Important Notice of Zoning Application for Seacoast Property

Seacoast Church has filed an application to re-zone the 45.76 acres located adjacent to Grassy Creek subdivision. The Grassy Creek HOA Board of Directors would like to meet with you on Monday, April 18^th at 6:30 PM to review the application.

The Church does not have a specific buyer or user at this time; however, it wants to position the property to be available for economic development, retail and office uses. For example, a Boeing supplier or a shipping business working with the Wando Welch Port could buy up to 33.68 acres of the church property for construction of these types of buildings:

1.      Flex warehouse (35’ maximum height)

2.      Light industrial Warehouse

3.      Manufacturing facilities

4.      Distribution centers

5.      Outdoor storage areas

6.      Container storage

7.      Research centers, laboratory, corporate offices, and administrative offices

 

The re-zoning application seeks Area Wide Business zoning for the remaining 12.08 acres of the church’s property. This would allow office, retail, service type uses and a hotel, among other things.

 

The church submitted a Master Sketch Plan with their zoning application, which is intended to be a representative example of future development on the property. It is a possible scenario based on the allowed uses outlined above. The Master Sketch Plan submitted with the application shows:

·         Two 72,000 SF High Cube Warehouses with loading docks facing each other with a central truck court. This is shown about 400 feet from River Oak Park in Grassy Creek.

·         Three light industrial buildings totaling 40,000 SF directly behind Grassy Creek residents living on Shoals Drive.

·         Seven “lots” averaging 1.75 acres each backing up to I-526 where there could be a 120 room hotel and 50,000 SF of offices for general, medical and retail uses.

 

We have taken the liberty of illustrating the Master Sketch Plan to show what this could look like and how it could negatively impact our neighborhood and property values. Here are some of the reasons your HOA board is opposed to the Seacoast zoning application:

 

1.      The application is an unusual request to zone a property without a specific plan being presented such as the proposed 280 unit Woodfield Apartments. The church would like to get a flexible plan approved with many possible uses so that when an actual buyer is found in the future, they can get their plans approved by Town of Mt Pleasant staff. There would be no further public hearings with neighborhood input into the actual buyer’s plans. We want to have a say in what goes next to our neighborhood. If we don’t defeat this now, we may never get to object again. Don’t let planning staff be the only ones to approve future plans for the property!

 

2.      The proposed warehouses and light industrial buildings will generate truck traffic coming from I-526 and SPA Wando to the Seacoast property. The application proposes to limit truck traffic to the hours between 9 AM and 3 PM but this will be difficult if not impossible to police. The application relies on a traffic impact assessment approved in 2007, which was not based on the expected future truck traffic or the current road and traffic conditions. A 75 foot long 18 wheel truck weighing up to 80,000 lbs. has a far greater impact on traffic than a 14 foot long car weighing 5,000 lbs. The intersection of Long Point Road and Belle Hall Parkway is already an “F” grade intersection. The plan calls for no road improvements while adding trucks waiting in front on Waffle House to turn towards I-526 and the Port.

 

3.      The application seeks to align the property with the town’s current 2009 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which admittedly calls for economic development uses for the property. However, a residential use is more compatible with the adjoining Grassy Creek and Belle Hall neighborhoods. This might be combined with small office buildings such as those already found along Seacoast Parkway. We would like to see the Comprehensive Land Use Plan changed to reflect the surrounding residential neighborhoods and the roads leading to the property. The town needs to put the health safety and welfare of our residents ahead of creating less than 100 warehouse jobs. We never had a say when they decided the church property should be used for economic development purposes as the applicant now proposes.

 

4.      The proposed 144,000 SF warehouse buildings are massive in size and there is no real buffer between our neighborhood and these buildings. Both the warehouses and the light industrial buildings will be visible behind homes as you drive along Shoals Drive and River Oak Drive.

 

Timeline for Re-zoning

·         Grassy Creek Neighborhood Meeting: April 18, 2011 (Mon 6:30PM)

·         Planning & Zoning Meeting: April 20, 2011 (Wed 5:00 PM)

·         Planning Committee Meeting: Either May 3, 2011 or May 4, 2011

·         Town Council First Reading: May 10, 2011

·         Town Council Second Reading: June 14, 2011

 

 

We look forward to seeing you on Monday the 18^th at 6:30pm under the pavilion.

 

Your Grassy Creek HOA Board