Rezoning sought again near Orangeburg Mall; owners want business classification

The three parcels of land on St. Matthews Road are located between Stuart Street and CPM Federal Credit Union. The city is being asked to change the zoning from its current office-institutional-residential district designation to B-1, general business district.

The Orangeburg Planning Commission will take up the matter at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at 933 Middleton Street in City Council Chambers.

The properties under consideration are 1070 St. Matthews Road, 1080 St. Matthews Road and 1090 St. Matthews Road. The three properties make up a total 1.47 acres, according to the Orangeburg County GIS map.

The properties have a history.

In January of this year, a divided Orangeburg City Council voted 4-3 to rezone the parcels from single-family residential to office-institutional.

Voting for the rezoning at that time were Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler, Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt, Councilman Richard Stroman and Councilman Dr. Kalu Kalu.

Voting against were Councilman Jerry Hannah, Councilwoman Sandra Knotts and then-Councilman Bernard Haire.

Haire expressed concerns that neighbors would be negatively impacted by business development on the properties.

Haire, who chose to not seek re-election, is now no longer on council. He has been replaced by Annette Dees Grevious.

Owners of the properties had initially requested they be rezoned to general business, but a divided City Council denied that request during an April 7, 2022 meeting.

Haire, Knotts and Hannah voted against the general business rezoning request. Butler, Keitt and Kalu voted in favor of the change.

Stroman abstained during the April 7 vote. According to the city’s rules, an abstention is considered a “no” vote.

Owners also expressed a desire to have the property rezoned to general business about three years ago, but council rejected the request at that time as well.

Council later asked that the matter receive further study.

Following a $25,000 study, it was recommended that additional buffers be added to the area to protect property owners in neighborhoods off of St. Matthews Road.

City Council approved changes to its ordinance on buffers between commercial and residential properties.

The study also suggested an office-institutional zoning classification was most likely the direction the property in question would take in the coming years.

An O-I classification only allows offices, while a business zoning allows a broader range of land uses that could include, for instance, a fast food restaurant.

Orangeburg City Council will also have to approve the rezoning on three separate readings.

For more information or to view the documentation, call 803-533-6000.