Plans for 3 hotly debated projects develop on an evolving Johns IslandThe road ahead By Diane Knich (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, November 21, 2008
JOHNS ISLAND — Steve Olson, who lives just off Maybank Highway on Johns Island, says the traffic near his home is so bad at rush hour that he avoids leaving his neighborhood. He wants new roads built on the island to help with traffic now and to prepare for more development, which he thinks is inevitable. 
Tyrone Walker Thomas Legare Jr. of Legare Farms wants Johns Island to maintain its rural character. His family has been farming on the island since 1725. Legare said he's against the Mark Clark Expressway extension and an island toll road project "in any way, shape or form, no matter how they're paid for." Carmen Rivers, on the other hand, whose husband's family has lived on Johns Island for more than 100 years, says that before building new roads that encourage further development, city and county leaders should improve existing roads and reduce speed limits. "Johns Island is a special place, and we should preserve what's left," she said. Olson and Rivers are on opposite sides of a discussion about traffic problems on Johns Island and the best way to solve them. At the center of that discussion sit three large potential road projects. The future of those projects isn't clear, but here's where they stand: I-526 completion A proposal to complete Interstate 526 from West Ashley to Johns Island sits in the hands of the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The department finished its second round of public meetings on project alternatives Thursday with a meeting at St. Johns High School on Johns Island. There are 22 alternatives, project manager David Kinard said. Alternatives include 17 different routes for the proposed extension. They also include improving existing roads and transportation management instead of completing I-526. The transportation department will narrow its list of alternatives, Kinard said, then hold another round of meetings in the spring. Following the third round of meetings, the department will select a preferred alternative. It will present that alternative at a public hearing in the fall of 2009. Maybank Highway Kurt Taylor, director of Charleston County's transportation half-cent sales tax program, said a consulting group is looking for a compromise between two competing plans for the future of Maybank Highway. Both plans aim to do something about traffic on Maybank, which backs up from River Road to the Stono River during rush hour. Previous storiesMaybank decision delayed; County Council wants input on competing plans, published 10/03/08 Johns Is. toll panel rejected; Committee action follows council's vote against road, published 10/31/08 Residents view 17 possible ways of extending I-526, published 11/14/08 One plan, which was proposed by the county in response to a request from the city of Charleston in 2002, includes widening the two-lane road to four lanes with a wide, planted median. But city officials, since earlier this year, are advocating a "pitchfork" plan, which would instead create a network of streets that disperse traffic. The plan lays the groundwork to develop village-like hubs along the highway that include homes and shops. Taylor said the Urban Land Institute is reviewing both plans and will release its ideas for compromise to county staffers in December. County staff members likely will make a presentation on the compromise proposal to County Council in early January, Taylor said. Sea Islands Parkway toll road A Charleston County Council committee voted down a plan to build a toll road across Johns Island roughly from the intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road to the Betsy Kerrison Parkway. It also voted down a plan to form a committee to study the toll road and other Johns Island traffic problems after Charleston Mayor Joe Riley asked members to hold off on that proposal. Riley said Wednesday that he has asked a group to meet with him about the proposed road. He wants the group to find a way to move toward a consensus on the project. Riley said the group will include the mayors of Kiawah and Seabrook islands, County Council members, some county staffers, representatives from Johns and Wadmalaw islands, and Paul Roberts, chairman of the Kiawah Island Community Association and founding director of the Center for Transportation Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He said he thinks the group will meet within the next few weeks. Riley said another road across Johns Island is needed to alleviate traffic problems on River and Bohicket roads, but that the toll road proposal doesn't have much support on Johns Island. He said that widening River Road or Bohicket Roads is not a viable option because that would require cutting down many stately live oak trees. Olson, who is a real estate agent, said he hopes that Maybank Highway is widened. "It really needs to be thoroughfare," he said. And he thinks the completion of the Mark Clark Expressway down to Johns Island is needed. If county and city officials decide against widening Maybank Highway, he said, they should build the toll road. Continued growth and development on Johns Island are inevitable, he said, and the area needs some traffic relief. Rivers supports the city of Charleston's "pitchfork" plan for Maybank Highway, but is opposed to the toll road and the Mark Clark completion. "These things are going to open this island to wilder development than is happening now," she said. Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com. |
Article tools
|
|
Notice about comments: Charleston.net is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Charleston.net does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not charleston.net. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here. |
Comments
This article has 29 comment(s)
|
Posted by Speedy on November 21, 2008 at 7:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pitchfork, huh. I'd like to stick a pitchfork somewhere that Mayor Riley leaves his grimy paws off of Johns Island. It's bad enough that he's messing with James Island, but Johns Island should be off limits.
