Kershaw County will hold a ribbon-cutting for the new Wateree River Veterans Park boat ramp on Nov. 19, marking one of several significant recreation facility enhancements nearing completion across the county. Additional projects at KC West Park in Lugoff, Boyd Young Park in Westville, and Copeland Park in Bethune are expected to be completed by late November or early December, though ribbon-cuttings for those sites have not yet been scheduled.
County staff presented a detailed report on the recreation department projects to the Kershaw County Council following citizen concerns about potential cost overruns. The council revisited that report during its Sept. 23 meeting, confirming that the five major recreation facility enhancement projects that totaled more than $15 million were all funded without borrowing a cent.
County Council Finance Committee member Derek Shoemake said multiple funding sources were “combined smartly into the greatest improvement Kershaw County recreation is going to see in a long time and has ever seen in history.” The work spans three regions of the county and includes upgrades at Boyd Young Park in Westville, Copeland Park in Bethune, Woodward Park in Camden, Kershaw County West (KC West) in Lugoff and the Wateree River Veterans Park in Lugoff, according to the report.
Councilmember Danny Catoe said he was proud that the projects were completed as planned, not left half-finished. “They weren’t halfway done. We made sure [we] found a way that we got these projects done the way we wanted them done the first time,” Catoe told his colleagues, adding that the work was “much needed” for recreation in the northern end of the county.
Funding a $15 million upgrade without borrowing
Finance Committee Chair Sammie Tucker outlined the financing package that allowed the county to move forward without taking on new debt.
According to Tucker, $6 million came from American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds, which had to be committed to capital projects before the end of 2025 or be returned to the federal government and could not be used for operating expenses. Another $6 million was supplied by a grant from the Health Services District of Kershaw County.
Tucker said a $500,000 state grant, secured by the county’s legislative delegation, was earmarked for construction of the Wateree River Veterans Park boat ramp. The County Transportation Committee committed $448,000 for paving the access road to Woodward Park in Camden, according to the presentation.
A total of $250,000 in Accommodation Tax (A-Tax) funds — which come from fees visitors pay when renting sleeping accommodations of any kind for less than 90 consecutive days — were used toward the boat ramp project, Tucker said. The remaining costs were covered by the county’s Capital Fund. Some of that capital money had been allocated before 2025, but the projects had not yet been scheduled, according to the report.
Tucker also addressed public interest and rumors surrounding the Wateree River Veterans Park boat ramp. As an aside, he noted that the county did not pay additional dollars when the boat ramp concrete had to be redone. Councilman Russell Brazell told the council the concrete was replaced twice because it was “inadequate and insufficient” and added, “It did get replaced, just not on Kershaw County’s dime.”
At the conclusion of the report, Council Chair Ben Connell praised the approach, saying he was “thankful that the staff and the council have worked towards a quality product and avoided waste,” and adding, “I think it’s going to be well used.”
What’s changing at each park
According to the scope of work presented to council, the five projects include the following improvements:
Boyd Young Park (Westville)
At Boyd Young Park, the existing ballfields are being refurbished. The fields are being graded, reshaped and resurfaced, new dugouts are being constructed, new irrigation systems installed, and new lights are being added for the upper field.
Copeland Park (Bethune)
At Copeland Park, both fields are being renovated with new dirt infields and sod in the outfields. The project also includes new fencing, new dugouts, irrigation, and new sports lighting for one field, according to the project description.
KC West Park (Lugoff)
Work at KC West Park in Lugoff includes construction of 212 parking spaces and approximately 1,225 linear feet of 8-foot concrete sidewalk. The existing catch basin is being expanded, and the plan provides a second entrance off Whitehead Road.
Wateree River Veterans Park Boat Ramp (Lugoff)
The Wateree River Veterans Park project centers on construction of a new boat ramp and parking area. The scope includes about 680 linear feet of paved entrance and perimeter unloading aisle, paved boat trailer and car parking for 61 spaces, about 155 linear feet of dual concrete boat ramps, and about 630 linear feet of concrete access sidewalk, according to the report. A new floating dock with steel piles is being installed in the Wateree River.
Woodward Park (Camden)
The Woodward Park project involves demolition of approximately 26 acres of the existing park and portions of the existing roadway, followed by full reconstruction. According to the scope shared with council, construction includes:
- Four soccer/multipurpose fields and four baseball fields
- Two outdoor basketball courts
- Two concession/restroom facilities
- Three picnic shelters and one equipment building
- A new ADA playground surface (equipment not included)
- Widening and resurfacing of the existing entrance and secondary road
- Construction of a right turn lane with sidewalk on West DeKalb Road (U.S. Highway 1)
- Installation of fire hydrants and water and sewer infrastructure
- Irrigation for the recreation fields and fencing around the proposed fields
- A 430-space paved parking lot with landscaping within the lot
- An 18-hole disc golf course within surrounding wooded areas, with minor trail clearing for the course
- Storm drainage and a stormwater detention basin
