GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. — Both parties are putting their foot down on the golf course, or the golf course rezoning of Georgetown County.
It has been a continuous effort by residents of Pawley’s Island and Georgetown County to get the council and planning commission members of the county to understand their thoughts on the golf course rezoning.
Litchfield Country Club and Founder’s golf courses are both zoned as R-10, or 10,000 square feet residential. This is roughly four homes an acre that could be allowed right now on both golf courses.
Residents in the county, as well as the advocacy group Keep It Green, have fought back for months, paving their way to making this golf course zoning district not allow development on it.
However, the county proposed a new district back in March called “Neighborhood Amenity District.” This doesn’t allow zero development, but it cuts back to “conservation agriculture,” limiting development on the course.
So, what happens when a council member speaks out about a group’s relationship to the golf club owners?
RELATED: Georgetown Co. public concerned over golf course rezoning
Georgetown County Councilwoman District 6 Stella Mercado recently had a “Letter to the Editor,” posted on her Facebook page to the Coastal Observer, claiming a “strange alliance,” between the Keep It Green Advocacy Group pushing for no development on the course, and the Founder’s club international state attorney, Stephen Goldfinch.
She examines the relationship as “strange bedfellows,” both opposed to the proposed zoning district, and potentially putting the golf course at risk of no protection and overgrowth. She alludes to Keep It Green advocacy, wanting “zero, zilch, nada” development, which she claims is not legally possible.
It’s a letter that stirred up the Keep It Green Advocacy group over claims of the Founder’s representatives and the group working together to potentially sabotage the golf course’s protection, so they responded.
“The fact that the two supposedly “allied” parties are at opposite ends of the spectrum on the golf course rezoning issue, patently demonstrates the absurdity of the claim. Perhaps Ms. Mercado forgot that KIG got its start opposing the Founders’ sale of the Litchfield Racquet Club to construct 105 condominium units. KIG successfully blocked that effort and has been fighting against the development of the unprotected Founders-owned golf courses ever since,” said Legal Counsel and Executive Director of Keep It Green Advocacy, Cindy Person.
The question of Person includes why Mercado would talk about two parties on opposing ends, possibly working together.
In a later response, Person addresses the Editor to say:
Mercado’s assertion that non-residential rezoning would be an “illegal taking” is plain wrong. She might be surprised to learn that the South Carolina Supreme Court has already addressed this issue and upheld recreational non-residential rezoning of golf courses in Mount Pleasant. There is a big difference between protecting our golf courses and pretending to protect them. Residents are not fooled by political double-speak or persuaded by bullying. County officials have the power and legal authority to provide non-residential zoning on the golf courses. The question is: Why don’t they?” asked Person.
This also goes back to what Person said was the original zoning of these golf courses. She claimed a longstanding zoning of “Private Recreational,” which would leave room for “zero, zilch, nada” development on these courses. However, since the change of the comprehensive plan and land use plan of Georgetown County, the county has labeled them as 10,000 square foot residential.
To read the full “Letter to the Editor” from Stella Mercado:
Here’s the full response from Keep It Green Advocacy Cindy Person:
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