Council to Consider Trimming Planning Commission, FILOT for 217 New Jobs
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the historic courthouse with a docket that includes a moratorium on approving, accepting or processing special exemption permits, reducing the planning commission from nine to seven members, and considering tax incentives for project promising 217 new jobs and a $215 million investment.
The second reading of the moratorium proposal imposes a temporary moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications for special exception permits within the county for a period of six months from the date of the enactment of this ordinance. It excludes special exception applications for churches, schools, fire stations, public safety facilities, including police, EMS, and hospital facilities. The move is aimed in part to postpone applications involving special exception permit requests until the proposed Land Use Development Ordinance is completed in conjunction with CodeWright Planners later this year.
The move to reduce the number of members on the planning commission by removing at-large seats is a return to the original, pre-pandemic plan where each council member appointed a member from each district. The two at-large seats were added when it was difficult to get enough planning commission members together to form a quorum during the Covid-restricted years 2020-2022.
The tax incentives for Project Palmetto, an industrial and distribution venture, a fee-in-lieu-of-tax arrangement to make the project viable, will bring 217 new jobs before the end of 2026 and provide more than $215 million in capital investment.
At 6 p.m. council will recognize the achievements of Raelyn Grace Beasley, newly crowned Teen Miss South Carolina, and the Cheddar Youth 10 and under baseball team, for their undefeated season and championship.
