Plumbers in Ravenel, SC

RAVENEL, S.C. (WCBD) – Ravenel leaders discussed Tuesday night plans for a proposed development that has some community members upset.

The proposed development is the Preserve at Ravenel, and community members voiced their opinions on the development before town council voted on the first reading.

Ravenel neighbors gathered in front of Ravenel Town Hall prior to Tuesday’s council meeting to discuss the proposed Preserve at Ravenel development.

“It’s been a very confusing process to all of us as concerned citizens,” Ravenel resident Melissa Barfield said. “So, now we’re just trying to figure out exactly what is going to happen.”

Some residents worry that the 755-acre development that would be located on Davison Road, and include 350 dwelling units and 25 acres of commercial space, would overwhelm the town’s roads.

“It’s traffic,” Barfield said. “Its traffic is what it is, and that’s our concern. We travel this road every day, not just me, but everybody who lives off or on Davison Road travel it every day and we see the traffic we sit in every morning. And it’s just going to create more.”

For neighbors like Angela Brown who grew up in Ravenel, she fears this development could be the start of transforming her home into a place seemingly unrecognizable.

“We have a history there,” Brown said. “I want to know, ‘What’s in it for us?’ You’re coming through our village. This is our village, and you’re just wanting to force something down our throats. I’m very disappointed that this is happening.”

During the meeting, council voted on the project’s first reading, and it passed unanimously.

After residents received a letter from Ravenel Mayor Stephen Tumbleston early Tuesday stating they would not be allowed to comment on the development at the meeting, they were permitted to do so.

“I just think there’s so many little things that can be changed to make this more palatable to the community,” one Ravenel resident said. “And we would probably say, ‘Yes, okay,’ if some of those changes were implemented. Otherwise, I think it’s a terrible idea.”

Mayor Tumbleston says the town has seen steady growth through the years, and he’s confident if this development is approved, it will be a major benefit to the community.

“Dorchester County using 165 now as a beltway around has had a huge impact on the traffic in our town,” Tumbleston said. “So, why can’t we grow a little bit, too? To reap some of the benefits, where we’re not just a speed bump for everybody else traveling through.”

The second reading will be voted on at next Tuesday’s (3/28) town council meeting.

RAVENEL — For the third time in less than two years, this small suburban Charleston County town is poised to annex another sizable tract and expand its residential and commercial base.

Ravenel’s Planning Commission will hold the first of two public hearings Feb. 23 to consider adding 755 acres along County Line Road for the creation of The Preserve at Ravenel where Augusta-based Southeastern plans to build up to 350 residences across the street from its Poplar Grove development.

An affiliate of the Georgia builder bought the land in 2004 from MeadWestvaco Forestry LLC for $2.04 million, according to Charleston County property records.

Construction on houses and townhomes in The Preserve is planned to occur over five to 10 years on nearly 300 acres, according to Vic Mills, Southeastern’s CEO. Roughly half of that acreage is slated for parks, trails and open space around the planned residences.

Another 25 acres near a bend of Davison and County Line roads is set aside as a business node. About 130 acres, or 17 percent of the larger tract, is undevelopable wetlands.

Nearly half of the land set to be annexed, about 336 acres along the backside of The Preserve tract, is designated as agricultural land and not slated for development, according to Mills.

Ravenel Mayor Steve Tumbleston said he’s in favor of “some version” of the planned development, but he wants more input from the Planning Commission and the public.

“I think there is going to be some negotiations,” he said.

He noted the biggest concern he hears from residents is that the annexation will lead to an explosion of growth within the town’s limits.

“That just can’t happen,” Tumbleston said. “We don’t have the sewer capacity.”

The town has a new sewer system with a limit of about 2,000 taps for residential and commercial development. More than half of the taps have been set aside for already-approved ventures. The rest is committed to commercial projects, future affordable housing and infill development along U.S. Highway 17.

“The good thing is we don’t have to make real hard decisions in the future because the sewer capacity isn’t there,” Tumbleston said. “We can’t do another big development.”

The Preserve, which is not near the town’s main sewer line along U.S. Highway 17, is slated to tie into a Dorchester County sewer line that is treated by Charleston Water System, which handles all of Ravenel’s water and sewer service.

The new community will target active retirees as the principal homeowners and will add more amenities such as pickleball courts as the development builds out, Mills said.

