Plumbers in Awendaw, SC

AWENDAW, SC (WCIV) — A local Awendaw man is making national headlines for working his way to the quarterfinals of the DIY Hero contest which looks to promote the “next big name” in Do-it-Yourself craftsmanship.

Some would even say Michael Bronco is the definition of “Do-it-Yourself." When you think DIY, your mind may go to little projects such as shelves and small art pieces, but what about an entire house?

What started out as working on cars with his dad, turned into building a full two-story home for his family in Awendaw. Building is something Bronco says he can remember doing from a young age.

Now, as a quarterfinalist in the national competition, he hopes to use this exposure to inspire kids across the Lowcountry to use their hands to do the same.

“For me those lessons that you learned to get through things when they're really tough, you can teach that in a workshop. You can teach confidence you can teach discipline you could teach, you know, pride in your work. It's just one of those things where I don't know how else we teach kids,” Bronco said.

With those same hands, he hopes to create opportunity for residents in the Lowcountry through construction.

“It's been a game changer having skills like this. there's no question about it. I couldn't buy the house that I built here with my son,” Bronco said.

“I spent a lot of time with him. and more time than I would spend if I was in school,” Bronco’s son Michael Jr. said.

Bronco pulled his son, who was then thirteen-years-old, out of school for a year to teach him the ropes. As well as teaching him life lessons along the way.

“The other kids were running around school, he had work boots on at 6 a.m. getting in the truck and coming out and building with me. So I hope one day, he's gonna appreciate that,” Bronco said.

Michael Jr, now 17 years old, shows that the appreciation.

“Now I’m pretty happy,” Michael Jr. said, “I have that kind of base now where I can, you know, extend like, if I want to go to a trade school.”

Bronco continued to teach others along the way.

“I'm just enjoying learning from my dad, learning these skills, learning how to use my hands,” Bronco’s daughter Jessy said.

“He taught me a lot. He got me interested in the field and working in the field and now I’m starting my own crawlspace company,” University of South Carolina senior Richard Hurteau said.

Bronco entered the national DIY Hero competition and is currently in first place in the quarterfinals of the contest.

The prize: $25,000 and a spot in Make Magazine. But he says he wants more than money.

“The idea is to build workshops, and areas where they're needed most and have a place for kids to go,” Bronco said.

He wants to use his exposure to start a nonprofit to teach youth in underserved communities lessons in construction, and to help Lowcountry kids learn the same life lessons he did.

“What we teach is a game changer for everybody,” Bronco said, “Life is hard. We don't hide that. But if you're going to succeed at anything in life, you better accept the fact that it's going to be hard.”

A game changer himself, Bronco also holds a summer program called the Huck Finn School where he teaches kids woodworking and blacksmithing skills.

You can vote for Bronco in the DIY Hero contest by donating to the American Lung Association.

The last day for voting in the quarterfinals of the DIY Hero contest is today. The field will then get cut down to 15 participants nationwide.

A potential new middle and high school in Awendaw has a chance to be a partial magnet school, and students from multiple parts of the district can be pulled to

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - A potential new middle and high school in Awendaw has a chance to be a partial magnet school, and students from multiple parts of the district can be pulled to take part in a specialized curriculum.

Charleston County School District Board Members and the people of Mount Pleasant got to hear new details about the potential schools on Wednesday. District officials told people at the meeting, held at Laing Middle School, that a lot of the plans right now are just ideas with no specific timeline.

This new middle and high school would be located on 107 acres at Highway 17 and Jenkins Hill Road. As part of this plan, district staff presented concept maps with multiple options for rezoning.

Jeff Borowy, the Chief Operating Officer for the district, says this plan will be a challenge.

“Most of the times we build a school, we just build a specific zone of attendance for that school, but in this case, we want to have a number of students to offer the right programs for those students,” Borowy said. “So, we have to look out of the box and look for something different beyond the zone.”

District staff says one of the main challenges is making sure that each school holds a maximum of 500 students. This would pull in kids from D1, the Awendaw-McClellanville area, and some from D2 in the northern Mount Pleasant area.

Staff also say they are continuing to research desirable education options for a partial magnet school to reach that target enrollment.

“It’s going to be very important to let’s build the school from up, but at the same time, let’s figure out what we’re going to be doing inside,” Thomas Colleton, D1 Constituent Board Chair, said. “The curriculum needs a lot.”

There is currently no timeline on construction for the schools because the district does not know if this magnet option will be included. The district says it is possible that the earliest we can start to see construction would be in four years.

Jonathan Mars, a parent of two children at Carolina Park Elementary, says this could be an option for his family when his kids get older.

