Council to Consider Expanding Park, Tree Ordinance, Solar Farms, SCORF Funds
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County Council has scheduled a workshop at 10 a.m. Friday in the historic courthouse downtown to consider and evaluate a county tree ordinance, expansion of the Francis Crowder Park on the East-West Parkway, regulations on solar farms and an update and revision on the use of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Funds for revisions and an update for the Love Well Ministries rehabilitation center for women.
As the county works with CodeWright Planners on new development standards for the county, part of that will include ordinances aimed at preventing large clear-cutting of trees for new housing developments. The practice has long been a concern of the county council and will be discussed as part of Friday’s meeting.
As part of the continued growth, council is examining current county ordinances to make sure solar farms meet those standards. Currently, there are five solar farms generating energy in Anderson County. The county began offering tax incentives for solar farms in 2017.
Council will also work to acquire approximately 1.2 acres of land adjoining Francis Crowder Park on the East-West Parkway which is bounded by Hobson Road. An unused county Right of Way bisects the acreage. If approved by council, the land would be subdivided from a larger parcel designated as TMS# 121-11-01-013 and totaling 4.74 acres and. See map at end of this story. The seller is asking $50,000 for the property. The property is not in the Anderson city limits. Staff sees this purchase as an opportunity to expand the utility of Francis Crowder Park while also preventing the possible introduction of a locally-unwanted land use.
The workshop will also consider a request that has been made to use the county’s South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund for purchasing and upgrading property for a long-term residential care facility for women in Anderson County suffering from opioid and co-occurring substance use disorders. The partnership would be with Love Well Ministries, which would operate a four-month, evidence-based and trauma-informed residential program supporting 12–20 women at a time. The only comparable local facility, Shalom Recovery Center, also has 20 beds, but there is insufficient capacity for a county with over 217,000 residents.
The proposal seeks approval to buy and upgrade an existing 4,775 sq. ft. home on 4.53 acres at 2335 Snow Road for $849,990. The house offers six bedrooms, five bathrooms, office space, and amenities such as a greenhouse and athletic court. If that property becomes unavailable, a similar property would be sought. SCORF has already allocated up to $1 million for this project, within the county’s $2.9 million available SCORF funds, with more installments expected through 2038.
A needs assessment reveals a significant demand for such a facility, noting high numbers of women in Anderson County with opioid use disorder, substance-related deaths, and EMS responses. Community and organizational gaps include limited healthcare access, especially in rural areas, and insufficient facilities for residential treatment. The proposal aims to immediately address these deficits with a facility meeting established criteria, returning any unused funds to SCORF.
Here is a budget breakdown and timeline for the proposed facility purchase and upgrades based on the provided information and standard costs for similar projects:
Estimated Total: $999,415
Total time from final approval to opening: approximately 5–6 months.
This budget and timeline reflect the need for rapid mobilization but allow flexibility for unforeseen expenses and interruptions. Any unused funds from the $1 million allocation would be returned to the SCORF account.
