The western part of Lake Oakdale can be crossed on Whitehall Shores Road. The portion of the lake that could be annexed is around the corner on the left, roughly straight through the clump of trees in the center of the photo.
FLORENCE, S.C. — The city of Florence could be annexing the northern half of Lake Oakdale.
On the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the Florence Planning Commission is a request from Claussen Developers to recommend the city annex and zone most of the northern half of the west Florence lake and the dam that impounds Middle Swamp to form the lake.
The proposed annexation for the lake is open space recreation, meaning no development can occur on the property. Also, development would be prohibited by the water on the parcel.
No properties surrounding this parcel will be affected by the annexation. For several years, the city has used a policy of annexing only when requested to do so by the property owners.
The dam creating the lake was previously part of the Palms Course at Lake Oakdale. The golf course was sold to Claussen Developers last September for $1.44 million.
Most of the southern half of the lake was annexed and zoned open space recreation by the city in January 2019 over the objections of several residents living around the lake. The lake was annexed to allow a connection from the city limits to properties located on the southern side of the lake that are currently being developed. The residents were concerned more about the development than the annexation.
If the annexation receives a positive recommendation from the planning commission, it will go before the Florence City Council for approval likely in May and June.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday. It will be conducted via Zoom and available for viewing via the city’s YouTube channel.
Matthew Christian
Government and Politics Reporter
I cover the city of Florence, the county of Florence, the state legislative delegation of Florence County and surrounding areas, and the federal delegation representing the Pee Dee for the Morning News.
