Mobile Home Sales in Sandy Run, SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - New developments could be coming to a small area in Calhoun County, but some residents have mixed feelings.

County leaders are leaning towards bringing nearly 200 homes to this plot of land but some people who live here say there’s just not enough space and the area can’t handle the growth.

“We don’t have the infrastructure to support this kind of development,” said Sandy Run resident, Angie Culler-Matthews.

Angie Culler-Matthews is a longtime resident in Sandy Run. She is one of many who oppose the idea of bringing 170 new homes to the area.

She says, “There’s been public outcry. This does not fall in line with the wishes of our community.”

Matthews says a 130-thousand-dollar study done back in 2019 proved that citizens of Sandy Run wanted to preserve the rural landscape of the county.

Executive Summary Sandy Run Area Plan May 2019 ii through Sandy Run. Hurricane evacuations often result in I-26 lane reversals and US 176 is the primary

“And we thought we had a plan in place that would do that and when it was challenged, we’d be able to sustain but of course now that’s the discussion we’re having,” said John Nelson.

Nelson is the council representative for Sandy Run. He’s referring to an ordinance that was passed last year that would keep large developments out of the town.

He says, “It’s perfectly legal for the enterprise that bought the property and wants to put the development out there to request a variance.”

So far county council members have voted to move the process forward despite a petition with more than 700 signatures calling for a stop to the developments.

Another resident, Rob Combs, says “Our water system can’t handle what the amount of houses they’re talking about bringing in. We don’t have the sewer services they’ll need.”

“When we get an opportunity in a small county, we’ve got to jump on it,” said Calhoun County Council Chairman James Hagler.

Hagler is one of three county council members that supports these new developments. He says while nothing is set in stone, this proposal could bring much needed growth to Sandy Run.

He says, “The final decision will be blamed on us. I’ve seen stuff that this county has done and lived to regret of emotions, and I think a lot of this is emotions now.”

Residents in Sandy Run will be holding another meeting Thursday night to announce their recruitment of new county council members. The County Council will have to vote two more times for the developments to pass. Their next meeting will take place Monday, September 12 at 5:30 p.m.

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Red Rock Developments has preleased its first speculative distribution facility at Sandy Run Industrial Park in Columbia, S.C. Smart Warehousing signed a full-building lease for the 497,952-square-foot project that’s expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

Colliers’ Chuck Salley, Dave Matthews, Thomas Beard and John Peebles represented Red Rock Developments in the transaction, while Smart Warehousing was represented by Lee & Associates’ John Sharpe and John DeCuto. Red Rock started site work on Sandy Run Industrial Park’s first building in April, but officially started construction in June 2022, Beard told Commercial Property Executive.

The Class A facility will be one of the market’s largest speculative buildings, according to Red Rock. The cross-dock development will offer 36-foot clear heights, 56-foot by 52-foot interior bay spacing, 56-foot by 65-foot speed bay spacing, 200-foot deep truck court, 192 car parking spaces, 152 trailer parking spaces, LED lighting and an EFSR sprinkler system.

READ ALSO: Optimistic Outlook Predicted for Industrial Sector

Sandy Run Industrial Park will have direct access to I-26, while also being near I-20, I-77 and I-95. The industrial park’s location in Calhoun County puts it near major tenants and regional hubs like an Amazon Distribution Center, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, the UPS Air Hub and the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

“Manufacturing is really the driver of our market, but we are seeing a lot more demand for distribution space,” Beard, vice president at Colliers, told CPE. “We’ve completed more lease transactions from a square footage standpoint with 3PL companies this year than ever before.”

“3PL activity is certainly a big driver for the tenant demand we’re experiencing right now,” Beard also told CPE, adding that there hasn’t been any product to accommodate distribution tenants who are looking for something in the 300,000 to 500,000-square-foot range.

6 MSF of industrial space

While the first speculative building within Sandy Run Industrial Park has landed a tenant, Red Rock is planning to introduce a total of nearly 6 million square feet of Class A industrial space within the park. The developer is looking to construct more build-to-suit and speculative buildings within the 760-acre Sandy Run Industrial Park.

Overall, Red Rock’s development strategy focuses on build-to-suit/lease projects, speculative development and industrial park development. The Columbia-based company has projects throughout the Southeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the U.S., with a focus on industrial and distribution sectors in gateway markets.

Groundbreaking for the largest expandable speculative building to ever be constructed in central South Carolina took place today at the Sandy Run Industrial Park.

The 497,952-square-foot building, located at the intersection of Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 21, is a project of Columbia-based Red Rock Developments, the exclusive developer for build-to-suit and speculative buildings within the industrial park. The structure will be expandable to 663,836 square feet with capability for cross-dock distribution and a clearance of 36 feet, designed to enhance warehousing speed and productivity.

