Local Radar

Planning Commission accepts expansion of Mount Vintage, addresses cell phone towers
web posted January 13, 2006
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EDGEFIELD – The Edgefield County Planning Commission met Thursday evening for their regular monthly meeting with Commissioner Tracy Freeman absent and the vacant seat by removed Commissioner Jim Oliver sitting empty, as has been the case for most meeting of 2005. With a single item agenda the meeting got underway with the usual passing of previous meeting minutes and moved right into discussion of a new section of Mount Vintage proposed by Developer Bettis Rainsford.

Mr. Rainsford was not in attendance for the meeting and building and Planning Director Howard Gibson said Mr. Rainsford asked him to make the presentation to the commission on his behalf. Mr. Gibson passed out to the commission and the media, who were the only audience present at the meeting, a copy of the plan showing 276 new home sites and an additional nine holes to the existing golf course.

Mr. Gibson said the roads in Mount Vintage were built to county specifications with curbs and gutters but would not be part of the county road system, “that is a huge plus for the county” he said. In addition the entire section, as was the case in the first phase on Mount Vintage, will have water and sewer service that is paid for by the developer and then deeded over to the county, “that is another big plus for the water authority,” he said. The water and sewer system will have to pass inspection by DHEC before the county will accept the deeds.

There were fifty lots that were said to be “pre-sold,” Mr. Gibson said once approval by DHEC is given on the development. Mr. Gibson said he recommended the planning commission approve the new development. After a motion and a second, the commission voted 5-0 to approve the plans on the condition DHEC approves the water and sewer work.

Commissioner Norman Stephenson asked if the planning commission had ever looked at a centralized government complex, “right now everything is scattered around,” saying that in order to get a building permit he understood that a person would have to traverse to several locations in order to get approval. Mr. Gibson said that was the process in the past but now people can come to the Building and Planning Department with a plat and it could be handled there. The commission did agree that a central location for government operations would be less complicated, “we’ll need eight more Mt. Vintage’s to pay for it,” Commissioner Dick Harper said.

Commissioner Stephenson said he understood that but the county was growing and the idea of a planning commission is to look to future Capital Development, “it seems we get hung up on a couple of smaller things and we don’t look to the future planning. I thought that is what a planning commission did.”

Mr. Gibson asked Mr. Stephenson to come by his office and the two could put together a proposal to present to the commission and then to the county council. Mr. Stephenson said he would do just that.

Another issue addressed was the continued advancement of cell phone towers in zoned areas. Right now zoning restricts, but cannot prohibit, the installation of towers in residential areas. Commissioner Bernadette Hudson suggested the commission look at the cell tower placed on Martintown Road in North Augusta near Hammond Hills. “If you drive down the road you can’t see it,” she said because it is camouflaged to look like a tree.

The commission agreed to look into the ability of making the requirement of such towers in zoned areas to be similar to that tower to preserve the beauty of the county. Most requirements force cell phone companies to try to locate their towers in is such areas at developed places such as schools and fire stations, which can also double as radio towers for county fire and police communications capabilities. However, with the limited coverage of cell phone use due to tower height restraints more towers are needed for proper coverage.

Mr. Gibson said he would look into what could be allowed under federal law regarding such limitations being placed on towers.

The commission also discussed the upcoming proposal on the new Rural Residential zoning classification proposed for the Lake Trenton area that has been passed on to the county council. The public hearing and discussion is to come up in the February meeting of the county council Mr. Gibson stated which drew a discussion as to if the matter was to pass zoning for the area or just the consideration of the new designation. Mr. Gibson pointed out that the only matter before council is the classification not zoning. “If council votes not to go forward with the classification, the zoning is dead,” Mr. Gibson said.

Commissioner Hudson wanted to make sure that the zoning was not on the agenda because the planning commission had passed on the classification and the zoning area in one vote. “No,” Mr. Gibson explained, “you can’t zone them until the (Rural Residential designation) is first approved.

The time line to pass both would require public hears on both issues and that means it would take several months in order to create the zoned area. Commissioner Stephenson said he wanted to be sure that the process was done in a fair manner and that all affected property owners were notified before any public hearing was held. Mr. Gibson stated all property owners, and even those outside the area with adjoining property, would be mailed a notice.

With no other business Chairman Burt said he wanted to thank the commission for the work they have accomplished over the past year and he looked forward to moving the county forward in 2006. With that a motion and a vote to adjourn the meeting was taken.      
 

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