Politics & Government

Council Votes to Repeal Big-Box Rules

Developer says he'll bring Gregg Tract plan back for review within months.

Mount Pleasant Town Council has voted 5-to-4 to repeal restrictions that limit retailers larger than 70,000 square feet from building on tracts of land smaller than 50 acres.

With the restrictions gone, the developer of a controversial retail development with more than 300,000-square-feet of retail space for 40 acres of land says he’ll bring the plan back for review within months, though his project may change to reflect the negative public reaction.

“We’ve certainly been listening,” said Ben Henrich, the developer who proposed the retail proposal. “We still have a lot of studying to do … when we finish that, we’ll be back in front of the council within a month or two.”

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Councilmembers Elton Carrier, Chris Nickels, Linda Page and Thomasena Stokes-Mashall voted to keep rules. John Burn, Ken Glasson, Chris O'Neal, Craig Rhyne and Mayor Billy Swails vote to repeal.

More than 20 residents spoke on the proposed rule change, but unlike previous meeting on the change, the speakers were mostly split, with nearly half speaking in favor of repeal.

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Like previous meetings, those who opposed repeal said they didn’t want the Gregg Tract property locating near their homes and that big-box stores could ruin Mount Pleasant’s charm.

“By allows big-box stores to build within tracks of land less than 50 acres, we are jeopardizing the character of Mount Pleasant,” said Jodie Sprayberry, who opposed repeal. “ We need to make sure development happens in a responsible and sustainable manner … otherwise we are destroying this magnificent town.”

This wasn’t the first time the council voted to repeal the rules. Back in July 2011, the council also approved removing the 50-Acre Rule. But due to an oversight, the language lived on in a second part of the town’s code, requiring another vote to remove the prohibition.

The town’s planning office recommended the code be deleted since other parts of the zoning laws allow the town to reject unsuitable projects.


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