If the town approves the annexation and development plan, Mills expects land clearing to begin by late this year or early next year, with the first houses completed in about two years.

The Preserve tract abuts Ravenel’s incorporated limits after the town annexed the nearly 3,000-acre Tea Farm tract off Old Jacksonboro Road in 2021. About 400 homes are planned for 397 acres closest to Old Jacksonboro Road within the Tea Farm parcel.

The town, which stretches along Savannah Highway and has a population of about 2,700, annexed another 600-acre tract, also in 2021, near Old Jacksonboro and New roads where 381 homes are planned in the Golden Grove development.

A second public hearing on the proposed annexation and development plan is set for Feb. 28 during the Ravenel Town Council meeting.

This July marks the 17th anniversary of the opening of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The bridge, which connects downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant, officially opened to traffic on July 16, 2005, following a weeklong celebration. The bridge is named for Arthur Ravenel Jr., the former congressman and state senator who campaigned for the funding needed to construct the bridge.

Before the Ravenel Bridge spanned the Cooper River, the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge and the Silas N. Pearman Bridge connected Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

Grace Bridge opened in 1929. Eventually, the Pearman Bridge was built alongside the Grace Bridge to alleviate traffic and load limits.

Pearman Bridge opened in 1966 to northbound traffic while Grace Bridge remained in use for southbound traffic.

By the late 1970s, Grace Bridge was declared structurally unsound. Additionally, the two bridges were not tall enough to allow for the passage of modern container ships.

The state of South Carolina deemed it too expensive to replace the bridges, so the Grace and Pearman Bridges remained in use.Things began to change when the Grace Bridge scored a 4 out of 100 on a safety test in 1995.

In an oral history interview with the South Carolina Historical Society, Ravenel recalled, “we got a report from a consultant that the highway department had hired to do a feasibility study on the Grace Bridge. ... And I’ll never forget what the gentleman said. He says, ... ‘both structurally and functionally…a perfect bridge is 100.’ He says, ‘The Grace Bridge, in both categories, is a 4!’ And everybody gasped!” Concerned by this report, Ravenel returned to the state senate on the single-issue platform of raising funds for a new bridge. Thanks to partnerships with local, state, and federal entities and the creation of the S.C. Infrastructure Bank, Ravenel helped secure funding for the bridge by 2001. The total cost of the bridge was about $700 million.

Following four years of construction, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge Opening Celebration took place from July 9-16, 2005. On July 9 and 10, more than 50,000 people visited the bridge for an open house event and had the opportunity to walk on the bridge for the first time. Other events included a black-tie gala fundraiser on the bridge, an official bridge lighting ceremony, a mile-long display of fireworks across the Cooper River and a dedication ceremony.

Seventeen years later, the bridge is one of the most recognizable features in the city and popular with locals and visitors alike. More than 80,000 cars and hundreds of walkers, runners, and cyclists cross the bridge daily. On the legacy of the bridge, Ravenel said, “and with tongue in cheek, I tell people it’s the only thing, which in my political experience, it’s the only thing that’s ever been done in the greater Charleston area that no one complains about! Everybody loves the bridge.”

This July marks the 17th anniversary of the opening of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The bridge, which connects downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant, officially opened to traffic on July 16, 2005, following a week-long celebration. The bridge is named after Arthur Ravenel Jr., the former U.S. Congressman and state senator who campaigned for the funding needed to construct the bridge.

Before the Ravenel Bridge spanned the Cooper River, the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge and the Silas N. Pearman Bridge connected Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Grace Bridge opened in 1929. Eventually, the Pearman Bridge was built alongside the Grace Bridge to alleviate traffic and load limits. Pearman Bridge opened in 1966 to northbound traffic while Grace Bridge remained in use for southbound traffic.

By the late 1970s, Grace Bridge was declared structurally unsound. Additionally, the two bridges were not tall enough to allow for the passage of modern container ships. The state of South Carolina deemed it too expensive to replace the bridges, so the Grace and Pearman Bridges remained in use.

