GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – Greenville City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve the first reading of a plan to annex a portion of the Woodruff Road corridor near I-385 into the city.<\/p>\n
The stretch is one of the busiest commercial spots in the Upstate. The annexation would put several businesses within city limits, including Sam\u2019s Club and other major retailers.<\/p>\n
The Greenville Planning Commission recently cleared a major hurdle for the proposal by approving a rezoning request for 87 acres near Woodruff Road, a standard procedural step before land can be officially brought into city limits.<\/p>\n
Not everyone is fully on board with the proposal. Some people in the area question if the city is looking to expand its tax base.<\/p>\n
Mayor Knox White spoke before the meeting. He said new revenue would be a benefit, but the city also wants more control over traffic and future planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do hope to have, with business licenses and property taxes, some good revenue increases from the area. But we have areas that we just think are naturally should belong in the city. Woodruff road, a portion is in the city now. but most of it\u2019s in the county. We think there\u2019s kind of a natural border there in terms of one day bringing that whole system into our traffic control system, something that\u2019s currently not in, which will help traffic move better,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n
The vote was not final. The plan will still need a second reading.<\/p>\n
If it passes, the city would gain direct authority over future development along the busy corridor. While the plan could generate new municipal revenue, the potential for new business development could also bring more workers and traffic to the notoriously congested area. Woodruff Road itself will remain under the jurisdiction of the state, where the Department of Transportation is currently executing separate projects aimed at easing traffic.<\/p>\n