Notice of Rimer Pond Road Meeting

 

Wednesday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Columbia Country Club

Neighbors,

As many of you know there has been a lot a conversation regarding the rezoning request by Hugh Palmer of Sycamore Development, owner of the corner parcel at Longtown Rd and Rimer Pond Rd, by the property owners in the area who oppose this property being zoned Neighborhood Commercial.   On October 2nd, many of your neighbors attended a Planning Commission Hearing regarding this property, despite more than 2 dozen residents in the surrounding area speaking out and voicing our concerns David Tuttle made a motion to Approve the request of Neighborhood Commercial and Chris Anderson seconded that motion which lead to a board vote of 4 to 4, a tie, to send this request to County Council with no recommendation.   While Neighborhood Commercial sounds innocent, as if it is something we would could get behind like a coffee shop, or kids karate studio it also allows for convenience stores with gas pumps and alcohol sales just like we have at the corner of Longtown Rd and Lee Rd 1.5 miles away.

Many of your neighbors have spent time fighting this for 3 years now, countless zoning hearings, county council meetings, lots of emails and letters to local leaders.  They feel strongly about the rural residential feeling we have here in Blythewood, especially Rimer Pond Rd and the surrounding area, they appreciate the fact commercial development has not seeped in on Rimer Pond Rd yet, they feel secure knowing commercial development will not be right across the street from their children who attend Blythewood Middle School and Round Top Elementary School, they are proud of the community we have molded and equally as important they want to maintain the value a rural residential community maintains.

So with all this said, if you have been wondering how to participate or how to speak up, here is your chance Wednesday October 18th, 7pm at Columbia Country Club.  Calvin “Chip” Jackson, Richland County Council District 9 Representative will be in attendance to hear what the community has to say regarding the commercial zoning request of 502 Rimer Pond Rd  (Case #17-025MA Hugh Palmer’s 5.23 acres from Medium density Residential to Neighborhood Commercial).  Gwendolyn Kennedy, Richland County Council District 7 Representative has formally been invited but has not accepted as of sending this email

If you feel so inclined please tell anyone you feel may want to come from surrounding neighborhoods, please forward to friends you think may care, the more the merrier.  Please see the attachment for a map and description of the property. Also, click on the following link to view the Zoning descriptions: Neighborhood Commercial is on pages 171-172 and the Use Table starts on page 311.

http://www.richlandonline.com/Portals/0/Departments/DevServices/Docs/Current%20Land%20Development%20Code%20(through%207-15-14)%20with%20TOC.pdf

Tracy Corson

Contact us: (803) 767-5711 | P.O. Box 675, Blythewood, SC 29016 | [email protected]