Tie vote denies C&C a pull-a-part

A tied vote shot down C&C Metal Recycling’s chance at getting approval for a pull-a-part at its Wingert Road facility during Tuesday’s Greenwood County Council meeting.

Cliff Redd, owner of C&C, had requested council approve an ordinance amending the planned development district for Wingert and Milford Springs roads to allow the metal recycling company to use a pull-a-part. The tool would allow the removal of spare parts from vehicles set to be recycled and shredded, then the parts could be sold to the public, providing a local vendor for used auto parts.

Redd spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, addressing a fire the company had that morning. A pile of “fluff” — the scrap material left over after a vehicle is shredded — caught fire at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Redd said he considered the fire suspicious, but had not had time to review all his security camera videos. The way it burned wasn’t consistent with previous fluff fires the company has had, including one in early September.

“It was not a typical fluff fire,” he said.

Steve and Charlotte Ehney, who live across C&C at 210 Wingert Road, spoke out in opposition to the allowance of a pull-a-part.

“This is the second fire in less than a month that has occurred,” Steve said. “If you grant this step today, what’s going to come tomorrow?”

He said with only one hydrant along the road at the corner of Milford Springs Road, he was concerned about the possibility of future fires. Charlotte said she was worried about an increase in traffic and noise.

When it came time to vote, council members Mark Allison and Robbie Templeton weren’t present at the meeting. Council members Melissa Spencer and Theo Lane voted to approve allowing a pull-a-part, while Councilwoman Edith Childs and Councilman Chuck Moates opposed it. The motion failed because of the tie.

Council approved several ordinances in 4-0 votes. They approved rezoning about 10 acres of property owned by Eaton at 5502 Highway 25 N. in Hodges from a rural development district to light industrial. Council approved an ordinance establishing the process for electing county council’s chairperson and vice chairperson in the event of an opening during unexpired terms.

Council lifted its 2018 moratorium on “tiny houses,” passing an ordinance that allows building structures less than 750 square feet and provides for permitting any residential structure that costs more than $1,000.

Council members also approved the final step in offering a fee-in-lieu-of-tax incentive agreement to Impresa Building Systems of Greenwood. Impresa is a modular home manufacturer that announced last month that it’s expanding into Greenwood, making a $9.1 million capital investment and creating 180 jobs.

County Treasurer Steffanie Dorn shared with council a plan to expand the public transportation options offered through Greenwood’s partnership with the McCormick County Senior Center’s McCormick Area Transit.

“We’re off to a really good start,” she said. “Each month we have increased our ridership.”

July saw 90 riders on the MAT bus, in August there were 134 and 183 in September, said County Manager Toby Chappell. Dorn said she was confident the county could expand the area and services the MAT offers, growing the area in which the MAT transports people from a 2.5-mile radius around the county courthouse to a 4-mile radius. Dorn also said the expansion would offer transportation to banks, schools and for employment. Council approved the expansion.

“Folks in Greenwood County are using this service, and I am so glad to expand it for them,” Moates said.

Council also voted to approve moving $60,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Capital Projects Sales Tax fund to help renovate the bathrooms in the Brewer Community Center. CPST Coordinator Josh Skinner said the renovation project had $27,636 of CPST funds budgeted, but the lowest bid on the work from MADCO in Lexington came out to more than $58,000 for the renovations, but the price tag rose to more than $70,000 to also replace the tiling in the bathrooms.

The budgeted CPST funds, along with $60,000 from the ARPA funds, would cover the costs of renovating the bathrooms, which Skinner said were from the 1950s. Council approved the transfer.

Trees grown on county land near the airport have matured and are ready to be harvested, County Engineer Rhett Templeton said, and council approved a plan to bid the lumber sale out. It also approved a resolution to transfer funds, if needed, from the Special Appropriations Fund to cover the anticipated costs of obtaining property near the airport for use of its airspace — a process called avigation easement. The funds will be reimbursed through a federal grant at 95%, Dorn told council.

In other business:

Council approved a resolution to allow work to start on a fee-in-lieu-of-tax and incentive agreement between Greenwood County and an unidentified company. The project is titled Project Premises and represents a $19 million minimum capital investment. The FILOT would last 20 years at 6% of the property’s assessed value.

Loy Sartin was appointed to a seat on the Accommodation Tax Commission. He joins recent appointees Claire Griffith, general manager of Inn on the Square and Hampton Inn General Manager Shanna Lance. Council postponed appointments to the joint planning commission because of Allison and Templeton’s absence at the meeting.

Council had first reading on an ordinance to allow “granny-flats,” or accessory dwelling units, to be built on existing properties. These buildings would be limited to 1,000 square feet and located on the rear or side yards if detached from the main structure.

Originally Published by Index-Journal on: Oct 6, 2021

By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com

Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/tie-vote-denies-c-c-a-pull-a-part/article_ecaa9bee-752d-534e-8e69-90058ddf34a4.html