Council votes on contentious sale; Chapin town members continue opposition
Although Lexington County Council approved a second reading of the $20 million sale of the Chapin Business and Technology Park at Brighton on July 14 in a 5-3 vote, town members continue to oppose the pending sale.
The plans for the site include a mixed-use community with around 600 high profile homes being built.
Councilwoman Charli Wessinger, who voted against the sale, said in a statement shared online that she has “significant concerns” about the proposed sale, and that it could “expose Lexington County and its citizens to significant legal and potential litigation.”
“The citizens of Chapin entrusted their Council to protect their homes, their neighborhoods, and the commitments previously made to their community. Approving this contract places the financial interests of the residential developer ahead of the commitments this County made to its citizens and to the Town of Chapin.”
Sandy Wade, longtime resident of Chapin, took to social media to voice her concerns, which included increased traffic and taxes for residents.
“Brighton was supposed to be a business and technical park, with a residential component toward the front, owned by Mungo,” Wade wrote, stressing the original intentions of the development, which have now been changed to emphasize and increase the residential element..
“Rather than commercial or medical, providing good jobs, a reverse traffic pattern and a higher tax base that will not strain county services, we have 600+ homes, creating additional a strain on roads and services, and a blue sky proposal for a tech incubator, with restaurants and retail not visible from the main roads, making success a challenge,” Wade wrote in her statement.
The proposal still has to pass a third reading before finalization.