Mount Pleasant Design Review Board approves Erckmann Pool Club

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) The Town of Mount Pleasant’s Commercial Design Review Board met Monday night and one of the developments up for review had residents divided.

The developers of the Erckman Pool Club in the Old Village want to develop the club to give families living in the neighborhood somewhere they can enjoy the outdoors.

“Its local people, everyone lives in the neighborhood, we all have young kids and we’re looking to create a place where they can gather and be together out in nature and have a good time,” said Alan Biggers, one of the project developers.

Residents that live close to the proposed location came to the design review board meeting tonight to express concerns about noise from the pool club being near their homes. They also have safety concerns with how many people would drive to the club on the streets their children play on.

“You’re looking to build this pool club smack dab almost on top of houses there’s houses to the right to the front if you look at (other pool clubs) they have beautiful pool clubs, tennis clubs but those facilities are built on their own area and not interfering with safety traffic parking noise and that’s exactly what’s going to happen,” said Stephanie Myers, a resident of Mt Pleasant.

The design review board asked the developers about parking for the pool. They were concerned there would not be enough space for events, but ultimately approved the project because it met the city’s requirements for zoning.

Officials told residents their request for speed bumps or a four-way sign to be placed before the pool club, that residents would have to contact the state, because it is a state road.

“I believe its a good idea at the wrong place…There is no 4 way stop at place and coming off the Coleman people speed up as they go in,” said Mike Tinkey, a Mt Pleasant resident.

Not everyone was opposed to the pool club. Several residents at the meeting said they want to join the pool club to give their children a place to go. The developers hope to work with the neighborhood on how the pool club will fit into the neighborhood.

“Part of the beauty of the old village and old mt pleasant that’s why people want to be here and want to live here so they can golf cart to a restaurant or do something else where its not some master-planned community which it’s not so that what we’re trying to achieve,” said Biggers.

The developers hope to break ground by spring of next year.