Development gets first approvals

A high-end development that could become the largest subdivision on Johns Island cruised through a first round of approvals at a special meeting Thursday of Charleston County Council.

The votes put the development on a fast track toward final approval before the end of this year.

Kiawah River Plantation is a plan by The Beach Co. to build 1,285 homes with an average price of around $1 million, plus a hotel and villas with 450 guest rooms, a golf course and 80,000 square feet of retail and office space.

The site is a 1,428-acre tract located across the Kiawah River from Kiawah Island, abutting the county Park and Recreation Commission's Mullet Hall Equestrian Center.

At a public hearing immediately preceding the special council meeting, one person spoke in opposition to the development, and none spoke in favor.

Andrew Geer of Johns Island said he opposes the plan, and also "the process that allows this monstrosity to sail through, while you hem and haw about allowing a landfill in a predominantly African-American community."

Geer was referring to a proposal to build a construction-waste landfill in Adams Run, which he opposes. County Council has postponed voting on zoning changes needed for development of the landfill three times, with the latest deferral coming Thursday night.

The eight members of council who were present all voted to recommend approval of the Kiawah River Plantation development agreement and related zoning changes during a committee meeting, with Councilman Paul Thurmond absent.

At the special council meeting later, several council members were out of the room, but those who remained all voted for the development plan.

The Beach Co.'s plan said the development would be built out over a 20-year period, and would result in significant jobs and tax revenues.

The developers said most of the homes would be vacation and retirement homes, with modest demands for government services and little impact on Charleston County schools.

The county and the school district are considering a request to create a tax-increment-financing district for the development, which would amount to tax incentives subsidizing some costs of construction.

If approved, a TIF district would allow the developers to use some of the property tax revenues generated by the new construction to pay for some of the costs of development itself, such as a sewage treatment plant and public roads.

The development agreement approved on first reading by County Council said that a TIF district will be created, but county officials have said the agreement will likely be amended to say a TIF district "may" be included.

Details of the proposed TIF district have not been drawn up or reviewed by the county.

The county would also need to separately review detailed plans for a wastewater treatment plant that would serve the development.

The county in October took the step of requesting to become a designated management agency for sewage-treatment issues in the unincorporated areas of Charleston County, giving County Council a much-expanded role in decision-making on privately-construction treatment plants.

County Council is scheduled to meet again on Dec. 8 and Dec. 22.

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

Editor's note: Earlier versions of this story may have needed clarification with regard to Andrew Geer's opposition to a proposed construction landfill.