LADSON — Members of the Exchange Club of Charleston are pleading with the county to stop their land from being taken for a bus stop.
Three members came before the Charleston County Council on May 21 asking them to intervene in the purchase of six acres of club property by eminent domain — a process in which landowners are compensated at value for their property.
Acquisition would be a last resort if the club denies Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA)'s offer to purchase the Ladson Fairgrounds. The land, approved by a federal study, would be used for a stop on the region’s future Lowcountry Rapid Transit Line.
However the property situation shakes out between CARTA and the Exchange Club, Charleston county legal counsel Natalie Hamm noted at the meeting that the council has no power over the decision.
"The county does not have any authority over that matter," she said.
Redeveloping 1,000 acres of road frontage along Highway 78 has been in discussion for years. A 2016 study assessed that a portion of the Ladson fairgrounds was the best opportunity for a park and ride. The Exchange Club has pushed back on use of its private land, refusing the offers, but time has run out to continue negotiations.
Legare Clement, president of the Exchange Club, said at the meeting the Coastal Carolina Fair and the charities it supports are at risk if CARTA takes ownership of the parking lot at the main entrance of the fairgrounds.
The Ladson property in contention takes up about 3 percent of the fairgrounds' overall 180-acre property and could bring new attendees to the event through the transportation system.
“We’ll have to change the entire footprint of the fairgrounds,” Clement said, noting the Exchange Club would need to spend between $1.5 to $1.8 million to move the gate.
Mike Seekings, chairman for the CARTA board of directors, was not present at the May 21 meeting, but he said eminent domain isn't on the table yet.
Several months ago, the Exchange Club offered CARTA another six acres — the third parcel since discussions began — as well as a lease of $800,000 a year for the property. The new option has not been federally approved, and another environmental study could take years. Since rapid transit site funding is tied to a timeline, $365 million is at risk if the land isn’t agreed upon now.
“We ask the council to force CARTA to accept the compromise made by the Exchange Club to resolve the dispute over the land being used for a park and ride,” Duncan Townsend, an officer of the Exchange Club, said at the meeting.
Seekings said the property CARTA is looking to purchase is land the Exchange Club willingly offered.
"None of this is new news to them," Seekings said.
It's now up to the Exchange Club to accept the proposal or sit down and talk with CARTA, he added.
"But if not, the next steps are to go through the federal regulatory scheme to make sure we don't jeopardize the project," Seekings said. "That is the No. 1 most important thing right now."
Though the Exchange Club doesn't charge for parking, it predicts an annual hit of $1 million in revenue from the roughly 750 cars that cannot park there during the fair — more if those cars turn over two or three times a day. Those patrons could still park in the remaining 10,000 spaces and room to expand.
If redeveloped, the six acres would be paved to allow for handicap parking at the venue, which is currently grass or gravel. Fair attendees traveling by vehicle could also use the 300-plus spaces in the park-and-ride during the 11-day fair.
Michael Kearney, another member of the Exchange Club present at the meeting, noted the loss of land would be a further hit to the nonprofits that the Exchange Club supports annually. The club has donated roughly $11 million of Coastal Carolina Fair profits to the community since 2003. Last year, $419,000 in fair profits was split among 63 organizations.
“However, in spite of a century-long stellar reputation of service above self for the community, CARTA led by Mr. Seekings wants to take the most important parking lot at the fairgrounds,” Townsend said.
Moving forward, Seekings said CARTA will continue to work "cooperatively" with the Exchange Club to come to an agreement within the timelines set by the government.
"We don't want to do anything to harm them," he said. "We think we're actually going to help them in the end, and that was always the conversation we've had."
"exchange" - Google News
May 23, 2024 at 05:00PM
https://ift.tt/SE6iqM4
Charleston Exchange Club pleads with county to keep its land | Real Estate | postandcourier.com - The Post and Courier
"exchange" - Google News
https://ift.tt/uNizEaR
https://ift.tt/r0qx7sT
Exchange
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Charleston Exchange Club pleads with county to keep its land | Real Estate | postandcourier.com - The Post and Courier"
Post a Comment