Clemson Mayor discusses Annexation Situation

Recently, the Lakeside Lodge condominium development proposed for Lot #8 of Hartwell Village has come under scrutiny as the developers are requesting annexation into the City of Clemson. This seven acres currently resides in Oconee County and Monday night members of the Oconee County Council told the Clemson City Council that they opposed the annexation. Clemson Mayor JC Cook doesn’t understand the opposition to the annexation request. “Well, I just don’t understand the push back from the people in Oconee County. I can’t understand the reasoning for not welcoming another city into the county. Our intentions would be to work with Oconee County for the betterment of everybody. The development is going to happen, no matter what, its already been approved by the Oconee County Council and its going to be there. Whether it is in the city or out of the city, is really not much difference other than the fact that the taxes that it pays to the city and the taxes that everybody that lives in the city pay help keep the county taxes low for everybody else.” The Clemson City Council must still hold another reading on the annexation request, explains Mayor Cook. “It will come up at our next council meeting for a vote unless the developer decides to hold off.” That meeting takes place in March. At their meeting Tuesday night, the Oconee County Council approved a motion to start negotiations with the owners of Lakeside Lodge. These negotiations are to involve further incentives to the developers, as long as they agree to drop their annexation request into the City of Clemson.