Summerville’s town council voted on Dec. 11 to approve first reading of an ordinance to advance a proposed annexation and development agreement with Nash Nexton Holdings LLC for approximately 738 acres along Wild Game Road, Sheep Island Road, Nexton Parkway and Grand Boulevard.

Developer representative Brent Jabadlo told the council the proposal would annex only the property in question and would not change school zone boundaries. He said the plan splits the site into two districts — a neighborhood residential district and a mixed-use district — and would allow up to 1,233 residential units, with 400 deed-restricted active-adult units counted against that cap. "We will continue to speak with and listen to all interested parties through this process," Jabadlo said.

The decision to advance first reading came after substantial public comment from neighbors and landowners. Alvin Lumpkin Jr., a New Hope resident, urged the council to deny annexation and rezoning, saying the property was originally approved for 447 homes and that increasing that number to more than 1,200 would overwhelm roads, drainage, schools and emergency response. "Increasing that number to more than 1,200 homes represents nearly a threefold increase in density," Lumpkin said, and he urged the council to uphold the planning commission’s recommendation to deny.

Other residents raised environmental and quality‑of‑life concerns. Brian Ambrose, whose family farm borders the tract, said portions of the site have conservation and wetlands designations and warned of impacts to wildlife and the Ashley River watershed. Tanya Collins and other longtime New Hope residents described flooding on local bridges and said many residents live on fixed incomes and could be harmed by higher taxes if annexed into the town. Joel Aronson, a Nexton resident, urged the town to accept and open a completed 23‑acre park within the tract so it is available to the public.

In council discussion, a member who spoke at length said he supported smart growth but listed numerous conditions he wanted added to the development agreement before final approval: smaller maximum building heights (proposed reduction to a 40‑foot maximum for primary residential structures), explicit language requiring adherence to Summerville’s tree‑protection standards, removal or limitation of certain permitted uses (including large multifamily buildings and some industrial/storage uses), a school coordination clause with Berkeley County to confirm capacity and mitigation plans, and multimodal/complete‑streets requirements with traffic triggers tied to occupancy.

Mayor and council members framed the first‑reading vote as a procedural step that allows continuing negotiations, additional community workshops with county and developer representatives, and refinement of the development agreement. Council called the question and the ayes carried on first reading; the vote moves the item forward for further review rather than final approval.

What’s next: Council approved first reading to continue deliberations; council members requested a revised development agreement reflecting proposed mitigations and said they expect follow‑up meetings with the developer and Berkeley County to address traffic, schools, tree protections and park management.