CAMDEN, S.C. — The saga of a contentious housing development proposal in downtown Camden takes a new turn as plans for the project have been halted.
Originally slated to bring over 700 homes to the area, the development proposal was scaled back to 352 homes at the Camden Equine Training Center.
It failed to pass a vote for the City's planning commission and was slated to the on The City of Camden's agenda on April 9th.
However, the applicant, Stuart Grant, has withdrawn the request.
Grant stated, "That sort of political pressure put on the city council made it evident to us there would not be sufficient support within the city and city council. We chose to withdraw that plan to the city, I think to the great detriment of the city."
Local residents like Melissa Barton and Shelli Fox voiced concerns about the proposed number of homes, citing strain on infrastructure and potential population overgrowth.
Barton remarked, "We really can't afford the housing. In general, the population overgrowth it really would cripple us a lot."
Fox echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the need for infrastructure improvements before further development, stating, "I think they're doing this kinda backward building, putting the cart before the horse. They need to get the schools bigger, and more support, they need to have better roads."
Grant remains undeterred, expressing intentions to explore alternative plans for the property since an equine training center is not economically feasible.
"We're considering our options you know i could put a turkey farm there, we could put a development with the county, there are all sorts of possibilities but we will come up with something in the near future and something will be built on that property," he affirmed.
However, community members like Barton hope any future development will benefit the community without causing undue strain.
"There are things out there that can do that without the rest of the population suffering and giving us something to look forward to rather than be afraid of," Barton emphasized.
The property in question lies on county lines, but as of now, no new proposals have been submitted to the county.