Clemson approves its first ‘conservation development.’ What does it mean?

CLEMSON — A small subdivision filling in nine vacant acres of an established subdivision could bring dense development thanks to its new conservation designation — a first for the city.

The Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-2 to reclassify 9.19 acres on Rock Creek Road from R-20 — a low-density designation with larger lots — to “conservation development.” This would be the city’s first development under this category, according to Zoning and Codes Administrator Jacob Peabody.

Homes nearby were built with a “cluster development” designation, Peabody said, but the conservation title requires open public space and alley-loaded homes while allowing smaller lots.

Developer David Jones told the board he’s applying with a plan for 18 lots and more than 5 acres of undeveloped green space, knowing that he’ll likely lose at least four of those homes as he goes through the approval process.

Conservation developments require a minimum of 5 acres where no significant grading has happened in the past five years and use of “low impact development practices” to protect waterways.

The R-20 designation would allow 12 lots, each with a driveway connecting to Rock Creek Road. Jones’ plan creates two alley systems, limiting curb breaks along the main road.

“We’re not going in and mass grading and clearing everything,” Jones told the BZA. “We’re leaving a lot of trees, we’re leaving a lot of room for wildlife. I know there’s deer out there. I’ve seen them.”

The Rock Creek subdivision in Clemson. Provided

Provided

Board members pointed out that a developer could come in under current zoning and clear-cut the 12 lots, though there was some hesitation over creating an HOA that would manage the publicly accessed green space inside the conservation area.

“It’s not the lot size that dictates how many trees you bulldoze,” Rock Creek Road resident Nathan Geary said. “My backyard is a conservation area; my neighbor’s yard is a conservation. We just happen to own the trees.”

The development could come to a halt as it moves through the three planning commission stages, Peabody told the board. Requirements for the new houses on Rock Creek Road include a minimum 2,000-square-foot home and 7,000-square-foot lot, cement board siding, public access to the open space and facades facing the street for homes abutting the main road.