FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Fairfield County Fire Service recognizes Chris Griffith, Allen Glisson, Nick Malone and Michael Roseboro (now a paid firefighter) for achieving their Firefighter 2 certification. These volunteers have demonstrated dedication and commitment by completing over 235 hours of training to reach this goal.
BLYTHEWOOD – The Voice has learned that the Blythewood Town Administrator Carroll Williamson has submitted his resignation, effective June 1, 2023, and will be taking a position with Richland County as Community Planning and Development Director.
Williamson signed a two-year contract with Blythewood in January, 2021 after serving as the Planning and Development Director for the City of Cayce since 2017.
Prior to working with Cayce, Williamson spent seven years with Richland County as Land Development Planner and later as Land Development Administrator.
BLYTHEWOOD – About 80 Ashley Oaks residents attended Monday night’s town council meeting, and a number of them spoke out against a rezoning request for a property that borders many of their back yards and that will be used as an industrial rail yard.
The Blythewood Planning Commission ultimately and unanimously recommended the zoning change to town council for the 290.08-acre parcel that is to be part of the recently announced Scout Motors plant proposed to be located in the Blythewood Industrial Park.
However, members of the Commission expressed concern for the residents’ pleas.
“I would say, as chair, that I personally think that the noise abatement is probably the most significant issue that’s affecting the residents, and it would be more than helpful to have some objective reporting [of information on this issue] available for the town council to review,” Commission Chair Malcolm Gordge offered following the public comments.
The applicant and property owner, Saddlebrook Properties, represented by Jeff Ruble, Director of the Richland County Economic Development Office, requested the rezoning from Development District (D-1) to Light Industrial 2 District (LI-2).
The property is located south of the Blythewood Industrial Park and north/northwest of the Ashley Oaks subdivision at the dead end of Locklier Road (TMS# R12500-03-01)
The Blythewood town government and Richland County have both expressed enthusiastic support for the project, which has been awarded the biggest incentive package ever announced by the state of South Carolina.
“This is a transformational project,” said Jeff Ruble, who billed it as an opportunity to help fund vital services to town and county residents through its positive impact on the local tax base.
“It’s what we all wanted. It’s beyond anything we dreamed about,” he said. “We probably had 10 projects looking at this site,” he said, explaining that Scout Motors came into the picture in December, promising to invest $2.4 billion into a plant that is expected to produce over 200,000 vehicles per year, provide 4,800 jobs and spur the development of some major road improvements in Blythewood.
“It’s been looked at as a likely site for industrial development for more than two decades,” he said.
Ruble said it was the Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law passed by Congress in 2022, which triggered the current round of interest by large industrial concerns.
After presentations by Ruble and other experts about the rail yard, which is to be about 650 feet from and roughly 75 feet of elevation above the Ashley Oaks subdivision with berms to be put in place to lessen noise, several residents of the neighborhood expressed concerns about its potential impact on their homes and quality of life.
“Our lifestyle’s going to be ruined by this,” said subdivision resident Brent Norris, of White Oak Ridge Lane. “[The construction of the plant] is going to be a 24/7 operation. The concrete, trucks everywhere – every one of them have beepers – the grading, our whole lifestyle, our homes are going to be ruined.”
Most of the residents who spoke were opposed to the rail yard and some to the overall project, citing concerns about potential noise, odors, environmental damage, and chemical exposure that they fear could occur close to their homes, as well as an overall lack of information provided about project details.
“What the heck is going on here?” asked Charles Bayne, of Mountain Valley Road. “Is this another East Palestine?”
He was referring to the Ohio site of a recent train derailment that caused the release of toxic materials.
Ashley Oaks resident Gordan Fuller, of Maple Ridge Road, cited the example of an industrial plant in Illinois where a battery fire resulted in the evacuation of neighborhoods for half a mile around the plant – and subsequent air quality monitoring recorded the presence of harmful chemicals.
One resident, Steven Abrahamsen of Maple Ridge Court, threatened a lawsuit – and received applause from the crowd.
“When we get this thing rolling, I’m going to go get a decibel meter and have my own study done, and then somebody’s going to pay me for my home, and it’s going to be double the price,” Abrahamsen said.
“I just feel like tonight is an example of y’all in bed with Richland County on this. I’m offended by it. You’ll hear from my lawyer, $20 million.”
One Ashley Oaks resident, Robert Finicum of Black Oak Court, spoke in favor of the project – but also called upon local leaders to work out solutions to his neighbors’ concerns regarding potential noise impacts and the risk to property values if the plant negatively impacts the neighborhood’s quality of life.
“I actually am very excited about this [plant] personally,” he said, “and I believe that everything that has been said is very legitimate.”
