The Charleston County Library Board made its recommendation regarding locations on James Island. Their criteria were a central location both in terms of geography and population. Their first choice was the Dills Bluff Property that is owned by the James Island Public Service District.
Charleston County Council will make the final decision on the location on June 16.
What are the chances that the new library will be less than a block from its current location?
The 6.2 acre property has been appraised at close to $600,000. That is, approximately $100,000 per acre.
Fortunately, the majority of JIPSD Commissioners voted to sell.
What is the problem? The asking price was absurd.
Commissioner Brown-Crouch made a motion to sell the property for the new library. Thank you!
But then, Commissioner Eugene Platt amended the motion to make the selling price $5 million!
The amendment passed. The amended motion then passed.
Some members of County Council didn't appreciate price gouging. The JIPSD's own appraisal was less than $600,000, and they are trying to gouge our public library system for more than 4 times the land's value.
Now, I hear that some Commissioners have said that $5 million is a reasonable price. They say that the property across the street sold for more than $10 million.
In reality, the nearly 12 acre Bright property sold for $1.2 million. That is, for about $100,000 per acre. They are asking for 4 times the money for 1/2 the land.
And what did the JIPSD pay for the land? Nothing. It was purchased by the Town of James Island. When the first Town was closed down, most of the property was given by a judge to the JIPSD. A portion of the land was given to the Honeyhill civic association. Commissioner Brown-Crouch was the leader of the organization and later gave that parcel to the JIPSD. So now, all the property that was purchased by the Town is in the hands of the JIPSD.
How much tax has the JIPSD been paying over the years? Nothing. The JIPSD pays no property tax.
It is all profit for the JIPSD on the land the Town of James Island purchased.
How much is enough?
It looks like greed and selfishness. It is an embarrassment to the voters of James Island.
Now, the County could purchase the vacant storefront next to BI-LO near Folly Road. That is the Charleston County Library Board's second choice.
But property so close to Folly Road is very expensive. The appraised value of that land is about $5 million.
And so, a property not on the Library Board's list, the old site of Baxter Patrick Elementary School on Grimball Road is the likely site. Charleston County Council's finance committee voted in favor of that location.
The key problem with the location is that it is in the middle of a residential, almost rural, portion of James Island. It is not close to either the geographic or population center of James Island.
There was a petition by the people in that neighborhood in favor of that location. However, the petition said that putting the library there was the only alternative to parking school buses on the property. That isn't true.
What can you do?
Ask the JIPSD Commissioners to stop trying to price gouge the library. Sell the property they got from the Town for free at a fair and reasonable price.
Encourage Commissioners Brown-Crouch, McMillian and Wilder to continue to work for common sense and the good of the people of James Island.
Ask the four Commissioners who supported an unfair and unreasonable price--Hollingsworth, Platt, Kernodle and Waring, to come to their senses and do the right thing.
Sell the property for a new library at a fair price. Stop trying to gouge our library. Stop trying to gouge the people of James Island.
Please contact them and ask them to change their mind:
Chairman Hollingsworth (843) 795-4857 donaldh53@hotmail.com
Commissioner Platt (843) 795-9442 poet1326@hotmail.com
Commissioner Waring (843) 762-0505 waring1040@att.net
Commissioner Kay Kernodle (843) 266-7611 kkernodle@kernodlelaw.com
Please thank the Commissioners who are willing to work with the library to help the people of James Island:
Commissioner Inez Brown-Crouch (843) 795-9442 ibcrouch2006@yahoo.com
Commissioner Cubby Wilder (843) 795-1701 wild7930@bellsouth.net
Commissioner Carter McMillan (843) 795-9910 cartermac@aol.com
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