Composite story
Berkeley County Council approves the Lake Village plan at Cane Bay
Moncks Corner, South CarolinaPublished 29 Sep 2026
Berkeley County Council approved the Lake Village expansion of Cane Bay in Moncks Corner after months of argument over traffic, flooding, and rural buffers. The plan is described as about 5,500 homes, with land for a school and fire service and new road money.
On Sept. 28, 2026, Berkeley County Council approved the Lake Village planned development, an expansion of Cane Bay in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. The Post and Courier reported a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Steve Davis absent and Councilman Tommy Newell recused, and described the plan as about 5,500 homes. Live 5 News reported 5,500 units, road spending that Supervisor Johnny Cribb put at $10 million up front, more than $50 million in infrastructure, an emergency-services fee, and a school impact fee. Residents, including neighbor Cathi Lee, raised traffic, flooding, wetlands, and buffer concerns. Cribb told the outlets the new agreement replaces a 2006 deal, adds public funding without increasing density, and that the stormwater design exceeds current county rules. The county told Live 5 News, and Cribb told ABC News 4, that buildout is expected to take 15 to 20 years. ABC News 4 also reported a 20-to-25-year completion window and no construction start date.
Disputed facts
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Disputed opinions
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Berkeley County Council approves Lake Village rezoning
Published 29 Sep 2026 accessed 29 Sep 2026
Facts
The approval was the last of six votes that spanned the summer.
During that meeting, one commissioner readied a personal handgun after an audience member protested the decision.
In 2024, council lifted the county moratorium on large-scale developments so the project could proceed.
After putting the decision off until its June meeting, the Planning Commission sent County Council a recommendation to approve the project.
Some residents, worried that approval was a foregone conclusion, pointed to campaign contributions from developer Ben Gramling III and his associates to multiple council members.
Councilman Steve Davis was absent from the meeting.
Councilman Tommy Newell recused himself from the vote.
The County Council Land Use Committee first considered the development on July 13.
In May of this year, the county Planning Commission took the project up for consideration.
Ahead of the final vote, Cathi Lee, whose property borders the development, objected to the rezoning.
Cathi Lee said the buffer zone was not sufficient and that there should be a 100-foot buffer between the development and her home.
Over the summer, Gramling and other Gramling Brothers executives met with several residents in neighboring communities.
Some previously apprehensive neighbors attributed their change of mind about the project to those meetings.
The final public hearing gave both sides one last chance to speak on the proposal.
Marc Cherry said those standards replaced less rigorous rules from 2009.
Leroy Godfrey Jr. is running for County Council District 6.
Councilman Phillip Obie II said a traffic impact study for the project has been completed and approved by the state Department of Transportation.
Courtney Martin is running for County Council District 5.
County Supervisor Johnny Cribb addressed online allegations that development in Cane Bay caused flooding in the Moody's Plantation neighborhood.
Johnny Cribb said the actual problem for that neighborhood was a lack of drainage capacity beneath the roadway.
Supporters pointed to school and fire-station land, new roadways through Cane Bay, and thorough vetting by county staff.
Phillip Obie II said half of those attainable units are microunits of roughly 450 square feet.
Johnny Cribb said public input helped shape the final result.
Johnny Cribb said it is possible the council and the community overlooked something that could come up later.
Opinion
Some residents worried that approval of the project was a foregone conclusion.
Cathi Lee fears the development will pave over wetlands that help mitigate flooding and will contribute significantly to traffic congestion.
Leroy Godfrey Jr. said questions of school space and traffic capacity needed to be addressed before council approves the project.
Courtney Martin, who is running in District 5, called for council to push for more attainable housing, including homes for first responders and teachers.
Johnny Cribb said council had two choices: let them develop as is, or get a better deal.
Johnny Cribb said the community has not fallen on deaf ears.
Berkeley County Lake Village planned development approved
Published 29 Sep 2026 accessed 29 Sep 2026
Facts
Johnny Cribb said committing $10 million in construction dollars toward an immediate project is money the county did not have.
County leaders say the agreement will bring more than $50 million in infrastructure investments.
The agreement sets aside a future fire and EMS site and a fee of $500 per dwelling unit, plus 35 cents per square foot of nonresidential space.
There will be a school impact fee of $1,850 per unit and land set aside for a future school.
Tim Traynor said people who buy or move in will support the EMS and fire department.
Johnny Cribb said the school district gets to pick the location.
Johnny Cribb asked how the county can get the land for a school.
The development exceeds the county's current stormwater requirements and will have lakes designed for a 100-year storm, limiting downstream effects.
Cathi Lee said she is very familiar with the wetlands around her and how valuable they are in flood control.
Cathi Lee said she lived through Hugo and through 20 inches of rain in October 2015.
Johnny Cribb said the community envisioned the lake system, including walking and kayaking, as an amenity.
The county says the project will still need to go through the county's permitting processes.
Opinion
Johnny Cribb said Lake Village is the definition of smart growth if looked at objectively.
County Council said approving the planned development holds developers accountable and sets rules to limit the impact of new growth.
Cathi Lee said daily trips will take more time in traffic, with more chance of accidents and more crime as more people arrive.
Thousands of acres of land in Berkeley County have a new purpose.
Some residents say they are not convinced the county can keep up with the growth.
Tim Traynor said that without this project that cost would have fallen on the taxpayers.
Tim Traynor said the arrangement was pure logic to him.
Johnny Cribb said the days of getting a bad piece of land for a school are over.
Johnny Cribb said this school is contemplated on the best site.
Cathi Lee said she survived those storms but is concerned.
Johnny Cribb said the county does not have a neighborhood anything like this one.
Berkeley County votes to pass Lake Village development plan for Cane Bay
Published 29 Sep 2026 accessed 29 Sep 2026
Facts
Johnny Cribb said the newest stormwater regulation calls for a 25-year storm standard.
Johnny Cribb said what exists already on the ground is the 100-year storm.
Johnny Cribb said perhaps the flattest ground in the county sits where the Cane Bay community is.
When asked if Berkeley County was doing enough to address those concerns, county leaders tried to assure the public.
Johnny Cribb said this approval replaces the 2006 development agreement.
Johnny Cribb said the county will continue to get funds, not just upfront money.
Johnny Cribb said the 2006 agreement did not provide funds for public safety, infrastructure, or schools.
Tim Traynor said many individual improvements addressed concerns about traffic and flooding.
The project will take between 20 and 25 years to complete.
There is no timetable for when construction will begin.
Opinion
A speaker cited cut-through traffic, flooding, and an ambulance that cannot get through in time.
A community member asked whether the county will be able to say the danger was unforeseeable.
Johnny Cribb said the detention ponds, the lake system, and that public amenity have gone a long way.
Johnny Cribb said being able to get funds for roads is a big deal.
Johnny Cribb says the outcome is a win-win for the community, with other benefits as well.
A public speaker asked for one thing: answers before advancement.