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Thank you to all the community members who came out to Ravenel Town Hall last week to speak in opposition to the rezoning of the Lucas Tract. Our job isn’t done just yet, but your voice has made a big difference! Last week, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend denial of both the rezoning and development agreement for the Lucas Tract. The Lucas Tract is simply not an appropriate location for a dense, mixed-use development on septic. |
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As a reminder, this problematic development proposal would have placed 70 single family residences on individual septic systems and commercial space onto a parcel that is mostly undevelopable and located adjacent to sensitive, protected lands. The developer claimed that it was unheard of for a mixed-use development to leave 72% of the property as “open space,” but don’t be fooled by this misleading statistic. In reality, the majority of this parcel is undevelopable due to its wetland composition, as determined by federal regulation. This open space remains because it has to, not because they want it to. Such a high percentage of unbuildable area on a lot speaks to the importance of the natural resources found there- if the majority of a property cannot be built on, it stands to reason that the parcel in its entirety should be left alone as conserved land and functioning floodplain. |
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Ravenel Town Council Meeting Tuesday, September 30th, 6:00 PM Council Chambers at Town Hall (5962 Highway 165, Ravenel, SC) |
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This proposal is scheduled to be heard by full Town Council on Tuesday, September 30th at 6:00 PM. Mark your calendars and make your voice heard again at the next opportunity to speak up for protection of the Lucas Tract. |
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Lucas Tract development proposal
Why is rezoning the Lucas Tract problematic? The planned unit development (PUD) application proposes both commercial space and 70 single-family residences within a flood zone, all on individual septic systems. This property is surrounded by some of the most pristine natural resources our Lowcountry has to offer, with Caw Caw Interpretive Center across the road and Dungannon Heritage Preserve and Stono Preserve located southwest of the property. Considering the surrounding area, introducing such a high density of septic systems into this natural network is unconscionable. The property is currently zoned Agricultural-Residential. Rezoning to a mixed-use PUD is in direct contradiction to the intent of the AR zoning designation, and Ravenel’s overarching goal of maintaining its rural character well into the future. |
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Caw Caw Interpretive Center, across from the Lucas Tract Furthermore, this area has been designated as a conservation priority by the South Carolina Office of Resilience given its natural ability to store and filter floodwaters. Once this land is altered by development, the natural processes of the property can never be recovered through any feat of engineering. Areas of such conservation priority contribute to our state’s longevity and long-term resiliency and deserve the highest standards of protection. Don’t forget to share this email with your friends and neighbors as we collectively urge the Commission to reject these plans. Attend the meeting to speak in-person or email clerk@townofravenel.com to submit written comments telling them you do not support irresponsible development, especially not at the cost of our natural resources. Your voice matters and you can make a difference in the future of your town. |