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  • 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.”

  • Magazine: Fairfield is SC’s next big boom

    COLUMBIA – An online magazine, Business in Focus, has dubbed Fairfield County as ‘South Carolina’s Next Big Boom’ in the cover story of its February 11 issue.

    The article credited the County’s purchase of a 1,200-acre industrial mega site along I-77 at Exit 34 as the catalyst for the boom – stimulating future economic growth and manufacturing capacity.

    The county acquired the site two years ago with a $3 million investment plus a $6 million grant from the state. Ty Davenport, Director of Fairfield County Economic Development, said the county is currently completing design work for the site’s infrastructure, paid for with another $2 million state grant.

    The article also highlights the county’s other important but frequently overlooked amenities – Lake Wateree to the east and Lake Monticello to the west featuring water sports and fishing as well as the lush rural areas that are havens for hunting, sprawling farms and cattle ranches.

    BOMAG facility in Walter Brown Industrial Park

    “Fairfield County is an untapped resource that a lot of people don’t know about. We really have something good going on here. We’re poised for growth,” Davenport is quoted in the article.

    The magazine targets industrial leaders and manufacturing companies looking for locations.

    “It [the magazine] is designed to be a marketing tool,” Davenport told The Voice, “and it does a great job in this piece on Fairfield.”

    The article points out the county’s ideal location with easy access to airports, seaports and other transportation networks.

    “Within an hours’ drive from the county seat of Winnsboro, residents have access to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the fifth busiest international airport in the world as of 2017. When it comes to labor for industry, there is a large pool of more than 500,000 skilled workers who live within a forty-five-minute radius,” the article states.

    “There are really big opportunities here for people who want to grow their businesses,” Davenport said. “The county is on a very solid financial footing which gives us the ability to do projects, install infrastructure and help companies that are moving in. Our workforce is also younger than the national and state average.

    “If, for instance, a major auto manufacturer should show interest in our mega site, we will be able to meet their needs in every way including infrastructure, internet and transportation,” Davenport said.

    The article stated that Fairfield’s Economic Development Office is part of two regional development alliances that help market the county. The first is the Central South Carolina Alliance which is based in Columbia and mainly markets the area’s eight central counties to companies around the world. It also belongs to the South Carolina I-77 Alliance, which represents the five counties through which I-77 runs, known as the I-77 Corridor. This stretch starts out in Columbia and runs to Charlotte, North Carolina.

    “Together, we are promoting the county and all it has to offer – especially in terms of manufacturing and distribution,” Davenport said.

    According to the County’s Economic Development Office, the article states, Fairfield has many sites suitable for commercial, industrial, and distribution activities, making it an ideal spot for businesses.

    “What makes it even better is the fact that South Carolina offers significant incentives that really benefit industry. This means that you can have a facility in Fairfield County and enjoy lower costs while still benefitting from Charlotte and Columbia’s amenities,” Davenport added.

    This budding industrial haven has a lot to offer both new and seasoned manufacturers, the article states. With vision and drive, the magazine concludes that the leadership of Fairfield County is working to grow the county into the economic powerhouse it deserves to be.

  • County honors native son Isaac Woodard, Jr.

    Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins reads a resolution from the County during a ceremony honoring Winnsboro native Sgt. Isaac Woodard. Behind her are Woodard’s nephew Robert Young (to Goins’ right) and his family. | Francine Goins

    BATESBURG-LEESVILLE – A commemoration and unveiling of a historical marker in Batesburg-Leesville on Saturday honored Winnsboro native Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a World War II veteran whose savage beating at the hands of a callous, intolerant sheriff helped inspire civil rights in America.

    Woodard

    Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins, addressing Woodard’s nephew and his family along with a large group of dignitaries from across the state, read a resolution from the County, recognizing Woodard as an American hero. She also recognized his inhumane treatment as a catalyst in this nation’s civil rights movement.

    In a letter read at the ceremony, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy wrote that he was honored to acknowledge the life of Woodard, recalling Woodard’s and his family’s years in Winnsboro.

