6/14/07

Movin' On Up
Council clears final hurdle on Admin. Bldg.
By Cathy Gilbert

Following a lengthy executive session, council emerged to take a vote that clears the path of a much needed, long fought-for County Administration building.

The Council voted, four-to-one, to permit County Administrator Bill Houser to cease all negotiations for a possible purchase of the old Wal-Mart site and to move forward on plans for an approximate 35,000 sq. ft. facility to be built on county property located on Church Street.

Houser, at the direction of Council, had previously negotiated for either a long-term lease or purchase of the now nearly vacant West Boyce Street building. The facility is nearly 20 years old and appraisers believe the building would need complex rehabilitation within the next 20 years to keep it viable.

Armed with that information, Council chose to abandon that option and to proceed with the new construction. Funding for the new facility will come from Grant Forest Products’ fee-in-lieu-of-taxes payments. Those payments are expected to approach nearly $900,000 per year.

Echoing his opinion over the past several months, District 3 Councilman Benton Blakeley was vehemently opposed to the idea of a new administration building.

“I object!” shouted Blakely when the motion came to a vote. “I still think we should continue to negotiate for the Wal-Mart site.”

“This facility will legitimize our county government and will be a landmark the same way our current Courthouse is today,” said Houser.

Nearly an hour of the Council meeting was taken up with a public hearing over a proposed re-zoning measure near the Eagle Point subdivision. Randolph’s Landing owner Nick Lucas has asked that a 2.8-acre lot that fronts Hwy. 260 and lies adjacent to the subdivision entrance be re-zoned from residential conservation to general commercial, paving the way for Lucas to create an expansion of the existing campground at Randolph’s.

The property currently is home to nine mobile homes that were grandfathered in when the area was first zoned in 1992. Lucas has removed 14 other mobile homes there recently that were dilapidated or abandoned.

The re-zoning, if passed, would activate the Planning Commission’s requirement that a buffer of trees or opaque fencing be constructed between the Eagle Point residential area and any abutting commercial property.

Eagle Point resident Wayne Cousar spoke for many of his neighbors. He has been an Eagle Point resident since 1973.

“While we harbor no ill will against Mr. Lucas (who also lives within Eagle Point), we are concerned about his plans for his campground,” Cousar said. Lucas’ website, randolphs-landing.com, states that there would be over 100 sites available.

“That’s 100 more cars, 100 more boats,” Cousar said. “We live in one of the nicest, most quiet neighborhoods in the county. We want the highest and best use for the property, not the lowest.”

When Lucas rose to address the Council he said he was “cutting to the chase.”

“You people (the Eagle Point residents) don’t have contact with the common people,” said Lucas to great protest from the crowd. “You are being selfish. You knew that Randolph’s Landing was here when you bought. You are being elitists.”

Cousar asked Lucas if he would be willing to meet with his neighbors to explore alternative development ideas and Lucas agreed. The second reading of the ordinance was then tabled until the July council meeting. Neither Lucas nor the Eagle Point residents seemed to leave the meeting content.

In other Council business, Monday night, Council”

Approved at third reading an ordinance to create a special tax district for the Town of Summerton to provide county fire service to the municipality.

Approved at second reading an ordinance to create county litter laws and fines and penalties for infractions. Currently the county uses the state law, but fines for infractions go to the state coffers.

Approved at first reading an ordinance to delay re-assessment for another year. This measure comes on the recommendation of the S.C. Dept. of Revenue who warns of possible delays in tax collection because formulas on reassessment valuations are still undetermined and could cause retroactive changes.

Finalized the county’s 2007-2008 general operating and special tax districts budget at $19.4 million. There was no significant change of the budget since the second reading.

Sheriff Keith Josey addressed the Council in executive session, asking for additional increases for five of his employees who, due to a Sheriff’s Department oversight, had not received increases when they were promoted before the last fiscal year. The increases were in the 2007-2008 budget at first reading but were cut before the second reading in order to balance the budget. Council approved Josey’s request to increase the salaries but told him that the additional funds would have to come out of monies already budgeted for his department because the budget was already set and balanced. The measure was approved in a motion following the executive session.

Clarendon County Council meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at the F.E. DuBose Career Center.