Business, property owners express dismay at proposed zoning changes

LANDRUM — Landrum leaders will soon decide on whether or not to pull the trigger on proposed zoning changes that may transform the city’s downtown district — changes that several local business and property owners may not readily embrace.

Earlier this week, members of the Landrum Area Business Association listened to a presentation by City Administrator Rich Caplan, who outlined a proposed ordinance recently created by the city’s planning commission that, among other provisions, would restrict the types of businesses that could operate on the ground level of buildings located in select portions of the downtown district. The Landrum City Council will vote on whether to adopt the proposed ordinance during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, following a public hearing at city hall.

The rezoned district, which the city is labeling the “Downtown Overlay Pedestrian District,” will encompass downtown properties located along the following four stretches of downtown:

• East Rutherford Street, from Church Avenue to Howard Avenue

• West Rutherford Street, from Howard Avenue to Randolph Avenue

• North Trade Avenue, from East Rutherford Street to East Coleman Street

• North Howard Avenue, from Rutherford Street north for 270 feet

If passed, the zoning ordinance would restrict new businesses that can operate on the first floor of buildings located in the overlay district to the following uses:

• General retail stores

• Personal services, such as barber or beauty shops, interior decorators, photographers, etc.

• Restaurants and drinking establishments, including bakers, but excluding drive-in and drive-through restaurants

• Cultural and community centers, including museums, art galleries, fraternal or charitable organizations, etc.

• Public and private recreation establishments, such as parks, movie theaters, dancing and staged entertainment, etc.

• Hotels, motels and tourist homes

• Parking lots and garages

• Grocery stores

Other types of new businesses, such as banks, general offices, churches or schools, will no longer be permitted to open on the ground floor of buildings in the district if the ordinance passes. While existing first-floor businesses of this nature located in the district will be allowed to continue to operate, they will not be able to expand.

The planning commission’s recommendations come as part of the city’s “Envision Landrum” initiative, a 10-year plan for the community the city council adopted in 2017. One of the provisions of the plan calls for the creation of a downtown overlay district that would strengthen the city’s tourism-related use and activities, a goal the proposed ordinance would accomplish, Caplan said.

“Tourism has been a strong part of South Carolina’s economy for a long time,” the city administrator said during the LABA meeting. “We certainly want to [be a part of that].”

The recommendation was based in part on the fact the city has a limited number of commercial buildings downtown. Caplan added that some downtowns have struggled to remain viable due to having too many non-retail businesses, he said.

Planning commission member Carol Browning, who attended the meeting as well, said the proposal would allow the city to maintain a “vibrant and active” downtown. Browning said she has heard advice from consultants who point out that downtowns with an abundance of ground-level retail stores attract strong foot traffic to their doorsteps.

“If you don’t have storefronts that attract people, you’re not going to have traffic,” Browning said. “Those of you who have retail or even some service businesses, if you don’t have traffic, you’re not going to have a business.”

Many LABA members and other business owners in the audience expressed strong opposition to the proposal during the meeting, however. While some expressed concerns with how the city will enforce such an ordinance, others said they were frustrated that leaders appear to want to tell property owners who they can and cannot lease their buildings to, even though it is the owners who are paying property taxes.

“I think you’ve pigeonholed [owners] too much,” said LABA President Diana Winkler to Caplan during the meeting. “The basic concept is good, but I think you’ve narrowed the playing field so much that our businesses are going to hurt from it.”

Members of the LABA plan to meet Monday to discuss what position the organization will take in regards to the proposed changes.

If approved by the Landrum City Council on Tuesday, the zoning ordinance will take effect in October.