In its regular March meeting, the Batesburg–Leesville Planning Commission unanimously approved plans for a large housing development near the Ramblewood apartment complex behind East Columbia Avenue. Representatives from the developers Sanford Enterprises and Vista Resources LLC fielded questions from Commission members and concerns from the fire Marshall. The project will still need approval from the Town Council, Lexington County authorities, and the Army Corps of Engineers before work may begin. The developers estimated construction wouldn’t begin for another eighteen months.
The proposed development would see the wooded land currently enclosed by Amos Street, Brookwood Drive, and Pinewood Drive cleared and subdivided into 108 lots with more than 50% of the land being reserved for green space and three storm ponds. The final project may be slightly different should the land disruption and water flow studies by Lexington County require modification to comply with local environmental laws.
The Planning Commission members, who are responsible for recommending zoning changes and the town’s growth plan, raised multiple concerns surrounding the safety and environmental impact of the project. District six member Riley Adams questioned what he thought to be the narrow setbacks between each building. Developer representatives claimed there would be approximately twenty feet between each structure. Adams later asked the ratio of structure to open space, which is expected to be more than 50% open space, including protected wetland areas.
At-Large district member Rachel Taylor echoed concerns initially raised in a letter by both the town’s Fire Chief, Josh Frye, and Fire Marshall, Randy Fellers, that a dead-end t-intersection in the rear of the development would be too small for firetrucks to turn around in. The developers’ representatives said there would be sufficient room and multiple pathways for emergency vehicles to exit the subdivision. Still, Fellers, who was not present but conveyed his concerns through a Town Council member present, was concerned the plan did not comply with § 503.2.5 of the International Fire Code, which requires a dedicated turn-a-round point for firetrucks when a dead-end access roads exceed 150 feet.
Town Manager Jay Hendrix then jumped in to assure the Commission that this was a small issue that could be hammered out between the Fire Marshall and the developers in the 18-month downtime while other governmental bodies reviewed the project. District eight member Johnnie Mae Lemon ensured none of the lots would be in a flood zone, and asked whether the three storm ponds would be fenced in. The developer said it would depend on whether the future home owner’s association or the town owned the underlying land. If the HOA took ownership, it would be for it to decide whether to fence the ponds in. If the town owns it, the developer would only fence them in if local ordinances required them to do so.
District seven member Bart Cochcroft did not attend the meeting.
The proposal will go before the Batesburg–Leesville Town Council, which is scheduled to meet next on April 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM.