Plan commission votes against allowing apartmentsBy Andy Paras (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
MONCKS CORNER — A crowd of Spring Grove Plantation residents roared in approval Tuesday night when Berkeley County planners recommended against allowing developers to build 150 apartments within the subdivision. Pendley Construction already has approval to build a maximum 150 townhomes in the Cypress Gardens Road area subdivision, but it is asking to rezone 16 acres so it can build apartments instead. About 60 homeowners appeared at the Berkeley County Planning Commission to fight the request because they said they were promised in writing that the 16-acre lot would hold townhomes. Previous storyPlanning nominee opts out; Developer says he's tired of recent controversy, published 10/07/08 "The only change I want to see is one that is in the best interest of us, not them," homeowner Chad Murphy said of the developer. "When they're done, they're going to walk away and the only people left are going to be us, not them." Andy Smith, a landscape architect hired by the builder, said the luxury apartments would take up less space and include more buffer than townhomes. Russ Worrell, the only resident who spoke on behalf of the change, said he would rather have more open space. The vast majority argued that apartments would attract hundreds of residents who don't have an investment in the community, resulting in lower property values and lower quality of life. Steven Gilmour said that when he closed on his home two months ago, he was promised that townhomes would be built on the lots. "I'd like to see my investment keep its value." Commissioners voted 5-0 to recommend that County Council vote against the rezoning. Commissioner Gina Glaze said she recused herself from the vote because her real estate company represents Pendley. Commission Chairman Eddy Southard urged the residents to show up at the council meetings, because council will have the final vote. Bob Call, who is expected to be on council in January, clarified Tuesday that he never intended to vote on the Spring Grove Plantation issue if it were to come up when he is on council. Some residents said they were concerned that Call would vote against the project after they found out that Call wanted to appoint Brandon Hawkins of Pendley Construction onto the Planning Commission. Call, a self-employed architectural designer, has done plot drawings for the company as early as two years ago, and this spring the company made a $1,000 contribution to Call's primary election campaign. Call said he's known the Pendleys for 40 years and that he properly recorded the contribution months ago. He said the contribution has nothing to do with his wanting to appoint Hawkins, a U.S. Air Force veteran, onto the commission. The proposed appointment ignited a controversy last week when Supervisor Dan Davis fired Planning Director Jeff Tyndall. Davis said Tyndall ignored a direct order when he called the State Ethics Commission about a developer being on the commission. The ethics commission said it was proper as long as the developer recused himself at the appropriate time. Call said Hawkins told him he no longer wants the appointment because of all the controversy, but Call said he is not going to give up on Hawkins. |
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Comments
This article has 18 comment(s)
Posted by shac778 on October 8, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Spring Grove Development and Pendley Contruction may be different names, but the same people/family are intertwined with one another and calling the shots. All of the buyers there last night were shown plats at closing that included townhomes, not apartments, and we have grown tired of all the promises not fulfilled within our community. If this was such a good idea for our neighborhood, I wonder why the builder himself ws not there to represent his case? Just goes to show you exactly who's interest he and his company are looking out for. I encourage all buyers from Spring Grove to attend the county council meeting!
Posted by inyourface on October 8, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Please don't send in the "ICE" units because the illegal mexicans are one of the only groups out here that actually do any work. Matter of fact I would trust the illegals more than I would trust any of the builders or developers.
Posted by billtom on October 8, 2008 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The only advantage to the apartments is they would probably get rented faster than the townhomes would be sold. With the economy the way it is, who can afford a mortgage and what bank will issue it? Then you would only have the builder paying some taxes and certainly not at the rate a homeowner would be paying. There is too much land being eaten up by homes. Too many people coming in here and too few jobs for them to work at. We need to stop all this new building and refurbish what is already here.
Posted by gamck69 on October 8, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am a Spring Grove resident. The representative from Pendley at last nights meeting said there was going to be no difference between the apartments or the townhouses. Well with all due respect, the apartments would be rented whereas the town homes owned, meaning that the owners of the town homes would be responsible for the property. The apartment renters could care less. We have all lived in an apartment(most of us)at one time or another, we all see what happens to them. All that we ask as homeowners in the development is to make sure that we all have the same amount of responsibility as the next person that lives here.
Posted by bbean on October 8, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's why there are property management companies. By the way if you aren't familiar with real estate in this market all those townhomes can be purchased as an investment and rented out just like apartments and have you ever rented a home? The owner does the bare minimum when it is occupied by a renter to lower cost. Look in Crowfield all those town homes are owned and rented as well as in Sangaree in Summerville not one owner lives in them they are all rental properties.
Posted by bbean on October 8, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fabrication, false, and ignorance will get you nowhere. Stick to the facts and not made up trash and then we can deal with the issue at hand. Sounds to me like some of my fellow homeowners have some personal issues that lack any real substance. Look at the bigger picture and stop adding to the childish rumor mill "he said, she said". Look up property value and how to get it before you open your mouth because really you have a personal problem that shows your ignorance not a satisfaction of our community issues. If we all keep trying to one up each other our community is going to get lost in the process. Some of us don't want your personal firestorm we just want results and some others are going about it like ignorant little children playing a game to see who can out play who. Redirect all your negative energy to what "is" upon us as a community not what is best for your personal vendetta. Let’s focus on the long term health and wealth of our neighborhood instead of taking unnecessary pot shots. "You catch more bees with honey."
Posted by ANGRYPIRATE on October 8, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bbean does not sound like a homeowner that lives in Spring Grove. We have way to many homeowners involved for this to be a personal vendetta. I agree a lot with some of what billtom has said. That's part of the problem, the market is slow. It much easier for the developer to sell the land to an apartment builder than to build what was told to the homeowners which was townhouses. bbean listed areas where there are rentals as townhomes. But all apartments are rentals! I have seen developments in the Charleston area that include townhomes and a majority of those are lived in by the owner. Bottom line....the developer has somebody that wants to buy this land. If the buyer wanted to build a trailer park the development, the developer would be telling us the wonders of having that. It's wrong to the homeowners who bought there homes that were told it was going to be townhomes. This is not a smear tactic but homeowners trying to protect our neighborhood.
Posted by urnotme on October 8, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"OH BOY"
What crap! I have never seen such personal vendetta with homeowners. The Spring Grove Plantation residents, I do not think they understand that we all put our pants on the same way. Only the single minded individuals would only act in such a manner towards Pendley Construction, that they do not care how their action also affect families. If the Spring Grove Residents are so smart and think they know everything about building a community. Why don't they buy the land and do with it what they think is better. Come on you homeowners out there in Spring Grove, show me the $$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!! Really people have you residents got nothing better to do. Ya know there is war and people dying for our country. Get a hobby, direct your personal
vendetta some where else. Or take some anger management classes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gee's get a grip people, can we say over the top!
Posted by shac778 on October 8, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you are okay with the fact that you were sold something under false pretinces and once you've signed the contract, find out years/months later it was not what you agreed upon and then still not be angry...more power to you. I don't believe these are personal attacks but then again when someone knows they are in the wrong and then have to face up to their actions, the obvious actions for them to do is to plead ignorance and then be all out defensive. If you really want to know about personal attacks, please take time to come and visit with some of us and hear how we have been personally treated, and we are spending thousands to buy from them. You are 100% entitled to your decision and once again I do encourage you to actually attend one of these meetings if you feel so strongly. I will definitely be there and will be doing my best until then to encourage the homeowners to come and stand for what they know and believe to be right.
COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING: 10/13 at 6:00 in the County Building (Corner of Hwy 52 and Old 52).
Posted by lifraft4u on October 8, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I beg to diifer w/ urnotme. I am a resident of Spring Grove and although i will have to admitt there are some bad fellings w/ alot of residents and Pendly Constuction, some have true merit and some may not. I personally have a very good relationship with several people in the company, saying that i am still strongly aganst the building of apt. In a world that has turn into loop holes and whose lawyer is better we need to take a stance at the lower levels of goverment and keep on moving our way up. It is time for the people to send a message that we are not going to be bullied buy these companies w/ bugets for big time lawyers to use fancy word to try to get what they want. I am a veteran and if you want to bring up wars and our soilders fighting them just remember you wouldn't have the liberty of posting your comment if it was not for them.
Posted by urnotme on October 8, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I still do not get what the big deal is. Ya know there is a ton of subdivisions that are built and being built, that have the some of the same ideas and plans and seems to workout great and the homeowners have had to wait on certain things for many years in other subdivisions. So I ask if this is not personal, why all the negative comments!
Posted by inyourface on October 8, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
urnotme; Actually I am pretty glad that I am not you, but then again with all of your infinite knowledge on war, finances, development and building a community who could blame you for trying to share this vast knowledge with the rest of us less fortunate people. Hopefully one day we will all be fortunate enough to drive through your trailer park and say THANK YOU.
Posted by lifraft4u on October 8, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I belive it becomes personal because it is our investments. Not being a resident here it is hard to explain all the promises that have been broken and the backstepping. I have lived here for two years and one of the big pitch the selling agents had was the townhomes and the commercial property that is in question. It has been on all the plot plans we rercievd at closing as recent as two months ago. I am not against apartments, i belive they are vital in letting people have a alternative to buying but i also belive you can not sell homes and sign contracts with one of the selling points as townhomes and just because you have a buyer who wants to buy out and build apartments change your mind. I am not a lawyer and i am not questioning the legal aspect of the matter only the ethical.
Posted by urnotme on October 8, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dang you people are easily worked up. Gee's relax people. I love my personal infinite vast knowledge, been there done that, next!!!!!
Posted by ANGRYPIRATE on October 8, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
urnotme(pendley contruction). Pendley Contruction has a lot to learn on how to treat customers. This is the 3rd new development I have lived in. Never before have I had the problems I have now. Never again will I buy a Pendley Construction home. They have a lot to learn on customer service. So many homeowners having problems with the builder and all the builder can do is point fingers instead of make right of wrong. One the biggest problems is having a builder that lives in the neighborhood with a Napoleon complex.
Posted by lifraft4u on October 8, 2008 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Your right we get worked up. This is not a joke to us. I don't know if you are apart of pendly constuction but i would guess you had some kind of vested intrust in what is going on or you would not be posting. It is sad you that you almost mock us for tring to stand up for our families and our investments. I have never own a buiness but i have been incharge of alot of people in the military and i can tell you nobody will follow you into battle without your respect. That was pretty obvious last night when pendlys argument for the revision came down to two people employed by pendly and one man that sounded like he was reading off a pendly construction lettter head
Posted by LEYH on October 9, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Congrats MC! Your Planning Board actually listens to the public. Here in Charleston, the city departments ignore us. Our BZA actually is allowing a developer to tear down the forest that protects The Angle Oak. Unreal! Robert DeMoura (CC&T) you are making a huge, irreversible mistake.
Northerners stop coming down here and destroying us. And no Robert, you are not a Southerner because you have lived here since 1999. You are from Michigan. And where is your partner? NC. Either respect Charlestonians or go home!
Posted by billtom on October 9, 2008 at 6:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In response to bbean, the majority of Crowfield Village (North) is owner occupied. Yes, there are some investments here. However the developer could not sell all the property here because of the market and that is why Crowfield Village (South) remains rentals. But Crowfield is the perfect example of refurbishing existing housing instead of building new homes. And that is also the importance of management companies - to make sure the propery is poperly taken care of.