[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6591985,"mediaKeyId","2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15","parentId",2987226,"title","Council approves rezoning at 213 Pelser Highway after applicant raises recusal request","audioSeconds",222,"startMs",2018000,"endMs",2240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15&start=2018&end=2240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15/thumbnail_2018000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6591985/South-Carolina/Council-approves-rezoning-at-213-Pelser-Highway-after-applicant-raises-recusal-request","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591985-d359c0f2f981bc2f11e96d16e4b3e4fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146592&Signature=Q~qK24jz-MEwuITJCioyHUk48DXL0qz-X6iD5gRkEwohbfU9ZCiGg6~bl2B0e5z1a8JvSxzsCRAE~asUhgktb9PeKjmsL5OTdOf0aKeM8hzAdaWWv8tR7QVsGkJsB-GEKCEG2igjiitPeWyiEiRg2Q7pAc8xDlD4rWGpT9EgFLd-R27cwsY7QMpmLEgSmTlGrnGK5KHzlkIM9ep5bVoekGYK9Q8WWniruIC0ur5rR0Y~MQ5JNXdITZHuB2mYYDae0WDk3cFXTSinhVzYFokdDAE~OuTHfqYZE7rlZkWOS~0jxEeH3uc378OxL3XHjlm63c7ThQGqnUebod2wVbfSMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Easley","date","2025-04-15T00:11:07.627Z","article","The Easley City Council voted to rezone a 0.34-acre property at 213 Pelser Highway from General Residential (GR-2) to Office Institutional (OI), after hearing from the property's owner and applicant, Dan Bracken.

Bracken told council members the parcel is adjacent to other commercial properties (he cited La Casita and Family Dollar within roughly 480 to 900 feet) and said the site's layout severely limits parking. He said the intended tenant is a low-visit, office-type business (he described it as akin to a med-spa, with typical client visits of 30 to 45 minutes) and that the property's configuration would produce only a small number of vehicle trips per hour.

\"I can't put a lot of parking on this property. And the reason that's relevant, I can't put a lot of people in this space,\" Bracken said, adding that his intent was to provide a visible, affordable office space for a local business rather than pursue higher-revenue short-term rentals.

During public comment on the item, Bracken asked Councilwoman Denise Davidson to recuse herself because he said she had spoken against the request at the planning commission meeting. \"So I'm formally asking her to recuse herself from the vote because she spoke and spoke against my request,\" Bracken said.

Davidson responded from the dais: she said her earlier remarks to the planning commission did not require recusal and that she had not made a definitive statement for or against the rezoning at that meeting. \"I do not have to recuse myself from this vote,\" Davidson said for the record.

Council members asked staff about traffic and the history of zoning in the corridor. Planning staff noted that Highway 8/Pelser Highway carries roughly 17,000 vehicles per day in the area and that an Office Institutional designation was compatible with corridor uses. Bracken supplied a packet showing nearby commercial uses and a graphic indicating the back-of-building to property-line dimension of 58 feet, which he said limited his ability to add parking.

After discussion, the council approved Ordinance 2025-04 by voice vote. The applicant, Bracken, said he has received several inquiries about rental of the building but that pending rezoning he could not commit a new tenant.

The council record shows no roll-call tally; the mayor announced the motion passed with no opposition.

Votes and next steps
- Ordinance 2025-04 (213 Pelser Hwy, GR-2 to OI): Passed (voice vote). Planning staff will complete standard permitting and site-plan review if and when development is proposed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting 04/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Easley City Council voted to rezone a 0.34-acre parcel at 213 Pelser Highway from General Residential to Office Institutional after the applicant described limited parking and a low-traffic office use.","taxTitle","Easly City, Pickens, South Carolina","taxId",57021,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6591990,"Council approves three rezones, ward redistricting and two judicial reappointments",52,2387000,2439000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15&start=2387&end=2439","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15/thumbnail_2387000.jpg","/articles/6591990/South-Carolina/Council-approves-three-rezones-ward-redistricting-and-two-judicial-reappointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591990-07d03a76c4e77ac1390310ff4fd21b85/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146592&Signature=aDFEawxAfHW2RzdExY2doFcGGzhs6OGKarcUYrvr02oPh0bBQ8l-3Tp0OYAH6qswQXnOqoyDBb-hLOVW4swMrfNljMNaMG9g4LvjaBp6CPEPSJTau-wRM~6jqg9LqVt3G~VxOF8Hm0rSXNwv7eqya3ERoMRnUeW3qUKjoFAsoaQNzdBCZSnpqLduSB0zO-CwMpQxeI9aWggBocY6BBGUthb97ulYFFD1vZGwSRzZR6Vm~INIEPfTwRWCBL8FJvqF4u0gLpz-fuM3ch9jN7tleP0~MnNV~jxaGL~hR7BHmbXYfwIjS~VjGdGRhfnVg-0PKhoamkMlv4dGiBL7tNmM1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Easley City Council on an evening meeting approved three zoning changes, a redistricting ordinance and two reappointments for municipal-court positions.