    After recounting the events surrounding Woodard’s brutal beating, Gaddy said, “It is with great honor that we are proud to see this historical marker be placed in Batesburg-Leesville to honor and acknowledge his life and service.”

    A booklet at the commemoration titled the “Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Jr,” recounted the events that led up to Woodard’s blinding and to the eventual elevation of civil rights in the United States.

    Isaac Woodard, Jr. was born in Fairfield County, but grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Oct. 14, 1942, at Fort Jackson, and served in the Pacific as part of a labor battalion. Woodard received an Honorable Discharge at Camp Gordon, GA, in early February, 1946.

    Along with a contingent of other discharged soldiers, black and white, Woodard boarded a Greyhouse bus on Feb. 12 to travel back home to North Carolina.

    Isaac Woodard, Jr. with his mother

    A conflict was triggered when the bus driver belittled the Army veteran for asking if there would be enough time for a bathroom break during a scheduled bus stop. It is reported that Woodard argued back. At the next stop, Woodard was met by Chief of Police Linwood Shull of Batesburg who, along with his deputies, beat Woodard savagely with their nightsticks.

    Woodard was later charged with drunk and disorderly conduct before finally being taken to a veteran’s hospital in Columbia.

    The NAACP took up Woodard’s case in the spring of 1946, pressing military officials to provide assistance to the gravely injured veteran while also calling for legal action against Chief Shull.

    By September of that year, NAACP officials met with President Harry Truman who expressed outrage over this assault on a veteran. Shull was tried in federal court but released after the jury deliberated only 30 minutes.

    As news of the attack circulated in the national media, President Harry Truman created the first President’s Committee on Civil Rights (PCCR) which published, ‘To Secure These Rights’ in 1947.

    This groundbreaking report led to the desegregation of the military in 1948 and new federal attention to racial inequality as a matter of both domestic justice and out of concern for Cold War politics.

    For many Americans, Isaac Woodard became a sympathetic figure representing the larger conflicts of Jim Crow emerging after World War II. The public’s response to the vicious attack upon Woodard, as well as the response of President Harry Truman, signaled a major shift in public support for civil rights during the 1940’s.

    Isaac Woodard died on Sept., 1992 in the Bronx, New York where he lived with his nephew, Robert Young, and his family. But Woodard’s death was not the end of his legacy.

    On June 7, 2018, Robert M. Cook II, Municipal Court Judge for the Town of Batesburg-Leesville, issued an order re-opening the case against Woodard and subsequently dismissed all charges against him. The order was granted upon receiving a request from Town Attorney Christian Spradly and Chief of Police Wallace Oswald.

    The Town also moved to dismiss the charges against Woodard.

    “It was a beautiful, emotional, meaningful ceremony,” Goins said. “It did not undo the crime, the injustice or the injury, but it brought well-deserved honor to this man who, through his pain and suffering, made so much possible for the rest of us.

    “It was a privilege to be part of it,” Goins said.

  • A grandmother’s love turns grief into good

    A shadow of Ayden peaks playfully from behind his mom, sisters and grandmother, Bobbi Jackson Qualls of Ridgeway.

    RIDGEWAY – In 2011, toddler Ayden Ferby was the youngest fatality on SC roadways. His death was the tragic result of not being properly restrained in his car seat.

    Although Ayden’s life was short lived, his grandmother, Bobbi Jackson Qualls, now says there have been many lessons learned. To that end, her never-ending love – her family’s love – for Ayden has brought much good for other children since his death.

    “As a result of us dealing with the grief and guilt of Ayden’s death, Ayden’s Turn was birthed,” Qualls said. “It was a way to do something for him, for his memory and for other children. We organized our first blood drive and car seat clinic in 2012 to bring awareness to the importance of proper installation and use of car seats. The goal was to educate the public on proper installation and best practices to use, to help reduce vehicular injuries and deaths of infants and children, in memory of Ayden,” Qualls said.

