Harbor View Road Improvement Project Approved

The Town barely approved the Harbor View Road Improvement project.   The vote was 3 to 2, with Councilmen Blank and Mullinax joining me to allow the project to go forward.   Councilman Kernodle and Councilwoman Berry voted to block the project.

The issue was confused because of a last minute amendment proposed by Councilman Kernodle to amend the intergovernmental agreement between the Town and Charleston County and the State of South Carolina.   These agreements are standardized and imply a point of no return for a municipality.   After Town Council votes to accept the project as it has been specified at the time of the agreement, there is no way to force further changes.

Councilman Kernodle announced to the rest of Council a proposed amendment the night before the meeting.   In his email, he stated,

“As an elected official I believe that it is my duty to support the beliefs of the voters who put me here, not necessarily my own beliefs. The main way of me accessing what the people want is through these correspondence. The majority (by far) of these communications lead me to the conclusion that people want the DBH to be 18" and include all species; to lower the planned turn lane on Harborview Road from 13' to 12'; to extend the bike paths and sidewalks all the way to the JI connector; and to make sure that the designated wildlife crossings have proper fencing.”

At the meeting, the amendment to the Municipal Agreement he proposed was:

1.      Reduce the center lane from 13’ to 12’.

2.      Extend sidewalks and bicycle paths to the James Island Connector.

3.      Create wildlife safety protections from the Dr. Thomas Buxton, Jr. Bridge to Mikell Drive.

4.      James Island Town Council is required to review and approve all plans for said wildlife protection before they are implemented.

I had also received emails calling for these changes.  I also received a copy of the email from Nix 526 asking their supporters to contact Council.   Apparently 39 Nix 526 supporters responded to the call.  There were 19 emails from Town residents and 20 from others (Yes, I checked each one.)    I always keep in mind that there are nearly 9,000 registered voters in the Town of James Island.    

The day of the meeting, our Town Administrator contacted Charleston County about amending the agreement.   They spoke to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and concluded that passing the agreement with an amendment was the same thing as voting no.   The Town Administrator also checked with the South Carolina Municipal Association.   They agreed that amending the agreement was not acceptable.   If the majority of Council insisted that the current plan requires changes, then they need to vote against the municipal agreement.   If a modified plan could be negotiated, then Council could later vote yes for the modified plan.

I don’t favor making any of these changes conditions for the completion of the Harbor View Road project.

In late 2010, the Town asked that the proposed center lane on Harbor View Road be reduced from 15’ to 12’.  I supported that change.  Charleston County Roadwise asked SCDOT, which said the standard is 15’.  The Town hired an engineering consultant for a second opinion, who said the same.   

Fortunately, when Councilman Qualey began working on the issue, SCDOT compromised.  The key difference was that Councilman Qualey put together a majority of County Council to support modifications to a project that was in his district.   The center lane was reduced from 15’ to 13’.   

SCDOT didn’t just meet the Town’s initial demand half way.   They gave us more than half.  There were 3 feet at issue, and they gave us 2.   

It is hard to see the “no compromise” amendment as anything other than a “poison pill.”   What that means is that whole point of making the demand, insisting on the Town’s initial 12’ lane width or nothing, is that it will be unacceptable to SCDOT.   And that means the Harbor View Road project would be blocked.  

What about the condition of extending the sidewalks and bike paths?   I think extending the sidewalks and bicycle paths to the James Island Connector is a great idea.   I strongly support this, and have been especially interested in this goal since the Town has become involved in the Battery to Beach intergovernmental working group.     Unfortunately, the causeways are very narrow in places.   Putting in bike lanes and sidewalks would be very expensive, particularly due to the environmental issues involved in filling salt marsh.    Demanding that Charleston County come up with several million dollars more or else nothing, looks to be a poison pill aimed at blocking the project.

Charleston County Roadwise has expressed willingness to include some wildlife protection.     They are willing to put up an official wildlife crossing sign and plan the landscaping to encourage the animals to cross there.   My interpretation is that these would be limited to where the narrow lakes cross the road.    While I am skeptical that animals will pay much attention to crosswalks or landscaping, it isn’t very expensive.   On the other hand, if the proposal is for some kind of barrier from the bridge at James Island creek all the way to Mikell drive, then such barriers are going through people’s front yards.   I would strongly oppose any such plan.   Again, it looks like a poison pill making the entire project unfeasible.

Fortunately, the amendments were defeated.  The vote was 3 to 2.   Blank, Mullinax, and Woolsey opposed the amendments.   Kernodle and Berry voted in favor.     And then came the vote for the Harbor View Road project, which was approved 3 to 2.   Blank, Mullinax, and Woolsey voted in favor.  Kernodle and Berry voted to block the project.