BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — On Thursday, developers shared details about possible projects coming to Wilson Boulevard in Blythewood near the Scout Motors site.
A room was packed full of concerned residents inside Meadow Lake Park as members of the Richland County community heard proposals from developers.
The town hall, hosted by District Seven County Councilwoman Gretchen Barron, featured three specific projects, all of which would sit along Wilson Boulevard, near the Scout Motors site.
Madison Pickeral is a developer looking to put residential housing at 9720 Wilson Blvd. She says their zoning proposal could put upwards of 300 homes on the property.
"It's currently zoned rural. We could get just over home to the acre. The low density could get us up to 3.6 but as mentioned, we don't see that happening," she said.
Developers are also seeking approval to allow an RV park to go on some property at 9500 Wilson Blvd. According to the proposal, Richland County staff recommends the current proposal be denied.
A future development proposal was also up for discussion by Scannell Properties. Mark Wilson, with the company, told residents there is no plan yet for who would occupy the space, but his developers are focused on industrial possibilities.
"Worst case, best case scenario, it would be three buildings, totally upwards of million square feet of development," he explained.
Residents were allowed to voice support or objections to the proposals. Vanessa Guyton is a Blythewood resident and says she's worried about the traffic the new development might bring.
"Traffic is horrendous. I go all the way around to try to avoid traffic, so if they build more houses, more warehouses, we're going to have more of a congestion problem," Guyton said.
Councilwoman Barron says traffic is something her office is also monitoring but is optimistic that it can be fixed if it becomes a concern. She says, "With District Seven being so close to Scout Motors, a lot of the traffic challenges that we have, some of the infrastructure challenges that we have, will be addressed with the infrastructure plan coming from the state house on down to Richland County."
The meeting lasted an hour and a half, and Baron said she's noting what needs to be done to bring these developments to the neighborhood.
"If we can come together, have a conversation- eyes were opened tonight on both sides, for me too," she says.
All of the projects are still in the application and proposal phase. Baron says the next would still require staff and council approval.