City to Look at Annexation for New Apartments, Rebirth of Sears Site

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson City Council will meet Monday at 6 p.m. to take up a slate of land-use and software-contract decisions that collectively point to how the city is managing growth at its edges while tightening up its internal operations.  The agenda features final approval of a church-driven rezoning on McLees Road, two new annexation requests tied to commercial and residential projects on the city’s west side, a three‑year, six‑figure renewal of the city’s asset‑management software, and a resolution that would help unlock state tax credits for the redevelopment of a long‑abandoned North Main Street retail site.

Council will weigh a resolution certifying 3101A North Main Street—roughly 8.14 acres that once housed a Sears store at Anderson Mall—as an abandoned building site under the state’s 2013 Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act.  Property owner RK Holdings, LLC has told the city it intends to redevelop the site for commercial use and is seeking the certification so it can pursue state income‑tax or property‑tax credits tied to rehabilitating long‑vacant buildings.

For a site to qualify, at least two‑thirds of its space must have been closed to business or non‑operational for income‑producing purposes for at least five years; the Sears box, totaling 94,140 square feet, has been dark since 2018.  City staff say designating the parcel as an abandoned building site would serve a public purpose by encouraging private investment and returning a dormant property to the tax rolls and local job base.

Council is scheduled to take a second and final vote an ordinance which would rezone 1101, 1103 and 1105 McLees Road from LO, Limited Office, to NC, Neighborhood Commercial, clearing the way for The Point Church to occupy a cluster of existing buildings on roughly 1.8 acres.  Under current zoning rules, churches are allowed in the LO district only on lots of at least two acres; the applicant tried and failed to acquire additional land from a neighbor to meet that threshold, prompting the rezoning request.

Planning staff note that the site already sits amid a mix of neighborhood commercial and church‑related uses and is designated “Public/Semi‑Public” in the city’s Comprehensive Plan, a category intended for religious institutions, schools, nonprofits and similar community services.  The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval last month, and council granted first reading on Jan. 12, meaning Monday’s vote would make the change permanent and trigger site‑plan and building‑plan review before the congregation can move in.

In one of the more consequential growth items, council will consider an ordinance to annex and zone roughly 9.8 acres off SC 28 Bypass near the Clemson Boulevard interchange to GC, General Commercial, for a proposed multi‑unit apartment community by Connelly Development.  The six‑parcel site fronts the bypass and is contiguous to the city limits on its southeastern edge; city policy requires annexation as a condition of receiving water and sewer service under an existing annexation and restrictive‑covenant agreement.

City planners say GC zoning is appropriate because it allows multifamily housing while matching the commercial character of the busy Clemson Boulevard corridor; an existing apartment complex zoned RM‑18 already abuts the back of the property.  The Planning Commission recommended approval on Feb. 3, and if council signs off on first reading Monday, the developer would still have to submit full site and building plans for staff review to ensure compliance with city standards.

A second annexation request targets a much smaller infill parcel at 1310 West Market Street, a vacant 0.2‑acre lot that the applicant plans to combine with an adjacent, already‑incorporated parcel that currently houses a barber shop.  The goal is to expand the existing business with a new barber‑training facility, continuing the Neighborhood Commercial zoning that already applies to the main shop and aligns with the largely commercial uses that run west toward SC 28 Bypass.

If the property is annexed and zoned NC on first reading, the project will move into the technical phase, with site and building plans reviewed for compliance with landscaping and other development codes.  Planning Commissioners also recommended approval of this annexation at their Feb. 3 meeting.

Beyond land use, council will be asked to approve a three‑year renewal of the city’s OpenGov Asset Management software—formerly known as Cartograph OMS—at a total cost of $312,031.33, with annual payments rising 5 percent each year.  The contract, which also covers the SeeClickFix “Anderson Connect” citizen‑request app, would cost $98,978.99 in 2026, $103,927.98 in 2027 and $109,124.36 in 2028.

The software began in the Wastewater Department more than eight years ago and now underpins asset and work‑order management across water operations, recreation and park maintenance, facilities and grounds, sanitation, stormwater, fleet and fuel management, streets and transit.  The renewal would be paid from multiple funds, including the Sewer Fund (rising from $28,783.78 in 2026 to $31,734.13 in 2028), the Water Fund (from $18,695.57 to $20,611.87), the Stormwater Fund (from $5,784.53 to $6,377.45), the General Fund (from $44,330.97 to $48,874.90) and the Transit Fund (from $1,384.14 to $1,526.01).

City officials say the system is now a requirement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for utilities and has become “key software” for public‑facing service requests as well.  Staff are recommending approval of the renewal, citing the platform’s integration with the city’s other OpenGov systems for permitting and licensing.

In another financial move, council will weigh a resolution certifying 3101A North Main Street—roughly 8.14 acres that once housed a Sears store at Anderson Mall—as an abandoned building site under the state’s 2013 Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act.  Property owner RK Holdings, LLC has told the city it intends to redevelop the site for commercial use and is seeking the certification so it can pursue state income‑tax or property‑tax credits tied to rehabilitating long‑vacant buildings.

For a site to qualify, at least two‑thirds of its space must have been closed to business or non‑operational for income‑producing purposes for at least five years; the Sears box, totaling 94,140 square feet, has been dark since 2018.  City staff say designating the parcel as an abandoned building site would serve a public purpose by encouraging private investment and returning a dormant property to the tax rolls and local job base.