Following the Record: Cane Bay Lake Village
I've followed this proposal from the very first hearing — and I've spoken on the record at every step. Here's the whole trail, so you can follow it too.
This is one of the biggest land-use decisions our district has faced — up to 5,500 new homes and 400,000 square feet of commercial development on roughly 2,000 acres. I believe our community deserves to see the whole story, not a headline. Below is the official schedule, video of the meetings, and every news article I could find, in the order it happened. My ask has never changed: count the cost first. Fix the roads and the schools before we outrun them. Read it for yourself, and come to your own conclusion.
The Official Schedule
- July 13 Land Use Committee review (prior to first reading)
- July 27 County Council — First Reading
- Aug. 10 Land Use Committee review (prior to second reading)
- Aug. 24 County Council — Second Reading & Public Hearing
- Sept. 14 Land Use Committee review (prior to third reading) Next
- Sept. 28 Public Hearing & County Council — THIRD (FINAL) READING Final Vote
The Planning Commission serves only in an advisory role. County Council makes the final decision. The last chance for public comment is the third reading on September 28.
August 24 — Second Reading & Public Hearing
The full official recording. Use the index below to jump straight to any speaker.
Jump to a Speaker
- Cathi Lee — 53:15
- Ken Lee (escorted from the podium) — 57:00 – 1:01:38
- Rev. Leroy Godfrey Jr. (first remarks) — 1:05:10 – 1:07:23
- LiAnna Godfrey — 1:07:24 – 1:09:20
- Leilani Godfrey — 1:09:20 – 1:10:40
- Robert Barrons — 1:10:40 – 1:13:43
- Rev. Leroy Godfrey Jr. (second turn at the podium) — 1:37:50 – 1:41:11
- …public comment continues throughout the recording…
Click… — What's Up?? Why the Tension? Why the Rush?
The Planning Commission's recommendation to approve Cane Bay Lake Village came out of a June 23, 2026 meeting that made headlines across the Lowcountry — for all the wrong reasons. According to livestream video and a fellow commissioner on the record, a planning commissioner appeared to draw and rack a handgun at the dais moments before the vote on this very project. He denies displaying the weapon. Even so, within days the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office revoked his honorary special-deputy status, and the commissioner resigned after serving since 2015.
We're not here to try anyone in public — the newspapers already reported it, and the county already acted. We only ask the question any neighbor would: when the process that produces a 5,500-home recommendation looks like this, why the rush to a final vote on September 28? Read the coverage below and decide for yourself.
The coverage, from the outlets that reported it:
- Post and Courier — "Berkeley County planning commissioner appears to unholster gun during a meeting. He says he didn't."
- Post and Courier — "Berkeley County planning commissioner who pulled gun resigns"
- The Berkeley Observer — "Berkeley County Planning Commissioner Resigns After Gun Controversy During Cane Bay Vote"
- Live 5 News — "Planning Commission member resigns following gun incident"
- ABC News 4 — "Planning Commission member resigns after alleged firearm incident"
- Post and Courier editorial — "Berkeley gun incident highlights SC special deputy problems"
The Cane Bay Boulevard Question
The glass half-empty they're rushing us past.
Most of the debate has been about US 17-Alt. But thousands of Lake Villages residents will pour daily onto the two-lane stretch of Cane Bay Boulevard — the road with neighborhood entrances directly across from each other, and the YMCA — feeding toward Cane Bay and Nexton. Here's what the county's own traffic study actually shows:
- The study analyzed 10 intersections. Nine are on the 17-Alt / Black Tom side.
- Exactly one touches Cane Bay Blvd — out at the Black Tom Road end — and even there it used a reduced 1.25% growth rate (half the 2.5% used elsewhere), assuming growth comes only from existing Cane Bay and the new school.
- The two-lane corridor residents actually drive was never studied at all, and the Lake Villages traffic loading onto it was never modeled.
- The county admits there are no plans to widen it — the earliest fix is a 2028 tax vote, roughly 6 years of worsening congestion first.
