CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV) — West Ashley residents are concerned about the demolition of historic homes.
They say they are upset not only about the houses that are gone, but also about the new ones that look like they don’t fit there.
“The city needs to start doing this. And it needs to start immediately. There is nothing we can do to stop this,” said Teresa Tidestrom, co-founder of West Ashley Connects.
They are committed to protecting the character of their neighborhoods.
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“We have already lost two beautiful historic homes in the last month alone due to Mr. Weatherford’s efforts,” said West Ashley Neighborhood Attorney Charlie Smith.
According to Smith and Tidestrom, Brian Weatherford buys properties, divides them into multiple lots, and replaces historic homes with new ones that don’t fit the neighborhood.
Smith says they don’t want a Board of Architectural Review in West Ashley, but instead want a public hearing to voice their concerns.
“I think developers think we’re mad because they’re building new housing. That’s great. We have a problem when they tear down our historic buildings,” Smith said.
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They say it’s a cycle.
“They could have just picked it up, brought it to the property and restored it. I asked him to do that, but he said no. A week later, it was gone,” Smith said.
The West Ashley Revitalization Commission led the West Ashley Plan efforts in 2018.
The 50-year plan shapes the future of the region.
“We all agreed that we need higher housing density here as our population grows,” Smith said.
Local residents complain that the developers did not pay attention to preserving the “appearance” of the neighborhood when building the new apartments.
“We deserve protection here. We also love our neighborhoods,” Smith said.
“Downtown has all of that. They can’t build, they can’t move an inch without having to follow strict zoning guidelines. West Ashley deserves that, too,” Tidestrom said.
“I just think that when developers come to West Ashley and decide what plans they want to implement, to respect the community, they need to sit down and find common ground, and that’s the only way to achieve harmony in these neighborhoods.”
News 4 contacted the developer and received no response.
