The aesthetic of Greenville’s urban environment requires special oversight and regulation.
The city’s Design Review Board Urban Panel helps with that process. It is made up of five local design and planning experts. Members of the DRB include:
- John Edwards, vice president of LS3P’s Greenville office and board chair
- Edward Zeigler, a principal architect at Craig Gaulden Davis
- Jefferson Fort, director of development and construction management for Pacolet Milliken’s real estate division
- Jeff Tiddy, an associate architect at McMillan Pazdan Smith
- Katie Skoloff, founder and principal designer of In Site Designs
Projects within the Downtown Design Overlay District outlined in the city’s development code must apply for a certificate of appropriateness with the city. The district’s boundary encompasses downtown Greenville, the Village of West Greenville, Unity Park, East North Street and more.
The DRB evaluates a project’s design based on guidelines outlined in the Greenville Downtown Design Guidelines, the zoning ordinance and relevant area master plans. Design elements reviewed include height, scale, mass, fenestration, street-level activation and walkability, materials, texture, color, and more.
Edwards explained the DRB helps keep development from having a “wild west approach.”
“It allows the city to have a common set of values, vocabulary and metrics to create a more cohesive downtown — that doesn’t mean homogenous,” Edwards said.
Members serve two-year terms and bring their own unique knowledge of design, construction, buildings or landscaping to the board. For example, Skoloff said that as an interior designer, she focuses on the materiality and landscaping of each project.
“The goal is pretty straightforward,” Skoloff said. “You’re getting lots of different expertise from different areas.”
The city’s planning department coordinates the DRB along with the Historic Review Board Neighborhood Panel. Project applications are first reviewed for completeness by planning staff and then discussed during the DRB’s monthly meeting. A project’s design can go before the board multiple times if it is particularly complicated or located on a high-visibility site.
Developers can also request a meeting with two board members for an informal review of their project. Zeigler said the meetings help developers understand the review process and the city’s expectations before a project is formally reviewed by the board.
“You need a framework for development just to make sure that the quality is there,” Zeigler said. “Greenville is known for our pedestrian-friendly downtown and that took a lot of work.”
The next formal meeting of the DRB will be held on Nov. 16. For more information about the board, visit greenvillesc.gov/1240/Design-Review-Board—Urban-Panel.
Board members
The Design Review Board Urban Panel consists of five members, each appointed by Greenville City Council, who serve two-year terms that are staggered.
Chair: John Edwards
- Vice president of LS3P’s Greenville office
- Third term serving on the DRB
- He previously served on the city’s Design Review Board (now Historic Review Board) Neighborhood Panel
Seat 2: Edward Zeigler
- Principal architect at Craig Gaulden Davis
- Second term serving on the DRB
- He previously served two months on the DRB to fill in an unexpired term and is now in his second term on the board
Seat 3: Jefferson Fort
- Director of development and construction management for Pacolet Milliken’s real estate division
- Third term serving on the DRB
Seat 4: Jeff Tiddy
- Associate architect at McMillan Pazdan Smith
- First term serving on the DRB
- He previously served on the board around 11 years ago
Seat 5: Katie Skoloff
- Founder and principal designer of In Site Designs
- First term serving on the DRB. She previously served three terms on the city’s Arts in Public Places Commission.
