It appears as if little progress has been made on the Mt. Zion property since its sale to Red Clay Development last year.
The Town of Winnsboro sold the Mt. Zion Institute (MZI) buildings and the land beneath them almost a year ago to Red Clay Development.
The zoning was changed in July by the Town Council to allow the property to become a Commercial Planned Development District.
According to Red Clay Development’s zoning application, The Mt. Zion Institute Planned Development District will be developed and reserved for local or “Main Street” oriented business purposes and uses, which serve to enhance the entire community. The regulations that apply within the district are designed to encourage the formation and continuance of a stable, healthy and compatible environment for uses that will provide nearby residential areas with convenient service facilities and wellness opportunities, reduce traffic and parking congestion, avoid the appearance of “strip” business districts and discourage uses capable of adversely affecting the localized residential character of the District.
So what is going on with the Mt. Zion development plan?
It depends on who you ask.
Winnsboro Town Council members have expressed concern over a lapse in communication from Red Clay Development and lack of work being done to the property.
“I just don’t know if they are going to really do anything over there,” said Councilman Bill Haslett. “We need to know if they have their funding in place.”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” said Councilman Jack Wilkes.
There are many in the community that feel some concern, especially because the grounds were let go over the summer, and no construction fence has been erected.
Several people said the Friends of Mount Zion Institute (FOMZI) volunteers have been mowing the lawn. The FOMZI members and supporters are intent on saving the buildings and preserving the Mt. Zion story. They have gone from a steering committee to a chartered non-profit with an elected board. They feel their role in the Mt. Zion effort has changed several times; first as public activists promoting rehabilitation and reuse, then necessarily quiet supporters of the most recent plan for development.
Red Clay Development Owner James Maynard says everything is moving forward.
“We sent a crew to board up the windows in the bottom story,” Maynard said. “The building is secure now. There shouldn’t be any access into the building.”
Maynard says it’s unrealistic to have work taking place yet.
“We didn’t get the zoning passed until a month and a half ago,” he said. “It’s going to take several months to get the pieces together.”
“I have paid someone to cut the grass,” Maynard continued. “I am talking to a couple of contractors about the fence.”
Maynard said he is in discussions with possible tenants, and does not wish to make any announcements about who they may be quite yet.
“We have to be reserved about making statements until the entities have signed on,” he said.
Maynard said his company’s first priority is getting the roof stabilized before starting construction. He has recently sent an email to the Town’s attorney for the project, John Fantry, to communicate with the Town about the plan’s next steps.
Fantry could not be reached for comment.
For now, Maynard is working to get other tenants involved with the project.
“Rest assured,” he said. “There is a lot of positive progress.”
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