Greenville County Council adopts resolution opposing Travelers Rest annexation for proposed Paris Mountain hotel

Greenville County Council on a unanimous vote adopted a resolution opposing annexation by the City of Travelers Rest that would enable a hotel development on Paris Mountain.

Councilor Jimmy Farmer moved the resolution, saying the council should make its position clear to the city and the public. After public comments from residents and attorneys raising environmental, traffic and legal concerns, the council voted to adopt the measure. A roll call was taken; the motion was approved (roll call details not specified in the public record at the meeting).

The resolution draws local attention to allegations the proposed annexation could circumvent existing Greenville County protections for Paris Mountain. Residents and advocates told the council the annexation would open a “doorway” for further development that would harm trails, habitat and water quality and increase traffic on narrow roads serving the mountain.

In public remarks, Gary Valaitis, a longtime Greenville resident and business owner, told the council the mountain is part of the community identity and urged officials to apply a strict quality standard to development proposals. Sarah Timmons, an attorney representing the Ultimate Road Safety Association, described traffic-safety concerns if “a couple hundred cars” were added to Altamont Road and warned that annexation could make Paris Mountain “open for business” to large-scale development.

Attorney Audrey Pazen recommended council prepare for litigation if annexation proceeds, citing potential claims including anticipatory nuisance, public trust and spot zoning and noting interaction between the annexation statute and a later enabling act. Emily Poole, an attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, said the developer’s plan would “have grave impacts” on habitat and increase erosion and sediment runoff into streams that feed the Reedy River, and that annexation would undercut the county’s environmentally sensitive district protections.

Council discussion noted that a county resolution does not carry the force of law but can serve as a public record of the county’s position and a tool for advocacy as the proposal moves through Travelers Rest. Councilor Shaw thanked the speakers and said the resolution “does a lot” even if it has limited legal effect.

The resolution instructs county leadership to communicate the council’s opposition to Travelers Rest and to highlight the environmental, traffic and planning concerns raised by speakers and staff. The council did not adopt any binding regulatory change at the meeting; the action was a formal, nonbinding expression of council’s position and a public notice to other jurisdictions.

Speakers at the meeting and members of the public who addressed the council repeatedly urged county officials to protect Paris Mountain and to use available legal and planning tools to prevent incremental development changes that could degrade the area.

The county will not itself block an annexation by a municipality; instead, the resolution is intended as a formal statement to Travelers Rest and as part of an educational and advocacy effort by residents and environmental groups.

Ending: The resolution passed at the meeting closes with the council’s formal opposition recorded in the minutes; council members and residents signaled they will continue outreach and, if needed, legal options were described by speakers as possible next steps.