“But it does sound like they’re going to have very specific programs at the school,” Mars said. “So, for example, if there’s a great art program and my daughter’s really into art that seems like a great option to have.”

As of now, this project is not fully funded and the district says they do not have a price estimate.

They say the next step is to charter a blue-ribbon committee in mid-October that will look at enrollment numbers and look at the best options to make this project successful.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — One Awendaw woman is launching a new company with the goal of bringing new services to her community.

Awendaw is a small quiet rural city next to Mount Pleasant, but for people like Stacia McNeil Dawson it's better known as "home."

“Being out in the country, born and raised, which I love and I see that everybody else is starting to love it as well,” McNeil Dawson said.

Awendaw woman starts trash service, looks to bring more resources to rural communities. (WCIV)

But the beauty of a small rural town comes at a cost.

“Growing [up], born and raised in Awendaw, I’ve noticed that we always lack,” McNeil Dawson said.

Cities like Awendaw don’t have county-sponsored resources when it comes to maintenance or sanitation like many other areas do. So for many basic necessities, residents are pushed towards private services which, according to residents, may be unreliable or have such a large service area that these rural cities may get over looked.

“We are the last to have anything available or otherwise any type of services funding or even programs,” McNeil Dawson said.

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One of those resources McNeil Dawson says the lack: trash services.

“Just to see when you go out and visit other relatives, and they have all these type of services come into their community, and you come back home and you see that we don't have it, it makes you feel like why don't we have it? It makes us feel like, well, maybe we're not worthy to have it or maybe they just don't want to cater to us," McNeil Dawson said.

Instead of accepting her fate, McNeil Dawson decided to get up and do something about it.

“In order to make a difference in the world, we must start [at] home first. Community is number one, " she said.

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McNeil Dawson decided to create her own sanitation service company specifically for Awendaw and the surrounding rural areas in the North Mount Pleasant area. It's called Awendaw Sanitation Services.

What started out as a vision five years ago turned into a full blow operation set to open next week. McNeil Dawson took the an unconventional route to get there.

“Typically, every day in both of my vehicles is full with anything on sanitation," she said.

She's a true self starter who built this business using her own money- raising almost a quarter of a million dollars in total- her own time and her own resources to put together trucks and commercial vehicles.

From rolling trash cans down the street to now just being days away from the rollout of her business– it’s been a long journey.

Read More: Southeastern hike trekking through South Carolina in effort to combat childhood cancer

But for McNeil Dawson, her purpose is much larger than just trash clean-up.

“I believe Awendaw Sanitation Services will be the door to start opening up new opportunities, to bring out more resources and just to give more to the rural areas," she said.

She hopes the road she took to get to this point will inspire others to do the same.

“It's going to take us if we see the need, it's going to take us to make that change," she said.

Awendaw sanitation company will provide household trash cleanup services to Awendaw, McClellanville, Huger, North Santee, Buck Hall and North Mount Pleasant starting on August 2.

McNeil Dawson said they are currently running a promotion for signups before their start date next week and are also looking for more employees– specifically for anyone with a CDL license.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCBD) -A proposed development, the White Tract Development, in Awendaw has some neighbors calling for a time-out.

Pulte Homes, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, is seeking the Town of Awendaw’s approval to build a 200+ home subdivision on approximately 148 acres. The planned location is just down the street from the intersection of Seewee and Bulls Island Roads.

Some neighbors say they’re worried a large subdivision could cause future problems for the area.

“If you go down Bulls Island Road right now, it’s very peaceful and tranquil…a pretty little country scene.,” said Greg St. Pierre, an Awendaw resident. “They’re gonna exploit every bit of that.”

St. Pierre and his neighbors understand growth is inevitable, but they’re hopeful Awendaw leaders will do it in what they call “the right way.” St. Pierre says there should be proactive plans for stormwater drainage, traffic mitigation, improved roadways, and more before the neighborhood is built. Additionally, the proposed spot is close to a National Wildlife Refuge and neighbors say it could be harmful to the species that thrive there.

On top of that, he says residents weren’t informed about the possible development until very recently and are now being asked to voice their opinions in a public hearing next week.

“Basically, the people are just asking for a little bit more time to understand what’s happening here.”

“You can’t stop people from selling their land, you can’t stop development from happening. It’s gonna happen, but do the right thing and don’t cram a bunch of cookie-cutter houses on postage-stamp-sized lots,” said St. Pierre.

Another concern by St. Pierre is the town’s lack of a full-time planning director. Currently, the town only has a part-time interim planning director in-house four hours per week.

News 2 contacted the Town of Awendaw with some of the questions posed by St. Pierre. The questions and answers are below.

Q: Are you aware of the concerns of Awendaw residents about the potential White Tract development? If so, what is your response?

