Join us Tuesday, July 8 at Mount Pleasant Town Council to speak up in support of a balanced compromise for Highway 41.
In 2020, Charleston County proposed widening Highway 41 to five lanes through the Phillips community but given concerns expressed by residents and advocacy from the Conservation League and our partners, it shelved that initial plan and designed a Compromise Alternative. This compromise balances the needs of all communities along this portion of Highway 41 while minimizing impacts to the natural environment. However, newer members of Mount Pleasant Town Council are not honoring this compromise alternative that was carefully negotiated years ago.
If the goal for the Highway 41 corridor is to reduce traffic, the improvements SCDOT completed only months ago will only work effectively if the Laurel Hill Parkway is built. Importantly, the parkway only goes along the outskirts of the park, not through the center of it, minimizing impacts while still achieving positive outcomes for all in the community.
During the Town of Mount Pleasant’s town council meeting next Tuesday, July 8, the Highway 41 improvements will be addressed. Comments from residents and stakeholders are welcome and encouraged on the Compromise Alternative for Highway 41 that seeks to equitably balance impacts to both nature and community. Please attend the meeting and sign up to speak in support of the Compromise Alternative.
Mount Pleasant Town Council
Tuesday, July 8 at 6:00 PM
Town of Mount Pleasant Municipal Complex
100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Suggested Talking Points
Please feel free to use the below talking points in comments. We encourage you to personalize your comments and add additional information.
- Impacts to wetlands and communities are minimized as much as possible through this Compromise Alternative.
- The Compromise Alternative impacts roughly half the number of properties that would have been impacted by the prior alternative.
- The Alternative only impacts the edge of Laurel Hill Park where there are no current trails or amenities.
- The project provides an opportunity to improve safety and connectivity for folks traveling on foot or by bicycle.
- The recently completed SCDOT improvements to Highway 41 will only effectively reduce traffic if the full Compromise Alternative, including the Laurel Hill Parkway component, is implemented.
- While Mount Pleasant lacks the legal authority to unilaterally break the negotiated compromise, passing resolutions opposing it flies in the face of years of thoughtful and careful stakeholder engagement.