Neighbors of controversial Fort Mill tower speak out

While residents living near the old Heritage USA site in Fort Mill Township wait for news of a planned residential tower's fate, MorningStar Ministries continues efforts to sell residential units for the Heritage Court and Heritage Towers communities.

During a sales pitch Wednesday, MorningStar representatives encouraged a few dozen attendees of the ministry's Great Awakening conference to make reservations or put down a 10 percent deposit toward buying a residential unit.

Since 2004, MorningStar has planned to renovate the tower into a spiritually focused retirement community. The group runs the MorningStar Fellowship Church, camps, a school and a conference center at the former Heritage USA site off U.S. 21 near the state line.

David Yarnes, executive vice president of MorningStar Ministries, told listeners that "units in the court are selling well."

"We're right at the cusp of bringing these people in," Yarnes said.

Later David Herr, who handles reservations for the residential projects, told the group that "the whole first floor" of units in Heritage Court is sold.

The push follows negotiations with York County over whether the ministry defaulted on its development agreement the county.

The county contends that because the developer has not provided the county with "bid, performance and payment bonds, or letters of credit" - evidence that it has the financial backing to move forward with the project - MorningStar must comply with the development agreement and demolish the tower.

Last week, county officials requested that MorningStar join them in mediation to determine the tower's fate. County Manager Jim Baker said MorningStar still had two options: to produce the requested documents or demolish the tower.

Yarnes told prospective residents Wednesday, "I spoke with the county manager, Jim Baker, yesterday. Behind the scenes we are moving forward."

Baker confirmed having spoken with Yarnes but could not say the two entities were "moving forward."

Yarnes informed Baker that MorningStar was sending the county a response to its mediation request. The letter, Yarnes told Baker, will convey that Morningstar is considering mediation.

Mixed feelings

Residents living in the neighborhoods clustered along Regent Parkway and A.O. Jones Boulevard near MorningStar's property have increased their opposition to or support for the tower.

Some went so far as to launch group pages on the social networking website Facebook.

Eric Kinsinger started the group "Tear the Morningstar Tower Down." He and his wife, Denise, live just south of the tower on Sherri Lane. Together with Jennifer and Scott Rossi, who live on Meyer Road, they feel that the tower should be demolished.

"Everyone bought here under the assumption that the tower would eventually come down," Jennifer Rossi said. Then Morningstar came forward with plans for renovating the tower.

The couples said they would be happy if the developer moved forward with the renovation, but they have seen no progress.

Denise Kinsinger dislikes the "up in the air feeling" of not knowing the tower's fate. The tower diminishing their property values, the couples say, and poses a threat to the safety of neighborhood children who might trespass on the property. They mentioned bricks falling off the building and tears in the fence surrounding the tower.

"It's embarrassing," said Jennifer Rossi. "One of our neighbors down the street says when he has guests he always brings them in the back way."

Michael Falciglia, who started the group "Keep Heritage Towers!" lives off Regent Parkway northwest of the tower. He moved to the area to join the MorningStar community and attends the church there.

"I want to show there is support for the tower," Falciglia said. "Even though we come to the church, a lot of us, we are residents, we own houses and we do vote," he said of the members of his Facebook group.

He said people should be responsible enough to stay out of the tower.

"It says 'no trespassing,'" he said. "There's a common sense factor here."

Some neighbors offered similar stances on the tower's future, while admitting some disinterest in the issue.

"I don't ever hear anyone say anything about it," said Tim Brown of Manor Lake, which is the closest neighborhood to the tower.

Brown, who has a 10-year old, said he isn't concerned about the safety of the tower, and he thinks the idea of a retirement community is a good idea.

"Having a bunch of nice old people would be good," if MorningStar follows through with its plans, he said. But if the tower ceased to be of use, he said it would make sense to demolish it, "because there's no reason for it," he said.

Melissa Matlock and Lisa Dunkar of nearby Durand Street also don't have a problem with the tower. They said the economy is to blame for diminished property values, not the tower.

"It would be a great opportunity for the retirement community," Dunkar said.

"I would rather them use it as a resource than tear it down, because what a waste is that," Matlock said.

Lisa's husband, Russ Dunkar, also said he doesn't mind the tower.

"I wouldn't want to look at it for 10 years down the road," he said. "But I can offer some grace" to MorningStar, he said, considering the dismal state of the housing market.

Though Dunkar admitted he hadn't been following news about the tower closely, he said, "It seems to be an ambiguous debate," referring to the conflict between MorningStar and the county over whether the developer is moving forward with the project.

"The back and forth is odd," he said.

Dunkar runs a company that produces painter's grade masking tape. As a businessman with experience in court, he stressed the importance of having documentation to support claims."

"If you're going to represent the community, show the county and the media your documentation," he said of MorningStar. "Tell the truth."

This story was originally published July 1, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Neighbors of controversial Fort Mill tower speak out."