Mobile Home Sales in Cordesville, SC

The Grace Impact Development Center will be making five stops across rural Berkeley County bringing organizations to help people in need.

CORDESVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - A Berkeley County nonprofit is looking to help rural communities get access to opportunities by creating a mobile resource program, bringing opportunities like job training and health care to them.

The Grace Impact Development Center will be making five stops across rural Berkeley County bringing organizations to help people in need. The program will stop in the Wassamassaw, Pineville/St. Stephen, Jamestown/Alvin, Cordesville and Huger/Cainhoy areas over the next few months.

“Until you work in these communities and realize that these are people who maybe want jobs, but oftentimes, they have to deal with day care,” Co-Executive Director Tory Liferidge said. “They have to deal with transportation, reliable transportation, or what we’ve also learned is that we also have to sometimes translate the opportunities. You can hear it all day long, but if you still aren’t confident that you know how to access it or you feel comfortable accessing it, then there is a gap that still needs to be bridged, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Liferidge said the nonprofit’s partners, like SC Works and Trident United Way, are based in denser parts of the county, leading to transportation challenges for some people.

“There are existing resources that people need. For example, Trident United Way Food Share Program, there are pantries all across the place, but there are more opportunities that are available for people to access more programming that they just might not know about,” he said.

Melanie Lott lives in Cordesville and volunteers at the First Baptist Church off Highway 402. She said sometimes people in communities like hers just don’t know there’s help around the corner.

“A lot of it is just access and lack of knowledge that these even exist,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have computers, or they don’t have internet access, so you can’t just go Google to say, ‘Who can help me with this?’”

At each stop, Liferidge said the non-profit’s partners will explain the opportunities they offer, such as dental care, transportation aid and estate and will planning, along with tables for people to sign up for those same services.

“I have a girl right now that just got her GED. She’s taking care of her grandparents. She had to quit school, so she can take care of them,” Lott said. “Those are all limitations because she’s not aware there’s other programs that people can come and sit with her grandparents while she goes to school.”

The Moncks Corner pastor said people in rural areas struggle with access the most and may not know what is available to them. He hopes the pilot program will be a success.

“Hopefully, this is a pilot that once we do this and prove that it is successful then we can start to plug in different resource partners based on the specific needs of specific communities.”

The first stop for the mobile resource program will be at the Cordesville First Baptist Church on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Over 800 people have signed an online petition to “keep Cordesville rural,” with people saying a possible rezoning could increase development and undo decades of hard work they’ve put in to keep it the way it is.

The future of 200 acres on Highway 402 in Cordesville is up for discussion at a Monday Berkeley County Council meeting.

The 3 parcels in question are currently zoned as preservation residential R-15, and the applicant is looking to have them rezoned to Agriculture Flex-1.

According to the meeting agenda packet, the current R-15 zoning was established to “provide standards to control the intensity of development in rural areas of sensitive natural and historical resources” which has more restrictive density standards than Flex-1.

Flex-1 zoning could allow for suburban style development, event venues, and campgrounds in this area, which is rich in history and natural resources.

“We thought we had protections. We did have protections. And we want them back,” said Richard Coen, who splits time between this area and Mount Pleasant.

Cordesville, a historic settlement community, is located on Highway 402.

On one side is the Cooper River, and the other side is the Francis Marion National Forest. Berkeley County Project Manager Robby Maynor with the Coastal Conservation League said this area is one of the most important ecological and historical areas in North America.

“You’ve really got something that’s completely unique in the Lowcountry of this corridor that runs along 402,” Maynor said. “The Cordesville community is the traditional settlement community where folks have lived for decades and generations in this rural area.”

Maynor says this rezoning could set a precedent that could unravel R-15 zoning on dozens of properties, which could ultimately impact thousands of acres.

“Residents and stakeholders and property owners have all come together and said, ‘No, we’ve done this, we’ve said we want this area to be different, we want this area to be protected and remain rural,’” Maynor said. “There are plenty of places for suburban development throughout Berkeley County. And this is one that’s not.”

Maynor said the area has a long history of conservation efforts dating back over 20 years when residents opposed the construction of I-73 that was proposed to run through this corridor.

“I think the threat is always going to be there. It’s just, what we can do to come together and unify and protect our property rights. And so it’s an awesome community, a lot of wonderful people, a lot of proud people,” Coen said.

Berkeley County spokesperson Jenna-ley Jamison sent Live 5 a statement which reads: “The County continues to perform its due-diligence where this zoning matter is concerned.”

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A Berkeley County man convicted of attempting to take WWE entertainer Daria Berenato hostage inside her Florida home after months of cyber-stalking has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Phillip A. Thomas II- 24 at the time of his arrest- pled guilty in April to aggravated stalking with a weapon, attempted armed kidnapping and armed burglary.

Thomas is from the Cordesville area in Berkeley County, about an hour outside Charleston.

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Berenato, 26, performs for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Superstar "Sonya Deville." She also stars in the E! network reality series Total Divas.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office investigators said the attempted kidnapping happened at Berenato's home in the town of Lutz, north of Tampa, shortly before 3 a.m. on August 16, 2020.

