Debate continues over redevelopment of former Baker Hospital property in North Charleston

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — The future of Baker Hospital Boulevard in North Charleston remains uncertain amid debate over how the property should be redeveloped.

Councilmembers in North Charleston will discuss the zoning of the former Baker Hospital's property on April 18 at 5:30 p.m.

Read more: Community resistance grows against proposed boat facility at former Baker Hospital site

The over 40-acre property is owned by Charleston County Parks of Recreation and Commission, but the City of North Charleston controls the zoning. The zoning is currently for residential use.

Freddie Renken, the owner of Sea Fox Boats' plan, won a bid from the county to redevelop the property for industrial use with a boat facility and space for a park. However, some see it as detrimental for the community.

"We have to take a look at what else is around these communities," Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities Co-Executive Director Rodley Millett. "Bringing in another heavy industrial operation is not the answer to that. Look at the communities in this area and things are done to them. Including them in the discussions and identify what their needs are, what their likes are, and what they've tolerated that for a while."

Metanoia CEO Billy Stanfield said, "Folks are dealing with industrial uses and the problematic things they bring to the neighborhood, such as pollution and traffic. To see yet another one and be told this is the only way you can get a park when they see other communities getting parks without those of uses feels unfair."

Others feel many in the community are missing the bigger picture. They note Renken is promising 300 jobs with his boat facility and the project would be self-funded without money from taxpayers.

"We talk about funds, funding, city budgets, county budgets and how we are seeing so many tax increases because of certain projects," North Charleston resident Johnathan Thrower said. "It's great to see someone come in and be able to take a project or land that's not being used and build it into something that the community would be able to use."

"The city of North Charleston doesn't even have the funding available to even develop the land, clean it up, or anything else," he continued. "They're giving us an incomplete vision and it's not even their land, where somebody else is saying he has the funding available and he's ready."