Rev. Godfrey's position:
(1) a corridor-level traffic study of the two-lane Cane Bay Blvd — accounting for Lake Villages — before any final vote; (2) dedicated turn lanes at the dangerous opposing entrances and high-traffic points like the YMCA; (3) accelerate the widening instead of parking it on a 2028 tax vote. Infrastructure should match the growth — not chase it five years later.
Source: Cane Bay/Daniels Lake Traffic Impact Analysis, county packet — Study Area Intersections & §4.2. · Download the one-page handout (PDF) →
Every Article, In the Order It Happened
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“Public outcry gives Berkeley County pause on approving 5,500-home project”
Planning Commission unanimously defers its vote at the May 27 hearing after residents raise traffic and flooding concerns.
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“Planning Commission Delays Vote on 5,500-Home Cane Bay Expansion After Residents Voice Concerns”
Quotes Leroy: “Once the trees are gone, they don’t grow back. It cannot be undone once it’s approved.”
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“Berkeley County Planning Commission approves rezoning for Lake Village project”
The Planning Commission approves the rezoning; the proposal advances toward County Council.
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“Planning Commission Advances Cane Bay Lake Village Development After Lengthy, Divided Hearing”
Quotes Leroy: “Traffic doesn’t follow good intentions. It follows the path of least resistance.” LiAnna Godfrey also addressed the commission, telling them on the official video: “Please put families who already live here first.”
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“Berkeley County planning commissioner appears to unholster gun during a meeting. He says he didn’t.”
Livestream video and a fellow commissioner say a commissioner appeared to draw and rack a handgun moments before the Lake Village vote; he denies it. The Sheriff’s Office revoked his honorary special-deputy status.
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“Berkeley County Planning Commissioner Resigns After Gun Controversy During Cane Bay Vote”
The commissioner resigns effective immediately, days after the June 23 incident tied to this project’s rezoning recommendation.
Also covered by: Post and Courier · Live 5 News · ABC News 4
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“Lake Village development plans move forward in Cane Bay”
The proposal moves through the county process; affordable-housing and infrastructure questions raised.
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“Berkeley County is considering another development in Cane Bay. Some residents aren’t happy.”
Nearby residents voice environmental and traffic concerns as Council takes it up; reports developer campaign contributions to council members.
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“Berkeley Co. to hold 1st vote on Lake Village; Summerville residents can share input in new survey”
Previews the first-reading vote on the 5,500-home, ~2,000-acre plan.
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“Residents clash over Lake Village development”
Quotes Leroy as a Windwood resident and District 6 candidate: the county “is not capable of handling the traffic that’s already tied to what’s going on in this community.”
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“Residents raise flooding, growth concerns over proposed Cane Bay rezonings”
Residents warn Council about flooding, infrastructure, and traffic impacts.
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“Courtney Martin Takes Aim at Growth in Berkeley County Council Bid”
A District 5 council candidate criticizes the Lake Village plan over wetlands and flooding — a sign the growth concern is county-wide.
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“Berkeley County residents pack hearing, blast massive development plan in public comment”
Packed public hearing at the second reading; nothing finalized — the decision returns Sept. 28.
Additional coverage
Don't take my word for it — pull the records yourself.
Every agenda, packet, and meeting record is public. You can read the same documents I've been reading, straight from the county:
📄 Berkeley County Meeting Agendas & Records
Then come back here to follow along as we head toward the final vote on September 28. The more neighbors who read the record, the better decision our community makes together.
Not Against Growth. Asking What We're Building It On.
I'm not against growth. I'm asking what we're building it on. Solid rock — or shifting sand? Scripture already told us how that story ends (Matthew 7:24–27) — the wise man built on rock, the foolish man on sand, and when the storm came, only one house was left standing. Slow down. Get it right. — Rev. Leroy Godfrey Jr.The Responsible Growth Standard →
This page is updated as new coverage runs and as the September 28 vote approaches. Last updated: August 26, 2026. Spot an error? Tell us and it will be corrected — that's the standard.