I think that Maybank should have a center turn lane added and the intersection of Maybank and River should be enlarged to allow for turning lanes in all directions.
Adding the center turn lane will alleviate a great deal of congestion that occurs when traffic backs up because of a car stopping to turn left.
Riley's plan will create more roads, which will then create more subdivisions and more commercial properties. He may say that he's trying to help congestion, but he's really just trying to increase his tax base by adding homes and businesses.
Posted by eatmorecollards on November 21, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The completion of I-526 is the only viable solution. Some people are scared of it because it will be so easy to get on and off James and Johns Islands that it will cause more growth. The growth is inevitable either way. Why not buy the new Cadillac instead of fixing up the old Ford?
Posted by shoelaces on November 21, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think 526 is inevitable. Folks who oppose it live right where the overpasses and on/off ramps will be. I live in a neighborhood on Johns Island that will be impacted by these structures.
I don't often find myself stuck in Stono Bridge traffic due to the time I come home. My turn is at the light ON the bridge. When I am stuck in traffic I know the great majority of the people in the right lane are NOT turning at that light. So I sit with my blinker on to let folks know I DO belong in that lane.
Something will have to give one way or the other. Change is inevitable....
Posted by YankeeLady on November 21, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There ARE alternatives to an I-526 mega-roadway; improving existing roads, as suggested by The New Way to Work will alleviate traffic and not adversely impact our environment and existing neighborhoods. Do any of you out there, whether it be on Johns or James Island, want to live under an overpass and hear traffic 24 hours a day? Would you like to try and sell your home with a highway looming in your back yard?
I haven't heard this mentioned much - how about replacing the Wappoo Creek drawbridge, which is a serious impediment to traffic flow in this area. Anyone who uses Folly Road knows how much of a delay is caused by boat traffic.
Say NO to I-526 - it doesn't help ANYONE except developers looking forward to carving up John's Island and beyond.
Posted by shoelaces on November 21, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wappoo is not the biggest problem. The intersection on 17 South turning to Limehouse Bridge, the lack of a turn arrow at Riverland Drive and Maybank Highway, and the bottleneck coming off the Stono Bridge onto Johns Island are the big three problems for traffic related specifically to Johns Island. Then you have the River Road/Maybank intersection stop light that immediately stops the flow and the light at River Rd. and Bohicket (I think that's it at the Johns Island side of Limehouse) also stopping the flow of traffic.
There is a chance (for some) that 526 will RAISE property values not lower them.
Posted by johnsisland1 on November 21, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone needs to settle down a little. I really don't think traffic is that bad. I would not trade an occasional wait for a sail boat for a huge fly-over any day. We live in a unique area connected by bridges and with beautiful trees that canopy our roads. If you really have to get from point A to point B without waiting a little - move somewhere else.
As far as 526 goes - the core issue is how we want Johns Island to look in 20 years. The people of Johns Island most certainly get to determine that and I think the process of showing us the proposals has been constructive. I may not like the outcome - but that's life. I like the idea of a urban development zone - with clearly defined rural zoning that won't be changed every year. If 526 needs to come to Johns Island to enable that - fine. But personally, I don't see it. I live on Johns Island and work in Mt. Plastic - it takes me 20 minutes to get to and from work - and it is one of the high points of my day.
Posted by shoelaces on November 21, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
johnsisland1:
Good points. I don't sit in traffic long and when I do I try and enjoy the view from the top of the Stono. That view may change over time but it is still one of the things that makes Charleston great!!
I don't want to see Johns Island become another Mt. Pleasant....too crowded with little/no infrastructure in place to handle growth. Hopefully cooler (and wiser) heads will prevail and we will have a good working plan of action in place before growth gets out of control.
