Royal residents accused Sumter County officials Tuesday night of trying to “squeeze the life” out of their historic African-American community.
Former slaves founded the community of Royal after the Civil War.
Sumter County commissioners voted in favor of 8G Farms LLC’s application for the rezoning of 136 acres for industrial development, in two areas, one along County Road 462 and the other along State Road 44. The entire property is 358 acres, but gas land power line easements take up about 35 acres. Wetlands reduce the amount available for development to 244 acres.
Royal residents are upset about the amount of traffic an industrial site will bring to the area in which they live. In particular, they are concerned about heavy truck traffic.
“Trucks will be going in, and trucks will be coming out. We don’t want our community to be asphalt and concrete,” said Royal resident Cliff Hughes.
Royal residents insisted they are not opposed to economic development, but don’t want an industrial site in their community.
“Royal is just not the site for what is being proposed. This is destroying a historic community. This is not for Royal,” said Beverly Steele, a resident of the community and a noted local historian.
She said she is worried about the pollution that would come with an industrial site and the negative impact it could have on Royal’s elderly residents.
After the commission’s vote, Royal residents did not hide their disappointment.
“It appears that everything was prematurely agreed on and this thing was going to happen,” said resident Gregory Williams. “You are trying to squeeze the life out of little old Royal, which has been here since 1865. You are trying to take it away with a pen and pencil.”