CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – A plan to build nearly 2,000 homes in the northern part of the city is moving forward to city council.
Several neighbors say they don’t want the rural Collins Jollie Road on the edge of the city, near the Homewood community, to be the next home for a major development.
“I certainly don’t want to see it again, and I’m sure you don’t either, for people in the surrounding areas around this project, for them to have excess flooding over and above what they already have,” said city resident Barbara Eisenhardt.
Collins Jollie Holding Inc. is looking to build 1,983 housing units on about 675 acres. The development would have 1,347 single-family lots and 636 multi-family units, along with at least 10 acres for businesses. The city’s planning commission voted unanimously Thursday evening to recommend the proposal to city council.
Mike Wooten, who’s president of DDC Engineers, says each house would be charged a $500 impact fee, along with extra property taxes paid to the city, mainly to fund additional firefighters and police officers.
“The money that this project will provide the city of Conway will allow the city of Conway to relocate the existing fire station that serves this area,” said Wooten, referencing the city fire station on Country Club Drive. “We feel like that what we’re doing is not just helping our project, but helping the entire city of Conway.”
While some neighbors say they’re worried about such a large development, Wooten says this plan is more efficient and generates more money for the city.
“If we were doing this property 50-100 acres at a time, there’s no way we could afford to do these things or give the city eight acres for a public park,” he said.
About 1,500 homes could already be built on the land under current zoning. Wooten also says the project could be built in up to 10 phases and would likely take at least 20 years to complete.
City council is expected to discuss the development in December.