The council passed Ordinance 2025-02 to rezone roughly 0.815 acres at 738 East Main Street (intersection of South D Street and East Main Street) from Residential (R-7.5) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The motion was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Council members then approved Ordinance 2025-03, a redistricting measure to redraw the city's six single-member wards using population figures from the 2020 decennial census. Council members described the proposed map as more compact and balanced, with ward populations within about 5% of each other. The ordinance passed its first reading by voice vote; staff said any areas annexed since 2020 would be added before second reading and that the county's elections office will notify affected voters after final adoption.

The council also approved Ordinance 2025-04 to rezone approximately 0.34 acres at 213 Pelser Highway from General Residential (GR-2) to Office Institutional (OI). The applicant spoke in support of the rezoning; council members asked questions about traffic and parking before approving the change by voice vote.

On resolutions, the council reappointed James E. Sterling to a two-year term as associate municipal judge (Resolution 2025-06) and reappointed Tina Galbraith as assistant municipal judge for two years (Resolution 2025-07). Both reappointments were approved by voice vote.

All votes on ordinances and resolutions were taken by voice; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes provided.

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 2025-02 (Rezoning: 738 East Main St, R-7.5 to NC): Passed (voice vote).
- Ordinance 2025-03 (Redistrict wards based on 2020 census): Passed (voice vote); second reading scheduled for May 12.
- Ordinance 2025-04 (Rezoning: 213 Pelser Hwy, GR-2 to OI): Passed (voice vote).
- Resolution 2025-06 (Reappoint James E. Sterling, associate municipal judge): Passed (voice vote).
- Resolution 2025-07 (Reappoint Tina Galbraith, assistant municipal judge): Passed (voice vote).

The council did not record numeric vote tallies in the public portion of the meeting; outcomes were announced by the mayor as approved or not opposed.

The meeting also included routine departmental updates and public comments on the budget, traffic safety and drainage; those items were discussed separately by council and members of the public.","The Easley City Council approved three rezoning ordinances, voted to adopt a new ward map based on the 2020 decennial census and reappointed two municipal judges during its regular meeting. Several zoning items drew discussion from the applicant and council members before unanimous voice votes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6591980,"Residents press council for transparency on mill increases and raise traffic, drainage concerns",163,959000,1122000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15&start=959&end=1122","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987226-836121d1d05865b463be3129f286ae15/thumbnail_959000.jpg","/articles/6591980/South-Carolina/Residents-press-council-for-transparency-on-mill-increases-and-raise-traffic-drainage-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591980-1cb025878db46246a595bfbf0d209531/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146592&Signature=WJg7JQGyoNWhhEpuwok-Lc0X2z-PNnrTVnVM8dLv1C8fKXutt~aY80YkZd7rif4ob5G6EoRvf0c~Wes2kJ538YaOoi1S51RdxQLcA8hxlyhoGt89x7jZ3ZpPRVCXHPrHqkfBBMMrUsUdcYIVneXiONeesd7d7Z6VmE8b4O7l~eXMxmfeYmLj123PSoVr2hPtnRIfxoTX7dAvm6igPyImKPzX06SNGO-i7N1Q3Yx0H-ElMQHFj~VugwNA3Vpa79s3SHjOhhurUPFUvBS45eo6saRZBOvyWNQ5E4jA4o-nS2AKvIOJXqbgvejIhcGm8n4wKoOJlZ7WTYEc5hNRRvIhjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents used the citizen-comment portion of the Easley City Council meeting to press for more transparency on proposed property-tax (mill) increases and to raise public-safety and drainage concerns.

At the start of public comments, Jenny McJunken said she was not ‘‘entirely opposed to a mill increase'' but asked the council to explain how the previous year's mill increase had been spent and to provide more detail before approving another increase. \"This would be the sixth year in a row of a mill increase,\" McJunken said. \"Where did that money go? I would love to hear that talked about.\" Her remarks cited support for higher municipal employee salaries but urged clearer accounting of prior increases.

Scott Schroeder, a homeowner who said he lives near the top of a hill by Easton Elementary, urged the council to provide more resources for traffic safety and enforcement. \"The traffic issue is ... a matter of danger to public safety, particularly on my, the top of my hill where I live across the street from Easton Elementary,\" Schroeder said. He asked council members to back additional measures to protect pedestrians and slow traffic.

John Wallace, who said he lives on Carnoustie Drive, thanked the council for assistance addressing a local drainage issue and said he spent $6,000 installing drainage on his property. He also thanked the Easley Police Department for providing security at his church.

Council members noted the city is in its annual budget season and encouraged residents to submit feedback. Councilman Robinson said he appreciated public input in support of increased first responders and expanded services and invited residents to schedule meetings by email (ltalbert@cityofeasley.com) or leave messages.

The meeting record does not show the council taking immediate budget votes; staff said budget deliberations will continue with public input ahead of formal adoption.","As Easley enters annual budget season, residents urged the council to explain prior mill increases and to provide more information on public-safety and drainage issues. Council members encouraged continued public input and listed outreach options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves rezoning at 213 Pelser Highway after applicant raises recusal request

Council approves three rezones, ward redistricting and two judicial reappointments

Residents press council for transparency on mill increases and raise traffic, drainage concerns