By Kathleen Dayton
Staff Writer

A team of developers has a fresh $12.5 million plan for the abandoned golf course at Kings Grant, the North Charleston neighborhood near Summerville that was begun in 1970 on property granted to English nobility in the 17th century.

While the loss of the golf course still does not sit well with some residents, a majority of residents voted for the current plans, which include conservation of pristine waterfront property, Mediterranean architecture and “green” building techniques designed to minimize negative environmental impacts.

“This is our first ecologically sensitive project,” said co-developer Jeff Stahl of Kings Grant Golf Acquisitions. “We see green building and green development as the wave of the future and we thought this was the absolute perfect property to go green with.”

Stahl and his partner, Dave Mikulski, plan 80 homes on 178 acres with 62 acres reserved for a common park area for all Kings Grant homeowners. The project will put far less homes on the property than was proposed by former owner T2 Green, which had requested permission to build more than 300 homes.

“The homeowners voted it down,” said Lynn Whitner, president of the Kings Grant Homeowners Association. “We had restrictive covenants at that time that said it would always be a golf course.”

At least 51% of the neighborhood’s homeowners must approve any changes to the covenants, Whitner said.

Rebuilding amenities

The Kings Grant golf course, River Club on the Ashley, closed in 2005 and T2 Green declared bankruptcy. Kings Grant Golf Acquisitions now will assume T2 Green’s debt and, as part of the redevelopment deal, the developers will rebuild the neighborhood’s clubhouse and other amenities. The company has already refurbished the neighborhood’s swimming pool and tennis courts. Kings Grant homeowners also will get first choice when the first lots at Kings Grant on the Ashley go on sale.

Whitner said she can see both sides of the controversy over redeveloping the golf course.

“I’ve played that golf course and I love that golf course,” Whitener said.” It’s the most beautiful piece of property I’ve ever been on. To be out there with no road noise and to watch the herons and raccoons and even the alligators…it was sad it closed, but I think we came out with a good deal. We came out with 80 homes and we could have had over 300.”

Stahl said homes will be priced from $400,000 and lots should go on sale by the end of the year. The project will probably take 10 years to build out because of current market conditions and the fact that the homes will be custom-built, he said.

Green building techniques within the development will include geothermal heating and cooling, Energy Star-rated appliances and natural storm water management.

“The air compressor on a normal heating compressor is sitting outside and you hear the fans running in the summer and when they go into a certain cycle, you hear a lot of noise,” Stahl said. “In a geothermal system you have a loop that goes down into the earth and the earth stays at a constant temperature, so you’re heating and cooling from that, and your equipment is inside.”

Storm water runoff

The amount of green space within the development also will allow storm water to run off naturally without the need for curbs, gutters or retention ponds, Stahl said. The company plans walking trails and also has hired a wildlife specialist to build habitats to attract certain species of birds and other wildlife.

“There’s quite a bit of riverfront left undeveloped, which is part of the park,” Stahl said. “Probably the best piece of the property was left for the park.

Clyde Farmer, a Kings Grant homeowner for a little more than a year, said he supports the plans.

“I don’t know if I’m happy with the decision of not having a golf course, but one of the reasons we decided to buy in there was what was going on with the new houses on the water and the facilities being redone,” Farmer said. “We feel it will improve property values.”

Co-developer Mikulski, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years, said he worked to design the placement of the main street into the development so trees will not need to be removed.

“I want to impact that property the least amount I can,” Mikulski said. “If I have to move the lot line to save a couple of trees and if it costs me, I’m going to do it. Usually, if one side wins, the other side loses, but it doesn’t have to be that way, and this is a shining example for everybody.”

Kathleen Dayton is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her at kdayton@setcommedia.com.

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