Investigators said Thomas parked his car at a nearby church earlier in the night, then walked to Berenato's home. Once there, Thomas reportedly cut a hole in a screen to gain access to the home's patio, where he waited for several hours as he watched and listened to what was going on inside.

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After Berenato went to bed, authorities said Thomas came inside the house through a sliding glass door, which set off the home's alarm system and alerted Berenato and a guest inside.

Berenato and her guest left the home and called 911. Deputies arrived minutes later to find Thomas still inside.

When Thomas was arrested, deputies said he was armed with a knife and had plastic zip ties, duct tape, and mace in his possession.

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The preliminary investigation showed Thomas Lutz was specifically targeting Berenato, and had been planning his actions for eight months. Deputies said Thomas admitted to them he intended to take Berenato hostage.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement Thomas had a "disturbing obsession" with Berenato. Though the two had never met, he'd apparently stalked her on social media for years.

Berenato was unharmed in the incident. She addressed what happened on her social media accounts afterwards, thanking Hillsborough County deputies for their handling of the situation.

CORDESVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) — A stretch of Highway 402 in Berkeley County is sparking discussion among local council members, residents and the Coastal Conservation League.

It's about 200 acres between Bay Hill Lane and Bellomy Lane that's up for being rezoned. Right now, that space is in a quiet, rural part of the community in Cordesville.

It's under R-15 zoning, which means one house per acre is allotted.

WCIV

The applicant has requested to switch it to Flex-1 zoning, which Robby Maynor says will allow for two houses per acre.

"Some of these families have two or three kids and they are unable to give their kids an acre so they can build a house on those places," said Councilman Jack Schurlknight.

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Along the two-lane highway, there's only a handful of homes. Maynor, with the Coastal Conservation League, says rezoning could allow about 400 more.

"I’m very big on private property rights – I’m not a pro development, but private property ranks high in my opinion," said Councilman Schurlknight.

The councilman says he'd like to see restrictions in place so historical sites like Biggin Cemetery are preserved.

Maynor would like to see the area stay as is.

"This corridor is really significant for it’s historical resources and those natural resources that a suburban development that would be allowed under this Flex-1 zoning just wouldn’t be appropriate to the area," said Maynor.

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The land is part of a larger 500 acre parcel. He's concerned rezoning could open the door for even more development.

"Having a large kind of suburban style development right there in a rural area at the edge of a historic district would really change the culture of the area and change the character or the route," said Maynor.

The property also shares a line with the Francis Marion National Forest, which uses prescribed burning to maintain it's health -- something Maynor says would be difficult to continue next to a suburban development.

The application has to be read three times before the Land Use Committee of Berkeley County before heading to county council.

Schurlknight says it's looking like it'll be about a three month process, and public input is always welcomed.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - A months-long debate for the people of Cordesville is now decided after Berkeley County Council voted to re-zone about 200 acres of land.

The rezoning will change the land from residential R-15 to Agriculture Flex-1 zoning.

Cordesville is a historic settlement community located on Highway 402.

People against the change felt the rezoning would change and potentially ruin the culture of Cordesville. They say R-15 protects the integrity of the wildlife and nature, keeps the community historic and is the reason Cordesville is the undeveloped gem they love.

An online petition got more than 1,600 urging the council to ‘Keep Cordesville Rural.”

The landowner and a few supporters argued their property rights were too limited by R-15 saying it devalued their property and what they could do with it.

Council voted, all in favor of the rezoning. Members said they are not against conservation. In fact, they are all for protecting the quality of Cordesville. But in this case, they felt they had all the information they needed to decide in favor of private property rights, still keeping the properties designated as rural.

Berkeley County Council members said back when the land was originally zoned, R-15 it wasn’t done properly, and that’s another big reason for the decision.

“The public was just told, in the following county council districts, we’re planning to do some rezonings. That’s public notice that makes that zoning void, look it up,” District 2 Council Member Josh Whitley said.

He said it was an easy decision. After listening to the people talk against the change, he says the entire council is for preserving the sanctity of Cordesville, but the current zoning isn’t fair.

“The R-15 map that we know of this 402 corridor has never, ever, been adopted by county council. Period. End of story. That’s the information. It was administratively done in an email from one administrator to another,” Whitley said.

After listening to people speak in favor of both sides, Jack Schurlknight, who represents District 6, said it’s time to set the record straight.

“I think there’s some misinformation about what we’re trying to do with this R-15. If I didn’t know any better, listening to some of the speakers, you would think we’re getting ready to develop from Moncks Corner to Huger. That’s just not the case at all,” Schurlknight said.

He said he supports property rights and thinks R-15 is infringing on those rights.

“I firmly believe that private property that’s put in R-15 or conservation easement should be on a voluntary basis from the property owner. I don’t think they should be forced to do that. I don’t think their property should be downgraded in value and downgraded in use. I firmly believe that’s a government overreach,” Schurlknight said.

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