Here is a recap of the city of Greenville’s Planning Commission meeting on Sept. 3.
Approved: Five annexation applications
The commission recommended approval of five annexation applications, including an application for the former site of the historic Poe Mill. The proposed annexation includes five parcels of land comprising 12.85 acres on Buncombe Road, A Street, 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue and Hammett Street.
Poe Mill was a textile mill that operated from 1896 until 1977. A fire destroyed much of the historic textile mill in the early 2000s, and the remaining structure was later demolished. Only two smokestacks, foundations and parking lots remain on the site, which has been used as a DIY outdoor skatepark.
Michigan-based Contour Development Group plans to transform a majority of the property into a major development called The Village of Poe Mill. According to the city, the property owner now wants to redevelop the site within the city. 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.
The portion of the site planned for redevelopment is currently zoned as a Planned Development District in Greenville County, which allows a five-story, mixed-use development with up to 428 multifamily 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:
- 3.79 acres of land at 607 Furman Road and 1521 Poinsett Hwy., which contains a self-storage facility, with the proposed city zoning of Industrial Flex District (IX)
- 1.26 acres of land on Anderson Road, Martin Row and Conwell Street in the historic Sterling neighborhood planned for a townhome redevelopment project, with the proposed city zoning of Neighborhood C District (RN-C)
- 0.73 acres of land at 207 Butler Springs Road, which contains a single-family home, with the proposed city zoning of House B District (RH-B)
- 0.004 acres of land at 125 Sumner St., with the proposed city zoning of Neighborhood A District (RN-A)
The annexation requests will need to go through first and second readings with Greenville City Council for final approval. The first reading of the applications is expected to take place at City Council’s Sept. 28 meeting.
Approved: 36-month development code update
City staff recently completed the 36-month review of the Greenville Development Code. The commission recommended City Council approve a list of revisions to the city’s planning tool.
Among the proposed changes are the addition of new residential infill lot width standards. This amendment aims to address recent concerns about infill subdivisions in established neighborhoods. This would be used in House A (RH-A), RH-B and House C Districts (RH-C).
The new standard would require the width of infill lots to be greater than or equal to 70% of the average width of the surrounding parcels. A lot width could not be smaller than the narrowest surrounding lot or less than the minimum width requirement of the zoning district. The commission approved an amendment that surrounding parcels that are 200% or greater than the average width of all other surrounding parcels will be excluded from the calculation.
Other proposed updates to the Greenville Development Code 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
Approved: Stormwater variance for trail rehabilitation
The commission recommended approval for a stormwater variance for the proposed upgrade of the Swamp Rabbit Trail between River Street and Hudson Street near Unity Park.
The rehabilitation project will widen the trail by approximately four inches and create two dedicated traffic lanes for pedestrian and bicycle use. Path lighting and a raised crosswalk at Westfield Street are also planned.
The stormwater variance requires two readings by City Council for final approval. The first reading is expected to take place at City Council’s Sept. 14 meeting.
Additional items
- The commission recommended that City Council approve of a zoning map amendment that rezones 26 parcels of land, totalling 38.9 acres, to Park District (PK). The new zoning aims to preserve these sites as parks and open space.
- The commission recommended that City Council deny a rezoning application for a 0.14-acre parcel at 311 Queen St. in the West Greenville Special Emphasis Neighborhood. The property was proposed to be rezoned from Planned Development (PD) to MX-2.
- The commission approved an update to the Engineering Design and Specifications Manual regarding commercial driveway construction details.