Things began to change when the Grace Bridge scored a 4 out of 100 on a safety test in 1995. In an oral history interview with the South Carolina Historical Society, Arthur Ravenel Jr. recalls, “we got a report from a consultant that the highway department had hired to do a feasibility study on the Grace Bridge. … And I’ll never forget what the gentleman said. He says, … ‘both structurally and functionally…a perfect bridge is 100.’ He says, ‘The Grace Bridge, in both categories, is a 4!’ And everybody gasped!” Concerned by this report, Sen. Ravenel returned to the state senate on the single-issue platform of raising funds for a new bridge. Thanks to partnerships with local, state and federal entities and the creation of the SC Infrastructure Bank, Sen. Ravenel helped secure funding for the bridge by 2001. The total cost of the bridge was about $700 million.

Following four years of construction, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge Opening Celebration took place from July 9-16, 2005. On July 9 and 10, over 50,000 people visited the bridge for an open house event and had the opportunity to walk on the bridge for the first time. Other events included a black-tie gala fundraiser held on the bridge, an official bridge lighting ceremony, a mile-long display of fireworks across the Cooper River, and a dedication ceremony.

Seventeen years later, the bridge is one of the most recognizable features in the city and popular with locals and visitors alike. Over 80,000 cars and hundreds of walkers, runners, and cyclists cross the bridge daily. On the legacy of the bridge, Sen. Ravenel said, “and with tongue in cheek, I tell people it’s the only thing, which in my political experience, it’s the only thing that’s ever been done in the greater Charleston area that no one complains about! Everybody loves the bridge.

RAVENEL — A new housing development planned on the edge of this small town southwest of Charleston is one vote away from being approved, but it will come with restrictions.

Town Council voted unanimously March 21 to allow no more than 350 homes on the front section of the planned Preserve project and one house per 10 acres in back of the 755-acre property. The move comes ahead of the town annexing the land along Davison and County Line roads.

Members of council also voted to restrict the types of commercial development on 25 acres within the proposed neighborhood. The move prohibits storage units, dry-stack storage, gas stations and stores with more than 50,000 square feet of space. A 100-foot wooded buffer also will be required along the residential portion of the development next to the roads.

Augusta-based developer Southeastern plans to build the community across from its Poplar Grove neighborhood.

The development is slated for nearly 300 acres closest to the two-lane roads that lead to Savannah Highway on the east and S.C. Highway 165 on the west. Roughly half of that acreage is set aside for parks, trails and open space around the residences. Homes are not currently proposed on the back part of the tract.

About 130 acres, or 17 percent of the larger tract, is undevelopable wetlands.

During previous public hearings, residents expressed concerns over the housing density, the amount of land set aside for commercial uses and increased traffic.

Mayor Steve Tumbleston said the town will press state highway officials to consider adding a turn lane and full signal light for both directions of traffic on Savannah Highway at Davison Road, where cars back up during peak travel times.

“If this passes, we will make a concerted effort for a petition ... to improve that intersection,” Tumbleston said of the proposed development.

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Northbound traffic on Savannah Highway currently does not stop at the juncture, and motorists turning left from Davison Road often have to wait in an access lane before merging with Charleston-bound traffic.

“It has become a safety issue,” Tumbleston said.

Part of the problem with increased traffic from Davison Road results from commuters coming from new subdivisions in lower Dorchester County who use County Line Road, which becomes Davison Road, as a shortcut to Charleston, the mayor said.

“I didn’t think I would ever see that, but it’s happening,” Tumbleston said. “That intersection is going to be a hot topic no matter what because of all the growth in southwestern Dorchester County.”

The Preserve tract abuts Ravenel’s incorporated limits after the town annexed the nearly 3,000-acre Tea Farm tract off Old Jacksonboro Road in 2021. About 400 homes are planned for 397 acres closest to Old Jacksonboro Road within the Tea Farm parcel.

The town, which stretches along Savannah Highway and has a population of about 2,700, annexed another 600-acre tract, also in 2021, near Old Jacksonboro and New roads where 381 homes are planned in the Golden Grove development.

Another 20 acres on New Road on the town’s western side is being considered for annexation. It will be combined with an adjacent 24-acre parcel that’s already in the town for a planned 52-house development called The Stables.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton plans to build on 19 acres of the total tract. The rest will be set aside for commercial space, a water feature, green space and undevelopable wetlands.

The town’s planning board will consider the New Road annexation request March 23. A final vote on The Preserve’s development agreement and the land’s annexation into the town is set for March 28.