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Maybank Five Points Rezoning Revisited |
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Written by BY JENNY PETERSON, The Journal
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A proposal to rezone land at Maybank Highway and Woodland Shores Road for neighborhood shops remains alive on James Island.
Town Council initially voted 4 to 1 against rezoning the land from residential use to planned unit development for the neighborhood shops on Feb. 5.
Councilman Joe Qualey voted in favor of the rezoning.
A month later at its March 11 meeting, council took back its “no” vote
so a public hearing could be held. That hearing will be 7 p.m. April 15
at Town Hall, 1238 Camp Road on James Island.
Before the revote, James Island Mayor Mary Clark said council did not
follow proper procedures or guidelines on the initial rezoning vote.
Council members did not discuss residents’ opinions about the development in a public forum,
did not allow Town Administrator Roy DeHaven to make a recommendation
and did not review the town’s land‑use plan when considering the
rezoning request, she said.
“This is the single most talkedabout subject in the town,” Clark added.
At council’s March 18 meeting, council members defended their decision
to one resident who lives near Woodland Shores Road and opposes the
rezoning.
Joanne Dixon berated council members Leonard Blank and Bill “Cubby”
Wilder for voting to reconsider their initial vote against the
rezoning. Blank made the motion to reconsider and Wilder seconded it.
“Blank and Wilder said they would support the people,” Dixon said.
She said there was a petition from residents against the rezoning.
“Ninety people deserve a response from each of you,” she said. “I want
to know if I should waste my time (opposing it).”
Blank said he had not seen the petition before voting, which was one of
the reasons he rescinded his vote, to hold a public hearing on the
matter.
Black said voting to reconsider the project doesn’t mean he ultimately will vote in favor of it.
“I don’t support it, and I don’t intend to support it,” he said.
Wilder said he also voted in the spirit of a public hearing and said he
wanted to place the neighborhood into a historical overlay district,
prohibiting more commercial ventures.
Dixon told council they should take into consideration where residents live during the public hearing.
Many residents on Woodland Shores Road, who would be directly affected
by the development, oppose the rezoning. Other residents in nearby
Riverland Terrace are more in favor of the rezoning, she said.
Clark said she always takes residents who are directly affected by development into consideration.
“I have not voted for it and probably will not,” she said.
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