HOLLY HILL COUNCIL: After public hearing ends, officials reverse course, allow more new homes

That’s not what occurred at the Holly Hill Town Council’s monthly meeting on Monday, March 4.

Here’s what happened. Three owners petitioned for the annexation of multiple properties into the town limits. All of them requested R-2 zoning, which allows medium density residential development.

On Feb. 5, the council gave first reading to ordinances annexing 9 parcels. One parcel was inadvertently omitted, so the council held a special called meeting on Feb. 12 to add it to the list.

Hours later on Feb. 12, the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted, after some discussion, to recommend R-2 zoning for 9 of the 10 properties.

But for the 10th property, co-chair Justin VanBogart persuaded his colleagues that R-1 low density residential zoning was more appropriate and more compatible with existing adjacent residences.

On Feb. 15, The Times and Democrat published a legal notice, authorized by the town, stating that a public hearing would be held March 4 on the annexation and zoning of nine of the properties.

On Feb. 17, a notice published in The T&D listed three additional parcels, for a total of 12 parcels. The text declared that it “hereby supersedes any prior notices, including that published on Feb. 15, 2024.” The text also cites the Planning Commission’s R-1 recommendation for one parcel.

The council’s March 4 meeting agenda listed nine parcels that were up for R-2 zoning and one that was up for R-1 zoning. No explanation was given for the absence of the two additional properties identified in the public hearing notice.

During the public hearing, two men spoke against the proposed zoning assignments. Their foremost contention was that the addition of more houses, roads, and driveways would worsen stormwater drainage problems on properties at lower elevations.

“Our ditches are not capable now,” David Tawes said. “Fix the problems we have (already). … People had better listen. It could be their sofa floating out their front door.”

After about 10 minutes, Mayor Billy Chavis closed the public hearing, opened the council meeting, and offered a prayer.

Immediately after that, the mayor made a motion to amend the agenda and assign R-2 zoning to the parcel that the Planning Commission had recommended be zoned R-1. That would allow more homes to be built on the property.

Councilman David Barber seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to approve it. There was no discussion among the council members.

Nor was the public given an opportunity to respond to the elected officials’ abrupt reversal from what they previously indicated about their intentions.

After the meeting, Mayor Chavis was asked why he and the council members gave no explanation for their decision, while the Planning Commission members had given their reasons for recommending R-1 zoning.

He replied: “It goes back to how we originally had it whenever we discussed it with the builder. That’s how we had it – it was R-2, with the proper setbacks, the proper barriers around the neighborhood.”

When asked if he was concerned that the P&Z Commission might take offense at the council’s action, Chavis replied, “We don’t do snubs. They made a recommendation (that the council can accept or reject). At this time the needs of the town outweigh getting into (a debate over) R-1 versus R-2.”

In other business, Barber reported that the police department is fully staffed, all vehicles are in service, and the recently obtained body cameras are “up and running great.”

The council gave first reading to a 25-year, non-exclusive franchise fee agreement with Brightspeed of South Carolina, which provides Internet services. Brightspeed will now pay the town 4 percent of its revenues from town residents instead of a business license fee of $250 per year.

During the time for public comments at the end of the meeting, Tawes asked how the franchise fee agreement benefits Brightspeed’s Holly Hill customers.

Chavis replied that competition benefits consumers by forcing companies to upgrade their products.

Also, he said the town is always looking for ways to increase revenues so it can pay to do things like renovating the middle school campus for the benefit of the town’s residents.

Town officials have been assured that they will be given ownership of the property after the school district completes the relocation of all middle school classrooms in Holly Hill and Elloree to a new wing of the high school near Santee.

That might happen as early as August.

The Holly Hill Town Council’s next monthly meeting is set for Monday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the large meeting room in the governmental complex at 8423 Old State Road. Contact Town Clerk Shelia Williams at 803-496-3330 for details.