Camille Broadway
The Newberry City Commission approved the final plat for the first phase of a development off of State Road 45, and authorized a contract with a design firm for plans for a new city building.
As part of its regular meeting Monday evening, the commission approved the final plat for Phase 1 of Country Way South, which runs parallel to SR 45 and is located south of the original Country Way development.
Country Way South initially was approved as a planned residential development in 2009, and the city commission approved construction plans for it in July 2021.
Bryan Thomas, Newberry’s director of planning and economic development, told the commission that the development could have contained as many as 94 lots in terms of the property’s allowed housing density, but the plan was for 77 total lots and common areas on 23.5 acres.
The Country Way South will feature detached, single-family units, which will be served by Newberry’s centralized water and wastewater systems. Phase 1 contains 41 lots on 13.11 acres.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the commission authorized city staff to execute a contract for a detailed design plan for Newberry City Hall and the city hall campus. The cost for the design plans, which are needed before the city could get cost estimates or solicit bids for the project, will be capped at $464,476.
The commission looked at a conceptional design from Monarch Design Group in April and had authorized the staff to move forward with a detailed design phase at that meeting. The April vote was 3-2, but the vote Monday to authorize execution of the contract was unanimous.
The cost estimate for the new building, which would be built behind the current city hall, ranges from $4 million to $6 million. The two-story building would face NW 1st Avenue.
Currently, the city is at capacity in its current buildings. Mayor Jordan Marlowe said in April that the proposed complex would give the city government room to expand as the city itself grows.