A municipal menagerie
Since the inception of the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA), the organization has served its members and greater Daniel Island as a whole in one key capacity - as a connection between island residents and the respective governments charged with the municipal management of the island. DINA’s role as a catalyst to better communication between island residents and their elected officials has always been critical, especially considering the unique, often confusing component of Daniel Island’s governmental setup: that it is a part of the City of Charleston but sits in Berkeley County, not Charleston County.
Since the beginning, DINA has taken on the task of educating its residents on the roles of the respective governments. However, as evidenced by the group’s meeting on November 1, confusion still lingers.
In keeping with their founding tradition, DINA brought government to the island at their recent November meeting. The lion’s share of the one-hour event was dedicated to updating the group on the activities of Daniel Island’s respective governments, through a trio of elected officials who addressed the group.
Gary White of Charleston City Council was the first to speak to the DINA audience, followed by Berkeley County Councilman Josh Whitley and Berkeley County School Board Member Mac McQuillin. Even U.S. Congressman Mark Sanford made an appearance at the event, speaking to attendees in the pre-meeting “meet and greet” and sticking around for an introduction by DINA President Glenn Williman.
It was Whitley though who took on the issue of multiple governments being responsible for the island head-on, and as such, it was Whitley who in turn fielded some of the toughest questions from audience members. The sub-topic of the question and answer was the proposal for a new roundabout at the intersection of Seven Farms Drive and Daniel Island Drive, but that’s not where Whitley began with his comments in his presentation to the group.
“There is a great confusion between what does Berkeley County do and what does the City of Charleston do?” noted Whitley, who serves over 25,000 constituents as the county’s District 2 representative. “(Berkeley County Deputy Supervisor) Tim (Callanan) and I are in it every day, and we still get confused, but the function of the county is really limited and simple.”
“When you think of the City (of Charleston), think of fire, think of police, think of the streets. That’s (City Councilman) Gary (White),” continued Whitley. “When you think about the County you think about the glorious things of mosquito abatement, your EMS (Emergency Medical Services), which is critical, and your County’s library on the island. That’s pretty well our role.”
Roundabout round-up
Whitley then turned to the topic that has for months been on the tips of Daniel Island’s collective tongue, that of the proposed roundabout.
“I know there are strong feelings on the roundabout, for and against,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot of comment cards, a lot of emails. I have some good friends who are against it; I have some good friends who are for it, and everything in between. That is still a City-approved project so that’s still a City responsibility, it’s just that the improvement was never going to get funded had then-Councilman Callanan not included it in the sales tax referendum.”
“I’m a firm believer in the law of unintended consequences,” interjected DINA member and meeting attendee Kathleen Fitzpatrick, who turned the focus of the discussion to another intersection, that of River Landing Drive and Seven Farms Drive. “Has any thought been given into how that’s going to be affected? I believe that that intersection is actually the worst intersection on the island and so I feel like we’re going to be putting a Band-Aid on this intersection and causing other problems in the years ahead.”
“I reject your comment that it’s going to be a Band-Aid,” responded Whitley. “It’s going to be a fix everyone can be proud of. However, I do recognize the fact that I was late to the roundabout meeting because of that intersection (at River Landing Drive and Seven Farms Drive), and that’s why I started my talk with ‘I punt to Gary (White).’ That’s a City problem.”
Fitzpatrick reminded undeterred, “And that is my question about unintended consequences, that it’s going to cause a bigger problem because they don’t work together.”
DINA Committee Reports
Though much of the latter part of the November DINA meeting was dedicated to the topic of intergovernmental cooperation, the meeting was chock-full of information, too. Even in DINA President Glenn Williman’s presentation, however, the topic of intergovernmental cooperation emerged.
Williman told the group about his September 29 meeting with Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. The meeting was held in keeping with a yearly tradition begun by former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, allowing various leaders from the 140 official neighborhoods in the City to come in, a dozen or so at a time, to speak directly with the Mayor on the issues facing their respective communities.
