By Ashley Fletcher Frampton
aframpton@scbiznews.com
Published Nov. 17, 2009

The Beach Co.’s plans for a 1,427-acre resort development just across the river from Kiawah Island on Johns Island are moving through Charleston County’s approval process.

The first of two public hearings on the project, called Kiawah River Plantation, is set for today at 5:30 p.m.

Plans for Kiawah River Plantation call for 1,285 homes, including single-family homes, town homes, apartments and condominiums.

Kevin O’Neill, vice president of development for The Beach Co., said it’s too early to talk about price ranges, but most of the planned housing units are envisioned as resort, vacation or retirement homes. Between 10% and 20% would be primary residences, he said. Housing would include 117 affordable units.

The project would include a golf course, 80,000 square feet of commercial space and 450 guest rooms, which could be built as hotels, villas, inns or bed-and-breakfast lodging.

Project plans also call for a wastewater system to serve the development.

The property is located at 3883 Betsy Kerrison Parkway and 2501 Mullet Hall Road, adjacent to Mullet Hall Equestrian Center and Kiawah River Estates.

Based on meeting schedules, County Council could approve the plans by Dec. 22. But that doesn’t mean construction will start soon.

O’Neill said approval from Charleston County Council would allow the company to move forward on detailed engineering for infrastructure for the first phases. Construction would not start for about 12 months after that, he said.

“We’re certainly hoping, like everyone else, that within the next year a strong real estate market will return, and we really need to be ready when it does,” O’Neill said.

But if the market remains soft in a year, the company would likely delay construction, he said.

Ultimately, the project is expected to be built out over 20 years.

The site of Kiawah River Plantation is about 2,000 acres, O’Neill said, but about 600 acres is marshland fronting the Kiawah River. Development plans call for about 922 acres of open space; that includes the golf course and waterfront areas.

Existing zoning designations for the property are single-family residential and agricultural preservation. Charleston County Council will receive public comments today on changing that to planned development, as well as on the proposed development agreement.

The Charleston County Planning Commission recommended approval of the development plans at its Nov. 9 meeting. The county staff also recommended approval.

The company’s development agreement calls for a tax-increment financing district to pay for some public improvements using future tax dollars generated from the project.

Dan Pennick, Charleston County planning director, said details of the TIF district proposed in the development agreement — including what types of infrastructure would be covered with public dollars — have not been set. The financing arrangement would have to be approved in a separate ordinance, he said.

Today’s public hearing will be in County Council chambers at the Lonnie Hamilton Public Services Building, 4045 Bridge View Drive in North Charleston.

Read more about the project starting on Page 14 of a county report pdf.

Reach Ashley Fletcher Frampton at 843-849-3129.