating, practicing, playing a little baseball.

They had a program around 11, a college game, one two o'clock went on that afternoon, and as was spoken during the program, you had the privilege if you wanted to to go downtown uh to watch a Spartanburg game.

So Spartanburg was full of baseball on this past Saturday, but to recognize the 100th uh anniversary of Duncan Park was special as well.

Um, you know, we had some uh great attendance uh again.

Uh uh thanks staff for being a part of it, and thank all the partners from Friends of Duncan Park, Piles.

I'm not gonna start naming because I'm gonna leave someone off.

Uh, but it's plenty of partners, and they know who they are, and we do truly appreciate them.

Um as I continue to look at Miss Riley.

One very important thing I forgot to mention, Riley is a 5.0 student as well.

So, you know, just add that to the checklist.

Just add that one on.

So that wasn't you quite there.

No.

So uh again, and and and the sentiments were made uh uh about Lindsay Graham again, regardless of which side of the table you set, Lindsay was a good person.

He was a good person.

He he did a lot for our country no matter which way you look at it.

BMW's one of them, Ruth.

You know, he he's very instrumental in in helping BMW come this way.

So again, thank you all for being here.

We we do have an executive session, so do I hear me?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right, let's go.

Let's go.

Thank you guys for being here in the audience.