Plumbers in James Island, SC

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Members of the Johns Island community could be looking at the construction of a second hotel and living space.

New Leaf Builders is requesting to build JUBILEE on the corner of Maybank Highway and Wildts Battery Boulevard. The development would take up 13.3 acres.

The City of Charleston passed the plans through in a 7-0 vote on July 19. It is the latest in a series of conversations involving development on Johns Island.

Rich Thomas has lived on Johns Island for 16 years and says it is hard to recognize the lay of the land.

“The city and county have not paid any attention whatsoever to how Maybank and Johns Island in general can handle these developments,” Thomas says. “When you add up 100 housing units, commercial restaurants and things, it turns into a huge problem.”

Councilman Jim McBride says the development is classified as a Planned Unit Development, or PUD, meaning fewer units will go on the property than originally thought.

Developers say they intend to create a “vibrant, human-scaled, pedestrian-friendly community” and “transform neglected and underutilized natural resources into a beautiful hospitality village destination.”

The area is considered a central location for future public transit and connectivity. McBride says it would help to support the island’s future fire station and Trident hospital.

The plans fit the mold for a mixed-use residential office and low-density residential district. JUBILEE would become a spot for 140 families total, split into 75 hotel rooms and 65 residential cottages.

It is unclear how much each unit will cost or how much it will be to build the complex.

Each building would sit at a height of either three or four stories.

Darcy Whalen lived on Johns Island for six years but now resides across the Stono River in James Island.

Out her window, she still sees the impacts of traffic and growth bleeding into her community.

“Infrastructure is huge. We’re a little backwards, that we should’ve had that first before these things were approved,” Whalen says. “I don’t begrudge getting a hotel. There are a lot of people coming onto Johns Island and Seabrook. I think we have been done a disservice.”

Developers emphasized that Charleston has doubled in population since the 1970s. They claim the Charleston City Plan to develop the area over the next 10 years fits within their plans to build up Johns Island.

Charleston County Council will tentatively vote on the project on August 30.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County Public Works is working to improve stormwater drainage in the Town of James Island.

One of the many projects that are a part of the Central Park Drainage Basin Improvements is located on Hollings Road. The Hollings Road Drainage Project focuses on diverting stormwater from smaller ditches that don’t have sufficient capacity to a county-maintained canal along Hollings Road.

The county plans to do this by installing a box culvert under Hollings Road. A box culvert is a rectangular shaped concrete structure that helps with stormwater drainage.

Some other drainage projects included in the Central Park Basin Improvements are on Central Park Road and Howle Avenue Park.

The stormwater project manager for Charleston County Public Works, John Primm, says that stormwater has been an issue on James Island for a while, but that these projects should bring some relief to the area.

“These projects, they won’t solve all of the stormwater problems, they won’t solve all of the flooding, but what they will do is improve the stormwater, improve the flooding as far as depth and duration, so the height of the stormwater, flooding should be reduced and the amount of time it takes for the storm water to drain after a storm should be reduced,” Primm says.

Primm says the county received one million dollars in state funding for the Hollings Road Drainage Project, but that it doesn’t cover all of the construction costs. The remaining costs will be funded through Charleston County Public Works funds.

This project falls in State Rep. Spencer Wetmore’s district and she says that the most common problem they hear about from people is stormwater drainage.

“This Central Park Basin, which you know as John talked about, makes up several different drainage projects, is probably the number one basin that we hear about in terms of flooding, it appears to be one of the most severe and one of the ones that touches the most neighborhoods,” Wetmore says.

Wetmore says that this project will not only help the residents that live on Hollings Road, but that it will touch on all of the surrounding neighborhood and help alleviate flooding.

“We hear so many awful stories of people not just having to move their cars on days that it rains, but their homes are flooding and they’re truly losing their property and the value that they’ve worked so hard for and we just want to do everything that we can to make sure that we’re addressing and mitigating as best as we can,” Wetmore says.

