NEWBERRY – A proposed residential development of up to 500 single-family homes on approximately 160 acres moved forward Monday as the Newberry City Commission unanimously approved a rezoning request on first reading.
The proposal was the only item listed under public hearings and ordinances during the commission’s Aug. 10 meeting.
Commissioners approved the first reading of a request to rezone the property from Agricultural (A) to Planned Residential Development (PRD). The property, owned by CountryWay II LLC, is located about a half-mile east of State Road 45 at the southwest corner of Southwest 15th Avenue and Southwest 234th Terrace.
CHW, an NV5 Global Inc. group, submitted the application as agent for the property owner.
The owner is proposing up to 500 detached single-family homes on the property. At the maximum 500 units, the development would have a gross density of approximately 3.14 dwelling units per acre.
City Manager Jordan Marlowe told commissioners that although the PRD designation provides for as many as 500 dwelling units, the development is expected to include several lot sizes and is unlikely to reach the full 500-unit maximum at build-out.
The proposed build-out period is 12 years, meaning construction could occur in phases over more than a decade.
The property is within Newberry’s Urban Service Area, where city planning policies encourage suburban and urban development patterns and require municipal services and infrastructure. Those include potable water and wastewater connections, improved roads, multimodal transportation facilities, solid waste collection and other city services.
The rezoning is a companion to a previously adopted large-scale amendment to the city’s future land use map for the same approximately 160-acre property. That amendment changed the property’s designation from Mixed Use to Residential Low Density, which allows up to four dwelling units per acre.
The Planned Residential Development zoning district allows a range of residential uses, including conventional single-family homes, duplexes, multifamily dwellings and tiny-home neighborhoods. Although the zoning designation allows several types of housing, the developer is proposing detached single-family homes on a variety of lot sizes.
The commission’s action was a first-reading approval, meaning the rezoning must return to the commission for final consideration before the zoning change is adopted.
No members of the public spoke on the rezoning request before commissioners voted unanimously to advance it.
Community groups recognized for back-to-school efforts
Community Engagement Coordinator Crystal Rushing also recognized local organizations and businesses that provided back-to-school supplies and services for Newberry-area children ahead of the new school year.
Rushing thanked Shekinah Glory Ministries, Destiny Community Church, the Newberry Area Chamber of Commerce, the Taurean Green Foundation, CountryWay Town Square, Journey of Chad’s Mission and the Honored Group for their contributions.
Commissioners joined Rushing in recognizing the organizations and the many volunteers who contributed their time and resources to support local students and families.
The recognition came as children throughout the area prepared to return to school, with community organizations holding school-supply giveaways and other back-to-school activities in Newberry.
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alachuatoday.com
