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Committee forwards amended Justice Park sale ordinance to council, codifying reduction of workforce units from 39 to 33
Summary
Developers seeking to build Justice Park asked the committee to separate two parcel closings and allow phased work; the committee heard developer and county attorney advice, then voted to forward an ordinance amendment to council that reduces required workforce units from 39 to 33 while staff continues negotiations.
The Natural Resources Committee on Oct. 6 voted to send an amended ordinance to county council that codifies a reduction in the Justice Park workforce-housing requirement from 39 units to 33 and authorizes the county administrator to execute necessary documents for the sale of county-owned parcels at 1407 King Street and 600 Wilmington Street.
Developer representative Mr. Wheeler presented a multi-year project that includes a historic renovation of the old jail (rental units), 13 single-family cottages on King Street and workforce housing on Wilmington Street. Wheeler said the team has spent more than $1.36 million on land, design, environmental testing and remediation and that an old oil-tank remediation and geotechnical findings required "earthquake drains" that reduced the eligible workforce units from 39 to 33. He asked the committee to consider separating the two parcels in the purchase-and-sale agreement so the developer could proceed with engineering and cottages while the Wilmington application is refiled with South Carolina Housing.
County legal counsel Richard Semler Bruce advised caution: he explained the original consolidated deal was structured to ensure the workforce-housing parcel would be developed; separating the parcels could weaken contractual guarantees that the affordable units are completed. Bruce said the county could put contractual penalties in place but that such protections would be weaker than the current consolidated structure and would remain contingent on state housing funding.
Committee members debated options: several members supported the county’s recommendation to keep parcels consolidated while accepting the reduction from 39 to 33 units as a reasonable accommodation for the geotechnical issues. Others asked for additional drafting and said they wanted staff and the developer to negotiate specific PSA modifications before council consideration.
The committee ultimately voted to move the ordinance amendment to county council for first reading (committee members voce-affirmed the motion in sequence and the chair declared the motion passed). The amendment as recommended reduces the workforce housing requirement to 33 units and gives the county administrator authority to execute transaction documents; staff said further contractual details would be negotiated and brought to council as part of the first-reading package.
What’s next: the ordinance will go to county council for first reading; staff will continue negotiations with the developer and coordinate necessary legal changes to the PSA and ordinance language.
