North Road property OK’d for commercial

Real estate developers received unanimous first reading approval from Orangeburg County Council Monday to rezone about 14.48 acres of property from forest agriculture to commercial general for the purpose of operating commercial retail establishments.

The property is currently undeveloped.

Specifics on the type of retail establishments that might be developed on the land were not identified.

The rezoning is the first step in a process allowing development to proceed.

Last week, the Orangeburg County Planning Commission also gave unanimous approval to the rezoning request.

“The property appears to be right in the middle of an ultra-high growth zone for the north Orangeburg area,” Planning Commission Chair James Albergotti said during the meeting.

“It is highly commercialized already,” he said.

Columbia-based real estate developer Cason Development Group LLC has its sights on the development of about 2.09 acres of the nearly 15-acre parcel.

The property fronts North Road and is right next to IHOP and across the street from Lidl grocery store.

Cason Development is no stranger to Orangeburg County. The company helped to develop the Taco Bell on St. Matthews Road.

Superior Timber LLC asked the county to rezone about 12.9 acres of the remaining rear portion of the property to commercial general. Council gave this request first reading approval as well.

The zoning requests are in line with the county’s comprehensive plan and its future land use maps for commercial development in the area, according to county development officials.

Adjacent properties to the north and west are zoned commercial general, areas to the south are zoned forest and agriculture and the City of Orangeburg is located to the east.

Properties in the area are a mixture of commercial and undeveloped land.

The property does fall within a flood zone, meaning the developers will have to contact the necessary agencies to ensure any construction follows state and federal environmental guidelines.