Call to action: Protect Paris Mountain

There are places in the Upstate so beautiful, ecologically important, and iconic that their highest and best use is their natural state — Paris Mountain is one such place.

Despite a massive outpouring of community opposition, developers have submitted an official request to the City of Travelers Rest to annex two parcels (approximately 40 acres) on Paris Mountain to build the Inn at Altamont — a 150-room hotel and event venue.

Upstate Forever strongly opposes this project and urges elected and appointed officials to reject this annexation proposal.

How you can help

The Travelers Rest Planning Commission will host a public hearing on the annexation request at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 24 at TR city hall (125 Trailblazer Drive, 29690).
 
To speak at this public hearing, you must sign up in person between 4:00 - 5:55 pm on April 24. The sign-up sheet will be located at City Hall outside of Council Chambers. Comments will be limited to 3 minutes per person. Residents of Travelers Rest will be called upon to speak first.
 
If you are unable to attend the public hearing on April 24:

• Contact Planning Director Jay Martin to express your concerns about the project
• Contact Travelers Rest City Council Members to urge their “no” vote to this annexation request

Why do we oppose the Inn at Altamont?

More than 13,000 concerned individuals have signed a petition opposing the project. Hundreds attended a developer-hosted community meeting in February to voice their opposition, and multiple local conservation groups have come out against it. Most recently, Greenville County Council unanimously adopted a resolution expressing their opposition.

There are many reasons to be seriously concerned about this project and annexation request:

• Construction of the hotel and associated parking lots would without a doubt negatively impact the sensitive ecological features of the mountain, a steep terrain with largely contiguous forest and a healthy population of wildlife where the project is proposed.
   
• Construction would also pose a direct threat to headwaters of the Reedy River that dominate the project's lower parcel — critical for water quality.
   
• Approval would set a dangerous precedent for using annexation to side-step Greenville County's "Environmentally Sensitive District" zoning — a tool intended to prevent such high-intensity development in this location.
   
• Millions of private and public dollars have been invested in Paris Mountain’s protection so the community can enjoy a natural respite within an otherwise urbanized area.

If this project goes forward, it will do so for the enjoyment of visitors at the expense of local community members.

Aerial photo of Paris Mountain by Mac Stone