Following is a city update for Newberry, some of the information you may have heard later in the week on WKDK after Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting:
City Council heard from members of staff about updates to city projects, festivals and grants Tuesday.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Wicker shared that there wasn’t much movement this quarter with the USA EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. Earlier this month, Wicker said they’d had their quarterly grant call with the EPA and that the taskforce was currently good to move forward.
The Brownfields Task Force will get back together on March 25 at 5 p.m., Wicker said, in the council chambers at City Hall. Wicker shared this meeting was open to the public and that they still had funding for additional projects and welcomed the public’s input.
Planning and Development Director Wayne Redfern shared an update on the Wise Street Demolition Project saying that all title searches had been completed on properties, notices had been sent out and hearings would be held toward the end of March or beginning of April.
If things go as planned, Redfern said that the project should finish in December or beginning of January 2026.
City Manager Jason Taylor shared that this project would involve the demolition of 16 vacant properties.
Joshua Davis with Retail Strategies, the company from Birmingham, AL that seeks out national retailers for Newberry, spoke with council Tuesday on trends their company is currently seeing in the market.
Familiar retailers that Retail Strategies have helped bring to the Newberry area include, but are not limited to Starbucks, Harbor Freight, Cookout and Tropical Smoothie Café.
Davis identified that while Newberry has been successful with fast-food restaurants, they’d like a full-service restaurant as well as focus on an additional grocery store.
While there have been many suggestions for a movie theater, Davis said they don’t see a lot of theatre development happening across the country with the variety of streaming platforms now available. If they do expand, Davis said they like to settle in very dense populations with an already existing 30,000+ square footage space.
Davis said they would continue to market Newberry at their upcoming retail trade shows, where they’d have the chance to meet with many retail developers all in one space.
Events Update
Marquerite Palmer, program manager for the Newberry Arts Center, thanked city council, mayor and city manager for their support of the arts center and South Carolina Clay Conference. Palmer said this year’s conference was a huge success, breaking all the records for any previous conference.
A total of 95 people were registered for this year’s conference, Palmer said, with 10 people on a waiting list. Participants traveled from Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to take part.
Palmer shared that the conference’s pottery sale brought over 650 visitors, with sales of pottery, clay art and sculpture totaling over $22,000.
Local restaurants and businesses reported being very busy during the time the attendees and shoppers were in town, she said.
Gretchen Haskett, deputy director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism department shared information on the upcoming International Festival held downtown on Saturday, March 29 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
This year’s spotlight countries include Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Spain, South Korea and Zimbabwe.
Haskett shared they would have 4-5 food vendors that were focusing on small portions so that folks could sample a variety from each location, if they chose to do so. The Newberry Opera House will be serving international beer and wine as part of the festival. The Newberry Arts Center will have activities such as origami and painting for children that will center around this year’s spotlight countries.
Mayor Foster Senn shared an update on Towns in Tune. Previously scheduled for September 2024, it was rescheduled until April 2025 due to Hurricane Helene.
A welcome ceremony will take place on Friday, April 25 during the evening portion of Pork in the Park at 6 p.m. Ticketed events for that weekend can be found on the Newberry Opera House’s website.
City Manager Report
In his report to council, Taylor shared progress of the amphitheater. The plans shown, he said compliment downtown’s Newberry Opera House. Redfern shared that the project should break ground in June, taking approximately 14 months to complete.
Within the Newberry Recreation Complex, Taylor shared that the skate park was constructed, but not quite complete, needing additional site work, sidewalks and signage. The cabin on the property near Hidden Lake has been cleaned out, readying it for rentals and public events.
Taylor shared that improvements had been made to Willowbrook Park Cabin, including a kitchen remodel. Some foundation work is also taking place, he said.
The city has been approached, Taylor said to use the Newberry Firehouse Conference Center as a space to provide catered meals in conjunction with Newberry Opera House shows. It will be serving as a rental space on April 24 for Metz Catering to do a lunch along with a show that day within the opera house.
Public Hearings
Several public hearings were held Tuesday, the first for an ordinance to amend the zoning map of the city for 2517 Main Street, tax map number 342-2-7-48. With no one speaking in favor or opposition of the proposed ordinance, the public hearing was adjourned.
The second public hearing was for an ordinance to amend Article 9 of the city’s zoning ordinance to authorize variances to be granted to sign provisions of the ordinance. With no one speaking in favor or opposition of the proposed ordinance, the public hearing was adjourned.
A public hearing was then held for an ordinance to amend the zoning map of the city for Johnstone Street, tax map number 399-99-2. Josh Thomason with the Piedmont Housing Group spoke in favor of the ordinance. Their group is proposing a buildout of 48 units within six buildings on the property. Thomas said these would be single story townhomes for ages 55 and older. All units are 1-2 bedrooms, Thomas said, and will be brick and hardy plank siding. There will also be a community building, a fitness center and an area with computers/printers/scanners. Thomas said they have developed 30 of these communities since 2010.
With no one speaking in opposition to the ordinance, the public hearing was adjourned.
