Conway zoning board approves multiple variances, denies metal‑siding request for proposed repair shop

The Conway Board of Zoning Appeals on May 28 approved a series of variances that will change landscaping, signage and setback requirements for commercial and residential projects in the city, and denied a variance that would have allowed a new automotive repair building to use exposed metal siding.

Chair opened the meeting by asking speakers to keep public input concise and read the four legal criteria the board must apply for any variance. Staff then introduced six agenda variance requests, and board members heard testimony from applicants and heard public questions before voting on each item.

The board unanimously approved a variance for 1818 Main Street to omit a 5‑foot Type A landscape buffer along the southern property line where it conflicts with required parking. Clint Richardson, representing Kingston Engineering, said Highway 701 (DOT) required the driveway to be pushed away from the highway, which constrained the site layout and made the buffer infeasible. "The DOT pushed the driveway option away from 701," Richardson said, explaining the layout and safety reasons behind the change. The board’s decision to approve cited the lot’s narrow configuration and the safety benefits of avoiding an additional access point onto the highway.

At 2776 Church Street the board approved a variance that allows the first 30.22 linear feet of a shared property line to be excepted from a continuous 5‑foot buffer, provided the full complement of planting units is redistributed across the two parcels. Surveyor David Schwert said the plan keeps the same amount of landscaping while enabling a shared drive aisle that "avoids creating any new entrances to 501," a change staff said will reduce curb cuts onto the arterial.

The board also addressed three signage variances at 1600 Church Street. Anchor Sign representative Collins Corbett and Parker’s Kitchen development manager Daniel Ben Israel asked for four wall signs (the corner‑lot maximum is two), a 13‑foot monument sign (GCO limit 10 feet), and a gasoline‑price reader board with the top price digits at 16 inches (the UDO standard is 12 inches). The board split the request: it granted the four wall signs and allowed the larger 16‑inch top digits for gasoline pricing to reduce customer confusion, but it denied the monument sign height variance and instructed the applicant to keep the monument cabinet top at 10 feet or adjust the base to comply with the 10‑foot maximum.

For a residential request at 1001 Winding Road, the board granted an 8‑foot dimensional variance to permit a 12‑foot rear setback for a covered porch. Brantley Green of Trademark Home Exterior testified that the proposed addition aligns with existing nonconforming conditions on the house and that the project includes a new guttering and subsurface drain to move stormwater to a nearby city catch basin.

The board denied a request at 2393 Church Street to permit an external metal wall system for a proposed 7,000‑square‑foot automotive repair building. Yvette Boyd, representing F & J/Conway Ford, argued the metal siding was historically used on rear facades and not visible from Highway 501; she said the cost to change the front facade could be between $70,000 and $100,000. Several board members, however, said they did not find the site’s conditions sufficiently extraordinary or unique and expressed concern about setting a precedent—particularly given nearby parcels in unincorporated Horry County that are not subject to the city’s UDO. After closing public input the board voted to deny the variance.

Finally, the board approved a narrowly tailored lock‑depth reduction for Rivertown Road North Phase 2 (lots 105–120), reducing the plotted lot depth to 112.32 feet so a required 10‑foot perimeter landscape buffer can be platted as HOA‑owned open space rather than encroaching into homeowners’ rear yards. A developer representative and a nearby resident said the change is limited in scope, preserves the buffer as open space and yields buildable lots.

Votes at a glance:
- Variance A (1818 Main St.): omit 5‑ft buffer along southern property line — approved (motion to approve; mover identified in the record as Miss Dingell; second Miss Hill; voice vote).
- Variance B (2776 Church St.): allow 30.22‑ft exception and redistribute required plantings across two parcels — approved (motion; voice vote).
- Variance C (1600 Church St.): four wall signs — approved (motion; voice vote); gas‑price top digits at 16 inches — approved (motion; voice vote); monument sign height to 13 ft — denied (motion; voice vote).
- Variance D (1001 Winding Rd.): 8‑ft dimensional variance to allow a 12‑ft rear setback for a covered porch — approved (motion; voice vote).
- Variance E (2393 Church St.): permit external metal wall system for new 7,000‑sq‑ft repair building — denied (motion to deny; voice vote).
- Variance F (Rivertown Road North Phase 2): reduce lock depth for lots 105–120 (to 112.32 ft) so a 10‑ft buffer may be HOA open space — approved (motion; voice vote).

What happens next: approved variances may proceed to permitting, subject to any conditions imposed by staff or the board; the denied metal‑siding request would require a redesign (the board discussed brick or other facade treatments as a possible compromise) if the applicant seeks to move forward. The board adjourned after routine administrative items; an attendee who asked about HOA/permit forms for a backyard shed was referred to staff for follow‑up.

(Reporting based solely on the meeting transcript and sworn testimony presented at the Conway Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on May 28.)