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County attorney outlines appeal in Cambridge Farms subdivision case
Summary
County Attorney Metz briefed council on the Cambridge Farms appeal: a judge ruled TRC approval sufficient and the moratorium inapplicable; the county has appealed and outside appellate counsel will file briefs under the deadlines Metz described.
County Attorney Metz gave a detailed legal update on Laurens County’s litigation over the Cambridge Farms subdivision application by Veranda Holmes LLC, describing the trial-court ruling and the county’s decision to appeal.
Metz said the TRC had deemed the Cambridge Farms preliminary plan complete and issued a conditional approval before council enacted an open-space moratorium (Ordinance 9-89). A judge found that TRC approval was sufficient and therefore the moratorium did not apply. "He found that the TRC approval was all that was needed," Metz said. The county disagreed and has appealed to the Court of Appeals; Metz described appellate deadlines and said the county retained outside appellate counsel who believes the county has a meritorious claim.
Metz walked council through the appellate timetable (notice of appeal, transcript ordering, briefs and potential oral argument) and noted the county requested a continuance that the trial judge denied when the county received voluminous materials about 24 hours before the hearing. Metz said the appeal is proceeding and staff will bring further updates in executive session as legal advice.
