Over the past few years a new management team has been in put in place to explore and evaluate alternatives for the land that was once the failed project. This totally new team has been working diligently and quietly with all the interested parties. The result is a new approach and a new name: Vista Farms.
· As a part of the strategic planning, nearly one-third of the original property has been sold and conserved for agriculture and recreation uses.
· Environmental and green uses have been proposed for another one-third of the property to include: constructed wetlands, wetland and stream mitigation and protection, habitat, and other recreational uses.
· The original land plan has been scrapped. The entire scale and scope of the project have been reduced. Zoning decisions on potential land uses will not begin until annexation is completed and the planning staff, residents of Cayce, and the development team create a vision for the project.
TRUE: Future tax consequences for Cayce homeowners and residents will be huge. BUT, they will be positive.
· Annexing 3,000 acres into Cayce before it is developed will significantly expand the economic opportunity for Cayce as a part of an overall strategic plan to lower taxes to residents in Cayce. Planners will have the opportunity to devise agreements that are tax sensitive to the residents and community, and the tax revenues from the development and jobs and retail sales will benefit all Cayce residents.
TRUE: Just as in the case of SCANA and the Farmers’ Market, Cayce has been able to cut through the political smoke screen to find opportunity and create greater value for its community.
· There have been no deals or negotiations attached to this annexation request.
· Most annexations negotiate at least on zoning and infrastructure agreements. In this case neither has been provided. Zoning is not in place to develop the property and water and sewer extension agreements are not in place. All of this will be negotiated in good faith as opportunities and questions arise.
· Mayor Wilkerson supports the idea that annexation can create opportunity for Cayce.
TRUE: The cost of infrastructure will be massive, BUT:
· Yes, new development requires a huge investment, but Cayce has made it clear that its interest is in saving money, not providing it.
· If and when zoning is approved, the developer will be responsible for any water and sewer costs. No different process is proposed for this land than any other land in or annexed by Cayce. As with all commercial and residential users, appropriate fees will also be charged to the project. The City of Columbia could even continue to serve the project if jurisdictional agreements are put in place.
· The cost for schools, emergency services, etc., will be paid for through tax revenues generated from future development. If the development does not proceed, there isn’t any need for services.
· Maintenance and repair of levees will be the responsibility of the landowners protected by a levee. As in many parts of the country, a levee improvement district can be created, which is self-funded by taxing properties in the district and does not require taxation of the general public.
Other misconceptions, FALSE: increased traffic, and FALSE: Richland County interference.
· The property is located approximately ten minutes from the Cayce City Hall, between Bluff Road I-77 interchange, and the Congaree River. The project will become self-contained, but will locate new venues for the Cayce residents to shop, recreate and live. Any traffic created will be on the project side of the river.
· Planned communities generally provide an environment that invites people to live, work and play in close proximity to their neighborhood. By properly planning roads internally, connecting to I-77 will minimize traffic problems.
FALSE: Richland County politicians will become involved in the city of Cayce’s governance.
· One of the major reasons Cayce should consider annexing the property is to have complete control and jurisdiction on both sides of the river. In doing so, Cayce will continue to work with Richland County with respect the issues impacting the county, but can better oversee and align its interests through annexation.
· Our government wants to see the property developed responsibly. The only way to insure that is for the City of Cayce to be proactive and look at the situation as an opportunity to have a voice in what matters.
· So Cayce is getting involved in a part of Richland County’s governance that affects Cayce.
TRUE: The Riverland Park residents and homeowners have experienced flooding for years.
· Levees already exist on the other side of the river from Riverland Park and they have to be maintained to protect Heathwood Hall School and the Columbia Metro Sewer Plant.
· The new developers are looking for ways to reduce flooding the community as a part of their development plan. We have already agreed with them that, if FEMA does not seek to impose unproven science, the levees along the river will be moved back to allow for more flow to pass down stream from Riverland Park.
· The modified levee location should reduce flooding, and property values and insurance costs should quickly reflect that.
4 comments:
It has been well established that the taxes generated from new residential housing developments, do not bring in enough revenue to cover the services they will use. Specificly fire/police and education. How will this project be diferent. Can you garentee that my taxes will not increase because of this project or that my services will not be stretched thin?
No decisions have been made about what uses will go on this property. While those discussions will come later, I think you are right that homes alone do not pay enough property taxes to cover the services they require. That is one reason “bedroom communities” often struggle to keep their taxes low.
Annexation of multiple use property is one way smaller communities act to keep property taxes low for existing homeowners. We have been told that whatever uses we want to have in this project, this site will have to pay its own way, and we have accepted that.
We do know that the wetlands part of this project can save Cayce millions of dollars per year, and that will certainly benefit the taxpayers.
Whatever uses are allowed, we hope to start talking about them soon, but I think we can all be certain that any cost of serving this project will not add to your taxes or have a negative impact on the services you receive now.
By "constructed wetlands" do you mean that the present wetlands will be drained into holding ponds in order to make the surrounding land suitable for building? That scenario is similar to the strategy used by Burroughs and Chapin in Myrtle Beach. It resulted in a lot of ugly, mosquito-breeding, algae-growing trenches and ponds.
Good question. We emphatically do not mean draining any wetlands.
What we mean by constructed wetlands is the construction of new wetlands. Lots of them. These would have moving water and are actually quite beautiful. These wetlands would be used to remove harmful nutrients from the present sewer plant effluent. Cattails and saw grass and other plants would eat these nutrients as they grow, thus cleaning the river and providing a nutrient rich habitat for plants and animals.
Right now the Columbia sewer plant is dumping hundreds of pounds of phosphorous and nitrogen into the Congaree every day and Lake Marion has become "impaired."
More details are on www.columbiawetlands.blogspot.com
Post a Comment