UPDATE: Additional attempts made to purchase Bruce Lake property
Following the Greenville Planning Commissions rejection on April 27, 2022 and the settlement of the lawsuits, members of the Bruce Heights Community mailed an offer letter on 11-APR-2024 to purchase Bruce Lake and the adjoining properties.
The Bruce Heights community agreed to the property’s asking price on April 11, 2024, to purchase the Bruce Lake Development LLC properties. The Charleston Developer said, “NO, I’m selling it to another developer who will hopefully have better luck developing the property.”
Community Steps Up to Protect Bruce Lake Watershed: Urgent Call for Support
The Bruce Heights community in Greenville, SC, continues taking decisive action to preserve a vital piece of our natural heritage. We’re reaching out to our community, organizations, and anyone who values conservation to help us secure 13 acres of sensitive watershed and wetland property. This purchase is crucial to completing a 30+ acre nature preserve, building upon the protected lands of Naturaland Trust and Bruce Heights.
A Community United for Conservation
Our community has come together with a shared vision: to protect the ecological integrity of the Bruce Lake area.
Why This Land Matters
This 13-acre property is more than just land; it’s a critical part of the Bruce Lake Watershed. Protecting it will:
- Preserve Vital Wetlands: These wetlands play a crucial role in filtering water, preventing floods, and providing habitat for diverse wildlife.
- Safeguard Water Quality: Preventing high-density development here will protect Bruce Lake from harmful runoff that would violate water buffer laws.
- Uphold Existing Agreements: The purchase will ensure adherence to the Bruce Lake Easement Agreement and Covenants filed with Greenville County in 1989, which convey specific restrictions on properties (Tax map 0449000200700 & 0449000200500).
Expert Endorsement
Our commitment to conservation is strongly supported by respected organizations:
- Southern Environmental Law Center: Frank Holleman of SELC emphasizes the importance of Bruce Lake’s connection to the broader watershed, stating, “Bruce Lake is part of a waterway that begins near Furman and flows into the Reedy River. The waters that flow through Bruce Lake also flow through neighborhoods, the new Unity Park, Falls Park, Cleveland Park, and ultimately into Lake Greenwood, a drinking water source.”
- Friends of the Reedy River
- Upstate Forever
- North Parker Roads Community
- Sans Souci Neighborhood Alliance
- Bruce Heights
A Call for Assistance
We are reaching out to our community and beyond for support in making this critical purchase a reality. Your help will directly contribute to:
- Expanding a significant nature preserve
- Protecting water quality for generations to come
- Preserving vital habitats for wildlife
How You Can Help
The Bruce Heights community is dedicated to seeing this project through. If you are able to support this effort, please respond to let our communities and organizations know.
A protected nature preserve will be in the best interest of our community as well as our natural environmental resources. We must involve ourselves by directly inserting representation at important meetings that will decide the fate of development in our community. In addition to our attempt to purchase the land, we need ideas on how to diminish the impact on Bruce Lake while allowing for reasonable development along Poinsett Highway where watershed and wetlands will not be adversely impacted by new construction. The community is asks for dialogue with Greenville County, developers and landowners for the purpose of finding a reasonable compromise.