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Columbia city council is expected to cast a final vote on the Five Points South project on May 21. Should the project be approved, developers will begin construction of a six-story structure that will include retail space, a city-funded public parking garage and high-end condominiums at the corner of Blossom St. and Saluda Ave.
Compiled by Todd Morehead
Business owners and shoppers believe the project offers a long-overdue solution to the parking problems in the area. Yet, public opinion on the project has been split since its inception, some have raised questions about the city’s involvement and the preliminary development phases of the project have been plagued with structural and environmental problems. Whatever the fate of the project may be, one thing is for certain: it’s had a wild ride in Five Points.
2002
The Five Points Association (FPA) asks city parking staff to evaluate a freestanding parking garage on the lot between Yesterday’s and Kenny’s Auto. The city submits the drawings to private planning firm HNTB for review. In the city’s 2002 Parking Master Plan, HNTB “concurs that the parking facility would not be financially self-supporting” and that “substantial development would need to coexist on the parcel to justify the structural costs.”
Source: City of Columbia
2003
December 3: City Council appoints Stan Harpe to the Columbia Development Corporation board of directors.
Source: Columbia City Council meeting minutes, December 3, 2003
2005
July 15: HR Developers, owned by Stan Harpe and Ron Swinson, contributes $500 to Daniel Rickenmann’s campaign.
Source: Ethics Commission filing
December: The City of Columbia issues approximately $45 million in parking revenue bonds for parking structures and improvements citywide.
Source: City of Columbia
December 15: Dennis Hiltner, then president of the Five Points Assn., meets with Quackenbush Architects and Planners to discuss the “Future Five” development plan. John Spade, City of Columbia parking services director, is also in attendance.
When discussing parking options, Spade suggests purchasing property in Five Points and converting it into “new off-street parking solutions.” Kenny’s Auto and other sites are mentioned as potential candidates for a parking garage.
Source: Quackenbush Architects and Planners “Future Five” promotional literature
2006
July - August: HR Developers commissions an Environmental Site Assessment at the Kenny’s Auto site. The assessment finds “levels of Benzene above the established Risk Based Screening Level (RBSL) for Benzene.”
Source: Ronny L. Lowder, CHMM, REPA, Emerald Inc.
October 4: DHEC reports Benzene contamination—possibly from a source offsite—to Kenneth Hooks, owner of Kenny’s Auto:
“Based on this information and data, a violation of the South Carolina Pollution Control Act has occurred in that there has been an unauthorized release of contaminants to the environment. Further, the data indicates that a violation of the South Carolina Water Classifications and Standards has occurred in that the Quality Standard for Class GB Ground Waters has been exceeded for benzene.”
Source: DHEC letter to Kenneth Hooks, October 4, 2006
2007
Jan 12-24: John Bryan and Marty Van Sant meet with Mayor Coble, Anne Sinclair and Steve Gantt respectively to discuss building a city garage at Claussen’s Inn.
Source: Memo from Dr. John M. Bryan
February 20: Councilman Daniel Rickenmann’s Foodworks Creative Development Company buys a building at 2901 Devine Street for $1.45 million.
Source: Richland County Tax Assessor
February 21: Columbia City Council holds a closed-door, executive session about the Kenny’s site.
Source: Columbia City Council meeting minutes for February 21, 2007
March 1: Columbia City Council signs off on a “Transaction Memorandum: Five Points Parking” with HR Developers. The deal would commit city funds toward the purchase and construction of a public garage in a mixed-use building on the Kenny’s site.
The memorandum prices the cost of the parking facility at $1 million and states that additional construction costs should not exceed $24,000 per parking space with a 200 space minimum.
Source: City of Columbia “Transaction Memorandum: Five Points Parking”
April 10: Washington Square, LLC (a company owned by Ron Swinson and Stan Harpe of HR Developers) buys the Kenny’s Auto site (700 and 701 Saluda Avenue) from Kenneth Hooks for close to $4 million.
According to the Richland County Tax Assessor, the company pays $660,667 for 700 Saluda Ave. and $3.3 million for 701 Saluda Ave.
Source: Richland County Tax Assessor records
May: Stan Harpe asks for input from the Five Points Assn. and nearby neighborhood associations on development of the Kenny’s Auto site, a project now dubbed “Five Points South.”
Source: Letter from Merritt Brewer, Executive Dir., Five Points Assoc. to City Planning Commission, May 18, 2007.
May 16: Wales Garden Neighborhood Assn. expresses concern to the FPA over the height of the proposed structure.
Source: Five Points Assn. meeting minutes
June 20: The FPA “Future Five” committee and representatives from the Wales Garden and University Hills Neighborhood Assns. decide to commission architect Doug Quackenbush to present their ideas to the architect for HR Developers.
Source: Five Points Assn. meeting minutes, June 20, 2007
June 29: Kenneth Hooks, former owner of the Kenny’s site, buys 2901 Devine Street from Daniel Rickenmann for $1.95 million. Having bought the building in February for $1.45 million and flipping it in June for $1.95 million, Rickenmann nets a $500,000 profit on the sale.
Source: Richland County Tax Assessor records
July 16: Developers refuse to discuss development with Hollywood Rose-Hill Neighborhood. Neighborhood meeting is cancelled.
Source: Original email from President of HRH.
August 17: The Five Points Assn. announces a unanimous board member vote in favor of the project to the City Planning Commission.
Source: Five Points Association
September 10: Citizens attending a city Planning Commission meeting ask if the former Claussen’s Inn site on Greene St. could be considered for a garage.
