Richland County OKs Blythewood golf course housing, residents seek compromise
Neighbors of a defunct golf course are hoping they can reach a compromise with developers after Richland County Council tentatively cleared the way for the greens and sand traps next door to be turned into hundreds of homes.
On Tuesday, residents opposed to developing the golf course next to the Crickentree community in Northeast Richland met with representatives of E-Capital, the Texas firm that owns the former Golf Club of South Carolina, and County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson, who represents the area.
On June 25, the council voted 7-3 to allow the course to be rezoned for low-density residential development near Blythewood. County planning staff had recommended the change so developers could put houses on the 183-acre property, but the Planning Commission voted last month against recommending the zoning change. County council has the final say, but the zoning change must pass three readings, with the second effort coming at the council’s July 9 meeting.
Crickentree resident Russ Ste.Marie said the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on Tuesday. They hope to continue talking, but haven’t scheduled another meeting as of early Wednesday.
Ste.Marie worries the council’s decision last week makes it less likely E-Capital will be willing to make concessions.
“This takes away any leverage we have,” Ste.Marie said.
He said residents will continue to push for a 500-foot buffer between their homes and any future development on the golf course, and they plan to turn out for the July 9 vote. More than 100 opponents of the change have shown up to speak at previous hearings, many wearing matching red shirts in solidarity.
E-Capital’s attorney declined to comment on Wednesday. The Texas-based firm had proposed to build more than 200 homes on the former golf course, but critics say the low-density zoning sought by the developer would allow for up to 600 homes to be built on the property.
E-Capital attorney Robert Fuller did not address the number of homes or potential setbacks at last week’s Richland County Council meeting, according to the Blythewood Voice.
This is E-Capital’s second attempt to rezone the shuttered golf course. In April, 150 residents turned up for a hearing on a prior proposal to build an even higher number of homes on the old golf club, before developers put that plan on hold amidst push back from locals.
Dickerson, who voted in favor of the rezoning effort, said the former Golf Club of South Carolina’s closure last year meant maintaining its current designation as a protected open space was no longer viable.
She has dismissed the idea floated by Blythewood town officials that the golf course could be converted into a park, arguing the residents would have to purchase the property and keep it up themselves. A county-run park, she said, would not only cost taxpayers money, but require the area to have more developed amenities for the park-going public.
“If you don’t want to see a swing-set in someone’s backyard (of the new homes on the golf course), how are you going to handle a soccer field, a baseball field and all those lights?” Dickerson said.
Dickerson said she’s received multiple phone calls and emails about the issue, even from residents outside her district. She printed one email threatening to fund a primary opponent over Dickerson’s “abdicating her responsibility” on the issue.
“The seat belongs to the people, so they can do what they want,” said Dickerson, who is up for re-election next year. “I’m not scared of stuff like that.”
Ste.Marie said he believes the councilwoman is “genuinely concerned” about finding a mutually agreeable settlement. While he was unsure about Dickerson’s language about being “threatened” by residents after last week’s council meeting, saying it sounded like “she’s attacking her own constituents,” after Tuesday’s meeting he felt Dickerson’s involvement in the negotiations with E-Capital have been extremely helpful in shoring up the community’s position.
“She gave us our leverage back,” Ste.Marie said.
This story was originally published July 3, 2019 at 11:44 AM.
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