KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — The developer behind a proposed housing project in downtown Camden has filed a lawsuit against the City, its Planning Commission, and Kershaw County after the project was repeatedly denied.
Carlyle Development’s lawsuit, spanning 23 pages, alleges several legal violations, including due process and equal protection issues, and accuses the city and county of civil conspiracy.
The dispute began in November last year when Carlyle Development proposed building nearly 700 homes on the site of the Camden Training Center, a property used by equestrians and located on both city and county land.
Following public backlash, the proposal was reduced to 152 homes, exclusively for those aged 55 and older, but the Planning Commission also rejected the revised plan.
The lawsuit claims the city and county engaged in zoning ordinance changes targeting the development. Carlyle Development alleges that, while trying to negotiate with the city in 2023, the county enacted zoning changes to hinder the project, and the city made additional changes to block the development.
In a previous interview in July, the owner of the Camden Training Center, Stuart Grant, hinted at legal action if the project was not approved.
“It will wind up in litigation, this is just a taking, you know the goalposts have been moved on me, I expect the Planning Commission to do what they are supposed to do, which is does this meet the ordinance. It’s not a 'is this a great idea,' or anything like that, that's not their discretion, it’s zoned, I have a property right," Grant added.
In a statement, Grant’s attorney said:
"We believe the complaint is detailed and speaks for itself. The conduct of the City of Camden and Kershaw County in dealing with Stuart Grant and his property has been deplorable. We have no further comment as this matter is now in litigation."
As of now, no court date has been set for the case.