Council Votes to Repeal Big-Box Rules

It's been a month since Mount Pleasant Town Council voted to repeal 16-year-old rules that barred big-box stores from locating on tracts of land smaller than 50 acres.

And though time has gone by, it was clear Tuesday night that no one had a change of heart. Councilmen upheld their original decision with a 5-4 vote. No councilman change their position.

Elton Carrier, Chris Nickels, Linda Page and Thomasena Stokes-Marshall voted to keep the rules. John Burn, Ken Glasson, Chris O'Neal, Craig Rhyne and Mayor Billy Swails voted for repeal.

And certain resident groups, too, had not changed their minds. Roughly 10 residents spoke on the matter. Only two supported repealing the rules, and most opponents appeared to be residents of Snee Farm and Wando Lakes subdivisions.

Those residents oppose the rule change because a large-scale retail development has been proposed for 40 acres of land that sits between their homes and Hwy. 17.

Under the old rules, the property could not be considered for large-scale development. Now, however, the developer can ask the town to rezone the property from residential to commercial.

Henrich Properties, the developer of the so-called Gregg Tract, has said it will present its development plan within a few months.

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