Concerned residents near the Horse Creek Nature Preserve in South Carolina gathered in an emergency meeting to discuss legal options for halting a proposed 70-lot RV park that has sparked environmental concerns across the community.
The proposal, introduced earlier this summer, has drawn opposition from neighbors who fear the development could damage the surrounding natural environment.
The planned site borders the Horse Creek Nature Preserve, an area known for its wildlife and quiet surroundings.
“We’d like to see that property become a nature preserve for animals, and I have. I have deer running across my yard almost every day and so. We don’t want the environment affected to the point where it would endanger those livelihoods there,” Thomas McCain, treasurer of the Horse Creek Nature Preserve, said, as reported by WRDW-TV.
According to an article published by WRDW-TV on July 10, the Edgefield County Planning Commission voted unanimously on not to move forward with the proposal.
Despite the commission’s recommendation, the county’s planning director decided to move it.
Although public comment was not permitted during the meeting, residents viewed the outcome as a significant victory. Many voiced concerns about the environmental impact the development could have on their community, particularly in an area near the Horse Creek Nature Preserve.
A primary issue raised by residents involves the potential discharge of “black water” from RVs—wastewater that contains chemicals from onboard treatment systems.
Neighbors argue that this type of sewage poses greater environmental risks than standard residential wastewater. They are especially concerned because the proposed RV park would be situated on elevated land, which they fear could cause waste to migrate downhill into surrounding ponds, creeks, and wells.
“This project is not compatible with residents of 18 homes with ponds and creeks and water mills,” said Randy Dickerson of the Horse Creek Nature Preserve.
Dickerson and other neighbors have taken steps to formally oppose the project, including registering as a nonprofit group focused on preserving the land.
He noted that the area contains endangered species and a fragile water table that could be threatened by development.
Plans submitted by the developer include stormwater management systems, a recreational pond, and a septic system designed to serve the entire site.
A soil scientist has conducted studies, and the developer’s representative, Tom Dunaway, told officials that a vegetative buffer could be considered to address concerns from residents along Bream Oak Road.