Here’s a recap of the Sept. 28 meeting of Greenville City Council.
Initial approval and denial: 36-month development code
The Greenville Development Code recently underwent a 36-month review. City Council approved the first reading of text amendments to the planning tool, except for the revision to add new residential infill lot width standards to the code. This text amendment was divided out and voted down in a 4-3 vote by City Council.
City staff developed the proposed lot width standards to address recent concerns about infill subdivisions in established neighborhoods. The infill lot width calculation would have applied in House A (RH-A), House B (RH-B) and House C (RH-C) Districts.
Under the proposed calculation, infill lot widths would need to be greater than or equal to 70% of the average width of the parcels surrounding the property. The surrounding parcels would include the two parcels on either side of the property and the three parcels directly across the street.
The infill lot width could also not be smaller than the narrowest surrounding lot or less than the minimum width requirement of the zoning district. The city’s Planning Commission previously added a condition that surrounding parcels that are 200% or greater than the average width of all other surrounding parcels would be excluded from the calculation.
Greenville Mayor Knox White and councilmembers Ken Gibson, Tina Belge and Lillian Brock Flemming voted against the proposed infill lot width standards at Monday night’s meeting. Concerns were raised about how the proposed standards would impact affordable housing development across the city. City Councilmembers John DeWorken, Dorothy Dowe and Wil Brasington voted in favor of the revision.
Some of the proposed amendments to the Greenville Development Code that did receive initial approval include:
- Allowing tattoo studios in the Shopfront 2 District (MXS-2), primarily within the Village of West Greenville
- Adding flexibility for entry spacing requirements in Mixed-Use 2 (MX-2), Business General (BG) and Business Heavy (BH) Districts
- Allowing limited flexibility for qualifying projects in the Downtown Design Overlay
- Modifying the sign ordinance for additional flexibility
- Reducing the required minimum for long-term bicycle storage in general lodging uses like hotels
- Updating the side and rear setbacks for mechanical equipment encroachments
- Updating the intent and development standards for the BG District
- Updating the process for appealing an administrative decision
- Additional engineering code changes regarding lighting and street standards
Initial approval: Nonpartisan election method
The South Carolina General Assembly passed a new law in May that requires Greenville to hold nonpartisan municipal elections starting in 2027. House Bill 3556 instructs municipalities with populations over 39,000 to adopt an ordinance selecting one of three methods for conducting nonpartisan elections.
City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance adopting nonpartisan municipal elections in Greenville utilizing the nonpartisan primary election and general election method.
A primary election will be held on the second Tuesday in June if more than two candidates file for a single office. Instead of political parties, a single nonpartisan primary election will be conducted by the municipal election commission or the county election commission on behalf of the city.
The two candidates with the most votes from the primary election will be placed on the ballot for the November general election. If only one or two candidates file for a single office, they will automatically be placed on the general election ballot.
The general election will be held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The candidate who receives a majority of the votes during the general election wins.
Five city offices will be up for election in 2027, including the mayoral seat. Individuals can submit their filing statements of intention of candidacy to Greenville City Clerk Camilla Pitman from noon on March 16 until noon on March 30.
Brasington recently announced his candidacy for mayor on Sept. 22. He recused himself from Monday night’s vote to avoid questions of conflict of interest. Flemming was the only member of City Council to vote against the measure.
Initial approval: Annexation applications
City Council gave initial approval to five annexation applications, including the proposed annexation of the historic Poe Mill property. Five parcels of land totaling 15.28 acres on Buncombe Road, A Street, 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue, and Hammett Street are requested for annexation into the city limits.
Michigan-based Contour Development Group plans to transform a majority of the former textile mill property into a major development called The Village of Poe Mill. The property is located near the historic American Spinning Mill, which was annexed into the city in 2025, and the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail Orange Line. It is currently used as a DIY outdoor skatepark.
Most of the property is currently zoned as a Planned Development District in Greenville County, allowing a five-story, mixed-use development with up to 428 multi-family residential units. The proposed city zoning designations for the annexed parcels are Community Five District (RC-5) and Neighborhood Flex C District (RNX-C).
The other annexation applications include:
- 3.98 acres of land at 607 Furman Road and 1521 Poinsett Hwy., with the proposed city zoning of Industrial Flex District (IX)
- 1.34 acres of land on Anderson Road, Martin Row and Conwell Street, with the proposed city zoning of Neighborhood C District (RN-C)
- 0.91 acres of land at 207 Butler Springs Road, with the proposed city zoning of RH-B
- 0.064 acres of land at 125 Sumner St., with the proposed city zoning of Neighborhood A District (RN-A)
Final approval: Stormwater variance for trail work
City Council gave final approval to a stormwater variance for the planned rehabilitation of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail between Linky Stone Park and Unity Park. City staff plans to widen the trail to 16 feet, creating two dedicated lanes for pedestrian and bicycle users. Other improvements being considered include adding lighting and a raised crosswalk at Westfield Street.
A stormwater variance is required to widen the trail. According to the city, the proposed encroachment into the regulatory floodway of the Reedy River would not result in increased floor levels during base flood discharge.
Additional items
- The South Carolina Department of Transportation plans to replace the West Faris Road bridge over Brushy Creek near the Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. City Council approved a municipal state highway agreement consenting to the project.
- City Council gave initial approval to amending the city’s official zoning map following its 36-month review. The proposed amendment will rezone 26 parcels of land, totalling 38.9 acres, to Park District (PK).
- Final approval was given by City Council to appropriate $480,000 for the flood mitigation planning project for Richland Creek. The city received a $375,800 Community Development Block Grant from the South Carolina Office of Resilience and will provide a $104,200 funding match.
- City Council gave final approval to the rezoning of approximately 2.84 acres at 3030 Augusta St. and 109 Old Augusta Road. The parcels will be rezoned from RH-C and MX-2 to Civic District (CV).
- City Council approved the final reading of a rezoning application for 0.19 acres at 811 Pendleton St. The two parcels will be rezoned from Neighborhood B District (RN-B) to Neighborhood Flex B District (RNX-B).
- Final approval was given by City Council to rezone 0.46 acres at 300 Birnie St. The parcel will be rezoned from Community 2 District (RC-2) to CV.
- City Council approved the final reading of an ordinance approving deed restrictive covenants on parcels of land in Cleveland Park. The covenants limit the properties’ use to park purposes only and comply with restrictions mandated by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
- City Council gave initial approval to the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC) Board of Directors’ amended operating budget for fiscal year 2026, the FY2027 operating budget and the annual auditor’s report for FY2025.
- City Council authorized the city to apply for the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s FY2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to support a leadership development initiative for the Greenville Police Department. The city is requesting $38,196 for the initiative.
- City Council approved a settlement agreement to resolve a pending appeal litigation in the Court of Common Pleas for Greenville County captioned FMO Real Estate, LLC d/b/a Lamar Advertising v. City of Greenville Board of Zoning Appeals. According to the city, the settlement will reduce the number of billboard signs inside the city