Posted by slimbo6969 on November 21, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is for the citizens that live on Johns Island…
“DON’T GO ALONG WITH THESE PROJECT’S”… If these project’s go through it will open John’s Island up for Mayor Riley to annex you into the City of Charleston…
If you are annex into the City of Charleston, you will not have a say in the future development of the Island…
All Mayor Riley needs to have to start annexing property into the City of Charleston is a corridor from POINT A (Stono River Bridge) to POINT B a piece of property that is being developed on the Island…
Mayor Riley only needs to annex the Highways/Roads to these developments to get a foot hold on the Island. Please note this has all ready happened, but you still have time to do something about it…
“ I WRITE THIS TO URGE THE CITIZENS OF JOHNS ISLAND TO STAND UP AGAINST MAYOR RILEY AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF CHARLESTON”…
Posted by slimbo6969 on November 21, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
shoelaces wrote: "There is a chance (for some) that 526 will RAISE property values not lower them."
This is true, and this is what Mayor Riley wants it to do. When the property values rise so does the PROPERTY TAXES.
This is what Mayor Riley is hoping it will do… When the City’s tax base grows so does the City’s ability to borrow more money to do HIS pet projects.
Posted by BravesFan on November 21, 2008 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have an idea. Why don't the great people of John's Island buy all this property so no one else can? If you're not willing to do that then don't tell others what they can or can't do with their property.
The NIMBY attitude here is unreal. I would LOVE to take a survey and find out exactly who is native to John's Island and who isn't.
Posted by mkris on November 21, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Joe needs to expand the Tax Plantations for the Big houses South of Broad. John's Island is the best place to expand the tax base. South of Broad needs to deal with the flooding problems and Johns Island Taxes will fund the projects nicely.
Posted by johnsisland1 on November 21, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Taxes definitely play a role in these decisions - without a doubt. My biggest problem is that I don't get much for what I pay in property taxes today. The Johns Island public schools are HORRENDOUS. That cannot be turned around until there is a larger tax base (and demand) for new/improved schools - middle class families will not move there until there are better school options - so we may need 526 to get those new residents.
As far as funding Riley's pet projects goes - I'm not quite that cynical. South of Broad is becoming a ghost town/museum - flooding or not, so there is no growth opportunity. I'm not sure he would risk the support of thousands of families for a few high rollers with trophy houses. We all have power at the polls to make sure our money stays local.
Posted by Citadel93 on November 21, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Change has been the operative word driving both the political season and modification to Johns Island's growth. While there has been little change to Johns Island’s infrastructure within the last 30 years aside from the expansion toward Kiawah for the 1991 Ryder Cup, there has been little in the political vision as well. We have had a mayor who has sat around for the last 30 years allowing property prices to exceed any rational foundation. What has occurred on the peninsula is borderline unconscionable. It is approaching pricing points found only in Manhattan or the Buckhead area of Atlanta. There is no underlying rational.
This has continued toward Mt. Pleasant and Daniels Island. Look around. There are nearly no children living South of Broad. Is this a good approach at community building?
Unless you can dunk a basketball with your elbow, no young family is able to purchase downtown. And now, we want to entrust Riley with Johns Island?
If you drive along River Road, you will encounter tremendous residential density which is inevitably under the archaic form of a fee tail leasehold. These properties are littered with families that are essentially outside of a recognized fee simple estate. You have additional enclaves of Hispanic communities which are either renting under tract owned agricultural property or abandoned migrant camps. You can envision the ease in which imminent domain may be applied. Riley and Harrell must be licking their chops.
Coupled with this complex nature of establishing true property ownership, we encounter an aging demographic on Kiawah and Seabrook. As described with the economic constraints found in the peninsula area, there does not exist many potential buyers to assume these properties. Accordingly, the addition of an express toll road would provide better marketability for a potential buyer who needs to leave the gates of Kiawah to reach his or her place of employment each morning. Presently, you have a Kiawah and Seabrook community of retirees who need to go outside of the gates once or twice a week. In order to sell these properties, the toll roadway allows someone who is currently in the workplace a rational for purchasing. Instead of a 45 minute to 1 hour commute, this would be closer to 20-30 minutes.
