Published: Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 / Updated: Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 05:03 PM
‘Walnut Creek’ more than a new name
INDIAN LAND --
The name “Edenmoor” became infamous in Fort Mill and Indian Land over the last three years. Residents knew it as a development that symbolized what the recession did to home building.
Now, the development has a new name and, developers hope, a new future.
At last week’s EMS station dedication, the community’s new developers, Edenmoor Land Acquisition group, announced the new name for the community – Walnut Creek.
“We reviewed the history of the area, identified the creeks crossing through the property and investigated the indigenous flora and fauna,” said Jon Schotz of ELA. “The name Walnut Creek is a reference to the Black Walnut trees on the property, as well as the extraordinary creek that bisects the site.”
In addition to improvements to the EMS station, allowing it to be transferred to the county, the development group has also made numerous improvements to the community itself. County Administrator Steve Willis notes that within three days of closing on the property, ELA had “equipment on the ground.”
“They took ownership on a Friday afternoon and they had trucks out there moving dirt by Monday,” Willis said.
Homeowners in the subdivision, around 70 of them, have long complained about the dangerous ditches and trenches around the community. The roads were pothole ridden for several years and vandalism on the property was rampant.
Those worries seem to be over, Willis said.
“From what we’ve seen since [ELA] took over, they have certainly lived up to everything they said they would do,” Willis said.
Since taking ownership of the property in late October, ELA said they have repaired more than 400 potholes and other road issues, stabilized much of the property that was eroding and fixed a particularly dangerous-looking 20-foot trench.
ELA is a partnership between Saybrook, a California-based investment firm, and Lstar, a Raleigh-based real estate investment group.