CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — The Calhoun County Council is considering a new request to rezone property in the Sandy Run community. It's the same property where a development failed earlier this year after residents complained about what was supposed to go there.
In September, the council voted no to a proposed 170 home development in the Sandy Run community. This came as residents expressed concerns about traffic and overcrowding at the rural neighborhood located at the intersection of Interstate 26 and Old Sandy Run Road.
“As far as traffic goes, the county doesn’t necessarily regulate traffic requirements for improvements, that’s SCDOT and something that I did tell the tenants at the meeting is that just because it’s rezoned doesn't mean all those requirements go away," said Calhoun County Deputy Administrator Richard Hall.
This time around, developers are doing away with the proposed plan to build homes there and instead are trying to rezone land for community commercial and industrial.
“With a planned unit development district like we had before, that is a change to a specific type of uses that are spelled out," said Hall. "This one is just rezoning the property to commercial and industrial so it can be used for any of the categories that are approved in that zoning category."
The entire property is about 130 acres of land. Hall says commercial use of 90 acres of land could include businesses like gas stations, strip malls, or retail shops. There will be about 40 acres of land for industrial use that would allow space for the manufacturing industry.
Patrick Mack has lived in the Sandy Run community for 47 years.
“Sandy Run could benefit from a small grocery store. Not necessarily a huge strip mall or something like that but just a small IGA or something along those lines," said Mack.
There will be two more readings and a public hearing before this proposal is approved. The second reading will take place December 12 at 5:30 p.m.