District 4 Updates- January 4, 2020
Those new – and long-awaited- traffic signals on Patriot Boulevard are operational. North Charleston police officers will be on hand to help with the tweaking as the school year resumes. Traffic planners tell us the goal is to have these signals properly synched within a week or so. I will be monitoring this with police and public works. Please keep in mind that these lights are intended to assist with traffic ingress-egress flows for the Joe Pye Elementary School and for McKewn and Coosaw Preserve neighborhoods. This stretch of Patriot Boulevard is, of course, a congestion point during school days. This congestion is largely a result of cut-through traffic, motorists looking for shorter, quicker routes to the Palmetto Commerce Parkway, Ashley Phosphate Road, Interstate 26 arterials.
Resurfacing – Patriot and Wescott Boulevards –This work should be completed within 30 days. We are working to formulate a plan to complete these projects during night-hours.
Cedar Grove Development – The Planned Development District has been approved by both the Planning Commission and City Council. This follows nearly six months of neighborhood reviews. A shopping center smaller than, but much like The Corner at Wescott is planned. A grocery store, a national home furnishings store, restaurants and “neighborhood” offices are in prospect. I will keep you posted as to the timetables.
“Speed” Studies – Please drive safely – and lawfully! Look for digital speed monitoring on Wescott and Patriot. And please anticipate police enforcement of neighborhood speeding and disregarding stop signs and other traffic rules. Parking also is a growing legal issue – and often a violation of neighborhood covenants.
Parker’s Kitchen (Convenience Store, Fuel Station, Restaurant) – This Georgia-based company is planning developments throughout the Greater Charleston market – including one proposed on Ashley Phosphate Road at the northeast corner/entrance to Windsor Hill Boulevard. This parcel is not within city limits. It has long been zoned for general business under Dorchester County zoning. County planning officials have directed revised site plans and have considered variances for removing “grand” trees.
https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/planning-development/planning-zoning/planning-commission
https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/government/planning-development/planning-zoning/board-of-zoning-appeals
The Reality of GROWTH – The demographics profiled by The Corner at Wescott affirms that our Dorchester Road corridor community is growing – dramatically:
Within Five Miles Dorchester Road and Wescott Boulevard:
Population 97,894
Households 36,999
Average Household Income $67,643
Traffic Count 46,100 daily
(Each of those counts has risen steadily over the last decade.)
Mayor Summey And City Council Begin New Terms
The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 7, in Council Chambers, City Hall, 2500 City Hall Lane. (Exit 213 Interstate 26, Just off East Montague.)
City residents are invited – and I’m hopeful many District 4 constituents will be able to attend.
Please pass on this newsletter to your neighbors. I’ll gladly add any resident to the direct distribution. Just contact me at rbrin@aol.com
