Reporter Rebecca Sitzes of the Shelby Star published an article titled “Public Hearing held for new 1,000-acre Shelby Development” at 5:12 AM this very Saturday morning; January 6, 2024. Robert A, not always an early riser himself, immediately smelled a rat.
The Star article stated by saying:
A massive proposed development on nearly 1,000 acres of land along U.S. 74 could be coming to the city of Shelby that would add hundreds of townhomes, single family lots and commercial and industrial sites.
The project, called the Blanton Farm, is scheduled for a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Don Gibson Theatre.
Holding this meeting at the Don Gibson Theatre caused Robert A to “smell another rat” as the Don Gibson Theatre holds many more people than usual. Indicating the Shelby City Council expects some trouble at this Public Hearing. So, Robert A read the rest of the article very closely.
Just a bit later the Star stated:
South Fork Ventures is listed as the developer for the Blanton Farm project.
So, Robert A immediately “Googled” South Fork Ventures and came up with an address. PO Box 178, Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina and found that Wadmalaw Island SC is a privately owned island near Charleston, SC. Robert A immediately remembered former County Manager David Dear’s “land-flip_ with a property on another resort Island similar to Wadmalaw Island in his ascendency into venture capitalism on his County Manager’s salary. A salary the later was discovered to be supplemented with insider wheeling and dealing with Former Commissioner Eddie Holbrook that involved the Catawba Casino.
Robert A also pieced together a probable profile of South Fork Ventures as a group of rich investors operating out of a Post Office Box on a private island as being similar to those “investors that are funding all those big Campaign signs for Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins and Tony Berry for Cleveland County Commissioners. Investors that expect big returns from Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins and Tony Berry as Commissioners, Investors that surely know with 100% certainty that Robert A. Williams, Linda Laine and Carter York, as commissioners, would certainly NEVER-0EVER play any unethical or illegal games and financial shenanigans with them.
Anyway, back to the Star Article:
The Star Article goes on to say that the Developers, South Fork Ventures, want rezone the property from residential and light industrial to Conditional NOW and LATER would submit applications tor increased usages. Line townhomes, houses retail industrial usages. Trails and Parks were mentioned (or inferred) and other such “sucker” keywords that the City of Shelby seems to want to spend tons of money on.
Then Robert A digs a little deeper into South Fork Ventures. And comes up with this”
WHO CAN WE HELP?
We work with entrepreneurs looking to establish new and unique business models designed to capture additional revenue streams.
We only work with motivated individuals who are hungry to add additional revenue streams. These individuals are decisive, swift to act, and committed to an outcome. We don’t work with ‘dabblers’.
BUSINESS OWNERS
As a business owner, developing revenue streams is crucial for sustained growth and success. Here are some approaches and strategies to develop new revenue streams:
Identify new market opportunities.
Diversify your product or service offerings.
Explore partnerships and collaborations.
Leverage technology and innovation
Focus on customer retention and upselling
Explore alternative pricing models.
Expand into new geographic markets.
Folks, In Robert A’s opinion, all these investors operating out of a Post Office Box on a Resort island somewhere is telling. All Cleveland County and Shelby are to them are revenue streams. ONE WAY Revenue Streams. Money flowing OUT to Cleveland County and Shelby as allowed by crooked politicians into their own pockets. Nothing in the Star article indicated anything different.
However, this is America folks! Even all these scam telemarketers have the right to call us all day long and up into the night trying to scam us out of our money. They keep on calling because they keep on finding suckers every now and then. WE THE PEOPLE have to say NO and hang up.
IN this particular situation, if Robert A was on the Shelby City Council, Robert A would vote to DENY this “Partial” open-the-door only zoning change. Robert A would say to these out of town investors: “Welcome to Cleveland County! But we are denying this change of zoning that is without anything definite being planned that would require a Zoning change. Come back to see us when you have some definite plans for this property.”
What else would be necessary to say. Robert A as a Commissioner or as a Shelby City Council member would be just like the South Fork Ventures Folks, we don’t work with “dabblers.”
For your convenience, the full Shelby Star article can be found at this link.
All you Shelby residents. Robert A recommend you show up at the Don Gibson Theatre this Monday evening.
Or better yet, Vote for CC Commissioner as shown below:
Robert A. Williams
Linda Laine
Carter York