“Aquatics Center” – This exciting project took another major step forward when City Council and Dorchester District 2 School Board reached an agreement in principle to build and operate this $15 million facility. It’s a competitive and instructional swimming facility that will also be available for public uses. It’ll be built at the corner of Patriot Boulevard and Appian Way, in front of Fort Dorchester High School. The interagency agreement sets forth general provisions for facility uses and the emphasis on instructional swimming for students and competitive swim meets. The pool will meet Olympic – size specifications and will be readily divisible for multi-functional uses. The next steps will be site planning which will also include a new ingress-egress roadway into the Fort Dorchester High campus. District 2 will provide $7.5 million to capital costs as approved by voters in a 2012 referendum. The city will cover the balance of construction costs and will operate the facility as part of its recreation program.
“Recycling” – Nothing new to report. The city continues to provide curbside pickup with caveat that some of the material will not be recycled. This, of course, is a function of the market for “recyclables”. Currently only paper products and cardboard are being recycled. On any given day, other materials such as plastics and metals will be picked up by the processors. We are hopeful this will become a more predictable city service once Charleston County recycling facility is completed next year on Palmetto Commerce Parkway. We also are hopeful that Dorchester County will become more cooperative. I’ll keep you informed.
“Drainage” – Our community was hard hit by two record-setting rain storms, last October and last month. Thus, stormwater drainage runoff capacities form a timely topic. Our neighborhoods are generally served by two runoff plains – McChune Branch which directs runoffs toward Goose Creek and the Cooper River, and Coosaw Creek which takes runoff to the Ashley River. Mayor Summey and I have been in direct touch with the jurisdictional agencies about the efficiencies of these stormwater conduits. The concern, of course, is the capacities of these facilities given all the development our area has experienced over the last two decades. We are assured by the S.C. Department of Health and Environment that both McChune Branch and Coosaw Creek runoffs are in good shape. Anyone who has information to the contrary should contact me; DEHC will review any indication that general drainage is being impeded. There are some specific issues the city is looking at, including the presence of some very old “berms” in wetlands linked through history to rice harvesting in our area. The concern is that these elevated spots might be slowing down flows during the sort of voluminous rain storms we have experienced in recent months. Also, the city has applied for a Federal Emergency Administration grant to evaluate the drainage system of the Pepperhill community. This study will include a specific review of the McChune branch design and capabilities. Here’s an important – and often overlooked — reality of our drainage system: retention ponds and designated wetlands form much of the drainage system and many of these facilities are owned by homeowners associations. Ponds and drainage wetlands must be maintained to perform adequately. Now is a good time for HOA boards to update their lists of drainage facilities and their responsibilities for maintaining the facilities they own — ponds and wetlands, and in many cases, stormwater drain networks in road ways. I have spent many hours in recent weeks compiling information, checklists and best practice lists for these important but often overlooked functions. I’ll be glad to share this research with HOA leaders at any convenient time.
Top Dawg Restaurant and Family Sports Bar – On schedule for opening in the Fall at the Corner at Wescott. Please share this newsletter with your neighbors and I’ll be glad to add anyone to the e mail distribution list. Just contact me at rbrin@aol.com