Old Business
Under old business, council tabled the following items in separate motions to be sure that the city had processes and fees in place for new growth potentially coming into the city limits. Taylor said the city needed growth that complimented the city, especially from a utilities standpoint and that existing citizens shouldn’t subsidize new development, but rather it should pay its own way.
Also under old business, council approved second and final reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning map of the city for 2517 Main Street, tax map number 342-2-7-48. Motion was made by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow and seconded by DuBose. This reclassifies the parcel from GC – General Commercial to NC – Neighborhood Commercial.
A motion was made by Councilperson Clay Smith and seconded by Holmes to table until April second reading of an ordinance to amend Article 9 of the city’s zoning ordinance to authorize variances to be granted to sign provisions. This ordinance gives the Zoning Board of Appeals the authority to approve signage variances that are not in accordance with code.
Senn shared that his original impression of the ordinance was that it allowed the zoning board approval for a one-time variance. However, upon looking into it further he felt like it could open up the door for other things.
Several commercial businesses located in city residential areas would then be potentially granted a variance for a similar electronic sign, Senn shared, and council agreed they would like more time to consider the ordinance.
Redfern shared with council that one of the functions of the zoning board would be to look at the overall impact of an area, taking a lot into consideration prior to granting a variance.
Senn asked if clarification could be given as to how long it had been in place.
The final item of old business was a presentation given by Thomas Forte on the construction of a revolutionary war monument for Memorial Park. Ford updated council on ideas including an entrance he said the city planned to create with two steps. Ford said their group would like to put markers on either side of that entrance, with inscriptions on either side.
As council had just seen the information that evening, Senn asked to take it as information and look over all the information provided by Ford, to pick it back up at a later date.
New Business
Under new business, council approved first reading of an ordinance to amend the business license ordinance of the city to update the class schedule as required by Act 176 of 2020.
The SC Business License Tax Standardization Act 176 of 2020 imposed additional requirements and conditions on the administration of business license taxes. The act requires that by December 31 of every odd year, each municipality levying a business license tax must adopt, by ordinance, the latest standardized business license class schedule as recommended by the Municipal Association of South Carolina.
Motion to approve first reading was made by Glasgow and seconded by Holmes. This ordinance shall be effective with respect to the business license year beginning on May 1, 2026.
First reading was then tabled until April of an ordinance to amend the zoning map for Myrtle Street and Bay Street Lot 23, tax map number 342-2-7-27. The Newberry Planning Commission recommended a zoning classification change from R8 – Residential to RMX – Mixed Residential District. Motion to table was made by Glasgow and seconded by Holmes.
A first reading was approved by council to amend the zoning map of the city for 1128 Turner Street, tax map number 344-2-2-27. This is the result of the owner’s petition to reclassify the parcel from R8 – Medium Density to GC – General Commercial. The Newberry Planning Commission recommended a zoning classification of GC – General Commercial for the zoning and future land use maps.
This ordinance was denied by unanimous vote on December 10, 2024. Since then, Taylor says the property owner has agreed to certain conditions for the property to be rezone including the installation of a slatted fence, landscaping as well as other modifications.
Motion to approve first reading was made by Kinard and seconded by Smith.
Also approved Tuesday was a resolution designating the month of April as Fair Housing Month in the City of Newberry. Senn read a copy of the resolution for those in attendance.
Motion to approve was made by Glasgow and seconded by DuBose.
Consideration of a request to authorize the city manager to enter into a contractual agreement between the city, the Newberry Opera House and a city employee was also approved by council. Motion to approve was made by Kinard and seconded by Holmes.
Under new business, council then approved two requests for authorization to allow alcohol in designated areas for upcoming events:
This would allow event patrons to travel the event area with an alcoholic beverage of beer or wine only, by foot, if they are carrying the allowed beverage in a plastic cup. Event patrons will be carded with over 21 wristbands provided by approved event vendor(s).
The event area includes Boyce Street from Nance to McKibben Streets and McKibben Street from Boyce to Main Streets.
This would allow event patrons to travel the event area with an alcoholic beverage of beer or wine only, by foot, if they are carrying the allowed beverage in a plastic cup. Event patrons will be carded with over 21 wristbands provided by approved event vendor(s).
The event area for April 25 includes Main Street from Nance to Graham Streets, Boyce Street from Nance to Caldwell Streets, McKibben Street from Boyce to Main Streets, Caldwell Street from Boyce to Main Streets and Lindsay Street from Main to Martin Streets.
The event area for April 26 includes Main Street from Nance to College Streets, Boyce Street from Nance to Caldwell Streets, McKibben Street from Boyce to Main Streets and Caldwell Street from Boyce to Main Streets.
Additional updates
Senn made a motion that City Council contribute $1,000 to help defray the expenses for Interfaith Community Services for their hurricane Helene response. The motion was seconded by Holmes.
Motion was then made by Holmes to support the West End community’s Spring Fling Carnival, held this year on Saturday, April 19 with $2,000. This motion was seconded by Force.
City Council will hold their next regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall.
