Conservancy displays plans, seeks input

A vision to spruce up Colonial Lake is alive and well, although it's not clear where the money to bring it to pass will come from.

The Charleston Parks Conservancy set up a booth by the lake Sunday afternoon to get comments on the plan, as well as to recruit volunteers for its Park Angels network.

The plan became public last November and essentially was unchanged Sunday. It includes cleaning the pipes to get more water flowing to the lake from the Ashley River, adding a fishing dock on the west side of the lake, landscaping around the lake, adding a strip of trees between the lake and Rutledge Avenue (which includes narrowing the street by nearly 9 feet), renovating nearby Moultrie Playground and creating a green corridor between the lake and the Ashley River.

A steady stream of residents stopped by to look over the plans Sunday.

"This is awesome," said Luke McFadden, a medical student who lives near the lake. "I hope it happens. This is a great spot."

David Spell lives on Rutledge Avenue by the lake. He served on City Council under Mayor Palmer Gaillard and is on council's standing committee on Colonial Lake.

"I think it's quite ambitious," Spell said of the plan. "If they can come up with the money, it will be beautiful."

Residents who live near the lake have been watching the plans closely.

"If the neighborhood gets behind this, the money will be found," said Whitney Powers, who lives a couple of blocks from the lake.

She and several other residents weren't happy to see a dog park still on the map near the lake. She said residents have opposed another dog park and the parks commission said it wasn't needed.

"I thought this had already been settled," Powers said.

Jim Martin, the conservancy's executive director, said the plans are still in flux, and these are merely concept drawings.

"Everything is open to negotiation," he said.

Martin estimated the cost of the project at about $6.5 million, mostly from private donations. He expects physical work to start in two to three years.

South Carolina businesswoman and philanthropist Darla Moore gave the conservancy $1 million to get started, as well as a $9 million endowment for operations. The conservancy works with the city Parks Department.

Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.