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Fort Howard Square to grow
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Rincon City Council approved the preliminary site plans for a 7,600 square foot shopping center addition to the left of Fred’s at Fort Howard Square during Monday’s council meeting.

“It’ll be the same look — similar kind of tenants — as what we did in phase one,” said Blanchard and Calhoun Commercial consultant Rhodes Seeger.

The addition will hold a minimum of three tenants and a maximum of five.

“We’ve got one restaurant looking to take two spaces, so that will leave two other spaces,” Seeger said.

But he pointed out that it all depended on whether another tenant took one or two spaces as well.

If the final plans are approved, construction could commence within 60 days.

Phase one of the construction ended late last year. While most of the space is now occupied, Seeger said that 5,000 square feet of storage warehouse space built with lights, heating and air is still available behind Shoe Show.

City council members denied Earth Comfort Company’s request to have Article 6 of the Growth Management Code (List of Allowable or Prohibited Land Uses) amended to allow storage in an office-commercial zoning district for what seemed to be two separate reasons: no base on Carolina Avenue and the city is in the process of having the zoning ordinance revised. Council members said they didn’t want to act on an amendment until the planning and appeals board had an opportunity to give input.

Rincon city planner LaMeisha Hunter reported that she received a memo from the construction inspector and public works director about Carolina Street.

“When the work was done on the Carolina Street bridge, it was discovered that there was no base on that bridge,” Hunter said. “All we have is a thin layer of asphalt, so we have concerns about additional weight.”

She said she’d seen tractor-trailers coming over the bridge. The representative from Earth Comfort Company replied that they had no problems going and picking the pipe instead of having it delivered.

However, Councilmember Ken Baxley said he was unsure about amending the zoning map right now.

“Without (the planning and appeal board’s) input on this, I’ve a hesitancy to make any changes,” he said.

Also:
• The Rincon Fire Department’s annual boot drive has been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday. Firefighters will be collecting money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Their initial attempt, on Fort Howard Road, was halted for concerns over their safety.