I-526 beltway: Don't say, 'It's gonna happen'

There has been a lot of ongoing discussion about either shelving or completing the Interstate 526 beltway, which would extend from the foot of the James Island connector at Folly Road to U.S. Highway 17 near Citadel Mall.

The launch pad to nowhere, at what is now the Folly Road terminus of the connector, points the direction of the proposed extension: across the woods and marshland of James Island to the Stono River, over which it would traverse not once, but twice, making landfall on Johns Island at a major exchange en route to West Ashley.

There are two overt, reasonably cogent arguments supporting the extension: traffic relief and hurricane evacuation. There are numerous covert arguments in support of the extension falling under the shadow of the former, the most insidious of which boils down to a matter of convenience for those who would use it while not having to suffer any negative drawbacks.

As Greater Charleston continues to grow, so will traffic demands (assuming we can afford paying for gas). Oftentimes, the only way around it is to build more roads and bridges despite the best efforts to come up with more aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly solutions. For example, we needed to have the James Island connector. There was no other way to handle escalating growth on James Island and Folly Beach, and I don't think I've ever heard anyone wish it out of existence.

Still, for those of us who have been around a while, it was a bit shocking to see what happened to the Ellis family property on James Island, which was one of the most beautiful strips of land around. Oh, well. "That's progress!" (And, yes, in the interest of full disclosure, I should add that our medical office building is right there in the midst of it!)

Yet, from the perspective of someone who is admittedly a complete layperson when it comes to the art of regional planning, a sound worse to me than fingernails scratching across a blackboard is the expression that something's "gonna happen."

"Why?"

"Just because. 'It's gonna happen.' "

"But can you elaborate on that?"

"Don't need to. 'It's a done deal. It's gonna happen.' "

"Thanks. That's very helpful."

In the same vein of reasoning, it would be absolutely futile to think about preserving Johns Island and Wadmalaw. Development's "gonna happen." "Ain't no way around it." Can you imagine if humankind always bought into such rationale?

"The Nazis have the greatest war machine in history. They're going to take over the world. 'It's gonna happen.' "

"That Apollo spacecraft is going to blow up on the way to the moon. 'It's gonna happen.' "

"The ACE basin will have some of the nicest golf courses and McPlantations around. 'It's gonna hap- pen.' "

Wrong, wrong and wrong again! Ad infinitum, wrong!

In case it's not pretty obvious, I do not buy into the argument that continuous development on Johns Island and Wadmalaw is inevitable, and that we need to extend the beltway to accommodate that development. But this much I surely do know — as does anybody with common sense — that extending the beltway will promote development beyond critical mass and contribute to the ruination of Johns Island and Wadmalaw once and for all.

Which raises the question: Is Mount Pleasant really better off with the beltway? Was it really necessary in the first place, and has the rate of growth — though an economic boon — justified the price paid in terms of secondary congestion and loss of ambience?

As far as traffic relief on James Island and West Ashley is concerned, are there not still options yet to be explored that might obviate completing the beltway and preventing a situation analogous to Charlotte and Atlanta? Is that the direction we want to point our fair city and surrounding environs?

The argument in support of adequate hurricane evacuation, although ostensibly cogent, lacks a certain amount of credibility, in my opinion. Do you mean to tell me that, with modern forecasting capability and the two new Stono bridges promoting egress from Johns and surrounding islands, that there still would be the potential for catastrophic logjamming in the event of an evacuation?

A more sensitive issue, as suggested above, relates to the desires of those who would love to see the beltway completed for personal convenience — based on job locale or fashionable getaways — while not having to absorb any of its negative impact. I, in turn, would love to see an analysis of the following data:

--What percentage of those who support the extension grew up in Charleston?

--Among those native Charlestonians who support the project, how many have houses on Kiawah/Seabrook or economic/political ties to those and surrounding areas?

--How many Kiawah/Seabrook residents are non-native, and what percentage of them supports the project?

Or conversely:

--Of those who oppose, how many have vested residential, recreational or farming interests on Johns Island/Wadmalaw?

--What percentage of those with residential sweeping views of the Stono River wouldn't mind seeing them tarnished by the project?

--Are you more apt to oppose the project, given the above contexts, if you happen to have been raised locally?

Etc., etc. ...

I don't think we're ready for completion of the project — at least not yet. Because once it occurs, Greater Charleston will be transformed, arguably negatively, forever.

But please don't tell me that "it's gonna happen," that we may as well go ahead and get it over with. Or that it's all in the name of "progress." I don't believe all that. If I did, I'd feel obliged to chime in with one of Kurt Vonnegut's most famous lines: "So it goes ..."

Edward M. Gilbreth is a Charleston physician. Reach him at edwardgilbreth@.comcast.net.