With annexation, town would grow by a thirdCouncil unanimously approves proposal for town to absorb 1,000 acres along U.S. Highway 52 By Warren Wise (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Melissa Haneline Marc Hehn, Moncks Corner town administrator, and Glenn Batten, town planner, look over a map of the area the town wants to annex. 
The Post and Courier MONCKS CORNER — This Berkeley County town could grow geographically by nearly a third by summer's end under a plan Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt. The town took the first steps to annex more than 1,000 acres along U.S. Highway 52 south toward Cypress Gardens Road, taking in mostly undeveloped land surrounding several subdivisions that have sprouted up in the rapidly growing Berkeley market. Much of Moss Grove Plantation across from Carolina Nurseries, Oakley Pointe subdivision just north of Oakley Road and Foxbank Plantation just north of Cypress Gardens Road are on the way to become part of Moncks Corner by August. Several smaller parcels and 10-foot strips along properties abutting U.S. 52 connect the major subdivisions to the town's existing limits. "We look at this as the spine, and we will fill it with muscle and tissue as time progresses," Town Planner Glenn Batten said. The owners of almost all of the more than four dozen properties along the nearly four-mile stretch of U.S. 52 agreed to be annexed, giving the town more than the state-required 75 percent of freeholders representing 75 percent of the assessed value to be annexed, Batten said. "We want the town to grow and increase the tax base to provide new services to the people," Mayor William Peagler said. The town wants the additional revenue to help it pay for a proposed $10 million recreational complex it wants to build near the town's center, but other revenues from newly approved accommodations taxes will help pay for it as well, Peagler said. "It will double the town's population and tax base over time," Town Administrator Marc Hehn said of the area being annexed. Some town officials wanted to include the sprawling Carolina Nurseries property along U.S. 52, but after talking with nursery President J. Guy, the mayor told him he would not recommend that the town annex the property against the owners' will. Peagler said the nursery owners would not object to having a 10-foot strip of its land along the highway annexed. Guy did not return a call Tuesday for comment. Peagler also did not want to annex two small commercial properties in Foxbank Plantation at the corner of Cypress Gardens Road and U.S. 52 without the owners' permission. "I think if we do that (without their permission), it will have a chilling effect with other developers in the future," Peagler said. "I want to keep that door open." Council agreed to exclude Carolina Nurseries and the two Foxbank parcels, but much of the rest of the undeveloped Foxbank tract as well as some residences in the new subdivision will be annexed into the city under the plan. The proposed annexation is good news for Foxbank residents Randy and Carrie Hyman, who signed a petition to be annexed into Moncks Corner for better services. "We need them to do it," Randy Hyman said from his Red Leaf Boulevard home. "The police response is horrible, and the traffic is nutty out here. People fly down this road at 50 miles per hour." Peagler said the town is exploring an added police presence and working with nearby fire departments to serve the new territory. The unanimous vote came after Hehn refused earlier in the day to release a map of the proposed annexation to The Post and Courier. He said he did not want to antagonize Carolina Nurseries by releasing the map before it was voted on. He said it was not a public document because it had not been approved and called it a "work in progress." Jay Bender, the attorney representing the South Carolina Press Association, said the map is a public document. Bender cited the state's Freedom of Information Act that says: "'Public record' includes all books, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, or other documentary materials regardless of physical form or characteristics prepared, owned, used in the possession of, or retained by a public body." He added, "Nowhere in the law is there an exemption for working papers for public bodies except for the Legislature." Hehn also said the meeting could be held behind closed doors to receive legal advice, but that did not occur. He released the map after council adjourned. "We are not trying to hide anything from anybody," the mayor said. Reach Warren Wise at 745-5850 or wwise@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 12 comment(s)
Posted by hossdog001 on June 25, 2008 at 1:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All this will be is a larger SPEED TRAP, with a very under staffed police department. Also if the people of Moncks Corner put their trust in this Hehn fool, GOOD LUCK!!! Moncks Corner has neither the fire, police, or administration to operate a larger town. Since the county has the water lines in those cheap subdivisions,will the county take over the town water works, and add 29% to their water bill? GOOD LUCK MONCKS CORNER
Posted by Slick50 on June 25, 2008 at 3:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The police response is horrible, and the traffic is nutty out here. People fly down this road at 50 miles per hour."
Welcome to the Low Country.
Posted by Thomas1776 on June 25, 2008 at 4:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Only fools would hold on to that map. The law is going to slap the monkeys around pretty hard.
Posted by Thomas1776 on June 25, 2008 at 4:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Stupid idiots in Moncks Corner government.