“I brought up to the City that Berkeley County did such a wonderful job repaving Thomas Island Drive, so that when you come into the island from Clements Ferry Road, you’re on this beautifully smooth new blacktop and then you hit the bridge where you get into the City and you start to rumble,” said Williman. “You rumble across the next two bridges. That’s apparently a City responsibility to consider repaving that, and they’re taking in my request and are considering it.”
Jim Morrill of the newly established DINA Noise Committee also had relevant information for meeting attendees. Morrill reminded the audience that the I-526 Mark Clark Expressway was due to be expanded from two to three lanes in each direction, and that a pair of new expressway-related projects were also on deck.
“A number of us already think we have a noise problem today, said Morrill. “When we add two more lanes and more traffic that’s going to make the noise that much worse. I think this committee is going to be taking it easy for about a year, but I will keep monitoring and keep touching base with them to make sure we stay fully involved.”
There also was news on the development front, reported DINA Land Use and Zoning Committee Chairman Clyde Rush, who addressed the room about a pair of projects in the development pipeline for Daniel Island. One project will connect the two ends of Farr Street and divide land along the extension into three parcels. Another involves a new 200-unit Greystar apartment complex for seniors age 55 and over.
“There’s an old saying, ‘don’t kill the messenger,’ but for the last week I feel like I’ve been ducking for my life,” said Rush. “There’s a lot going on on the island from a construction standpoint.”
The senior complex is slated to be built on the northern end of the Farr Street extension, next to the existing Greystar Daniel Island Village.
“A number of concerned residents have gotten together and formed committees and met with Greystar and others about the project, to learn more,” continued Rush. “…At this point, nothing officially has been proposed. We just know it’s coming.”
Wando River Public Boat Landing Update from the City
Following the DINA Committee reports, it was Councilman White’s turn at the podium. He offered a few more comments on the proposed community recreation center project slated for Governors Park, stating that the first set of funding had been secured, preliminary conceptual drawings had been completed, and that the City was currently working on the engineering aspects of the project along with permitting. White also reported that the center is expected to open on schedule in approximately three to three-and-a-half years.
White went on to discuss a second City recreation project slated for construction on Daniel Island - a public boat landing on the Wando River under the I-526 overpass. He stated that the City had made the decision to go with a typical request-for-proposal (RFP) process, both for the site design and also the structures and infrastructure itself. The City would soon be completing the parameters for the RFP, White continued, which will then be publicly advertised.
Again, the topic of intergovernmental cooperation reared its head with White’s report on the boat landing. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), had committed $600,000 to fund the project, White reported, along with any additional shortfalls that could come, but the City would handle the actual construction project itself.
“Originally, we were going to work for the County,” he said. “We kind of went back and forth on what that process would be and we ultimately ended up deciding that the City would basically take over the project.”
Philip Simmons Schools Thriving, reports McQuillin
It was Berkeley County School Board Member Mac McQuillin who wrapped up the meeting with a report on Daniel Island and Cainhoy area schools. The new Philip Simmons Middle School and Philip Simmons Elementary School, both on Clements Ferry Road, experienced successful openings in 2016, he said, adding that enrollment pressures at the Daniel Island School had been alleviated as a result of the opening.
The Philip Simmons High School is set to open in August of 2017, reported McQuillin. The school will have a capacity of 1400 to 1600 students, and will open with grades nine through 10, growing into a three-year and then full, four-year high school in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Fittingly, McQuillin’s comments also reflected on the general topic of the evening and of the lifetime of Daniel Island, intergovernmental cooperation. “Our public schools are a community effort, and we are blessed here on Daniel Island to have a good working relationship with the County, the City, and also industry,” said McQuillin, in closing.
The next DINA meeting will be held on December 6. For additional information on the organization, visit www.dineighborhoodassociation.org.