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Tag: Crickentree

  • Crickentree residents organize

    ‘Concerned Citizens’ hire an attorney

    BLYTHEWOOD – About 80 residents of Crickentree and several other area golf course communities attended a meeting at Doko Manor last week to come up with a plan for maintaining the Traditional Recreational Open Space (TROS) zoning for the 183 acres that was the former home of the Golf Club of South Carolina, also known as the Crickentree golf course.

    About 200 attended a previous meeting on Feb. 14 that was called by representatives of Texas investment firm ECapital to unveil a revised proposal for 249 homes on the golf course property, down from a proposal last fall of 480 homes. ECapital purchased the mortgage on the now foreclosed golf course property that shares borders with the Crickentree subdivision which has access off Kelly Mill Road. The golf course property is accessed off Langford Road.

    Bob McClure, a 29-year resident of Crickentree kicked off the meeting by referring to the ECapital group as land speculators, gamblers with no ties to our area.

    “Gamblers don’t always win,” McClure declared, and referenced the zoning issue as a “big problem.”   McClure emphasized the critical need to expand their group to include citizens of all area golf course communities who are ready to fight the rezoning from TROS to residential.

    Blythewood Mayor Michael Ross said that while the Crickentree property is under the jurisdiction of Richland County and not Blythewood, a residential development of that size would have a major impact on the residents of Blythewood due to infrastructure issues.  He cited the already proposed 601 homes in the Blythewood Farms subdivision adjacent to Town Hall as an example of the continuous growth.

    Blythewood Town Councilman Bryan Franklin suggested the County purchase the property and use it as a recreational hub for the regional community.  He laid out a plan to use approximately half of the property for sports fields to support football, soccer, lacrosse and other sports that are not currently being provided for by Richland County in the Blythewood area.

    “There’s tremendous potential for Blythewood to become a centrally located hub for state baseball/softball tournaments and travel leagues,” Franklin said. “There’s a potential for $10,000 – $14,000 in revenue for a single tournament weekend,” he said.  “It makes sense to use what is already there. Seniors like to walk. The current pathways could be used for walking, jogging and bicycle paths, even horseback riding areas.  The country club could be used as a senior center for activities.”

    Franklin suggested the remaining area of the property be maintained as a County 9-hole golf course where everyone could play.

    “If approved, the low density zoning request for 247 homes that E Capital representatives have said they are seeking, would actually allow the owner/developer of the property to place as many as 650 homes on the property based on current low density regulations and the acreage involved,” Crickentree resident Michael Koska said.

    “The promises and drawings presented by E Capital at our Feb. 7 meeting would not be legally enforceable, including the 150 ft. proposed buffer, retention of ponds or trees, placement and quantity of homes, etc.”

    Attorney Brian Boger, who was hired by some members of the ‘Concerned Residents of Crickentree’ neighborhood group to help maintain the TROS zoning, said he had met with ECapital’s attorney, Robert Fuller, and that Fuller had said ECapital intended to apply for a zoning change by Thursday, Feb. 28.

    Crickentree resident Russ Ste.Marie provided a power point presentation to outline what he felt could befall the Crickentree community if they did not fight the rezoning. He cautioned that the new rewrite of the Richland County Comprehensive Plan would combine TROS properties and numerous similar type properties into one designation.

    Boger cited a meeting of nine HOA Presidents from Richland County golf course communities who are addressing similar problems.  He suggested they join in the Crickentree battle.

    “This property cannot be rezoned without the Richland County Council members supporting it,” Boger said. “You all need to mount a campaign and email our concerns to everyone involved.  And we need to be at the Planning Committee public meeting and the County Council meeting in mass.  We need to develop a list of specific reasons to stay TROS.  We will only have 30 minutes to address each of these two groups. And the more people there to show their support, the better,” he said.

    Crickentree resident Tracie Cooper reiterated the need for residents to communicate with the County Council members.  “We are in this together,” she emphasized.  “Team Crickentree, and we have got to stick together.”

    For more information about the proposed rezoning, call 803-719-1242 or go to SaveGolfCourses.com

  • ECapital plans 249 homes on Crickentree course

    Approximately 200 people packed Doko Manor in Blythewood to hear ECapital’s plan to develop the golf course at Crickentree. | Barbara Ball

    BLYTHEWOOD – Representatives of Texas investment firm ECapital unveiled a revised proposal for a residential development proposed on the former Golf Course of South Carolina property in the Crickentree neighborhood last week at a meeting held at Doko Manor. More than 200 residents of Crickentree and other area golf course communities attended.

    After proposing 480 homes on the property in August, ECapital’s Ryan Buckman said Thursday night that the company had dropped the number of homes to 249 homes in response to residents’ pleas for lower density in August.

    Another concession, according to Shaun Tooley, an engineer representing the land design firm that produced the plan, is a 150-foot natural buffer of trees and shrubs that would shield the existing neighborhood homes from the new development. That buffer, Tooley said, would be deeded to the new development’s homeowner’s association who would also be responsible for maintaining it.