Members of the planning commission stressed that this meeting was only to decide one step in the process – whether the commission should recommend approval of a zoning change to town council, which still must give final approval for the zoning change. A site plan will later come before the planning commission for review.
“A lot of what we’ve heard tonight is pertinent to the program moving forward, but… our responsibility [in this meeting] is primarily just to recommend the zoning and the appropriateness of the zoning, and that’s really all we are empowered to decide,” Gordge said after hearing public comment on the matter.
“Our decision tonight will only be [a recommendation] to council,” said Planning Commission Member Erica Page, who said she lives in the Cobblestone subdivision across Blythewood Road from the industrial park, and is also grappling with its potential to impact her neighborhood.
“You have the opportunity from now until then [April council meeting] to write letters to Richland County, to the state, to the economic development folks, and tell them your concerns,” Page said.
The request to change the zoning will now go before the Blythewood Town Council for two readings (votes). Council will likely vote on the zoning matter in its April and May meetings.
After their unanimous vote to approve the zoning change, the commissioners also voted unanimously to recommend an update to the zoning ordinance with regard to minimum parking requirements for industrial property.
Gordge said the existing ordinance would result in an unreasonably high parking space requirement for this project, which is what brought the issue to the planning commissioners’ attention.
The parking recommendation approved Monday, which applies to all industrial developments in Blythewood, would reduce the minimum parking space requirement to one space per 1,000 square feet of indoor work space, a change from the current requirement of one parking space for every 300 square feet of indoor work space.
The next regular town council meeting will be Monday, April 24.
BLYTHEWOOD – Some Blythewood leaders want it entered into the record whenever a council member misses a meeting, leading one councilman to call the request “tacky.”
As the March 27 meeting was concluding, the present voting majority of council voiced support for differentiating between excused and unexcused absences in the minutes.
The discussion occurred after Councilman Sloan Griffin had missed two meetings this year – a special called meeting on Feb. 6 and again on March 27. He was not marked present at the Jan. 23 meeting, but joined remotely. After the town’s attorney questioned him as to whether he had properly notified the town clerk of his intention to join remotely – something Griffin said had not been asked of others who had joined remotely in the past – Griffin left the meeting.
Council members didn’t expressly state that Griffin’s absence drove the discussion. Councilman Rich McKenrick, though, voiced dismay that Griffin missed a vaguely defined “ethics briefing” in executive session.
“Had we known as a group that he was not going to be there, we could’ve asked our town attorney to give that [briefing] to us next month or at whatever meeting Councilman Sloan Griffin decides,” McKenrick said.
Mayor Bryan Franklin also singled out Griffin.
“Do we know why Councilman Griffin is not here?” he asked Town Administrator Carroll Williamson.
“No, Mr. Mayor, we don’t,” Williamson said.
Griffin told The Voice he missed the meeting because he was in New Mexico for about 90 days carrying out his responsibilities as a reservist for the Federal Emergency Management Authority, or FEMA. He denied not informing council members.
“I said exactly where I was at a previous meeting,” he said.
The published minutes of the January 23 meeting stated that Griffin missed that meeting also to fulfill FEMA responsibilities. The minutes did not mention that Griffin had tried to attend remotely.
“He stated that it wasn’t that he was on vacation, he was in response mode,” the Jan. 23 minutes state.
Griffin bristled over the notion that some Blythewood council members weren’t aware of his whereabouts.
“They knew where I was,” he said. “I’m not subjecting to the elementary notion that I need to submit an absentee letter.”
McKenrick said he merely wanted the minutes to describe absences as excused or unexcused. Others, however, floated tougher measures.
Mayor Bryan Franklin stated support for an ordinance aligning with McKenrick’s suggestion.
“That’s something we should codify in an ordinance to make it clear,” Franklin said.
The conversation then dovetailed into possibly punishing absent council members, with town attorney Pete Balthazor floating the idea of sanctions.
“I think I’ve seen that in other municipalities where something like that is codified or a member would face some type of censure or discipline with multiple absences,” Balthazor said.
The suggestion of sanctions triggered a strong response from Councilman Donald Brock.
“To what end, though? You’re in an elected position. You’re not required to come,” Brock said. “The minute you’re sworn in, you can sit at home for four years, collect a paycheck and never show up.”
Calling the attendance discussion “silly,” Brock said any council member could simply ask the town clerk to mark absences in the minutes as excused and unexcused. Passing a new law is not necessary, he said.
“The idea of passing an ordinance to punish somebody for not showing up or communicating because you can’t get along is just silly,” Brock said. “Let’s fight over more important things, gentlemen. This seems somewhat tacky.”
