The debate between the people of McClellanville and nearby organizations continues as a developer pushes to bring a sand mine to the rural community.

The land at Lofton Road off Highway 17 is empty for now. It sits about 900 feet across from Lofton Road from St. James Santee Elementary and Middle. In 2023, the community mobilized and opposed a special allowance for a sand mine through petitions and public hearings.

“So the BZA, the board of zoning appeals, they denied Blessing Investment their special exemption requests to establish a mine at the Lofton Road site. They didn’t like that decision. And so they appealed that,” Riley Egger with the Coastal Conservation League says.

Blessing Investment is now suing the board over its denial. The Coastal Conservation League and Friends of Coastal South Carolina applied to intervene in the legal case, to continue advocating against the mine. Their intervention was granted, and they will be at the table for the next mediation meeting.