Here’s a recap of the city of Greenville’s Planning Commission meeting Oct. 1.
Denial recommended: Meadow Street property rezoning
The commission recommended Greenville City Council deny a rezoning application for a property on the north side of Unity Park. The parcel is located off an unimproved right-of-way extending west from Meadow Street.
The city received an application to rezone a portion of the property from Park District (PK) to Community 3 District (RC-3). The rezoning would only apply to 0.6 acres of the property located outside the FEMA floodplain.
RC-3 zoning was proposed to allow for the development of a 17-unit townhome community with six to eight affordable housing units. Developer Ronnie Cespedes said the portion of the property in the floodway would be donated to the city to be preserved as wetlands. A boardwalk would connect the townhome community to Unity Park.
Two parcels of land, including the PK-zoned property, are planned to house the proposed townhome development. The parcels are currently separated by the city-owned right-of-way extending from Meadow Street. Cespedes plans to submit an application for the city to abandon the right-of-way for the project.
The commission believed the proposed new zoning for the property was inconsistent with GVL2040 and the surrounding land uses. Many of the commissioners also felt a right-of-way abandonment application, which has not been submitted, needed to be reviewed by City Council before the property is considered for rezoning. The rezoning application is scheduled to go before City Council for first reading on Oct. 26.
Approved: Updated downtown design guidelines
The commission recommended approval of the city’s updated downtown design guidelines. New projects in the city’s downtown design district must comply with the standards outlined in the document, which cover everything from site plans and massing to architectural detailing.
The adoption of the Greenville Development Code in 2023 expanded the boundary of the city’s downtown design district. This expansion required the city to update its downtown design guidelines, which were last amended in 2017. City staff began working with consultants from Atlanta-based Cooper Carry in May 2025 to create the updated document.
The updated downtown design guidelines includes much of the same language from the city’s current document. New additions to the downtown design guidelines include:
- Specific design standards for four character districts within the downtown design district
- Design guidelines for residential infill projects within the downtown design district
- A new section providing guidance on demolitions in the downtown design district
The city’s Design Review Board approved the draft downtown design guidelines at its Sept. 17 meeting. City Council is tentatively scheduled to review the updated document on Oct. 26.
Approved: Three annexation applications
The commission recommended approval of three annexation applications, including the proposed annexation of a future affordable housing development site. The Greenville County Redevelopment Authority owns the approximately 6.12-acre site on North 6th Street near Woodside Mill. The proposed city zoning for the property is Community 2 District (RC-2).
The other two annexation applications include:
- 1.66 acres of land on A Street, B Street, 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue next to the historic Poe Mill site, with the proposed city zoning of Neighborhood A District (RN-A)
- 0.54 acres of land at 405, 407 and 409 Lake Circle Drive in the Mills Mill Community, with the proposed city zoning of RN-A
Additional items
- The commission recommended approval of a rezoning application for Costco at 1021 Woodruff Road. The 15.13-acre property is proposed to be rezoned from Planned Development (PD) to Business Heavy District (BH) to allow for the development of more parking on the site.
- The commission recommended approval for the rezoning of a 0.17-acre parcel on Industrial Drive next to the Grenville Downtown Airport. The parcel is proposed to be rezoned from House C District (RH-C) to Neighborhood Flex B District (RNX-B).
