Forest Acres wants Cardinal Newman redevelopment to pay for Forest Drive traffic improvements

Forest Acres officials plan to pay for Forest Drive traffic improvements with property tax revenue from a proposed $58 million, mixed-use development at the former Cardinal Newman School site.

But the late nature of the city’s request has the project’s developer worried.

City officials have asked Richland County to make the 12-acre site a business park, a move that would allow a portion of the proposed development’s property tax revenue to pay for a $3.2 million computerized traffic signal system designed to improve the flow of cars on busy Forest Drive.

Officials say that plan does not constitute a tax break for the developer, The Beach Co. of Charleston.

“It’s all about trying to address the traffic issue without burdening the taxpayers to deal with it, especially since what has brought it all to the forefront was the proposed redevelopment of Cardinal Newman,” City Administrator Mark Williams said.

The request coincides with Forest Acres City Council’s deferment last month of a final vote on the project, which includes 256 luxury apartments, plus townhomes and retail space.

City officials said then they wanted more time to explore solutions to Forest Drive traffic problems before signing off on a plan that would add a few hundred more residents to the fold. Some Forest Acres residents have complained the development would be a catastrophe for the already car-logged Forest Drive.

But Ned Miller, The Beach Co. development manager overseeing the project, said further delays to approval “could jeopardize our project.” Development costs are rising, and The Beach Co. has other projects it could fund instead, Miller said.

“It’s a good thing that our project can serve as the lever in order to get the city to make these improvements that will benefit everyone,” Miller said. “We just hope that it’s not at the expense of our project getting approved. The concern for our side is timing.”

Williams said Forest Acres officials are aware “that at some point, The Beach Co. can’t wait any longer.”

“They have a need to make some business decisions pretty shortly,” Williams said. “We’re hoping this will all play out in a time frame they can work with.”

Richland County Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to Forest Acres’ request. A second of three required readings is scheduled for May 17.

Not coincidentally, Forest Acres City Council scheduled a special meeting for its final reading of the Cardinal Newman site plan on the next day, May 18.

“We wanted to have a better idea of whether or not the county is going to be on board,” Mayor Frank Brunson said.

Brunson called it a “win-win situation for everybody” and said he is confident Richland County will approve Forest Acres’ request.

So is County Councilman Paul Livingston, who chairs the council subcommittee that looked into the request.

“The argument is, since (the property tax revenue) is being generated there, it may be wise to at least spend a portion of it there,” Livingston said.

But Brunson said he doesn’t think The Beach Co.’s project and the request before County Council are “handcuffed to each other.” Forest Acres should move forward with the traffic signal system and other traffic solutions regardless, Brunson said, though he and Williams said they weren’t certain how to pay for it if County Council doesn’t approve the proposal.

“If the county decides they don’t want any part of that, their decision shouldn’t have any impact on whether we move forward with The Beach Co.,” Brunson said.

Courtney Hamilton, a Forest Acres resident and critic of the proposed redevelopment, said she is glad city officials are trying to address neighbors’ traffic concerns.

“They definitely need to do something to mitigate the traffic issues we have,” she said. “I’m still very worried about cut-through traffic.”

Jack Oliver, president of the Forest Acres Merchants Association, downplayed complaints about Forest Drive traffic and said he supports the move to use the project’s property tax revenue to pay for traffic improvements.

“I just don’t want to see the Cardinal Newman project delayed any further or killed because of not being able to get the money,” said Oliver, who owns Jack Oliver Pool, Spa & Patio.

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Forest Acres wants Cardinal Newman redevelopment to pay for Forest Drive traffic improvements."