Alljoy development plan withdrawn after community opposition mounts
In a rare move, developers of an Alljoy housing development withdrew their request in the face of mounting opposition from local residents.
The project would have required a wetlands area to be infilled in the Beaufort neighborhood. During a zoning board of appeals meeting Thursday, the developer changed directions and walked away, for now.
The owner of 34 Ulmer Road, Armada Acquisitions LLC, withdrew their variance request for a longer road and a permit request for filling in non-tidal wetlands. Multiple citizens in attendance expressed concerns that the development would exacerbate the flooding problems already plaguing the area.
The entirety of the property is approximately 41 acres, which includes a cell tower, wetlands and forest, Trip West, an engineer working with the developer, said at the meeting. The proposed plan includes developing a portion of the property into over 30 single family homes.
Armada Acquisitions LLC requested that the board grant them a variance to build a subdivision street longer than 300 feet. The current county code requires that dead-end street and cul-de-sacs not exceed 300 feet in length. They also requested a special use permit to fill a freshwater wetland.
Jessica Palladino, who lives adjacent to the proposed property, found out about the requests from a notification letter she received the county about two weeks before the meeting. Her concern about the proposed development led her to post on community Facebook groups, author a letter to the editor in The Bluffton Sun and create a petition that garnered 450 signatures.
“The majority of Bluffton residents are unaware and uninformed of this proposed project,” Palladino said during the meeting’s public comment period.
County, residents expressed concerns over proposal
Hillary Austin, the zoning and development administrator for the county, ultimately said her office recommended against granting the variance. She said that while the landowner is allowed to use the land for a subdivision, the road variance they requested would “confer special privilege” to the owner. They would likely still be able to develop a subdivision on this land, but it would probably need fewer lots.
Additionally, Austin said there is a very large cell tower that would become much more visible once trees are cut down to make way for the development.
During Thursday’s public comment period a number of residents expressed they are not against progress but they had concerns about how developing that land would exacerbate the flooding issues. Flooding they are already struggle to manage.
Additionally, many commenters had concerns about the effects on the ecosystem of the May River, which is approximately 1000 feet from the edge of the property. Rapid development surrounding the river has already lead to higher fecal coliform levels, which cause shellfish harvesting to shut down on portions of the river.
Following the public comment, the Ross Cowan, a representative for Armada Acquisitions LLC, withdrew the application for both requests. Cowan declined to comment following the meeting.
County almost purchased the property
Armada Acquisitions LLC purchased the property in July 2023, according to reporting from The Post and Courier. Shortly afterwards, Armada Acquisitions LLC offered the county an opportunity to purchase the land for $2.5 million, a $650,000 discount from the appraisal price, as long as they closed in 30 days. If the deal went through, Armada Acquisitions LLC would have made over a million dollars in profit after owning the property for about a little over three months.
As the county council prepared for the final vote on the purchase in October 2023, then Vice Chair Larry McElynn suggested that the company apply to the county’s Green Space Advisory Committee. The council voted to move forward with this option. It’s unclear what happened following this vote, but the county never purchased the property.
