Johns Is. development rejected

After more than two years of controversy, Charleston County Council has rejected a plan to build at least 59 homes on a rural Johns Island property.

The county's new Comprehensive Plan calls for no more than 28 homes on that land.

The would-be developers of Saltpond Pointe had previously sought to build 73 homes on the 118-acre property along Chisolm Road but cut the number by 20 percent Thursday night in a last-ditch attempt to win county approval.

The first rezoning request was made in the fall of 2007, and has faced opposition at every step.

There were four earlier hearings, and each time opponents came out in large numbers. "It has been an absolutely miserable public process," Councilman Dickie Schweers said. "People shouldn't have to come out again and again."

Councilman Elliott Summey, who along with Teddie Pryor and Victor Rawl voted to approve the developer's request, said "the developer has been run through hoops as well."

The vote to reject the plan was 6-3, and the action means another rezoning request for the property cannot be resubmitted for at least a year.

Jonathan Yates, an attorney for the developer, Canal Land & Timber LLC, told council members that the residents who live nearest the property support the development plan.

He also said the developer was willing to drop the number of proposed homes to 59 and create a farm produce area where Johns Island youth could learn farm-related skills.

Rawl said that despite repeated assurances by Charleston officials, a resolution passed by Charleston City Council and personal assurances from Mayor Joe Riley, he suspected the city might annex the property and allow it to be developed if the county rejected the plan. He also suggested that the town of Hollywood could annex the property.

"I'm extremely concerned about this project, because it's right next to Grimball Gates," Rawl said, referring to a subdivision Charleston permitted in 2001, with four homes per acre, after annexing the land.

Councilwoman Colleen Condon called Grimball Gates "an abomination" but said it's existence was no reason to approve another subdivision nearby, well outside of the "urban growth boundary" that's supposed to mark the end of suburban-style development in Charleston County. "This (development plan) is a lot better, but a lot better than really bad is not good."

Councilman Joe McKeown also said the county shouldn't approve a plan out of fear that a municipality might annex the land otherwise.

He said the ink is barely dry on the county's Comprehensive Plan, which the developers were seeking to amend.