James Island is getting another golf course and ginourmo subdivision. It’ll go well with the new Wings beach store at Sol Legare Road.
From the Regional Business Journal …
Charleston City Council unanimously granted initial approval Tuesday to build homes and a golf course on rural Grimball Farms on James Island.
Unlike plans that riled residents in the past, The Ginn Co.’s latest development proposal calls for 227 homes rather than 600, no retail, 40 acres of public walking trails, an 18-hole golf course and a 17-acre historic preserve open to the public.
The land is on 932 acres near the Stono River. Only 344 highland acres will be developed. The rest will remain marshland.
Councilwoman Kathleen Wilson, who once hoped to preserve Grimball Farms, said the development will clean up the area, which, despite being known for its rural beauty, is now littered with beer cans, mattresses, refrigerators and sofas.
“This was a dumping ground for James Island,” she said. “This area is not as pristine as I thought.”
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. noted that the previous longtime owners of the abandoned tomato fields had the property annexed into the city in 2000 so stricter conservation-related zoning requirements would apply. The current plan to build just 227 homes falls within those requirements.
“There are some places in our community where we want more density, where it’s appropriate (and) where it helps, and there are some places where we do not,” he said.
A handful of residents spoke against the development during a public hearing Tuesday, citing concerns about traffic congestion, drainage, environmental impact and rural privacy.
Several other residents spoke in favor of the plan.
