Conservation Corner: Projects on the Move

It has been a long and cold winter season, but it has offered time to rest, recharge and rebuild. In early January, we welcomed our new Communities & Transportation Program Director, Anna Kimelblatt, expanding us to a three-person team.

Anna comes to us as a Certified Floodplain Manager with a background in resilience planning and a passion for conservation and environmental stewardship. With the added capacity and energy that a new team member always brings, we are hitting the ground running to continue and expand our work advocating on land use issues, including multi-modal and accessible transportation, sustainable development, and natural resource protection.

As the days grow longer and warmer, and life around us wakes up, we will be further reminded why we all work so hard to protect this beautiful, special place we call home.

Sincerely,

The Communities & Transportation Team

As Charleston County continues to grow, rural towns on the edges of the county are facing increased growth pressures that threaten the rural character of these areas. The editorial staff at the Post & Courier wrote a piece on the issue in January, “Smaller communities play a big role in Charleston County’s future.” We are working with residents in the towns of Hollywood, Ravenel, and Awendaw to engage on their town’s comprehensive plan updates and ensure their voices are heard for the future vision of these rural places. Comprehensive plans are the guiding document for land use and development at both the county and municipal level, and therefore, these updates are critical to maintaining the rural character of these areas.

On the urban side of things, the Union Pier redevelopment project continues to move forward. Conservation League staff have been working with other stakeholders to workshop the comprehensive plan description for the Urban Waterfront District, which will apply to Union Pier. We have consistently advocated for resilience to be at the forefront of this description, given that the areas this description will apply to exist in sensitive, flood-prone areas of the peninsula.

Future Land Use Map Amendment / City of Charleston

The City of Charleston defines resilience as “the capacity of a community, business or natural system to prevent, withstand, respond to, and recover from a disruption.” Most often, when we think about resiliency in the greater Charleston region, we think about our ability to absorb and recover from impacts related to flooding, storm surge, rain bombs, or hurricanes. Examples of resiliency measures can include green infrastructure like living shorelines or bioswales, floodable spaces, low-impact development techniques, permeable pavers, upgraded stormwater infrastructure, or elevation-based zoning.

Check out the City of Boston’s new resilient urban waterfront, Moakley Park, for an example of what we know is possible at Union Pier. In addition to advocating for resiliency, we are advocating for ample open space, public access, connectivity, and for areas beyond the critical line to remain building-free and in the public trust. We will continue to provide input and comments as the project moves through the Council process, and plan to work closely with the developer to communicate our vision for the site.

If you want to join in our efforts to advocate for resiliency at Union Pier, the Urban Waterfront District description will have a public hearing and first reading at Charleston City Council on March 25th at 5:00 PM.

Speaking Up for Bike and Pedestrian Access: Main Road Segment A

This past fall, a contract was awarded to construct the Main Road Segment A road improvements also known as the Main Road Flyover. In the original design, a much-needed bike/pedestrian bridge was included to connect vulnerable road users between West Ashley and Johns Island. However, the Conservation League learned in August the bike/pedestrian bridge was cut from the final design. Charleston Moves has been working with Charleston County Council to reestablish a multi-use path in the design.

Sign the petition here: Limehouse Bridge Bike/Pedestrian Access and attend the public meeting Thursday, March 13th at 6:30 PM at St. Johns High School for an update on the project.

Island Park Medical Village Back Up for Vote

After many delays, the Island Park Medical Village is back and going before the Planning and Public Works Committee this Thursday for recommendation and then before Charleston County Council for the first reading next Tuesday at 6:30 PM at 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston. The proposed development was voted down 4-3 last January by council, and has reappeared again a year later.

The project has been delayed since the public hearing in December, at which many Johns Island residents showed up to voice their concerns and opposition to the project. We cannot let Council lose sight of this widespread community disapproval.

Come out next Tuesday to remind council why this proposal is a bad idea for Johns Island! If you can’t make the meeting, you can submit comments here.