Proposed 34 Unit Housing Development In Seneca Had Detractors And Supporters At Tuesday Night’s Seneca City Council Meeting
(Seneca, SC)—As 94.1 The Lake reported yesterday, Seneca City Council passed the 2nd and final reading of an ordinance, by a 6-2 vote, that allows for the construction of a 34 unit housing development on property located on S. 7th Street at Townville and Fairplay Streets.
Of the 13 individuals who addressed Council during the public comment session, a majority of them spoke out against the proposed development. However, there were some who addresses Council who lent their support to the development or who support continued growth in the city and that included local business owner Ray Murphy, who is also a member of the Downtown Merchants Association.
“What we need to look at is what is going on in the entire city of Seneca, The merchants themselves, let’s face facts, in the last two years have spent multiple millions of dollars in the downtown area,” according to Murphy. “ Not tens of thousands, millions of dollars to try revitalize these buildings, putting new businesses in downtown and these businesses are in the downtown area because of the city helping us out and trying to revitalize the downtown.”
Murphy then went on to say that the growth of the city directly relates to the downtown area and Murphy says that according to research he has done in regards to the density population in the city, Seneca’s density population is 1,024, which he says is “grossly low.”
Murphy said that Seneca’s density population is 15% less than Walhalla, 250% percent less than Anderson city and 100% less than Clemson without the student population being counted.
“We need growth. In ten years, we have added 200 people to the city of Seneca,” according to Murphy. “I am not here specifically on this one proposed ordinance. I’m here on the growth of the city itself.”
Murphy went on to say that he feels that the development is a “very positive thing for the city.”