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A proposed overlay ordinance in Pickens County could jeopordize plans for a luxury lodge and spa development on Lake Keowee.
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The Lodge House, planned by Old Edwards Reserve at Lake Keowee, would be a 74-room lodge and spa featuring a library, lobby lounge, restaurant, reception area, private dining room, boardroom, ballroom, conservatory and
The proposal has divided residents of The Reserve, a gated community on the lake near scenic Highway 11. At issue is a Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee overlay ordinance under consideration by Pickens County Council that could affect future development plans.
An overlay district is an additional set of development standards applied to a specific geographic area. County leaders say the ordinance, which is still being refined, is intended to protect water quality in the lakes and prevent unwanted environmental impacts from development. Under the proposal, only single-family homes up to 35 feet tall would be permitted within a quarter-mile of the lakes’ full pond elevation.
The ordinance would also require a 50-foot setback and a 25-foot buffer.
County council chairman Alex Saitta said that Pickens County residents have long wanted to protect Highway 11 and the lakes. Council passed an ordinance to protect Highway 11 in 2023, and strengthened it in 2025. Preserving the lakes was a natural next step, Saitta said.
“This proposal will go a long way in protecting those things and I think most all residents up there support it,” Saitta said.
Council member Claiborne Linvill said that while the council’s original goal was to protect the lakes and the county’s drinking water, decisions made during the process have left the ordinance difficult for her to understand or support.
On second reading of the ordinance, which Linvill opposed, council voted to eliminate any commercial development options within a quarter-mile of the lake.
“They (Lake Keowee and Jocassee) are lovely and they are gems of the county,” Linvill said. “I am not interested, though, in passing ordinances that make it more difficult for members of the public to enjoy our lakes. I think tourism is a healthy way to contribute to the economic development of our area, and I want everyone in Pickens County to be able to access our lakes. I’m not interested in passing rules that make them more restricted or to imply that people who got there and built there houses there have more right to access it than other people.”
The turmoil inside The Reserve
Inside the Old Edwards Reserve at Lake Keowee, a 3,900-acre mountain enclave with upwards of 600 luxury homes, residents are split over the overlay ordinance and the proposed Lodge House.
Buddy Thompson, a founder of The Reserve, supports the overlay ordinance. The community was established in 2000 by about 80 Upstate businessmen who envisioned it as a sanctuary where families could pass down homes for generations.
“We wanted to create something different from the very beginning,” Thompson said.
The Reserve was never intended to become a resort, Thompson said. Instead, it was strategically designed to preserve the environment, with homes on large lots that are not easily visible from the area’s scenic aerial views.
“It’s not been easy,” Thompson said. “A lot of people worked very hard for many years to create an environment and a sense of community that I was very proud of…it was part of the grand design way back then.”
Resident Steve Martucci said there is a “very serious divide” within The Reserve between those who oppose the hotel and commercial development and those who support it.
“Internally, we’ve had some challenges,” Martucci said. “We have a sizeable membership that bought into a private community, wanted it to stay a private community, and does not really have an interest in putting a public amenity in the middle of a private community.”
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Martucci said he believes the overlay ordinance would not only protect the water and environment but also help preserve the vision that attracted him and his neighbors to The Reserve.
Other residents have raised concerns about the economic consequences of the ordinance and how it would impact their right to do what they want on their property.
“All consequences have not been fully considered by council,” said resident Chad Keller at an Aug. 4 public hearing. “It will undermine trust, create uncertainty, discourage future investment, and expose the county to unnecessary legal terms.”
James Whitley, the developer and owner of Old Edwards Reserve at Lake Keowee, has been a resident and member of The Reserve for 16 years. He said in a news release that he has been thoughtful about what he leaves behind at the lake.
“The Lodge House is intentionally modest in size, but we believe it can be exceptional in both its execution and its impact,” Whitley said. “This investment has the opportunity to create hundreds of permanent jobs, generate millions of dollars in recurring economic benefit and introduce more people to everything Pickens County has to offer.”
The Lodge House is expected to support 530 permanent jobs, in addition to construction-related jobs andeconomic activity associated with bringing the project to life, according to the release.
Whitley said that his opposition to the ordinance is about more than his hopes for the development at The Reserve.
“We hope County Council will fully consider what Pickens County stands to gain, and what it stands to lose, before moving forward with an ordinance that could prevent this investment from becoming a reality,” he said in th news release.
The future of The Lodge House
It’s still unclear what exactly will happen to the plans for The Lodge House if county council passes the overlay district ordinance.
Whitley did not respond to the Greenville News when asked to specify what will happen to the development plans if the overlay ordinance is approved. According to a news release from The Reserve, if the ordinance is passed the new restrictions could prevent the project from advancing.
Whitley did say he thinks that the community’s master development plan gives him vested rights to develop, and that he should be “grandfathered in” and exempt from ordinances or restrictions that the county may pass − which Martucci and other residents dispute.
Pickens County Council will next meet on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The Protect Pickens Property Rights Group is encouraging those who oppose the overlay to show up and express their concerns, though the overlay ordinance is not on the Sept. 8 meeting agenda.
Ruth Cronin covers Greenville County business, growth and development. Contact her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Pickens County overlay ordinance could halt plans for luxury development
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Reporting by Ruth Cronin, Greenville News / Greenville News
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