The town of Irmo will take a closer look at the impact new development will have on traffic after the town’s planning commission rejected a plan to place more than 500 new homes on Lake Murray.
An ordinance adopted by the town council Tuesday would require the planning commission to receive a traffic analysis on any new development that would generate more than 50 car trips per hour on town roadways. The traffic study would be administered by the town and paid for by the developer, whether for new residential or commercial development.
Council members said the new ordinance would give local officials more control over growth and the issues that come with it.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to continue to yield this space to DOT and just the developer,” Councilman Erik Sickinger said of the state Department of Transportation. “Traffic obviously is a big deal right now. For us to be able to lay a foundation for this study is important.”
The city will hire a traffic consultant to conduct an impact analysis on new developments, who can determine whether a proposed development might reach the 50-trip threshold.
“Even a Whataburger would probably trigger 50 trips per hour at peak times in the afternoon,” said Assistant Town Administrator Doug Polen, referencing the most recent new business to locate in the town .
Will housing developer make proposal changes?
Just last week, the Irmo Planning Commission denied rezoning to the planned Water Walk development — which sought to build 550 new housing units on 65 acres near Dreher Shoals Road — due to concerns of how dense the development would be. Neighbors had packed the hearing to raise concerns about the project, including its potential impact on traffic in the area.
Polen noted during that recent planning commission meeting that the Water Walk developers had agreed to the new traffic study process even though it wasn’t yet ratified by the town council. After the denial, the town announced that the proposal for the project would be taken up again by either the planning commission on Sept. 9 or the town council on Sept. 17.
“The developer is considering making changes to the proposal,” Irmo posted to social media . “If changes are made, the revised proposal will be reviewed by the planning commission again. If the proposal remains unchanged, it will be reviewed by the town council on Sep. 17.”
Growth, traffic in Lexington County
Growth and the strain it can bring to local communities has been a focus in areas that have seen an explosion of new housing and residents in recent years, especially in areas of Lexington County around Lake Murray. With its population of 12,000, Irmo is in the process of drawing up a long-term land development plan that would cover an area double the town’s current size .
“I like that the town is taking a more proactive engagement with trying to address the concerns of our citizens over traffic,” said Councilwoman Phyllis Coleman. “As we develop Irmo more, for us to be able to work hand-in-hand with the developer so that we have some modicum of control is a very good thing.”
Jordan Lawrence contributed to this report.
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