A controversy over a mixed-use commercial and residential development has been emerging in the Clemson area over the past few months.

In September, the Nettles-Newry Master Plan was presented to the Oconee County Council, where it was rejected.

Greenberg Farrow designed this plan for a 600-acre property near Seneca and Clemson. The plans include residential building sites for nearly 5,200 homes, a village center, a charter school and a satellite campus for Clemson University. The goal for this project was to build the development over several years.

The plans were prepared for West Clemson LLC, whose registered agent is Philip Maloney, according to public records found on Bizipedia. The property was subsequently sold to East Shore South LLC.

The council rejected the proposal because the plans had a much greater housing density than current county standards, according to Matthew Durham, the Oconee County Council chairman.

He shared that the county only permits four homes per acre with sewer access, and two per acre without, whereas these plans included more than eight homes per acre. The concern was a strain on the infrastructure of the area, according to a Substack post by Durham.

In a post on Substack, Durham claims that the Newry project found on the Greenberg Farrow website had not been presented to the Oconee County Council nor the city of Seneca before it was brought to his attention by private citizens.

The Newry project has been headed up by Mark Hart and East Shore South, according to WSPA 7News.

A letter the county sent to Hart explained how the proposal did not align with the current ordinance. Hart responded with a letter expressing his disappointment in the county’s conclusions, which was shared with WSPA 7News.

On behalf of East Shore South, Hart wrote, “without quick and mutual agreement with Council, we will need to pivot to other options, including: the sale of the property to large outside developers, annexation options, and other legal and political responses.”

Durham took to Substack on Sept. 22, claiming that a project of this magnitude had never been brought before the county council in recent history.

He felt that Hart was using a loophole, a Planned Development Agreement, to bypass Ordinance 2024-18.

Additionally, Durham highlighted Hart’s failures as chief operating officer for the Carolina Panthers.

Hart led the charge to build a new practice facility for the Panthers in Rock Hill, South Carolina, called “The Rock.” The project’s goal was to promote economic development within the local community.

Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor from Smith College with over 30 years of experience analyzing the economic impact of sports facilities, believes that there isn’t always a positive impact when it comes to building those facilities, according to the Rock Hill Herald.

The Panthers broke ground on the $800 million facility in April 2020. By March 2022, construction was halted. In June of the same year, David Tepper’s company, GT Real Estate, applied for bankruptcy and was awarded a settlement.

The facility was never established due to disputes between the owner of the Panthers, Tepper and Rock Hill and York County officials.

In June 2022, York County filed a lawsuit against Tepper, alleging that he misappropriated $21 million of public funds, according to WCNC Charlotte.

This is what raises concerns for Durham regarding Hart’s involvement with the Newry project.

“Growth is welcome, but only if it respects our standards and our way of life,” Durham said in the aforementioned post.

Durham released another official statement on Oct. 28.

In a Facebook post titled “Private Jet, Public Trust, and a Change in Oconee Leadership,” Durham outlines the concerns he holds regarding the connections between Clemson University leadership, United Homes Group and Oconee County leadership, which were not publicly disclosed.

During his investigation, Durham uncovered evidence of a trip to Purdue University on Jan. 18, 2024. Multiple people related to the situation were on the passenger roster for UHG’s private jet, which they traveled on that day.

The county council was not made privy to the existence or details of this trip by county administrator Amanda Brock or any of the other involved parties.

The goal of the trip to Purdue was to tour a university-affiliated research facility to help build plans for the controversial Newry project in Clemson.

Maloney was listed on the Purdue flight log, along with Michael Nieri, chairman and CEO of UHG, and Hart, vice president of land development for UHG.

Multiple high-ranking University officials were also on board, including Rick Petillo, chief financial officer, Laura Stoner, director of land and capital asset stewardship, and Tanju Karanfil, senior vice president for research, scholarship and creative endeavors.

After this incident, the Oconee County Council voted 5-0 on Oct. 28 to terminate Brock, according to WYFF 4 News. “Lack of trust” was claimed as the reason for Brock’s removal from her position.

As of right now, the Oconee County Council has appointed Phil Shirley, the previous director of parks, recreation and tourism, as the interim county administrator.

The finance director and planning director positions both sit empty for the county, which has led to its hiring of professional consulting help, according to Durham’s Facebook.

UHG, also associated with the Newry project, was formed from Great Southern Homes in 2023 and is owned by Nieri, who started the business in 2004.

The group builds homes across the Southeast, especially in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to their website.

UHG and East Shore South operate out of the same address, 917 Chapin Road, in Chapin, South Carolina, according to Durham.

Nieri and his wife, Robyn Nieri, are also the donors of Clemson’s brand-new Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center.

Nieri, a 1986 construction science and management alumnus and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Clemson Alumni Association in 2021, has been instrumental in terms of donations to the University. Nieri family donations include Cornerstone donations for the Nieri Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center and the construction science and management department.

The connection between the University and UHG does not stop there.

Jim Clements, incumbent president of Clemson University, previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for UHG, as a committee member for the compensation committee and as a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee.

He resigned from the board of directors on Oct. 19, claiming that he wanted to shift his focus to other professional obligations, according to UHG. Clements was not the only board member to resign in the past month.

UHG, a publicly traded company, has recently come under scrutiny for potential violations of federal law. Following the resignation of six of its board members, including Nikki Haley, UGH’s stock fell 52% on Oct. 20, according to FOX Carolina.

Both the University and UHG have denied any involvement of UHG in the Newry project.

Durham believes that the University has expanded beyond its current infrastructure and has now spilled over into Oconee County, therefore burdening its public services, according to his Oct. 7 Substack post.

Durham is not the only one who feels this way about the University’s local endeavors. Many Clemson area residents have also expressed concerns about this potential conflict of interest, as well as concerns about infrastructure capabilities, according to FOX Carolina.

Durham and Hart did not respond to The Tiger’s request for comment by publication.