BLYTHEWOOD – Lugoff-Elgin scored six runs in the third inning to take an 8-0 lead over Westwood, and the Demons didn’t look back en route to a 19-3 win over the Redhawks in six innings Thursday.
Against Ridge View Tuesday, Westwood couldn’t overcome a 7-2 deficit and the Blazers added a run in the fourth and six more in the fifth to win 14-2 in five innings.
Nathan Caldwell got the only Westwood hit of the game against the Demons.
Against Ridge View, Remy Gilbert was 2-for-2 with a triple.
Westwood (4-6, 0-4 Region 5-4A) travels to Ridge View today.
RIDGEWAY – Jyekwuan D. Brown, 19, of Columbia, and Jalon D. Bradley, also 19, of Elgin, were arrested in connection with the Feb. 24, 2023, robbery of the Waffle House restaurant located at the intersection of SC 34East and Interstate 77 in Fairfield County.
Bradley was arrested on March 16, 2023. Brown was arrested on March 24, 2023. Both Bradley and Brown have been charged with Armed Robbery and Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime for this incident, according to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.
They are currently being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center on other charges with Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
Read more: Ridgeway Waffle House robbed at gunpoint
BLYTHEWOOD – Ted Koppel and a television crew of five were in Blythewood last week filming at The Voice’s office and around town as part of an upcoming CBS Sunday Morning show.
The two days of filming began at 7:30 Thursday morning when Koppel, two film crews and the show’s producer arrived at The Voice’s office on Main Street in downtown Blythewood after spending the night at the new Hilton Home 2 Suites on Creech Road.
Later that morning, the crew followed The Voice’s publisher, Barbara Ball, as she distributed the fresh-off-the-press March 23 newspapers to stores around town. First stop was IGA.
News traveled fast that Koppel was in town. When he, Ball and the film crew arrived a few minutes later at Lizard’s Thicket restaurant in the Food Lion shopping center, a staff member was overheard excitedly saying, “Yeah, we heard Ted Koppel was at the IGA.”
After a morning of filming in the Blythewood Pharmacy and several other stores where they talked with staff and customers, Koppel and crew stopped by the Blythewood Historical Society and Museum in the Langford-Nord House where Koppel signed the visitor’s registry and visited with BHS&M founding member Frankie McLean and Administrative Manager Margaret Kelly.
The show’s producer, Deidre Cohen, stopped by Groucho’s Deli to pick up take-out sandwiches for the crew who had headed up Highway 21 to The Farm where they would create a set for a 12:30 p.m. interview with Ball. During the filming, The Farm’s owner Larry Sharpe dropped off fresh donuts for everyone.
By 4:30 p.m., Koppel had left for the airport in Charlotte to catch a flight home.
One of the film crews stayed on in Blythewood through Friday, filming again at The Voice’s office, at other businesses along McNulty Road, and at John Edward’s barbershop next to his Cigar and Wine lounge.
While in town, the film crew stopped by Doko Station for dinner on Thursday evening and Doko Smoke for a barbeque lunch on Friday.
Determined to portray the full flavor of Blythewood, the film crew stopped by the USC equestrian center on Syrup Mill Road to catch some of the SEC Championship competition. Before leaving town, they also filmed a train flying through downtown, and one of the cameraman even stopped by Blown Away Hair Salon in the IGA shopping center for a haircut.
The exact date the program will air has not been announced, but Cohen said she expects it to air sometime in late spring or early summer.
BLYTHEWOOD – Some Ashley Oaks residents say they were alarmed last week when the Town of Blythewood posted a yellow notice near their properties announcing that the owner of a 290.3-acre parcel bordering their back yards is requesting to have the property rezoned from D-1 (Development) zoning to Li-2 (Light Industry-2) zoning.
The proposed use of the land is ‘auto manufacturing rail yard.’ The property is located next to the Scout Motors property.
According to the notice, the request, if passed by council, would rezone property located at the dead end of Locklier Road right of way (Tax Map No. R12500-03-01).
A public hearing before the Town’s planning commission is scheduled for April 3, 2023, at 6 p.m., at the Manor. The planning commission will then make a recommendation to town council to either approve or disapprove the rezoning. Town Council will then take the matter up and hold two votes and a public hearing on the issue.
The Town ordinance for the physical separation of residential and light industrial zoning calls for a 50-foot minimum width buffer or 20-foot minimum buffer with a wall/fence/berm.
According to Jeff Ruble, Director of Richland County Economic Development, the buffer for this particular parcel would be at least 300 feet wide where it borders Ashley Oaks.
“That’s a football-field wide,” Ruble said, “with trees left intact within the buffer.”
The property is owned by Saddle Brook Properties LLC c/o Clifford Theisen.