Public Sought for More East Edisto Input
Friday September 14, 2007
Ryan Castle
Summerville Journal Scene.com
MeadWestvaco and the East Edisto planners will return to local communities next week encouraging more community feedback.
East Edisto, a 72,000-acre master-planned community proposed earlier this year by the global packaging giant, will be the subject of more meetings. This time MeadWestvaco will bring in a gaggle of expert planning partners to discuss the project with area residents.
"These public input meetings are an opportunity for everyone to meet our expert partners, ask questions, share ideas and for us to gather more information before coming back with a preliminary plan," said Ken Seeger, president of MeadWestvaco's Community Development and Land Management Group.
MeadWestvaco will host residents at the following locations and times:
- Summerville
Summerville High School Auditorium, 1101 Boone Hill Road
Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
- Givhans/Ridgeville
Ridgeville Town Hall-Gym, 105 School Street
Thursday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
- Clubhouse/Geddisville/County Line Road/Ravenwood
Sand Hill United Methodist Church-Gym, 1961 Summers Drive
Monday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m.<
- Adams Run/Hollywood/Ravene
Baptist Hill High School-Gym, 5117 Baptist Hill Road, Hollywood
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
- General Public Meeting
North Charleston Convention Center Ballroom A and B
Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m.
The meetings come on the heels of five previous community and regional meetings, where MeadWestvaco and EDAW, the San Francisco-based planning firm, heard comments about what neighbors wanted and didn't want in the conservation driven master plan.
"The public has generously taken the time to share with us what's important to them about East Edisto. We think it's vital to let the community know that MeadWestvaco and our expert planning partners have heard them," Seeger said.
MeadWestvaco has long held the key piece in the Lowcountry's growth puzzle. Company officials have said the East Edisto announcement is an attempt to divest its vast land holdings as it competes in the ever changing timber and packaging business environment. East Edisto is 72,000 contiguous acres on the eastern edge of the Edisto River from Adams Run in Charleston County to Givhans in Dorchester County.
This set of meetings will focus on a brief presentation of the planning's team work and initial thinking along with an introduction to the planning experts MeadWestvaco has hired before moving into open discussion where the community members can interact with the planning team.
The company has created a website to keep interested residents updated on the progress at eastedisto.com.
MeadWestvaco plans on returning again in late fall to reveal East Edisto's preliminary master plan.