    On Saturday, Qualls’ family has organized another blood drive, this time at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Ridgeway.

    Ayden’s family and friends rally together through various campaigns year round – blood drives, car seat clinics, pamper parties, partnering with local law enforcement to educate the public on safety requirements while traveling and serving on the Buckle Buddies Coalition to advocate for changes in our state laws.

    Ayden’s Turn has donated countless coats and shoes to children in Head Start programs and celebrate kid’s day events in the local schools and communities.

    “We partner with other organizations like churches and civic groups to carry out our mission. To celebrate Ayden’s memory, we intentionally make child safety our first priority,” Qualls said. “As a result of Ayden’s tragic death and our broken hearts, we have made a difference in the lives of many, many other children.”

    The next Ayden’s Turn blood drive will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 330 W. Third St. in Ridgeway. To sign up, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: Bethlehem. For more information, call Bobbi Jackson Qualls at 803-633-5033.

  • FCSD makes $35K down payment on Italy trip

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield School District Honors Chorus is $35,000 closer to traveling to Italy.

    At a special called meeting last week, the Fairfield Board of Trustees voted 5-1 to appropriate the funds as a down payment for a trip to Italy for the Fairfield District Honors Chorus.  Board member Paula Hartman voted against the appropriation.

    The trip has an approximately $125,000 price tag, though it was also said the trip would cost about $5,000 per student. Superintendent Dr. J. R. Green said approximately 30 students or students and adults would go on the trip. Students, he said, have raised about $5,000 total so far.

    Green said the students who would travel will fundraise to pay for the trip.

    But under questioning from Hartman, he wouldn’t specifically state that students must raise their own money. He also couldn’t state exactly how many students and chaperones would attend.

    “If they didn’t take part in fundraising, are they going to be excluded?” Hartman asked.

    “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Ms. Hartman,” Green said. “The expectation is that students will participate in fundraising.”

    Green went on to say “students will contribute the vast amount of the cost,” but didn’t provide a specific breakdown of the final costs.

    District sponsored trips have become commonplace in recent years, and some have come at taxpayer expense.

    In 2016, Fairfield Middle chorus students traveled to the Bahamas. Also in 2016, the district tapped surplus legal funds to subsidize the chorus performing at Walt Disney World.

    Chorus students traveled to Carnegie Hall last year as well. Several Early College Academy students traveled to the United Kingdom in 2017. Also that year, the board voted to approve two senior trip options – one a cruise to the Bahamas and the other to Orlando, Florida.

    As for the Italy trip, the district voted to transfer $35,000 from the district’s unused salary account for the down payment. The special called meeting to approve the funding was necessary now because of a fast-approaching deadline, district officials said.

    Hartman objected. She didn’t think the district could legally transfer money reserved for teacher salaries to fund student trips.

    “That is false, the board establishes the budget. It is the board’s prerogative if it wants to make transfers,” Green replied.

    A majority of board members supported the expenditure, scoffing at any notions that it is a junket. But none could specifically say how the trip aligns with curriculum standards.

    “When I was a student, education was national. Now it’s global and we are competing with everybody, everywhere,” said board member Rev. Carl Jackson. “Our children should be given an education commensurate with that.”

    Board member Sylvia Harrison said students are gaining exposure.

    “Exposing them to something like that is a win-win for everybody, not just our school [but] for the community too,” Harrison said.

    Green pushed back on any notion the trips constitute wasteful spending.

    “I think there are some people who feel these kinds of opportunities should exist for some kids but not for ours,” Green said. “Because we are a high poverty community there are some people who say, well, they don’t deserve those kinds of opportunities.”

    “When I read some of the comments that are made,” Green said, “there are some who don’t care about the children of this district.”

    He did not reference where these comments were made.

    The Italy trip is scheduled for July.

  • Planning Commission gives Village green light for Feb. 14 vote

    WINNSBORO – In a workshop held last week at the Old Armory to discuss the Fairfield County School District’s application for R-3 zoning for a Teacher Village, the Winnsboro Planning Commissions determined they had sufficient information to move forward with the request.