A: The Town is aware of the concerns about the White Tract development. The White Tract Development is being developed under the auspices of a Planned Development adopted by Town Council in 2006. The approval of that Planned Development document also raised many of the concerns the Town is hearing today. A Planned Development is utilized in order to allow the Town to allow flexibility in development that will result in improved design, character, and quality of new developments and preserve natural and scenic features of open spaces. The Town of Awendaw provides for the establishment of planned development districts as amendments to a locally adopted zoning ordinance and official zoning map. The adopted Planned Development map is the zoning district map for the property. The planned development provisions must encourage innovative site planning within planned development districts. Planned development districts may provide for variations from other ordinances and the regulations of other established zoning districts concerning use, setbacks, lot size, density, bulk, and other requirements to accommodate flexibility in the arrangement of uses for the general purpose of promoting and protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare.

Q: We are hearing concerns about infrastructure surrounding the area (roads, water drainage, etc.) should a subdivision be built in the listed area. Does the town have proactive plans to address possible future problems (deteriorating roads, a lack of turning lanes leading to traffic safety concerns, water drainage) as a result of a large neighborhood?

In collaboration with the County of Charleston, the Army Corps of Engineers, DHEC and other jurisdictions, the Town is assured that roadways, stormwater drainage and traffic concerns are addressed. The Town may request additional plans and specifications of the developer of the land should they feel that something might need to mitigated in an appropriate fashion. The applicant has submitted plans to subdivide the three parcels of approximate 148 acres in to 204 parcels.

Q: I understand the Town of Awendaw only has a part-time (4 hours per week) Planning Director. Can the town handle a development of this size?

A: This is correct. The BCDCOG is contracting with the Town to provide an experienced Planning Director on an Interim basis. The Director is on-site at Town Hall for 4 hours per week, however, the Director spends upwards of 10-16 hours per week on Awendaw business. The past Town Administrator, Bill Wallace, is also actively working part-time for the Town and has over 4 decades of urban planning experience. Between the two individuals, the Town feels we have more than adequate experience to handle this project.

“If we can’t stop the neighborhood, we’re going to try to push for more green spaces, road improvements, anything that’s gonna help in the community,” said St. Pierre.

A public hearing is set for March 21st at 6 p.m. at Awendaw Town Hall for residents to share their opinions on the proposed development. St. Pierre says many people plan to come out and voice their concerns in hopes that the application for development will be denied.

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AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - The coastal waterways are home to activities like fishing, shrimping and hold many of the Lowcountry’s famous oysters. However, a nonprofit environmental law firm and the people of Awendaw say these waterways could be in jeopardy.

Charleston Waterkeeper and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, two environmental organizations of the Lowcountry, want the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to have more of an oversight of septic systems that are being installed by the entire coastline. Because of this, they filed a complaint in November that is now moving its way through the circuit court.

“DHEC has, no one has, any idea how many septic systems exist in South Carolina because no one’s keeping track of it,” Emily Nellermoe, staff attorney at the South Carolina Environmental Law Firm and one of the lead attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said.

One of the many areas of concern is in the Town of Awendaw. Back in the spring, the town’s planning commission approved two large residential subdivisions, resulting in more than 400 septic tanks coming right next to the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Susan Cox lives in Awendaw and says she is passionate about saving these waterways.

“The mission statement of the Town of Awendaw says they want to maintain the rural character of the town, but there is nothing about a dense housing development that says rural,” Cox said.

Cox says her and her neighbors believe this area was improperly rezoned years ago. She says these septic tanks are going to do irreversible harm to the wildlife.

Andrew Wunderley, director of Charleston Waterkeeper, says his organization tests the water quality of areas like these.

“There’s evidence that septic tanks, especially clustered at high densities, can discharge pollution by creeks and rivers,” Wunderley said. “So, it’s a huge concern... Any of those activities that make the Lowcountry lifestyle and living here in the Lowcountry so special are put at risk.”

Nellermoe says she doesn’t know why the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is not asking these important questions.

“What are the impacts of 200 septic systems on the watershed overall?” Nellermoe said. “What are the impacts to oyster beds and shellfish harvesting? They’re not asking any of those questions and they should be and that’s a problem.”

The Department of Health and Environmental Control says they do not comment on pending litigation. However, Nellermoe says she heard from them recently and they say they do not have to use their specialized agency to review these permits and they are not breaking any laws.

“This is the largest undeveloped piece of coastline on the East coast in the United States of America and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Cox said. “You can’t get it back.”

The Town of Awendaw has not responded for a comment. Nellermoe says the timeline on this complaint depends on court scheduling, so there is not a set date of when further action will be taken.

The filed complaint for South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and Charleston Waterkeeper v. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is below.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.