Harborview Road News

 

The Harborview Road Improvement project has been bid out, and the contracts should go before County Council on July 29.    Silt fencing should start to appear in late August or early September.
Since I was elected Mayor in 2012, I have cooperated with Charleston County and Councilman Joe Qualey to avoid delays and get the project started.   It has been delayed too long.   The road is falling apart.

The Town provided input on the more than 60 large trees and 150 smaller trees that will be planted to beautify the road.   I think that with the sidewalks and improved bike lanes, and the repaving, we will have a project of which all of us can be proud.

When I was first elected Mayor in 2010, the Town was suing Charleston County to block the Harborview Road Improvement Project.   I immediately began seeking a reasonable compromise with the County and settle the suit.   The County argued that due to SCDOT regulations, little change was possible.    The Town paid for a second opinion from an engineering firm, but they  mostly agreed with Charleston County.   Then, the Supreme Court came out with its order that the Town was improperly formed.   We asked for a reconsideration from the Supreme Court, and during that period withdrew our suit against the County.    The Town got nothing from suing the County.

I asked County Councilman Joe Qualey to work to for a compromise and agreed to give him my support.    The project is in his district.   Where we had the County and SCDOT insisting that no modification was possible when the Town was suing to force change, compromise became possible when it was requested by our representative on County Council.

I learned a lesson.   Fighting in court wastes time and money.  Working with our elected representatives gets results.

Gullah Cultural Center

The St. James Foundation is seeking to develop a Gullah Cultural Center on James Island.    The proposed location is a nearly 10 acre parcel on Grimball Road. (TAX PARCEL ID: 3340700048.)
It is located between Septima P. Clark Corporate academy and James Island Elementary School.
The Foundation hopes to purchase the property using Charleston County Greenbelt funds.    It has applied for a grant from the rural portion of the program.   It has also approached the Town, asking for a $200,000 match from the Town's allocation of Greenbelt funds to help reach the total $900,000 purchase price.  

The Foundation's application will be reviewed by the Greenbelt Board in early August and so if the Town is to the support the project, a decision must be made at the Town Council meeting on Thursday, July 17.

The Gullah Cultural building will take up two of the ten acres on the site.   Most of the grounds will be landscaped and open to the general public.   An interpretative walking trail tracing the history of the Gullah experience will be included on the grounds.   Space will be available for large picnics, school groups and farmers markets.   This open land and trail is very consistent with the Town's strategy for using its share of the Greenbelt funds.    

The building will include an auditorium, conference center, a teaching kitchen and  café.   The Foundation plans for a variety of educational and cultural activities at the Center, including story telling, sale of sea island crafts by local entrepreneurs, and food.

The Gullah Cultural Center will be located in a portion of James Island that was in the Town in the past but is now unincorporated.   We hope that this area can be returned to the Town soon.

I believe that that the Town should be proud to play a part in this exciting project, highlighting an essential part of the James Island experience.

Troy Strother, of the St. James Foundation, we be at the July Town Council meeting to make a presentation about the project.

If you have any concerns or questions about the Town's contribution to this project, please call me at 697-7020 or email mayorwoolsey@gmail.com.