A site next to Freshfields Village, used most often for overflow parking for large events like the PGA Championship in 2021, may soon become more than just a vacant plot of land. This 22-acre site could answer the concerns from local Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Johns Island residents about the need for access to a larger grocery store. But since the Charleston County Planning Commission recently deadlocked on the proposal by Riverstone Properties of Richmond, Virginia to rezone the open space behind the current Freshfields Village from low-density residential to commercial planned development, residents will have to wait. The proposal will now have to go before Charleston County’s Planning and Public Works Committee on March 16. The store would be another Harris Teeter, similar to the one they have now in Freshfields Village, only much larger. The existing grocery store, called the Harris Teeter Village Market, is 38,000 square feet and the proposed new structure would be nearly 54,000 square feet.
This building would be located behind the current Freshfields Village Shopping Center on a 22-acre parcel.
One of the reasons that the grocery store chain would like to move to this location is due to the issues they experience with entry and exit for deliveries, according to Planning Commission Member Logan Davis. The stalemate among Planning Commission board members resulted partly from the issues brought up about traffic and the proposed connection to Freshfields Village. Some planning members asked for a new traffic study before they could give their approval. Columbia-based Edens bought the current shopping center in June 2022 for close to $125 million, which is more than twice of what Northwood Investors paid to purchase the property back in 2013 at $59.8 million. No homes were proposed on the property in this meeting with the Planning Commission. There would be a separate entryway off the Kiawah Island Parkway. There are future plans for an additional 10,000 square feet of retail space, another 10,000 square feet for more retail space on the opposite side of the store and 46,400 square feet of retail space in seven small structures. There are also plans for a gas station, but no fast food at this time. This new development would allow a drive-thru pharmacy as well.
The first planning workshop related to this development, which is a total of 82.14 acres between Cassique golf club and Freshfields Village dubbed Andell West, was held on September 8, 2021.
At that time, residential options were a part of the future plan. The residential options were to include, but were not limited to, apartments, townhomes, flats and single-family dwelling units.
The plan called for up to 288 dwelling units, but Riverstone’s preliminary plans accounted for 500 multi-family dwelling units. The apartment complex can be up to four stories.
There were trails and pathways that meandered through the property and connected to Freshfields and Kiawah Island. At that time, concerns were voiced by both the Kiawah Conservancy and the Coastal Conservation League about the balance with conservation easement and the fact that this development bordered a critical line.
