CLEMSON — The Clemson Planning Commission Monday night unanimously approved the consistency plan for an 8.88-acre development on Old Central Road featuring 51 single-family detached condominium dwellings with an emphasis on environmental friendliness.

Ken Bell, a landscape architect from Athens, Ga., told commission members that Old Central Station — the proposed multi-phase planned development — calls for 41 3-bedroom structures with the remainder as 4-bedroom dwellings. With a total of 163 bedrooms, there will be a density of 5.7 units per acre or 18.35 bedrooms per acre.

Bell, representing RJC Land Investments, Inc., said the development will be housed on the site of an old bed and breakfast with the home occupied by owner Danny Gregg — built to comply with bed and breakfast requirements — to be used as a clubhouse.

In addition, a cabana poolhouse and a recreation/amenity area, with sidewalks and trails/footbridge access, will also be featured. But Gregg emphasized that the project will be very environmentally friendly.

“There is a strip of vegetation we will try to preserve along Old Central Road,” Bell said, adding that the configuration of the project will allow for the preservation of a large stand of old trees along Old Central Road to serve as a buffer for the backs of the proposed houses.

Although the original plan called for one access road, a second entrance has been added at the request of city staff in order to allow for emergency and sanitation services to effectively serve the development. The radius of the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the tract has also been revised to meet city design standards.

Bell said a proposed retaining wall would be constructed behind both sides of the unit and that a pond, reformed into a meadow behind the old Bed and Breakfast building, will be preserved.

“The preservation of drainage corridors, preservation of vegetation and preservation of greenscape — to me, this is a favorable report,” Bell said.

Bell added that the development could attract non-conventional students, such as older students returning to college, as well as the parents of students seeking to purchase a condo to build equity before selling to another party.

“This would be like a little neighborhood community that could function with students and young couples,” he said.

But Bob Cain, president of RJC Land Investments, said the market is not conducive for residential housing at this time.

“I’m sitting on residential property I can’t sell and so are many others,” Cain said. “If I thought it would sell, I would do this.”

On the other hand, Cain said student housing is a different story.

“Student housing is a niche market that doesn’t seem to be affected by what is going on in the economy right now, especially the construction industry,” he said.

Bell said studies regarding the development’s impact on traffic show 459 trips per day, with a peak hour of 46 trips consisting mostly of left hand turns exiting out of the two entrances.

“It’s a relatively small development in that regard,” Bell said.

The next step for the Old Central Road project will be a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. June 9 at Clemson City Hall. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the meeting that will be held in city council chambers.