Topic of amendments causes quiet hearing to heat up

ST. GEORGE — What seemed like a quiet hearing on Dorchester County's proposed plan to manage growth suddenly became a battlefield Monday night, with a planner caught in the crossfire.

It was the first of four public hearings on the updated comprehensive plan, which council intends to finalize by Thanksgiving.

Only a few people spoke before the feud broke out.

St. George resident Pete Weathers said the plan should put more emphasis on protecting the historic resources along Wire Road, which include the oldest house in the county. A couple of others said they generally support the plan with some minor changes. Everybody nodded in agreement.

Then Councilman Jamie Feltner called on Alec Brebner, interim planning director for the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments and the plan's lead author. Feltner asked Brebner to say what he thought of amendments the county's planning commission proposed.

The amendments concern recommendations that developers pay for the extra services new residents require and that the school district approve any development agreement. One amendment clarifies that "a developer will not be required to increase infrastructure to a greater level of service than existed prior to the proposed development." Another specifies that council must get a recommendation from the school district.

Hamilton Davis, a project manager with the Coastal Conservation League, said before the meeting that the amended version is probably the best compromise he can expect.

Feltner, who has been pushing for stricter measures to control growth, asked Brebner to comment on whether he thought the amendments weakened the plan.

Councilman Mike Murphree, who has said Feltner's efforts go too far, advised Brebner not to answer the question.

"Put your hand in an electrical socket and you might get shocked," Murphree said. "Right now this is a political football."

Murphree and Feltner argued back and forth for several minutes, until Brebner finally ventured a qualified opinion.

"I can only stand by the work we did for the county early on," Brebner said. "All I can say is the original draft is our best effort."

Chairman Larry Hargett countered that doesn't mean it can't be improved, as evidenced by Weathers' remarks.

Council will hold another hearing in St. George in two weeks, then two in Summerville next month. The proposed plan is on the county's Web site and at the county office buildings and libraries in St. George and Summerville.