Plan for Lake Murray recreation site upsets some neighbors

Some homeowners are stunned and angry that Richland County plans to open a recreation site on Lake Murray in their Ballentine neighborhood.

“It seems very unusual for the county to go into a residential area that is peaceful and quiet,” said Pete Logan, who has lived near the site on Bonuck Road for 13 years.

His wife, Fairey, says the project is ill-suited for the heavily wooded neighborhood on a cove in the northeast corner of the 47,500-acre lake.

County officials say they haven’t decided what features will go on the site. But “no one wants to be invaded by so many cars, trucks, boats and noise,” Fairey Logan said Thursday.

A recreation site promises to worsen traffic problems in the area, other residents said. “We already have issues with just getting our families home safely,” homeowner John Mitchell said.

County officials, who recently bought the land for just more than $2 million, must offer a plan that balances those concerns with demands from outdoor sports groups for more public recreation sites around the 650-mile shoreline, some community leaders said. “There needs to be a discussion about this (project) with people involved,” said Ken Colton, president of the Ballentine-Dutch Fork Civic Association.

State Rep. Nathan Ballentine likewise urged that approach. “In my neck of the woods, we like to be kept abreast of things,” the Richland County Republican said. “It would be good to get people to the table and come up with something that works for everybody.”

County Councilman Bill Malinowski of Dutch Fork, who promoted the acquisition and who represents the area on council, couldn’t be reached for comment on what he would like to see there.

Other county officials say it’s too soon to say whether the site will include a beach, marina or other features. No cost estimates have been developed, county officials say.

Some fishing groups are pushing for a new marina designed to lure more tournaments attracting anglers from across the nation.

The 4.2-acre site, which includes a 70-year-old home, was acquired June 30 by the county for $2 million. It was for sale as part of an estate settlement, the Logans said.

Council members classified the effort as an economic development project and shielded it from public scrutiny for more than a year until the purchase occurred. Council members would not disclose what they knew about the purchase until The State newspaper pushed this week to make it public.

That lack of openness is creating rebellion in the neighborhood against the decision, Rep. Ballentine said.

The site off Salem Church Road is three miles north of the heavily used boat ramp and beach on both sides of the dam.

Leaders of shoreline groups have said they weren’t consulted about the acquisition, paid for by the county’s 2 percent “hospitality tax” on restaurant meals. Revenue from that tax must be used for tourism-related projects.

The site chosen for the project isn’t on a list of areas for new recreation areas suggested by an advisory panel of shoreline community leaders to federal officials overseeing lake operations.

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 8:54 PM with the headline "Plan for Lake Murray recreation site upsets some neighbors."