PETITION REGARDING PROPOSED PALMETTO PINES DEVELOPMENT

Arthur Road – Florence County

To:

Florence County Planning Department
Florence County Officials and Decision Makers

We, the undersigned residents and property owners, state the following:

We respectfully submit this petition to express significant concerns regarding the proposed Palmetto Pines residential development, which is planned to include approximately 104 units accessed via Arthur Road.

Our concerns are not with development itself, but with whether this project can be safely supported by the existing infrastructure and public services.

KEY CONCERNS

I. Road Safety & Conditions

• Arthur Road is approximately 20 feet wide
• Sections near the proposed entrances have steep ditch drop-offs and no usable shoulders
• These conditions limit the ability for vehicles to safely pass or yield

II. Traffic Impact

• The development would add significant traffic from 104 residential units
• All traffic would rely on Arthur Road and its connection to Claussen Road
• Increased traffic volume may create unsafe conditions when entering or exiting Arthur Road
• No traffic impact study has been identified demonstrating roadway capacity

III. Emergency Access

• The site plan shows two entrances, but both connect to the same road
• This creates a functionally single-access development (See IFC section D107)
• If Arthur Road is blocked, there is no alternate access for emergency services
• Internal roads are proposed at 20 feet wide, which may further limit emergency vehicle access

IV. Infrastructure Limitations

• Road improvements or widening may be required to support this level of development
• Existing ditch conditions may complicate such improvements
• Potential impacts to adjacent private property may be necessary

V. Public Service Capacity

• The development may increase demand on:
  
  • Local schools
  • Emergency services
• Capacity impacts have not been clearly evaluated
• The development may increase demand on local schools and emergency services. It is important to determine whether nearby schools, including Greenwood Elementary, have sufficient capacity to accommodate additional students without impacting resources, staffing, and classroom sizes.

VI. Community Impact

• The proposed density represents a significant increase compared to surrounding properties, and
• Increased traffic, noise, and reduced privacy may affect the character of the existing community
• These changes may also affect the long-term value and stability of existing residential properties.

OUR REQUEST

We respectfully request that approval of this development not be granted until the following have been fully evaluated and addressed:

• Whether Arthur Road can safely support the proposed development in its current condition
• Whether the project meets all fire and emergency access requirements
• Completion and review of a traffic impact study demonstrating roadway capacity
• Evaluation of the capacity of public infrastructure and services, including local schools and emergency services

CONCLUSION

We support responsible growth. However, we believe this development should not move forward unless it can be clearly demonstrated that it will be safe, compliant, and properly supported by existing infrastructure.