Posted by Siri on June 25, 2008 at 4:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I live in unincorporated Berkeley Co. My water bill runs around $76 for around the same usage as my friend, who lives in the city, who pays around $39.
Posted by moonpie on June 25, 2008 at 6:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Siri" me too. My utilities bill was always cheaper in city of GC than the county. But I have had great response from Berk Co Sheriffs dept on any issues.
Just don't call them about a traffic problem... Not very responsive there for some reason.
Posted by drp7773 on June 25, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here they go, Just wait in 1 year they will be coming out saying they are low on money and need to raise taxes to help fill in the swamp land and try and get developers to build on these sites. Which common sense says they would have already done it when it was just owned by the county. Now any house or business will have to pay city and county taxes. But hey just like Goose Creek did with 1-76 and 17-a now the rough and tough city police will be able to drive wayyyyyyyy out there and give them tickets and of course they will add an extra charge on the tickets to help pay for the extra gas they will need.
Posted by rutide on June 25, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you look at the city of Moncks Corner today they already have hundreds of acres of undeveloped parcels in their city limits already along Highway 52 and the connector. Main Street is struggling and has many vacant lots and buildings. But instead of trying to use what they have already and bring more to the city they have decided to spread out 5 miles down the highway? The state needs to do away with these 10 foot strip annexations.
Posted by singleroni on June 25, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I BELIEVE THEY WANT TO INCORPORATE THE AREA BEFORE SUMNEY OF NORTH CHARLESTON GETS THERE.
Posted by LadyRenegade on June 25, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vent time! We are on the edge of MC, NOT annexed part. We have a well. We have been told that once they get around to putting in the water we will be forced to hook up. My well will be "condemned" (it's ok for me to use now?) I don't want it, I don't need it, yet I will be forced to use it. Next: Re Officer Response: GET OUT OF THEIR WAY! Do NOT slam on your brakes, do NOT stay in the left lane doing the exact speed limit; you really can speed up *enough to pass the person in the right lane* so the officer can get by! If drivers had good sense there'd be an improvement in response time. They may not be "on a call" per se, but they may need to do something that will get them back to where they can respond to another call. Next: I hope MC and BC officers and firefighters are somehow going to get additional funding out of all of this, I don't see it. The whole "let's build a recreation complex" which I fear will turn out to be an elitist club, I believe was pushed through without being fully funded. Now they want to find ways to get the rest of the money. Cart before the horse?...I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today...A sound government is built on firm ground. Not on borrowed time. Annexing these areas will not guarantee any reliable income for the future. It will guarantee extra work for government, utility and other city/county employees. "Build and bye" cheap stick houses are a matter of you get what you pay for. Stacked on top of each other so close you can toss toilet paper if your buddy's out. I am so thankful I found a solid independently built house! I loved the 'southern country' atmosphere when we moved here several years ago. I would much rather have MC clean up the crackheads and vagrants panhandling at the parking lots of KFC and Scotchman than to take on more coverage. They won't go away by ignoring them. If you want to bring some integrity to MC, fix the current problems first, make it somewhere people want to come to because of the beauty they see in the town and the people. Not land grabbing with high hopes. Do what needs to be done to 17A (PLEASE! What moron decided to turn it to one lane RIGHT THERE??? I hope he was fired! Now a stop light? Can you say "Race to see who gets to be in front!" ??? 3rd grade intelligence controlling 2000 pd vehicles! Why do people do 45 in the 55 zone and 60 in the 45? As to the jail, it's a jail, Convenience for the workers conditions absolutely. Tough patooey for those serving time. It's not a vacation resort. Ok, vent over...for now. P.S. Tell somebody in uniform whether military, cop or firefighter, "thank you!" They don't hear it enough!
Posted by ffwife on June 25, 2008 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
regarding hooking up to water versus your well -- I THINK you only have to hook up before you SELL. In other words, I think I heard some type of "utility lean" is placed against your property that will have to be paid - via hook-up to the water system -- before your home will have a "clear" title should you want to sell. This may have changed in the last 5 years but I had the same conversation about having to hook up to the sewer system versus staying on an operating septic tank system.
So, if your well works and your happy with - and you don't plan on selling anytime soon - I think you can avoid the hook-up and monthly water fees.
Certainly worth checking into.
Posted by prosperous_hb on June 25, 2008 at 11:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Darn, I will be affected by this crap. I live in the subdivision immediately pass Moss Grove. Personally, I think it's crazy for them to annex the town out that far. I wonder how much the taxes are going to go up?