Mount Pleasant Town Council, ignoring pleas by Ivy Hall residents to dismiss a problem-riddled proposal for a nearby low-income townhouse complex, voted unanimously Tuesday night (Oct. 11) to give the developer another extension.

Specifically, the panel voted to defer action for up to 90 days on annexation and zoning requests by developer Tom Gibbs so he can have more time to work out drainage issues with Laurel Hill Plantation.

It's the second straight deferral on this issue by Town Council, which continues to show extraordinary patience with Gibbs and his proposal.

The reason the panel is going to extra lengths with Gibbs, according to comments made by council members during the meeting, seems to be that it doesn't want him to develop the property in Charleston County.  The town views such county infill developments negatively because they're exempt from municipal taxes and put a strain on the town's infrastructure.

About 10 Ivy Hall residents attended the meeting, half of whom spoke during the public hearing portion. All urged council to dismiss Gibbs' proposal on grounds that it's so flawed that it's ridiculous to keep moving through the approval process.

"It's obvious that this developer purchased land that's too wet to build on, and now he wants you -- we taxpayers -- to bail him out," Ivy Hall Board President Bob Lang told the panel. "We urge you to deny his requests tonight ... and tell him not to come back until he has his ducks in order."

Board Vice-President Gary Jaster presented a petition to the board with the signatures of about 200 residents opposed to the proposal.

A representative from Laurel Hill Plantation also spoke. Gibbs blames Laurel Hill for his drainage problems. The representative said Laurel Hill doesn't accept blame for anything but is prepared to work with the town on this matter.

For more information, please read background stories below and here or call the town's planning department at 884-1229.

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The town's Planning Committee voted Tuesday (Oct. 4th) to defer action on a zoning application that would pave the way for a low-income housing project next to Ivy Hall. It's the panel's second straight deferment on the issue.

But the application still is scheduled to go before full Town Council for a first-reading hearing 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 11th) at Town Hall.

Town Council isn't required to abide by the Planning Committee's recommendations, so the low-income issue is still very much alive. Ivy Hall residents are encouraged to attend the meeting and voice their opposition.

At the Planning Committee meeting, virtually all discussion on the low-income proposal centered on drainage concerns. The developer/applicant, Tom Gibbs, told the panel that he wasn't making any progress with Laurel Hill Plantation, which he says is the source of all his drainage problems. He asked the town to force Laurel Hill to remedy the situation.

Committee members told Gibbs they didn't know if they could force Laurel Hill to do anything but voted to have the planning staff look into the possibility. They also voted to recommend to Town Council that it defer second reading on annexation for up to 90 days while Gibbs submits an alternative plan that includes a 4.2-acre pond on his property. Such a large pond might solve the drainage problems if nothing is done on Laurel Hill's side, a town engineer said.

About 10 Ivy Hall residents attended the meeting. Board Vice-President Gary Jaster reminded the committee that our opposition isn't just with drainage but with a whole slew of other concerns, including density, buffers and home values.

For interesting insight into what Town Council members think of this proposal, read the minutes from the September 6th Annexation Committee meeting here.

For more information, please read background stories below and here or call the town's planning department at 884-1229.

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Ivy Hall property owners are urged to attend a meeting of the town's Planning Committee this Tuesday (Oct. 4th) to show our opposition to a proposed zoning change that would allow low-income housing next to our neighborhood.

The 2 p.m. meeting will be in Conference Room 103 of Town Hall, located behind Patriot's Plaza off Ann Edwards Lane. The zoning issue is the fifth item on the agenda.

This will be the Planning Committee's second look at the issue. Last month, both the Planning Committee and Town Council voted to defer action so that the developer could work out some drainage and buffer concerns.

Whatever happens Tuesday, the issue is likely to be on the agenda again for this month's Town Council meeting -- set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13th.

Residents should be aware that showing up at this Tuesday's meeting doesn't guarantee an opportunity to speak. Planning Committee meetings, held in one of the smaller rooms in Town Hall, don't ordinarily include public hearings. However, the Ivy Hall POA Board feels it is important to show committee members -- all of whom members of Town Council -- just how serious we feel this matter is to our neighborhood. A hallway overflowing with Ivy Hall residents would send a strong message that we don't want low-income housing next to our neighborhood.

In an effort to strengthen our case, the Board will present the committee with a petition signed by more than 150 Ivy Hall residents in opposition to the rezoning. We will also will reiterate our many reasons for opposing the proposed 49-unit low-income townhouse project:

· Density. The proposed density (7.9 units per acre) isn't consistent with that of Ivy Hall (2.9 units per acre) or surrounding neighborhoods.

· Home values. Inexpensive housing would negatively affect the value of our homes, especially the homes in closest proximity to the development.

· Buffer. There is little to no buffer between the project and Ivy Hall.

· Drainage. Such a large development would create drainage issues in an area that already has drainage problems.

· Traffic. There would be increased traffic from 49 households (average of 2 vehicles per household) on Hwys 41 and 17.

· No Guarantees. The developer, who has no experience in this sort of thing, promises to deliver a quality community intended for our “teachers, firemen and policemen” who can’t afford a home otherwise.  Yet there is no guarantee that buyers will be good, upstanding citizens. There is no guarantee that the units won’t be turned into rentals in the future. There is no guarantee that this community will have a homeowners’ association.

Residents shouldn't take this matter lightly. At least one Planning Committee/Town Council member, Joe Bustos, seems to be siding strongly with the developer (see story below). We're not sure which way the mayor and most of the other council members would vote on this particular zoning issue. However, we do feel pretty certain that most council members want more housing in Mt. Pleasant that's affordable to low-income families.

What council members need to understand is that this low-income proposal next to Ivy Hall is different from other recently publicized initiatives in Charleston and North Charleston to build low-income housing. In our situation, we are being asked to trust a profit-minded developer who has no experience in this sort of thing. In the other initiatives, town governments and nonprofit groups are the developers and primary decision makers.  In other words, we have no assurances, protections or guarantees from the Town of Mt. Pleasant that the proposed project near us will be what it’s intended to be – affordable housing for lower-income buyers such as teachers, policemen and firemen. What’s to stop the place from becoming a run-down, low-rent apartment complex in the future? Nothing.

For interesting insight into what council members think of this proposal, read the minutes from the September 6th Annexation Committee meeting here.

For more information, please read background stories here or call the town's planning department at 884-1229.

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WAL-MART SUPERCENTER COMING TO OAKLAND PLANTATION
New 176,000-square-foot store expected to open in early 2007
(Posted 10-25-05)

Ivy Hall residents will be able to walk to Wal-Mart soon.

Developers announced this week that a 176,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter will anchor The Market at Oakland, an upscale commercial development under construction across U.S. Highway 17 opposite of our entrance.

The store could open by early 2007, according to a Wal-Mart spokesman quoted in The Post and Courier. Wal-Mart's current Mount Pleasant store at Wando Crossing Shopping Center likely will continue to operate when the new Supercenter opens, the spokesman said.

The new Supercenter will include a grocery store, tire/lube express, pharmacy and enhanced retail offerings.

Market at Oakland, formerly known as The Avenues, is being built on 75 acres of Oakland Plantation. Construction started last November. When complete, the project will be nearly the size of Towne Centre.

Additional tenants are expected to be announced in the near future. For more information on the project including a site plan, click here. Or check out the developer's Web site at www.marketatoakland.com.