An Orangeburg County councilwoman wants property owners to have the chance to meet with the developer who plans to build a 60-acre neighborhood near their homes.
Developer Andrew Silver submitted a request to council to rezone the property from residential general to a planned development, but Council Vice Chair Janie Cooper-Smith says the project has not been fully reviewed or discussed with adjacent property owners.
“Some got notifications too late to voice a concern and some did not know what was being asked,” Cooper-Smith told county council on Monday.
“I would like Mr. Silver, along with the county administrator, to set up a meeting so that the adjacent property owners and community members can hear Mr. Silver voice his plan,” she said.
Silver’s plan calls for 188 single-family homes on a 60-acre tract of land at Kings Road/Bruin Parkway. It will be named The Park at Wilkinson.
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The development will be located across from the Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School ball fields.
Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said property owners were notified of the proposed development, but no comments were received from citizens.
Cooper-Smith said she is pleased a housing development has been proposed, but she is concerned neighbors have not had a chance to review the project properly.
She discovered that some rezoning notifications went to previous and not current property owners located next to the property.
“That is a big project,” Cooper-Smith continued. “We want to see the plan. There is more we need to know.”
In light of her concerns, council gave first reading approval Monday to Gateway One Development LLC’s plans to rezone the property with the understanding that Young will set up a meeting between Silver and adjacent property owners to discuss the project.
Councilman Johnny Ravenell also expressed concerns about the project.
“We have got to be very careful how we accept these,” Ravenell said, noting the county is responsible for road maintenance within such developments.
“We have to do a lot of maintenance on them. It falls back to the county,” he said.
Young said the roads will have to meet the county standards before being accepted and finalized before submission.
Construction is scheduled to begin on the housing component of the project during the first quarter of 2022, with occupancy expected within six months after groundbreaking.
The development will include single-family detached homes ranging from 1,700 square feet to 2,500 square feet. The price range will be from $180,000 to $350,000.
Home styles will also include townhomes and “freedom homes” that are geared toward an active adult community.
The residential development is expected to include amenities such as a ballpark, cabana or playground.
The project is entirely privately funded.
D.R. Horton will construct the homes. Gateway One Development will be undertaking the groundwork.
Silver owns Gateway One, along with Mike O'Cain and Chad Rast of O'Cain Construction.
The residential development is just one part of a larger development planned for the U.S. 601 corridor.
In August 2020, Silver announced plans to build what is called the The Sixo 1 Project, with dining, retail, entertainment, lodging and residential uses.