Lastly, crime has already arrived on the Island. The business corner of Maybank and Bohicket has seen frequent armed and violent robberies for the last two years. Bringing in new roadways will only heighten the crime element. This proposed development has no support amongst the property owners on the island. Well then, where do we find this minority support? The answer lies with Riley’s office on Meeting Street and Residents in the Marsh lined subdivisions on Kiawah. Change is not always the cure. Do not let this theme serve the two interests that attempt to sell it. I am not buying it, neither should you.
Posted by johnsisland1 on November 21, 2008 at 1:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What does a Mayor have to do with property values and pricing? I don't follow you...
Posted by Citadel93 on November 21, 2008 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By raising property taxes. Assessments have continued to climb while exisiting inventory has stagnated. Riley has pushed toward augmneting property taxes while home prices have dropped significantly. JH1, when has Riley proposed to drop property tax rates? I received a 60% increase on one property on Johns Island from last year ( a vacant piece of land) and a 50% increase on my homestead. Meanwhile, my area has seen prices decrease between 15-25%.
Connect the dots.
Posted by YankeeLady on November 21, 2008 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No one is listening to what is going to happen to James Island!!! WE GET THE HIGHWAY, WE GET TO LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THE OVERPASSES, WE GET THE NOISE. DON'T WE MATTER? What happens to OUR quality of life?
Posted by johnsisland1 on November 21, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cid93 - I'm out of my area of expertise re: the property taxes - but isn't it based on millage? Either way - if assessments are not reflecting current values, I totally agree with you.
Posted by mkris on November 21, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Johns Island public schools are HORRENDOUS. And Burke is any better with all the additional tax revenue from James Island, Daniel Island, West Ashley? I am that cynical - have you been on Folly Road lately? How about 17 south during rush hour? Johns Island is the next Tax plantation for the City of Charleston. Its all about funding for South of Broad.
Posted by shoelaces on November 21, 2008 at 2:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The age old joke is that Little Joe won't be happy until he annexes Georgia and North Carolina into Charleston County!
Something will have to give with the traffic eventually. Nobody wants to live in the shadows of overpasses but that's what happens. As for my property value going up that is FINE with me. I know higher taxes may come from it but that's how the game works.
Posted by PHiers on November 21, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Fact 1: The city has already annexed hundreds of acres and approved developments that will add several thousand more housing units to what has already been built on Johns Island. The only thing that has slowed things down is the economy.
Fact 2: The economy will eventually improve and when it does there will be a major increase in traffic on the existing roads.
Fact 3: The city planning department has already requested a height max change to allow buildings up to 5 stories in the "town centers" they have on their master plan for Johns Island.
Fact 4: If the city convinces the county council to dump the county roadwise plan for upgrades/widening/bike paths, etc along Maybank Hwy for the city's pitchfork plan, there will not be any upgrades to Maybank Hwy between River Rd and Main Rd/Bohicket Rd included. The city only wants several roads constructed from the foot of the Stono bridge to River Rd north and south. The city's plan is dependent on future developement to include further improvements to Maybank Hwy. The city's plan also includes on street parking along Maybank in the "town centers" and a 25mph speed limit. See the city planning dept website.
Fact 5: If Johns Island is to remain rural then there will never be enough jobs to keep residents from leaving the islands for work, nor will there ever be enough residents to bring regular scheduled mass transit onto the island.
Fact 6: The SCDOT approved hurricane evacuation route is the Limehouse bridge only. Not sure that they would allow traffic onto James Island during an evacuation.
Fact 7: There is no way to improve Savannah Hwy, St Andrews Blvd, Folly Rd, etc to provide better traffic flow. Note most of the neighborhoods in those areas have city installed speed humps to discourage through traffic.
Fact 8: Many commuters cannot use CARTA because CARTA doesn't go where they work, they are required to have a car for their work, or because they are also driving children to school.
Fact 9: Many James Islanders currently cut through Johns Island to get to south hwy 17 areas.
Fact 10: The original approved and surveyed I-526 route has been on county maps since the 1980's.
If the longtime residents of Johns Island truly were interested in keeping their island as it has been for decades, then they should have purchased land as it came up for sale. They didn't so it was sold to developers!
For decades a small group of folks living on the penisula blocked the construction of the James Island connector. Who among you think that development was hindered while we all sat waiting on the Wappoo Cut bridge to close. Much of the development occurred on James Island before the connector opened in the 1990's.
