RIDGEWAY – Sixty-four homes are one step closer to coming to Ridgeway.
On June 26, the Fairfield County Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposed Rockton Place subdivision to be built off South Coleman Highway in Ridgeway.
No rezoning was required. The favorable recommendation now heads to Fairfield County Council for consideration.
Joseph Toledo, community development department director, said prior to the vote that Rockton Place complies with Fairfield’s land management ordinance.
“The proposed site plan for 64 residential lot sites aligns with the county’s regulations governing land use and there are no apparent deviations from the applicable standards as approved,” Toledo said.
Sidewalks are not included in the proposed site plan but they could be added later on, Toledo added.
Ken Queen, the applicant for Rockton Place, said homes would start at 2,500 square feet.
Since Rockton Place will consist of predominantly custom built homes, exact pricing data is unavailable. The development team said a pair of Columbia area homebuilders would be building the custom homes.
“We’ve gone the non-traditional route. We’re not using a track or production builder. We’re using two of the finest custom builders in the Columbia area,” Queen said. “Both were agreeable with the minimum of 2,500 square feet. That’s set in the restrictive covenants that have already been drawn.”
Clay Cannon, an engineer associated with the project, said the development’s low density makes it attractive to buyers and existing residents, alike.
“This is beautiful property, and the development team’s desire was to maintain the integrity of the land,” Cannon said. “There are two beautiful ponds that are on the property. We’re looking for low density, a minimum of one acre per lot size.”
According to planning records, Rockton Place will be built on property to the west of South Coleman Road, near Geiger Elementary School. A series of roads connecting the subdivision with South Coleman Road include Rockton Place Ave., Rockton Ponds Drive, Rockton Woods Lane and Rockton Ridge Court.
The development will be served by Ridgeway (Winnsboro) water. Sewer services will be via septic tank.
Randy Bright, a Ridgeway resident who often speaks publicly about Fairfield County matters, praised the subdivision, touting the generous lot sizes and relatively low density. He told planning commission members he hopes that future subdivisions are similarly well thought out.
“When we get a developer in Fairfield County that checks all the good boxes that you have mentioned and checks the good acreage boxes, it’s a good day. It’s a rare day,” Bright said. “It’s the first real subdivision we’ve had in a decade aside from the Teacher Village. I think that it could be the beginning of something very big. Looking online at the builders, it looks like we have got a good product here for the people who may move in. it will be a positive thing for the entire area.”
Bright went on to “make a plug” for instituting development fees to help offset impacts from new residential development, saying future growth is inevitable.
“We have a very fragile infrastructure. It doesn’t adequately serve our county now,” he said. “If our county is going to truly grow without putting undue stress on developers, without harming the prices of new homes, we have to have implementation of development fees.“
Bright drew a distinction between development fees and impact fees, saying development fees are more appropriate for Fairfield.
“Development fees are less expensive than impact fees and have fewer boxes to check,” Bright said. “Without development fees up front, we simply cannot support much more growth.”
