NEWBERRY — Newberry County Council has approved three first readings of ordinances to amend the official zoning map for three parcels, two of which are connected.
The first two ordinances involved two parcels located on S.C. 391 near the Prosperity town limits. These ordinances would change two parcels from General Commercial (GC) to Rural (R2). The property was previously rezoned for the use of a landscaping business, according to Anne Peters, zoning administrator.
The prospective new owner would like to use the property for residential purposes. The first ordinance’s first reading was approved after Councilman Bill Waldrop made a motion and Councilman Travis Reeder seconded. The second ordinance’s first reading was approved after Waldrop made a motion and Councilman Scott Cain seconded.
The next ordinance was to change a parcel from Rural (R2) to General Commercial (GC). This parcel is located at the Chappells crossroads, and there is currently a convenience store/gas station located on the property.
“It is an existing convenience store with gas. It is currently non-conformed, grandfathered in. They want to expand their business. They cannot do that as a non-conformed grandfathered use,” Peters said.
The convenience store would like to expand their business to include an ABC store.
The first reading was approved after Waldrop made a motion and Cain seconded.
In other business, Council approved a bid from Cannon Associates Inc. in the amount of $88,000 for renovations to the interior of the DSS/DHEC facility. The county received five bids for this project, with Cannon being the lowest bidder.
The other bids came from RJ Dean Construction in the amount of $94,498, P&L Construction in the amount of $103,200, First Class Construction in the amount of $113,800 and Mika Contracting in the amount of $154,900.
Council approved the bid after Reeder made a motion and Waldrop seconded.
Crystal Waldrop, purchasing director, noted that the state is funding this work and the county’s involvement is its ownership of the building, as well as oversight of the construction project.
Other business
• Council approved third reading on an ordinance authorizing the expansion of the boundaries of the Greenwood-Newberry Industrial Park.
• Council approved first reading of an ordinance that allows Newberry County to conduct elections for the Town of Prosperity. The Town of Prosperity will reimburse the county for the costs associated with the elections.
• Council approved paying the invoice for the Central SC Alliance for the first and second quarter in the amount of $36,000.
• Council heard a presentation from Ken McBride, county director of Newberry County DSS. Some of the data he presented included 3,025 families received SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) assistance this year, which is down from 242 and $792,546 worth of benefits have been issued, which is down $61,549 from last year.
This year there are 10 children in Foster Care, 24 kinship caregiver cases, 55 in home treatment cases, 30 investigations, four foster children have gone home, 20 treatment cases that closed this year, 102 investigations this year, 42 cases to community based services and six children have been adopted.