Fairfax CVS Public Hearing Tuesday

Goose Creek City Council will hold a public hearing and initial vote on a proposed rezoning at the entrance to the Fairfax neighborhood off of St. James Avenue.

Developers want to put a CVS pharmacy on 2.25 acres that front St. James Avenue, replacing the pharmacy in the Big Lots shopping center a few blocks away.

Existing zoning limits businesses on the Fairfax property to services like barbers or childcare centers. Last month, the Goose Creek Planning Commission approved the rezoning to General Commercial, 3-2.

City Council meets at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, 519 N. Goose Creek Blvd.

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Expected to cost $4.5 million, the project was first presented to Fairfax residents.

The developers have tried to addressed their concerns, agreeing to build a new playground that's a little farther away than the existing playground on the other side of the Fairfax community entrance. The project will also include a new turning lane exiting Fairfax to attempt to address traffic concerns.

Planning Commission Approval

A resident in one of the closest houses to the proposed development, Dennis Richardson, told the Planning Commission that he likes the large commercial lot just the way it is: heavily wooded. "What's that CVS going to do for my property values," he asked.

Planning Commission Chairman Jeffrey Smith supported the rezoning request and noted it was about economic development.

"We're looking at a viable business that's going to add more payroll," he said. The company representatives estimated the staff would increase by four because of the larger store.

Former Chairman Allen Wall voted against the request, pointing down Rivers Avenue to a host of department stores and drugstores that have struggled to find tenants as businesses relocate.

"I believe that CVS has good intentions, but I believe they're not going to stay," he said.