CAMDEN, S.C. — The City of Camden is moving ahead with plans to develop around 140-150 homes on parts of the Camden Training Center property.
A city meeting will be held on Tuesday to discuss the proposal.
Many neighbors that live close to the training center are worried about their property taxes going up, says resident Ruby Tillman.
"Just about everyone around here is retired and we’re on a fixed income," Tillman says. "If our taxes go up anymore, if our light bill goes up anymore, our water bill goes up anymore, God knows it’s been raised up, and we’re paying $50 and $60 worth of water, I mean how are we gonna live?"
Stuart Grant, the owner of the Training Center, believes the new development would contribute positively to the property tax base.
"If what I am doing adds to the tax base dramatically, why would that cause property taxes to go up as opposed to down?" said Grant.
The City Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall to discuss the proposed changes. It’s important to note that there will be no public comment at this meeting. Grant described the section proposed for development as an "auxiliary" track, and is not a part of the main section of the training center on county property.
But some worry about the broader implications of the development in the historic community, says resident Ted Brunswick. "We look at it more as if the foothold is gained here, then the loss over the next five to ten years, then we’ll lose the essence of what Camden is," Brunswick commented.
Grant says he has worked with the city to conduct studies on traffic flow and the economic impact in the area. News19 reached out to the city for a comment but has not received a response.