Chip Land, director of planning for the city, refers to the March 1 Transaction Memo: “Mr. Land added that City Council has already voted to go into contract with the developers [HR] to acquire the air rights and to build two levels of parking.” Land also urges the Planning Commission to approve the required zoning exception requested by HR Developers (from C-3 [commercial] to PUD-C [mixed-use]).
Source: City of Columbia Planning Commission meeting minutes, September 10, 2007.
October 10: Drainage tunnels under Kenny’s site threaten project
City Utilities Director, Ron Dooley, requires that utilities workers have access to two large underground storm water drainage tunnels that run under the northwest corner of the site and also worries that the 80-year-old tunnels would compromise the integrity of the structure should they collapse. HR Developers say their design plan will straddle the tunnels and says they will reinforce the structure with steel beams near the tunnels and only pave parking spaces above the tunnels so that utility workers can easily access them with a backhoe in case of emergency.
November 28: William Durham Co., representing owners of Claussen’s Inn, urges city council to consider Claussen’s as an alternative site for a garage and claims it could be built at $20,000 per space, $4,000 less per space than the Kenny’s site.
HR Development pitches city council their updated building plan, which will feature a Walgreen’s, a bank and retail space on the ground floor, two levels of city owned public parking and a number of three-story condominiums on the top floor. Steve Gantt, the city’s Senior Assistant City Manager for Operations, estimates that the city would need to invest $6 million for the parking component. Stan Harpe with HR says he will provide council with definite costs by March 2008 and council agrees to consider the contract at that time.
November 28: Council holds a public zoning hearing to consider rezoning the Kenny’s site from commercial (C-3) to mixed-use (PUD-3). Neither zoning class allows for building a structure to a height over 75 feet.
Twelve speakers—comprised of area merchants and residents—opposed the Kenny’s rezoning for various reasons and two speakers—Doug Quackenbush and Duncan McCrae, a Five Points Association board member—approved. Council gives first reading approval to the zoning request.
Council directs staff to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for alternative parking options in Five Points and encourages Claussen’s to resubmit their proposal.
Source: City Council meeting minutes, November 28, 2007
December 12: City Council approves the zoning change for Kenny’s but still “doesn’t commit to the parking.”
Source: City Council meeting minutes, December 12, 2007
2008
February 7: The City of Columbia denies a Columbia City Paper Freedom of Information Act request for documents related to Five Points South and HR Developers, citing that the information is “not deemed public information” and will not be disclosed “due to pending contract.”
Source: Letter from City of Columbia, Public Relations Dept. to Columbia City Paper, Feb. 7, 2008.
February 11: The Lansing/Melbourne Group, which specializes in parking planning solutions, was commissioned by the city to evaluate the viability of both the Claussen’s Inn and Five Points South (Kenny’s) proposals. They find that Five Points South will generate more revenue for the city and is more physically suitable for the area.
Source: Lansing Melbourne Group letter to Chip Land, Feb. 11, 2008
March 5: After reviewing the Lansing/Melbourne pro forma, city council votes 6-1 to negotiate a contract with HR Developers.
Source: City council meeting minutes,
March 11: Filing with city clerk of over 500 names of individuals, Five Points businesses, Devine Street businesses and Neighborhood Associations in opposition. Statement that public had no notice of the vote on March 5.
Source: City Clerk.
March 18: Joye Harpe, wife of Kenny’s developer Stan Harpe, hosts fundraiser for Daniel Rickenmann’s campaign.
Source: Original printed invitation.
March 28: City council candidate, Cameron Runyan, calls a press conference at the Kenny’s site and raises questions about Daniel Rickenmann’s real estate dealings with Kenneth Hooks. Runyan asks if Washington Square, LLC / HR Developers offered to pay extra for the Kenny’s Auto site so $500,000 could be flowed through Hooks to Councilman Rickenmann on the 2901 Devine Street deal in exchange for Rickenmann’s vote on the Five Points South project.
Rickenmann calls Runyan’s accusations “a last ditch effort in a political campaign.”
April 1: Daniel Rickenmann wins reelection. Belinda Gergel wins Anne Sinclair’s city council seat.
April 22: Neighborhood Forum with Mayor Bob Coble and Councilmembers Tameika Isaac Devine and Daniel Rickenmann for people concerned about the project draws in excess of 200 people.
Source: The State newspaper
April 28: Gergel requests that a vote on Five Points South be delayed until she takes her seat on July 1. City council decides to move forward. Rickenmann tells the State newspaper, “If there is any delay it will be because of problems with the contract, not because one person who hasn’t been part of the process wants to delay it.”
May 5-6: The Five Points Association polls 90 Five Points businesses regarding Five Points South. Of those polled, 73 were listed as in favor, 12 were against and 6 were indifferent.
Source: Five Points Association merchant’s poll
May 7: City council holds a public hearing on Five Points South with opinion on the project split evenly between neighborhood representatives opposed and business owners in favor. Representatives from the Wales Garden and Shandon Neighborhood Associations continue to oppose and cite an April 22 protest at Maxcy Gregg Park.
May 8: FPA holds a special meeting on Five Points South and decides to send a delegation to meet with Mayor Coble on May 9 to reiterate their support for the project. They also decide to send a delegation to meet with Belinda Gergel.
Source: Five Points Association meeting minutes, May 8, 2008
May 21: City Council votes in favor of Five Points South, but lowers purchase price from $1 million to $500,000. HR Developers says construction may begin as soon as Aug. 1.
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After the vote
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