IRS gives nonprofit status to group seeking to buy land for green space – Coastal Observer

IRS gives nonprofit status to group seeking to buy land for green space – Coastal Observer

An effort to buy property at the entrance to North Litchfield to keep it from being developed is halfway toward its goal of raising $2 million with pledges from over 100 people. “We need a lot more participants,” said Elliott Powell, a property owner who is leading the effort, but he sees the current level of support for an effort that started in May “a significant success.” The project known as Boyle Park picked up $75,000 in additional pledges after a meeting Saturday that drew about 200 people. The organizers expect donations to increase after receiving its tax-exempt status from the IRS this week. “We anticipate it’s going to be a big boost,” Powell said after receiving notice of the IRS decision. The 6.7 acres they want to buy is owned by members of the Floyd family. It sits on the north side of Boyle Drive between Highway 17 and the Bike the Neck path. It is currently zoned “neighborhood commercial,” which would allow shops and offices. A proposal earlier this year to change the zoning to “general commercial” to allow construction of a convenience store and gas station drew opposition from neighbors and was withdrawn. In the past, the property was zoned for residential use, which also raised concerns about traffic impacts at the Boyle Drive intersection, one of two entrances into North Litchfield. The Boyle Park group is proposing to buy the property and prevent development through deed restrictions or a conservation easement. “We are all here to make sure we don’t kick ourselves later on,” Powell told the audience on Saturday. “We cannot count on Georgetown County.” He first presented the idea to the Litchfield Beaches Property Owners Association at its annual meeting in May. He was encouraged that no one said no. “I haven’t had anyone come up to me and say I really don’t like this plan,” Powell said. The meeting generated questions along with suggestions for ways to raise the money that the Boyle Park group hopes will be sufficient to buy the land. Dr. Edward Floyd and his son bought the property in 2005 for $2 million. Dr. Floyd died in January and the Boyle Park group hopes to pay no more than that as his family settles his estate this fall, Powell said. “They’re going to work with us,” he said. “They’re good people.” But asked at the meeting whether they will accept the offer, Powell said, “that’s the $2 million question.” The property is on the market for $2.8 million. “We’re hoping they will see the value in working with the community,” Powell said. He doesn’t believe the property will be sold until the estate is settled, which gives the group time to raise money. Yet the group is also concerned that growth in the state and along the Waccamaw Neck will make the property a target for someone with deeper pockets. “South Carolina is the fastest growing state in the nation,” Powell said. “They’re buying every piece of land they can find right now.” There were also questions about how much of a park Boyle Park will be. The goal is to maintain the property as green space, not a park with amenities such as a playground, Powell said. Steve Kelsey, who lives in Waccamaw Trace near the property asked who will maintain the property. With minimal facilities, there shouldn’t be much maintenance, Powell said. “We are looking for a way to negotiate our way out of that” by finding a third party to take ownership eventually, he said. Brookgreen Gardens, which leases the land at Huntington Beach State Park to the state, is one candidate. The location on the Bike the Neck route would make it ideal for limited parking for people who want to cycle to the park, he said. To qualify for 501(c)3 nonprofit status required that Boyle Park show a public benefit. Powell was concerned that people were reluctant to make pledges until they knew they would tax deductible. Now that barrier is lifted, and the group will notify people who made pledges that they can send in their donations. The group will return the donations if it isn’t able to buy the property. “We’re not putting pressure on people. We’re just asking them to see the value,” he said. Update: This article was updated from the print version after the Boyle Park group received its nonprofit approval from the IRS.