Angel Oak expansion gets city's blessing

The size of Charleston's Angel Oak park soon will grow fourfold as City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with a $339,000 deal to buy 6.5 acres surrounding it.

The vote pitted city officials against some conservationists and Johns Island residents who questioned if the sale was needed and whether it would bail out a developer.

City Councilwoman Kathleen Wilson voted for it, even though she said immediately afterward, "I'm not happy with this."

Wilson said she did not like the current size, scope and density of the proposed surrounding development, which is near Charleston's urban growth boundary.

Others previously criticized the deal as a bail-out to the developer, though Councilman Aubry Alexander noted the city was getting a good price -- about 15 percent of what the developer first said it was worth and about $160,000 less than his initial offer.

Read more later at postandcourier.com and also in tomorrow's newspaper.