Walmart Neighborhood Market development advances in Bluffton Planning Commission vote
Beaufort County's first Walmart grocery store has moved one step closer to breaking ground.
In a special meeting, the Bluffton Planning Commission voted unanimously to give approval, with conditions by town staff and board members, for a certificate of appropriateness to a proposed shopping center at the intersection of S.C. 170 and Bluffton Parkway. The project is part of the Buckwalter planned-unit development.
A 43,000-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market and Pharmacy will anchor the development, which sits on a 24.7-acre site. A Walmart gas station, with six fueling stations and a 757-square-foot kiosk, and two retail buildings, one 8,400 square feet and the other 9,000 square feet, are also included in the center.
Conditions for approval include additional drawings for trash bin enclosures on the property and an integrated sign package. Additionally, the Planning Commission requested further changes to the landscaping plan, suggesting the use of more "native plant materials" in the development.
"There are some (proposed) trees that may or may not be good for this region," said commission member Daniel Keefer. He cited honey locusts and other deciduous trees mentioned in the landscaping plan as being particularly problematic in humid Lowcountry weather. "There might be better plants and trees that are more suited for this area," Keefer added.
The Planning Commission also discussed the placement of propane tanks at the Walmart Neighborhood Market and the fuel station. Accessory structures such as vending machines are mandated by the Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance to be inside buildings, but propane tanks pose a unique challenge in that they must be stored outside for safety reasons.
Plans show propane tanks enclosed by three walls and a landscape buffer at the Walmart Neighborhood Market and the fuel station.
Some commission members questioned the need to have propane tanks at both locations.
"As a customer, it's a lot easier to drive to the gas station to get (propane) rather than park 3 miles away" at the Walmart grocery store, said Planning Commission member Terry Hancock.
Commission chairman Josh Tiller said he felt the tanks were OK at either location.
"Most people expect it at the entrance," he said.
Project architect Andrew Moon of RHA Architects said Walmart would consider storing the tanks at one location but wanted to include the option of having them at both the store and the kiosk in initial plans.
The project was previously brought before the Planning Commission on Oct. 28, when the board tabled a vote on the development. At the time, members of the commission felt several changes related to the center's architecture, lighting and landscaping needed to be addressed before signing off on the project.
On Tuesday, commission members and town staff were largely positive about the design modifications, which include additional detailing in the building facades, larger use of native Lowcountry materials and a more cohesive color palette throughout the development.
"It's a significant change from before," Tiller said.
The Walmart Neighborhood Market will be the first of its kind in Beaufort County. Developers have previously indicated they hoped to break ground on the development in 2016.
Follow reporter Ashley Fahey at twitter.com/IPBG_Ashley.
Related content:
- Vote tabled on Bluffton Walmart Neighborhood Market shopping center, October 28, 2015
- Walmart Neighborhood Market targets shoppers comfortable at smaller stores, January 13, 2015
- Walmart grocery store to anchor new Bluffton shopping center, January 12, 2015
This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Walmart Neighborhood Market development advances in Bluffton Planning Commission vote."