    Moving forward meant setting dates for a Planning Commission meeting that will include a public hearing followed by a vote on whether or not to recommend (to town council) the zoning change from C-2 to R-3, which permits three homes per acre and would allow cluster housing on 22 acres behind the district office off U.S 321 bypass.

    While there was some discussion as to whether the public would attend a public hearing on Valentine’s Day evening, the Commission decided to set both the public hearing and vote for Feb. 14, at 6 p.m.

    The preliminary site plan for the development does not subdivide the Teacher Village into individual lots. Rather, the entire development consists of one lot, planning documents show.

    R3 has less strict design standards than other residential zones, allowing for reduced spacing between buildings – 25 feet, front to front; 20 feet, front to side; and four feet, side to side – than R1 or R2 zones.

    It also only requires 20 percent of open space, as opposed to 35 percent for R1 and 25 percent for R2.

    Yard sizes are also significantly less, planning documents state.

    Required rights of way in an R3 zone are 6,000 square feet for the first home and 2,500 square feet for each additional dwelling unit. An R1 zone requires 6,000 square feet for all units. In an R2 zone, the minimum square footage is 10,000 square feet.

    Fairfield County educational leaders have touted the Teacher Village as vital in recruiting and retaining teachers.

    At issue during the workshop was whether the school district’s request had met the requirements for moving forward.

    For openers, Building and Zoning Director Billy Castles told Commissioners that, based on the scaled drawings submitted, the house footprints were too large for the spaces allotted.

    Later in the discussion, Vice Chair Sam Johnson concurred that the house footprints were all too large for the rectangle spaces allotted for the houses.

    “Would it have been to our benefit to have had the engineer (who drew the plans) here tonight to help with this?” Commissioner Sonja Kennedy asked.

    “It would have been,” Castles said, but explained that because the engineer is doing pro bono work for the school, he would not be attending the meeting.

    “Dr. Green sent me an email saying if I had any questions, get them to him and he would go to the engineer and get it in writing,” Castles said.

    To move past what was becoming a logjam, Sue Rex, president of the Fairfield County School District Education Foundation, reached the engineer, Josh Rabon, on the phone. After some discussion with Commissioners, he determined that the scale was apparently off and offered to re-scale the drawing and email it to them, which he did. While Castles and Rex went to Castle’s office to print out the new scaled plat, the Commissioners discussed whether they had sufficient information (with the corrected scale drawing) to move forward with a recommendation to Town Council.

    Going over the list of requirements as outlined in the town ordinance, Johnson suggested they should not quibble over details.

    “The real issue,” he said, “is whether they (District) are presenting a somewhat coherent plan that meets the intentions that are laid out for us to make a decision as to whether we can justify making a recommendation to Council to change it from C-2 to R-3. As I see it, it looks like we’re headed in the right direction. At the end of the day, it’s probably not going to look like it does as it was given to us.”

    Commissioner Oliver Johnson agreed.

    “Are these perfect architectural drawings?” Oliver Johnson asked, then answered, “No. It (ordinance) doesn’t say they have to present to us the final detailed plan, just, basically, do they have a plan that looks potentially doable.”

    Johnson said the detailed site plan will be in the permitting process, “when they start to build,” Johnson said.

    The public hearing and vote is set for Feb. 14, at the Old Armory, 301 Park Street, Winnsboro. The Planning Commission’s recommendation for or against the rezoning will go to Town Council for the first of two votes on Feb. 19.

  • Update: R2 Board member arrested

    COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board member has been criminally charged for her role in an altercation that involved a state senator, the senator’s sister and spouse of the school board chairwoman.

    Elkins-Johnson

    Monica Elkins-Johnson, 51, of Columbia, was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct, according to online police and court records.

    On Jan. 31, Elkins-Johnson turned herself in to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where she appeared for a bond hearing.

