Hardeeville workshop highlights traffic, safety and buffer concerns over proposed Peninsula Tract PDD

HARDeeVILLE, S.C. — At a July 13 workshop, the Hardeeville City Council pressed developers and city staff for clearer plans to manage traffic, emergency access, wetlands buffers and tree protections tied to the proposed Peninsula Tract Planned Development District, a 657‑acre proposal that would seek annexation and could carry thousands of new housing units.

City Manager Josh Gruber told the council the three linked decisions before the city are (1) whether to annex roughly 413 acres, (2) whether to adopt PDD zoning for the tract, and (3) whether to approve an initial master plan (IMP) for one 325‑acre parcel proposed as a Del Webb/ Pulte neighborhood. "These items are sequential," Gruber said, framing the workshop as an information session ahead of any vote.

Assistant Planning Director Katie Woodruff laid out the concept: a mixed‑use PDD with residential, civic and commercial areas, interconnectivity to the East Argent PDD, a proposed multiuse trail network, and open‑space commitments including a minimum 25% open space for the PDD and 10% active open space in each residential IMP. Woodruff said planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval of the PDD with conditions including arborist reports and a requirement that 15 hardwood trees per acre (not palms) be preserved or replaced.

Developers and consultants described project scale and timing. Pulte/Del Webb's IMP proposes 875 single‑family homes on the 325‑acre parcel (a net 2.7 units per acre), while the broader PDD text includes entitlements that could reach higher counts — an entitlement figure in the PDD of up to 4,300 units drew sustained pushback from council members. Traffic consultant Rick Reef said the traffic study models "an 11 year build out for the whole project" and that, under sensitivity testing, roughly 48% of residential and 29% of commercial development could be completed before Argent Boulevard would exceed capacity; he said local widening work being designed by Jasper County is an important coordination item.

Council members repeatedly returned to emergency access and traffic. One councilor said, "We're gonna add 4,300 homes onto Argent Boulevard and no other outlet — it's unacceptable" and pressed applicants to show a road from Village Drive to East Argent Parkway so first‑responders can reach the new area. Staff and consultants said multiple connectivity points are proposed and that the wetland impact permitting package includes crossings intended to provide Village Drive connectivity, but they agreed to return with alternative access scenarios.

Residents who live on Java Drive, Creekview Drive and in Sun City at East Argent told the council construction traffic, gate stacking and permanent traffic through local neighborhood streets are the biggest concerns. "Creekview Drive is just a residential street," one resident said. A developer representative said Pulte accepts responsibility for construction management inside its neighborhood and uses private security at resident gates, while acknowledging trade traffic will use public roads during construction.

Councilors also pressed staff for firmer guarantees on buffers and tree protections. The PDD shows areas with 50‑foot buffers along parts of the tract and smaller buffers near some entrance roads; the planning commission had recommended requiring arborist reports and BZA review for specimen oak removal. Council members said they want a visual demonstration of what a 253‑foot or 50‑foot buffer will look like from existing homes and asked staff and the applicant to prepare site photos from multiple vantage points and GIS measurements.

On regulatory limits, staff noted SCDOT has placed a trip cap on the tract tied to Argent Boulevard capacity; staff cited example caps the DOT approved for the area (staff said the DOT capped development at specified numbers of single‑family, multifamily and senior units and a commercial square footage threshold before widening proceeds). Council members urged local conditions and developer funding where necessary, citing prior examples in which developers contributed to road improvements.

Several factual points and clarifications cited at the workshop: - Total PDD acreage described by staff: about 657 acres, of which about 413 acres are proposed for annexation. (Katie Woodruff) - Del Webb/Pulte IMP parcel: ~325 acres with an IMP unit count shown as 875 single‑family homes (net 2.7 units/acre); developers also said a marketing mix could produce roughly 566–600 units depending on product mix. (Matt Raines) - Open space: staff showed ~122.5 acres of passive open space and ~23.5 acres of active open space in the IMP, and a minimum 25% open‑space commitment for the PDD overall. (Javier Barrera) - Tree standards: PDD text requires a minimum of 15 trees per acre; planning commission and staff recommended 15 hardwoods per acre (not counted palms) with arborist reports for specimen trees. (Planning staff) - Traffic modeling: consultant described an ~11‑year modeled buildout and sensitivity findings projecting a potential capacity failure on Argent Boulevard around 2030–2031 under current assumptions. (Rick Reef)

No formal votes were taken at the workshop. Instead, after roughly 30 minutes of public comment and extended council questioning, council members asked staff to compile the list of outstanding questions and for the applicants to return with written responses and alternative designs for access, buffers and enforcement conditions. The council agreed, by voice, to schedule a follow‑up workshop rather than proceed immediately to first reading.

Next steps: staff will distribute the compiled questions to the applicant team, schedule a follow‑up session to review responsive materials (traffic modeling details, will‑serve letters, buffer visualizations, construction‑traffic management plans and drafting of enforceable conditions) and then the council will determine timing for first reading once the issues are addressed.

The workshop record shows broad community concern centered on traffic and emergency access, buffer visual impacts, tree protection and construction management; council members said those topics will determine whether they advance annexation and zoning for the Peninsula Tract.