The owners of several pieces of property in neighborhoods along Columbia Road are asking to be annexed into the City of Orangeburg to protect their property values, even while others worry the annexation will harm them.

The city is set to consider bringing more than 30 parcels of land into its limits. Before it does, it will hold a couple of public hearings where residents can express their ideas and concerns.

“We’ll be listening to opposition and other things for a while yet on this because it’s got to go before the planning commission. It then has to undergo three readings by council. It would probably be sometime in November before this would be passed,” said District 2 Councilman Charles Jernigan, whose district includes the area proposed for annexation.

The area that is being proposed for annexation is largely near and around Longwood Road, Sparkleberry Hill Road and Spring Valley Circle. More than 75 percent of the landowners representing more than 75 percent of the assessed value in the area have asked to be annexed.

The area under consideration includes property owned by developer Steve Patel of Courtesy Management. Patel had planned to construct a $3.5 million townhouse complex on Columbia Road just outside the Orangeburg city limits, a plan which has drawn the ire of some residents of the predominantly single-family residential area.

Patel also considered building a convenience store/service station in the area, another plan that was unpopular among several residents.

Because Patel is not among the landowners who signed a petition for annexation, he is not able to request zoning that would allow him to follow through with his plans if the land is annexed into the city. If the land is annexed, it will come into the city zoned for single-family residential. Patel can then ask for it to be rezoned.

In contrast, the other property owners who signed the petition requesting annexation can request different zoning, although there’s no guarantee they’ll get the zoning they seek.

Yow said, “Residents have expressed concern with multi-family and planned commercial development in and near the proposed annexation area. ... I guess from an historical perspective, city council has taken a position to preserve single-family residential areas.”

Many residents say they want to preserve the single-family nature of their neighborhood. And they want the city to help them.

Sparkleberry Hill Road resident Harry Fleming is a retiree who opposes townhouses in the area. He said he wants to maintain his neighborhood’s nice, quiet atmosphere.

“It depreciates my property ... and we don’t want that. It’s a nice area to live in, but let’s not run it in the ground. This kind of stuff doesn’t fit very well with what we thought we were getting when we bought here,” Fleming said.

Spring Valley Circle resident Diane Bracey said, “When we initially purchased this property, it was understood that it was going to be a single-family area. We just don’t want the townhouses because of the heavy population that it’s going to bring into this area. Most retirees want a nice, quiet, settled area.”

Columbia Road Church of God Pastor Keith Vaughn said, “What exactly are we building and doing? It’s my perception that if the community had a clear understanding of what is all going on, they might be a little more at ease. I have just recently purchased a home on Spring Valley Circle. I don’t want the value to plummet as soon as I move in it.”

“We’re hoping that the city will be able to kind of keep a hand on what’s happening in the community. We’re not dying to pay city taxes, but we’re hoping the city can help us keep a handle on this beautiful neighborhood out here. We’d like to keep it that way,” Vaughn said.

But Hema Patel, Patel’s wife, said she’s concerned that her family’s business could lose money as a result of the annexation.

“When we bought that land, we paid a commercial price for it. Even if we did put single homes in it, the lots would be so expensive people couldn’t afford them. We’re going to go and try to proceed with trying to get that property zoned so that we can do multi-family residences there,” she said.

The company does not plan to build anything unrepresentative of the neighborhood, Patel said, noting that her own family lives there.

“We didn’t know anything about the annexation when we purchased that land. We were already given a permit to build by the county, and then it got taken away. So, we’re going to try and see what happens and then apply for rezoning or something,” she said.

Patel said there is no guarantee that the property would be zoned for multi-family housing even if Courtesy Management signs an annexation agreement.

“We haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do. If we knew that it was going to be annexed, we wouldn’t have even bothered with that. We would have gone elsewhere. We’re stuck. We have a lot of money invested in there which could help us right now with our other businesses. It seems like people have got their minds made up,” Patel said.

She said plans for the land which the company bought across the street on Columbia Road for a convenience store are also on hold.

“We need a gas station around there. Where do we go to get gas? We’re kind of stuck right now and in a situation that could have been avoided if we had the information,” she said.

The first public hearing on the annexation will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, in council chambers at City Hall. The planning commission will be on hand to address residents’ concerns.

A second public hearing will be held before Orangeburg City Council at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at City Hall.

n T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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