The building is located in the Calhoun County section of the industrial park. County officials attended the groundbreaking along with business leaders and other members of the community.

“We chose this site because it is right in the middle of a great labor shed here in central South Carolina and will be in a region where citizens have a great work ethic,” said William C. Smith, Jr., CEO of Red Rock Developments. “This site also is surrounded by a great highway system, has a close proximity to ports and is in a very pro-business community.”

Smith noted that Red Rock eventually hopes to develop up to six million square feet of space within the industrial park.

As part of Red Rock’s commitment to giving back to communities where its projects are located, Smith said the company is also donating 21 acres of the Sandy Run site to Calhoun County to build a new substation for the Sandy Run Volunteer Fire Department.

Calhoun County Administrator and Director of Economic Development John McLauchlin said jobs provided by tenants of the new building will help serve the community.

“It’s all about the jobs for us,” McLauchlin said. “We’re also excited about this project because it is monumental in both size and timing. Industrial vacancy is at an all-time low, and the pandemic surge in e-commerce has caused more of a need for warehousing and distribution. This project is going to fulfill a real need right now in this area, and also we’re ready for what it’s going to bring in the future.”

The current goal is to have the speculative industrial building completed by the second quarter of 2023. Smith said he is not able to give specifics yet, but two prospective clients have already made inquiries about moving into the space. He anticipates that the project will bring between 100 to 200 jobs to the area.

“This project is going to mean a lot to the future of my children and grandchildren and the community at large because of the jobs it will bring in,” said Calhoun County Councilman John Nelson, who represents District 3. “Those jobs are going to be beneficial not only our community but to those in the surrounding counties.”

Calhoun County Council voted no to a proposed 170-home development on 11 acre site.

SANDY RUN, S.C. — A win Monday for some Sandy Run residents hoping to keep their rural community, rural for a little while longer.

Nick Stabler, Chief of the Caw Caw Fire Department, has been a resident of Sandy Run for the majority of his entire life. He says he is happy to know that his neighborhood will not change after the Calhoun County Council voted no to a 170-home development right in his backyard.

"I live on a farm, my grandson and his wife live a mile from me... and my granddaughter lives 2 miles from me. I get to see my grandchildren every day and I just like that type of life," Stabler said.

RELATED: 'We are not going to be quiet': Calhoun County planning commission to review revised request to build 170 homes

Stabler like other residents has known for years that some kind of housing development would come to Sandy Run. Even after the vote Monday to deny the 170 homes, Calhoun County Councilman, John Nelson says some sort of development is still possible.

"The developer could come back to us again with another proposal that reworks this, but hopefully, it follows our codes and ordinances," Nelson explained.

According to a zoning ordinance in Calhoun County, each home in Single-Family Residential Zoning must be on a quarter of an acre and the current proposal from gateway one development places the homes on 8400 square foot lots which are less than the quarter acre requirement.

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If the developer comes back with another revised proposal for the 11 acres that are designated for development, their plan would it will have to go through another review process by the planning commission and Calhoun County council which could take a few months.

The next county council meeting for Calhoun will be Monday, September 26 where the council will continue to review the MUSC and Regional Medical Center partnership.

“Use extreme caution.”

That was the Calhoun County sheriff’s message to area residents after a “large cat” was spotted Tuesday.

Information on what type of “cat” was seen was not available, but Chief Deputy Matt Trentham told The State people have reported seeing a tiger. Those reports have not been confirmed, and there’s no official description of the animal, Trentham said.

But multiple people have called the sheriff’s office to report seeing the large cat, according to Trentham.

There have been no reports of missing animals, should the cat turn out to be an exotic pet, and there are no animal habitats in the area, Trentham said.

The cat in question was sighted near the Sandy Run area in the 400 block of Valley Ridge Road, according to the sheriff’s office. That’s in Swansea, near an Interstate 26 overpass, and about three miles from Exit 125. It’s also close to the line with Lexington County.

Trentham said it was a wooded area, and called the size “substantial.”

In addition to Calhoun County deputies, members of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources are in the area searching for the cat. The search includes DNR’s plane and drones from Lexington County, Trentham said.

“We are working with DNR and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office to determine the accuracy of the sightings and a possible location of the cats,” Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sarah Alexander told The State. “At this time we cannot verify that any big cats are loose. ... (We) are following up on all reports but nothing has been verified. ... It is an ongoing investigation.”

While the cat has not yet been seen by officials, a paw print that could be from a large cat has been found, according to Trentham.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who has seen the cat to call 911.

“We’re doing this out of an abundance of caution,” Trentham said.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published March 15, 2022, 12:38 PM.