New parks would use half-cent tax money

Charleston has laid out plans for three new parks on land that would be acquired with millions of dollars from Charleston's County's half-percent sales tax, if the city's funding requests are approved.

One park would be in the Neck Area, near Rosemont in the planned Magnolia development.

The other two would be in West Ashley; one on Woodland Road and one on Bear Swamp Road, near Red Top and the planned Long Savannah development.

Charleston attempted to win half-percent funding to buy the Bear Swamp Road property before, and has revised that request.

The other parks had not been announced previously.

Together, the properties would cost more than $7.5 million.

Charleston hopes to use half-percent sales tax money for all but $650,000 of the land acquisition costs. Here's the breakdown:

--Bear Swamp Road, 212 acres. The city is seeking $1.2 million in "rural" grant funding, and $1.2 million of the "urban" funding set aside for Charleston. The property connects to 1,568 acres of land the county Park and Recreation Commission has agreed to buy from the Long Savannah developers.

--Woodland Road, 9 acres. The city wants to use $1.3 million of its urban grant money to buy several parcels, which could be used for a suburban park with playing fields and possibly tennis courts.

--Magnolia/Neck Area, 24 acres. The city is considering paying Ashley II of Charleston LLC $3.45 million for the brownfield site, currently a truck depot. The site could become a park serving Rosemont and the Magnolia development. The city is seeking $2.8 million in urban grant money.

"We think this is one of the last remaining opportunities to get property in the Neck Area at a decent price," said Matt Compton of Charleston's Parks Department.

Charleston will get just under $10 million from the half-percent tax for urban grants.

The city also can apply, as in the Bear Swamp Road deal, for a share of competitive rural grant funds meant to preserve open space.

Both of the West Ashley park properties are currently outside the city limits. Charleston would need special permission to use urban grants for the Bear Swamp Road tract because it is outside the county's "urban growth boundary" line.

Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.