FLORENCE - Magnolia Mall owners Preit-Rubin Inc. are planning to add two new additions to the shopping center after getting approval of site plans from the Florence County/Municipal Planning Commission on Tuesday night.

Preit-Rubin representatives would not say what businesses might be planning to move into the additions, but did say that they would be "junior anchor stores."

"We're not at liberty to discuss who we're in negotiations with right now," said Andy Bottaro, of Preit-Rubin.

Bottaro said plans are to add a new 45,000-square-foot retail space at the back of Magnolia Mall, and another 25,000-square-foot retail space in the front of the mall, facing David H. McLeod Boulevard.

The planning commission quickly approved the site plan, with little discussion.

The commission also approved a request from the company to change the zoning designation of another property it owns on Radio Drive.

The development, Plaza at Magnolia, will include a Home Depot, Chili's restaurant, Olive Garden restaurant and a LongHorn Steakhouse. The company asked for the property to be changed from a B-3, General Commercial District, to a PDD Planned Development District.

There were no objections to the request in a public hearing and the planning commission approved the request, passing it on to the Florence City Council for final approval.

During the public hearing, Drew Griffin, director of public works for the city of Florence, discussed traffic problems at the Home Depot site and how the development might affect the flow of vehicles in the area.

"It's easy to recognize that existing conditions cannot handle the traffic that will be created by this development," Griffin said. "Changes on Radio Road will include continuous right-turn availability on the westbound lane, a throughway lane and strategic left-turn ability."

Griffin also said the South Carolina Department of Transportation is studying possible solutions to the traffic problems at the intersection of Radio Road and a frontage road running parallel with David H. McLeod Boulevard.

"DOT needs more time to study it," Griffin said.

He said SCDOT traffic engineers have determined that a solution to the problem at that intersection is not the responsibility of Preit-Rubin.

In other business, the Florence County/Municipal Planning Commission:

• Approved a request to change the zoning of property at Howe Springs Road and Canal Drive to R-4, multifamily residential.
• Approved a request to change the zoning of property at Pamplico Highway and Planer Road to RU-1, rural community district.
• Approved rezoning of property at 2423 David H. McLeod Boulevard to B-3, general commercial district, pending annexation into the city of Florence.
• Approved an ordinance to repeal the 2000 International Residential Code and International Fuel Code and adopt the 2003 codes.
• Approved rezoning of 24 acres on Wilson Road to R-3, single-family residential district.
• Approved a text amendment to zoning ordinance allowing pre-1976 mobile homes to be moved from one location in the county to another, provided they are owner-occupied.