Please be aware that our Irmo neighbor at 302 Connie Wright Road, Irmo (TMS #:04200-06-65) is applying to rezone his approximate 3 acres of property from rural district (RU) to RC (rural commercial). I have lived on the same road for over 20 years and raised a child who went to River Springs Elementary School, Dutch Fork Middle, and Dutch Fork High Schools, and I strongly OPPOSE this rezoning and ask you to do the same.
Land on Connie Wright Road, Kennerly Road, Koon Road, and the surrounding areas is often sold to buyers who then built primary residences for themselves and their families. Thus, this area has served as a residential area for families and has not invited commercial development. It is also important to note that River Springs Elementary School is on the corner of Connie Wright Road and Kennerly Road, making Connie Wright Road a trafficked area for parents bringing their children to and from school and for school buses coming to and from the school. Additionally, there is a bus stop directly across the street from 302 Connie Wright Road. I feel it would be a disservice and a potential danger to young students, bus drivers, and parents of students to be contending with any other commercial business vehicles going into and out of 302 Connie Wright Road. Please note that Connie Wright Road has only one lane going each way. Additionally, once one property is given commercial status, it could open the floodgates for others to request the same. The quality of the neighborhood would be lost with a rezone to commercial. I urge you to contact Tommy DeLage with the zoning commission to ask him to email you the PDF zoning classification document which delineates the types of businesses that could be allowed to establish in a rural commercial district.
My other concerns include the added noise to an otherwise quiet neighborhood, the extra unfavorable traffic on the narrow road, and the likely decrease in nearby residential property values. The 302 Connie Wright Road is only ½ mile from River Springs Elementary School and only 1.3 miles from Dutch Fork High and Dutch Fork Middle. Allowing a property to be rezoned to commercial will add extra traffic on Connie Wright, Kennerly, and Koon Roads. The intersection at Koon and Connie Wright continues to be a site of accidents due to the limited visibility clearance. This is dangerous for school buses that traffic along these roads daily, for students travelling to and from school, and for every other person who travels these roads.
I was informed by Mr. Tommy DeLage, the Assistant Richland County Zoning Administrator that meetings will be virtual, so comments can be e-mailed. Should you wish to express your opposition as well, you must e-mail your comment letter to [email protected] and it will be read into the record during the meeting. A two-minute comment time limit applies to each comment/letter.Please note that these comments will also be used for the Zoning Public Hearing. Reference the tax map number TMS#: 04200-06-65 in your letter.
The first virtual meeting regarding this property rezoning will take place on Monday, October 5th at 3 PM via this link: youtube.com/user/richlandonline/videos. Time is of the essence if you choose to oppose the rezoning and have your voice heard. I ask that you decline the rezoning classification so that you may preserve the integrity of our homes, our community. Save our area for residences, not for commercial businesses. There is enough commercial property on Broad River Road; there is no need for more in a residential area. Thank you,
Contact information for Thomas DeLage if you have any questions:
Phone: 803-576-2172 fax: 803-576-2182
Warmest Regards, Deborah Milano