Primm says the next steps in the Hollings Road project are finishing up the design and permitting process before beginning construction in early 2025. Charleston County Public Works hopes to complete the project by 2026.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A plot of land taking up less than two acres on Dills Bluff Road is the subject of a lawsuit and a land condemnation filing on James Island.

The Town of James Island is attempting to use its right to eminent domain, to take over the 1.267 acres of property, compensate the owner and transform it for public use. The developer KT Properties who purchased the land in 2023, alleges the town is doing so in bad faith and fraudulently to interfere with its business.

A former version of the Town of James Island originally owned the land in 1998. The land later passed to the James Island Public Service District, which put it up for sale a few times since 2021. KT Properties has a contract of purchase for the 1.267 acres, as well as about five more nearby dated March 1, 2023.

Now, the town says it is using its right to take about one acre and turn it into a park.

“The property sought herein to be acquired is to be acquired for public purposes, more particularly for the purpose of creating and constructing a public park and open space in the Town of James Island.”

The town is leaning on the state’s eminent domain law put in place in 1976 and widely used since. The town states that it did make an effort to negotiate a resolution before filing for eminent domain. The town assessment of the land puts it at $600,000 and the town says that would be paid to the property owner.

KT Properties says there is more to the story, and the town is using the law in bad faith to harm the business.

“The Town’s exercise of its eminent domain authority to condemn the Subject Property is in bad faith and fraudulent and is not for a public use,” the lawsuit says.

KT Properties says the land is zoned Community Commercial, which according to the town’s own comprehensive plan “is intended to allow diverse retail and service uses that serve the residential population of the Island, and that do not negatively impact the surrounding community.”

The Town’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2015 and updated in 2021. The developer’s lawsuit also notes that the town comprehensive plan has a “Institutional/Special Purpose” land category. That zoning category includes future use of recreation and town community space, but the town did not use that designation for the property, instead leaving it as community commercial at the adoption and review.

The lawsuit continues to state “The Town’s comprehensive plan also includes a section that addresses Community Facilities, including Parks and Recreation Services. The Town did not designate the Subject Property as a site for a future public park in the comprehensive plan.”

The lawsuit also notes that the land has been up for sale by the James Island Public Service District three times since 2021 and at no point when it was for sale, did the town discuss interest, authorize funds or attempt to purchase the land.

“Although KT Properties received support from Town planning staff and a unanimous recommendation of approval for the proposed PD zoning from the Town’s Planning Commission, the Town’s council denied KT Properties’ rezoning application on October 19, 2023 in response to a well-organized opposition campaign from nearby residents,” the lawsuit states.

KT Properties says in its lawsuit that over the course of development, it hosted multiple community meetings and even revised the development plans to fully comply with the Community Commercial Zoning. In that time, the company alleges that the town did not have any concrete plans like drawings or mock-ups for a park in the space.

KT Properties lawsuit also alleges the town officially says it is using eminent domain to take the land for public use, but “that reason is merely a pretext for its actual reason of interfering with KT Properties’ development rights in an effort to mollify their political allies, reward them for their support, and maintain their support in the future.”

James Island Mayor Brook Lyon pushed back on many of the allegations made in the lawsuit. Lyon provided the following statement:

Since I became mayor late last year, the Town has been working to identify and acquire properties for additional public green space. The Dills Bluff commercial parcel is one of the sites we identified as ideal given its close proximity to Town Hall and central location within the community. We have sought to avoid any dispute over this acquisition and hoped the developer would negotiate in good faith. When that did not happen, we were left with no choice but to use the Town’s condemnation authority to purchase the greenspace at its fair-market appraised value of $600,000. We hope the [parties] will now accept those funds, and allow our citizens to move forward with this important green-space preservation project.