    Elkins-Johnson posted a $237.50 personal recognizance bond. Her next scheduled court date is March 18, according to the Richland County Public Index.

    As a condition of her bond, Elkins-Johnson has been ordered to have no contact with any of the victims, identified in court records as Sen. Mia McLeod; Erica Davis, McLeod’s sister; and Stacy McKie, husband of board chair Amelia McKie.

    A Richland County Sheriff’s Office news release says Elkins-Johnson “did attack several individuals,” and cursed and threatened them.

    The incident was caught on video, the release said. A police report said the altercation occurred around 9:30 p.m., shortly after the board meeting adjourned.

    Footage released to The Voice shows a scrum of individuals in the foyer of the Richland Two Institute for Technology, moments after the Jan. 22 school board meeting adjourned.

    The footage shows security guards separating Elkins-Johnson from the group.

    Shortly before 10 p.m., The Voice observed Elkins-Johnson and another board member in the parking lot standing near a vehicle. Two security guards stood close by.

    Two police reports were filed in relation to the altercation that followed the Jan. 22 board meeting at the Richland Two Institute for Technology.

    One report stated that as McLeod and her sister were leaving the meeting, the suspect aggressively approached one of the sisters.

    A second report stated the suspect called Stacy McKie several “offensive words,” and threatened to kill him.

    Elkins Johnson filed a petition for a restraining order against Stacy McKie, claiming in court records that he cursed at her and alleged harassment. A magistrate denied Elkins-Johnson’s petition.

    Things turned heated after the Jan. 22 board meeting, a meeting in which the board discussed proposed policy revisions that would make it easier to remove board members from officer positions, such as board chair, vice-chair or treasurer.

    The proposed policy changes come following an investigation by The Voice into Richland Two board members failing to file required ethics forms with the S.C. Ethics Commission.

    McKie was fined $51,750 for failing to file several campaign disclosure reports.

    Elkins-Johnson didn’t file several quarterly campaign disclosure reports from the 2016 campaign – dating back to April 2017 – until Dec. 27, 2018, according to the ethics commission online database.

    It is unclear what ethics fines, if any, Elkins-Johnson faces. An ethics commission spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment.

  • Head-on collision results in fatality

    WINNSBORO – A fatal head-on vehicle crash occurred Tuesday, Feb. 5, on U.S. Highway 321, at approximately 1:52 p.m. Tuesday about two miles south of Winnsboro.

    According to SC Highway Patrol officer Joe Hovis, a 2003 GMC pickup truck was traveling North on U.S. Hwy 321 and a 2014 Dodge pickup truck was traveling South on U.S. Hwy 321.

    The driver of the GMC, a 27-year-old female and a 17-year old male passenger, both of Winnsboro, were injured and transported to Palmetto Richland Hospital. The female was seatbelted. It was not determined whether the male passenger was seatbelted according to the report.

    Trooper Hovis reported that a second passenger, Elizabeth Rhianna Harsey of Winnsboro was injured and succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Both passengers in the GMC were trapped and had to be mechanically extracted from the vehicle, the report stated.

    The driver of the Dodge truck, a 53-year-old male, of Winnsboro, was also injured and transported to Palmetto Richland, the report stated.

    The accident remains under investigation by the SC Highway Patrol and the Fairfield County Cororner’s office.

  • Man arrested at Blythewood High School after deputies find stolen gun, drugs

    BLYTHEWOOD – A man was arrested after entering Blythewood High School Tuesday morning about 9 a.m., telling the school resource officer that he wanted to speak to the students, according to an incident report.

    After talking with Jarelle Trevor Woodhouse, 29, an officer on duty at the school recognized him as having visited other Richland Two schools recently, uninvited.

    After escorting Woodhouse to his car, the officer found a stolen, loaded hand gun and drugs in the car.

    Woodhouse was arrested and charged with possession of stolen weapon, weapon on school property and a narcotics violation.

    Woodhouse was arrested and taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

    The school district notified parents of the incident later on Tuesday.

  • 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.