    The revised development consists of homes clustered together on minimum 8,500-square-foot lots, leaving 60 percent of the property in green space, Tooley said. He said the homes would range from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet in size and be priced at $350K to $425K.

    Much of the 183 acre golf course property borders the Crickentree subdivision which is accessed off Kelly Mill Road.

    One side of the golf course is the back yard to many of the 145 upscale Crickentree homes that boast large lots, some up to two acres in size.

    ECapital bought the mortgage on the golf course for $1 million and initiated foreclosure last July. The mortgage was foreclosed in August. Now ECapital has moved into the development phase.

    To transition from a golf course to a residential property requires rezoning from the current TROS (Traditional Recreation Open Space) zoning classification to a residential zoning classification.

    That rezoning effort is where the residents feel they have a foothold to stop the development of hundreds of homes on small lots in their backyards.

    The TROS zoning classification dates back to 2007 when the Richland County Planning Commission added it to the Richland County land use plan specifically to protect golf course communities throughout the county from becoming the victims of rampant residential development.

    The question from residents of these golf course communities such as Crickentree, is, now, will County Council vote to change the zoning to protect ECapital’s investment and satisfy the developer, or keep the current zoning in place to protect the Crickentree property owners’ investments which the TROS was designed to do.

    After presenting slides of the proposed development, residents expressed their concerns about the plan. Jerry Rega, a resident of nearby LongCreek Plantation which has experienced similar issues, said the Crickentree residents will experience loss of property values, traffic congestion and school congestion. He also questioned how storm water drainage would be mamaged since the golf course, where the new homes would be built, now provides that drainage.

    “But you guys don’t want to listen,” Rega said to thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. “Every time one of these big companies has a problem, Council has a way of bailing them out. What about bailing out the people in this room? We need to put a moratorium on new construction until Richland County figures out what the heck is going on,” Rega said.

    Other residents at the meeting said the proposed development won’t benefit the county financially because the developer is based in Texas. “These [ECapital] people are going to go back to Dallas with $3-4 million and we’re going to lose $3-4 million in our property values,” Crickentree resident Larry Ellis said. “We need some support,” he told Richland County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson who represents a portion of 29016 and called the meeting.

    “There’s no value in rezoning for anyone in this room except the people up front,” Rega added.

    ECapital is expected to submit a proposal to the Richland County Planning Commission to rezone the property in the next several weeks.

    The Mayor’s Option:

    Mayor J. Michael Ross, center, talks with residents who are protesting the development of the golf courses protected by TROS zoning.

    Although Crickentree is not within Blythewood’s city limits, Mayor Mike Ross told the crowd that traffic and infrastructure is also the town’s biggest concern. And he said that while the town limits do not extend to Crickentree, he said Crickentree as part of the 29016 family.

     

    “We don’t want any more people coming down Langford Road trying to get to I-77,” he said.

    Ross proposed an alternative plan to convert the golf course space into a county park with soccer fields, walking paths, bike trails and other amenities. He said preliminary talks are underway with the Richland County Recreation Commission to buy the property.

    Ross then read a statement from Town Councilman Bryan Franklin.

    “We have an option we would like you to consider. We have massive development in this area,” Ross said, listing a number of developments in the works or planned. “We will have 6,000 new homes in the next 10 years. If there is one child per home, we’ll have a massive youth population that needs a place for outdoor activities. We don’t have the real estate in the town to provide those opportunities.

    “The Crickentree residents have somewhat been betrayed – they purchased homes with the intent of living in a golf course community. The golf course business failed and needs to offload real estate to close the books under bankruptcy to allow this builder to build 250 – 300 homes.

    “These homes will create more traffic, more schools, but no recreation area.

    “An excellent, common sense compromise would be for the county to purchase this [golf course] for pennies on the dollar, designated as a county recreation center/park and create soccer, Lacrosse and baseball fields as well as senior citizen facilities, walking and biking trails. This would not even require rezoning and would benefit the community.

    “It would pay for itself in 20 years with revenues from travel ball and state and regional sports tournaments.

    “Let’s not let this jewel in the rough go. Save this open space and help our kids.

    “Maybe the Town of Blythewood doesn’t have a horse in this race, but the people will be doomed by traffic. This is something we want to talk to Richland County about.”

  • Crickentree neighbors to hear from developer Thursday night

    BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood-area neighbors and others will be attending meeting at the Manor in Blythewood on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. to hear an update from E-Capital about its plans for a 454 unit housing development on the former Golf Course of SC at Crickentree.

    This property has recently been purchased by its investor, E-Capital, whose principals are expected to seek an unknown level of residential zoning very soon.

    Local residents concerned about golf course life cycle issues and the increasing demise of TROS (traditional residential open space) protection are invited to attend. Representatives from the county and Blythewood governments are also expected to attend.

    450 homes could replace Crickentree Golf Course.