Tory Dandy Foundation Donation to Benefit Parks and Rec
By: Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer
The Woodruff City Council approved annexation and zoning items for approximately 25 acres on New Bethel Road at their August meeting. It moved along the annexation and zoning of nearly 75 acres at Highway 101 and Green Pond Road for two proposed housing developments. Council members also recognized a significant donation to the City by the Tory Dandy Foundation.
In old business, the Council gave final approval for the annexation and zoning of approximately 25 acres of land on two parcels near New Bethel Road and Virginia Drive. The items had been returned to the Council for approval from earlier in the year to address a clerical error. The land is expected to be a residential development.
In new business, Council members began the annexation and zoning process for nearly 80 acres on Green Pond Road, expected to have approximately 170 new houses developed on it. To start the annexation of the parcels, the Council also had to begin approval to annex several 10-foot strips along Highway 101 to make the new parcel contiguous to the City of Woodruff property.
For a property to be annexed into the City, it must be connected to property already in the city limits. Municipalities will often work with property owners to annex a small portion of their property along roadways to join a more remote parcel.
“We will not take property or change any rights of the owners of these properties; they are literally just lines on a map,” City Manager Lee Bailey told council members regarding the 10-foot strip annex parcels. “The properties these strips of land are on will not be in the city limits and won’t be added to the city sewer system.”
Following approval of the first reading of these strip parcels, the Council also approved the first reading of the annexation approval and of the 73.98-acre parcel on Green Pond Road and zoning it for future single-family development.
To open the meeting, Mayor Kenneth Gist and Council members, along with Chaplain Derek Scurry and Bailey, recognized a $50,000 donation from the Tory Dandy Foundation. The donation is expected to be used by the parks and recreation department for a project to benefit the Woodruff community. Bailey said the City is working with the Foundation to choose a project that fits the goals of both entities.
Dandy is a Woodruff native and former star football player for Woodruff High School who has become one of the most successful player agents in the National Football League. He was recently named the co-head and managing partner of the football division for Creative Artists Agency. His Foundation focuses on providing today’s youth, especially at-risk and underprivileged youth, the tools and resources needed to be productive and civically responsive citizens.
In department reports, Chief Greg Ryan reported that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Network awarded the Woodruff Police Department the silver level award for its traffic enforcement efforts in 2021. This is the highest recognition the department has received in this category, having received bronze levels in 2019 and 2020. The award is based on traffic enforcement efforts, public education initiatives, participation in statewide traffic initiatives like Buckle Up South Carolina, and other categories.
“This is a true testament to the hard work our officers are putting in,” Chief Ryan said in his report. “My goal is for the Woodruff Police Department to reach gold level, and we are heading in the right direction.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
