Plans for Shem Creek approved

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Town Council on Tuesday approved an estimated $2.1 million conceptual plan for developing 48 acres on Shem Creek that includes floating docks, a sailing school, a pedestrian drawbridge and boardwalks for public enjoyment of the marsh.

The biggest ticket item in the plan is $390,000 for a pedestrian drawbridge where Jones Creek and Shem Creek meet. The park would begin at a half-acre of high ground just off Coleman Boulevard next to the Shem Creek bridge, and it would connect to the creek by way of more than 1,000 feet of boardwalk. A commercial fishing dock and a town dock center are in the plan.

Council members said the plan was not etched in stone and could be revised as needed. With council approval, the project will move forward to the construction-drawing stage, said Deputy Town Administrator Eric DeMoura. "This is a general big idea for what you want to see happen at Shem Creek," DeMoura said.

Council members Joe Bustos and Acting Mayor Kruger Smith voted against the plan. Bustos said he thought that council was trying to do more than the town could afford. "I think we've just gone far afield from the original intent," he said. The town bought the land, which is mostly marsh, for $6 million for the stated purpose of providing public access to the creek.

The plan presented by Thomas & Hutton Engineering left up to council how to use the proposed 700 feet of floating docks that would extend from Jones Creek to near Charleston Harbor. As presented Tuesday night, some 450 feet of floating dock would be built at a town dock center and 250 feet of floating dock would be constructed for a town instructional sailing center. Floating docks could be used for boaters who take day trips to the creek, or they might provide facilities for overnight stays.

Resident William Hamilton said a town sailing center would provide much-needed recreational opportunities for youth and be useful as an economic development tool when businesses are considering locating here. "Without a sailing center, we are Goose Creek with high prices, and that's not enough to compete in the 21st century," Hamilton said.

Councilman Billy Swails said the plan was a road map. Councilwoman Thomasensa Stokes-Marshall agreed. "There is nothing that's guaranteed. The driving force is whether there is the revenue. We may not be able to fulfill all those expectations," she said.

Smith said he thought the plan was too optimistic and should be more conservative. "This could lead to expectations that we may not be able to accomplish," he said.

Town Administrator Mac Burdette has said $1 million has been set aside to begin construction of the park, starting in July 2010, but the park would have to be built in phases.

Reach Prentiss Findlay at 937-5711 or pfindlay@postandcourier.com.