KT Properties representation declined to make an additional statement saying the lawsuit speaks for itself. But they noted that the official sale of the parcel recently went through, meaning the James Island Public Service is no longer a party in the case, despite being previously named in the filings before the official sale. They also provided an appraisal of the property by the James Island Public Service District four years ago that put the land at $775,000.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

With the Fourth of July holiday this Thursday, we put together a fireworks law guide to help your holiday go out with a bang.

In South Carolina, anyone 16 and older can legally purchase and shoot off fireworks. However, there are rules surrounding the use of fireworks – so we’re breaking down when and where you can use them.

While most types of fireworks are legal, SC does not allow ground salutes or cherry bombs, M-80s, TNT salutes, bulldog salutes, or small bottle rockets less than ½ inch in diameter and 3 inches long.

There are also time restrictions, which depend on the city or town limits you live within.

North Charleston

Fireworks are allowed every day between 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. On July 4, the time frame is extended through 1 a.m. July 5.

Mount Pleasant

Fireworks are allowed on July 4 from 8 a.m.- 1 a.m. and on the day before and day after from 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

James Island

Fireworks are allowed every day between 9 a.m.-11 p.m.

Summerville

Fireworks are allowed every day between 10 a.m.-10 p.m. On July 4, the time frame is extended through 1 a.m. July 5.

Charleston County ordinances apply to you if you live in Charleston County but don’t live within any city or town limits (including West Ashley + Johns Island). However, there are no set laws prohibiting the use of fireworks. If you are unsure, visit your local government website or speak with your Homeowners Association regarding fireworks rules.

If you are planning on putting on your own firework show this year, here are some firework safety tips from the National Council on Fireworks Safety:

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - James Island firefighters are heading into the James Island Public Service District budget meeting saying they have gotten no response to their requests to meet and finalize the upcoming year’s budget when it comes to disparities in regional firefighter pay funding.

The James Island Public Service District is a special purpose district providing wastewater, solid waste, fire protection and rescue services, street lighting, street name signs on James Island.

For months in the first half of 2024, the James Island Fire Department has been campaigning for and petitioning the district for a meeting about what they say is underfunding in their wages.

“I have not been able to sit down. Meeting requests that we have sent via email have all been denied to be able to meet with them,” James Island Professional Firefighters President Sean Foulois says.

Firefighters argue that a starting salary of less than $37,000 is underfunding, causing staff shortages to the point they might lose full shifts of workers and result in closing a station.

“We hope that if there’s a decision rate, that they’re going to bring the pay up. So it’s comparable because that’s the biggest issue for the current staff with the salaries that are available in the area. You know, it’s $20,000 plus or minus, that they can go someplace else and make more money. So, I mean, the cost of living and Charleston area, they need to look at that for themselves and their family,” Foulois says.

On Jun. 17 the Public Service District responded to a request for comment about the budget and firefighter pay, in part saying:

The JIPSD Commission has been working diligently to find ways to provide better compensation for all our essential workers.

The district went on to say that they are limited by their 7,000 customer tax base. Foulois says that’s more than the silence he’s met with, but it’s not specific in terms of what changes may or may not happen.

“We’re still going in blind. We’ve heard little snippets that they were working on it. We haven’t heard anything as far as what might be a proposal if any. So we’re going in we have to wait and see what the response is going to be, you know, and that’s going to dictate you know, one way or the other way we have to do next,” Foulois says.

Foulois says it’s taken bravery for his firefighters to stand up and ask the district for answers. He’s hopeful the budget meeting will provide some answers in the form of announcing tax changes to create raises.

“We’re going into a hopeful you know that they’re going to make a decision, but if they don’t make a decision, the other thing that the district has to do is publicly state what their plan is by not making a decision. The department’s possibly down to one shift. How are you going to protect the citizens, you know, that you’ve been elected for or hired by, just like we have, if you don’t have enough people?” Foulois says.

Firefighters plan to attend the James Island Public Service District Budget meeting at James Island Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. When asked to provide a more clear breakdown of the budget beforehand, a Public Service District Representative encouraged people invested in the item to come to the meeting.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.