Posted by geecheeman on November 21, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Z O N I N G
Posted by johnsisland1 on November 21, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
mkris - actually, Burke's facilities ARE better. Have you ever been to St. John's HS, Angel Oak Elementary or Haut Gap Middle? Burke's problems are due to zoning (it serves a poor area of town = no parent involvement = not attractive to good teachers, etc.).
Again, I'm not saying traffic is good - I'm just saying that it takes me 20 min. to get home in rush hour - and I don't really mind. Oh, and I knew this when I bought on Johns Island 5 years ago.
When you consider the tourism industry and its needs (and our needs for it) - South of Broad is an important factor. What city projects are you referring to that require a "tax plantation?" You seem to want to boil it down to something basic - like rich people's neighborhoods - it is, obviously, more complex than that.
Posted by YankeeLady on November 21, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No one has given me a straight answer - so you're all saying that James Island has to be paved over and sacrificed for those who want I-526. Why don't you move here and live under the underpass?
Posted by postman01 on November 21, 2008 at 5:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
With notable exceptions, this is one of the saddest "debates" I have ever been aware of.
Question: Why are there 23 posts here and only five on the OTHER article about this? Maybe some of the posters here should bother to read some of the posts there and add their comments.
Eatmorecollards has made more sense and said more of importance than most others by employing BREVITY and alliteration in his post on this thread. The problem is that neither brevity, humor, nor spelling it out in detail works with those who are pig headed.
Posted by YankeeLady on November 21, 2008 at 5:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That new Cadillac will be added to the junkyard of old Fords that are the current roads. Which one of you in support of I-526 want to volunteer to live under the overpass that may be built next to my home, or the homes of other James Islanders?
Posted by eatmorecollards on November 21, 2008 at 6:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
YankeeLady, theres not a single home where that overpass will be on Folly Road. There may be only a couple on Riverland Drive. It may be near one or two on the Stono River. Not many James Islanders will be effected by a over pass. Sorry if yours may be one of those.
Posted by mkris on November 21, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
johnsisland1, The money from the annexed areas goes downtown and the tax plantations are left with the problems of overdevelopment.
Better facilities do not equate to better schools.
Posted by KiawahIslandGirl on November 21, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
While I love the wild life and quiet out on on Johns Island. the roads as they are, are very dangerous. There are also many other issues. All the schools in the area have failed the States testing requirements. The schools are a mess and my child has to drive over an hour to get to a half way decent private school each day. Education is very poor for the children here and completely non existent for the adults out here.
I believe that some of the traffic would stop if we had a good k-12. With music, art, sports, multi media and high end computer classes. Not only for children, but for adults of all ages. It would be engaging for the neighborhood.
I just got my tax bill. I'm shocked to pay tax to a school system that doesn't help children.
So, the roads are changing. Blame the fact that everybody has to drive on very unsafe roads to get to and from work and to and from schools all over Charleston and Berkeley counties.
Its over grown here. If there is a hurricane evacuation. no one will get out. There are to many factors.
Although, Johns Island has its beauty, it needs to have some growth for the residents and for children and workers who need their jobs. Perhaps, in the future, our representatives with be careful to make sure we use the land wisely and preserve one of the last beautiful environments on earth. There are some buildings that should be condemned. So, condemn them and put some lovely homes, whether homes built by Habitat for Humanity or some bigger homes. Everyone's home though, sure be their pride and their joy. If we all work together, we can make this happen. So that everyone is happy. There is no reason, not even a financial reason for not helping the poorer and older folks who are in serious need of nicer, new homes.
The tax that is going to the bottomless pit schools here that educate no one must have to answer to the public. Today's children are the folks that will be taking care of you tomorrow. So if they don't have knowledge or access to do their chosen profession, we only have ourselves to blame.
I hope besides creating better roads, our leaders and you good people will also want to grow in the area of good education for all! Right here, right now! Peace to all.
Posted by sweetsouthernpearl on November 22, 2008 at 5:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
KiawahIslandGirl - shame on you for not doing your Home work before you moved somewhere with inadequate schools and roads for your family. Before you go changing the lives of people whose families have lived on the island for generations, perhaps you should have done your due diligence.