IRMO, S.C. — After nearly a year of planning, 11 apartment buildings with some retail space are closer to becoming a reality - but not without questions from Ballentine residents first.
On Tuesday, Richland County Councilman Jason Branham hosted a meeting for the Ballentine community to discuss a proposed Planned Development District just off the I-26 exit to Broad River and Bickley roads.
The proposal would rezone the land from light industrial (M-1) to a "Planned Development District" (PDD). Developers plan to add 11 apartment buildings with 24 units per building and retail space on 30 acres of land.
The developers have been going back and forth with residents and the county since last October and said they are trying to devise a plan that works for the community.
Councilman Jason Branham said he had been involved in several discussions about the plans.
"While I'm still undecided about how I'll vote on that project, I know that we got a lot of good feedback from the residents indicating that they felt that a lot of their concerns had been addressed," Branham said.
But residents in the community are hoping Councilman Branham will make the right decision.
"The big issue is getting smart growth which requires infrastructure," resident Henry Martin said.
"Last year, they said they did not expect children to be living there, so it wouldn't affect the schools," resident Bonnie Rankin said. "They didn't address that tonight, and our schools are overcrowded at this time."
There is no word how much this project will cost, but the developer said the apartments would not be low-income housing. The entire project will take about 15 years to complete.
Residents are also pushing the developer to pay "impact fees" for more resources in the area, like additional services for ambulances, roads, and the fire department.
The Ballentine community will host another discussion about the widening of Broad River Road on Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Ballentine Park. Guest speakers will include Michael Maloney, Director of Public Works Richland County Government, and Ted Thomas, the project manager.