When an auto accident happens unexpectedly, anyone can become a victim. One moment you're commuting back home after a long day at the office. The next, your car is totaled, and you're injured in the hospital due to another person's negligence. It's not fair, but it happens every day. Unlike the irresponsible party who caused the accident, personal injury victims often suffer the most in auto accidents. They have to worry about lost days at work, the long road to recovery, and the inability to provide for their family. Sadly, many people injured in car accidents don't have the luxury of worrying about bills because they're fighting for life in the emergency room.
And while modern cars come equipped with safety features like blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alerts, motor vehicle accidents are still a huge problem in South Carolina. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, in 2020, one person was injured every 11 minutes in a car collision. Even worse, one fatal collision was recorded every 9.1 hours.
Unfortunately, victims of auto accident negligence often don't know what to do when another driver hits them. They have questions like:
These same innocent people provide official statements to insurance agencies without knowing the consequences.
However, if you or your loved ones are victims in a car crash, there's good news. Laws in South Carolina mandate that guilty parties must compensate for pain and suffering. But in order to get the compensation you deserve, it's crucial to work with a personal injury attorney in West Ashley, SC. Experienced personal injury lawyers know how to bolster your case by securing witnesses for questioning, obtaining accident scene information, and documenting vehicle damage. If these tasks aren't completed quickly, you are far less likely to receive the compensation you and your family deserve.
Theos Law Firm exists to fight for your rights and to ensure negligent drivers are held responsible for the damage they do to your family. It's really that simple. We aren't afraid to trade blows with selfish insurance agencies. Because, unlike Theos Law Firm, they couldn't care less about your best interests.
Here are just a few reasons why so many hardworking people choose Theos Law Firm:
When you're involved in a car or truck accident, it can be a life-changing event. Having represented hundreds of personal injury victims, we understand that you may be confused and frightened. You know you need to speak with a lawyer, but you need a calm, cool presence to ease your anxiety. You need someone who understands what you're enduring, and we know how you feel. Unlike other auto accident attorneys, we believe that personal injury claims are more about the people involved and less about money and settlements. When you reach out to Theos Law Firm, you can rest easy knowing our team will treat you with dignity, compassion, and empathy.
With many years of combined personal injury experience, there's nothing that our team hasn't seen in terms of auto accidents. With that said, we understand that there is no "common" type of accident or scenario - no two accidents are the same. We have represented clients involved in DUI accidents, truck rollovers, reckless drivers, interstate pileups, rear-end collisions, and even Uber driver crashes. With such extensive experience, our team has the tools and talent to take care of you, regardless of how complicated your case might be.
The recovery process involved with automobile accidents changes with every person we represent. There are dozens of details to account for, from car repairs to insurance questions and everything in between. These small but necessary details aren't easy to accomplish for injured parties. That's why our team goes the extra mile to help cut through the red tape to ensure your medical bills are paid, and your car gets fixed. The less weight you have on your shoulders to worry about, the faster you can focus on recovering.
Unlike other personal injury law firms, our team is 100% committed to protecting your rights, and we're uniquely positioned to do so with decades of combined experience. We offer robust representation for many types of auto accidents, including:
If you have been the victim of an accident listed above, please understand that time is of the essence. There is limited time to seek compensation for your injuries, hospital bills, lost wages, and more. As such, there is only a short time to obtain experienced representation for your personal injury case.
Our team knows that finding the right attorney to represent you is an important choice. Therefore, we believe that an initial consultation is imperative to understand your needs and identify your goals fully. When we sit down with you to learn the nuances of your accident, we'll cover all aspects of South Carolina law pertaining to your case. That way, you're armed with information and have an idea of the next steps our firm will take to represent you.
Remember - the sooner we can dig into the details of your case, the sooner we can pursue your rightful compensation. As seasoned personal injury attorneys, our team specializes in several types of automobile accidents:
Car accidents are a serious problem in South Carolina. If you're an adult, you probably know someone involved in a bad car crash in our state. When you look at the stats, it seems like car accidents are always on the rise. One person was killed every 8.2 hours in a car collision. Even more sobering is that one teen driver is involved in a fatal or injury-causing collision every 1.6 hours. The unfortunate truth is that many people involved in car crashes were hurt due to the other driver's negligence.
Common car crash injuries in South Carolina include:
Car accident victims in South Carolina are often left to pay their medical bills but can't do so because they're too hurt to go to work or take their car in for repair. These life-changing scenarios can snowball into a series of scary events, leaving victims hopeless and unsure where to turn.
Fortunately, a car accident attorney in West Ashley, SC can help you avoid these pitfalls and obtain the money you need to survive. At Theos Law Firm, our team has a deep understanding of the rules that dictate fault in South Carolina. We know that thorough representation is needed to receive maximum compensation, and we're well-prepared to achieve that goal for you.
Our car accident lawyers in South Carolina can recover compensation for injuries and damages:
The moments following the crash are often a blur when you're involved in a car accident. However, per South Carolina law, those on the scene must adhere to legal responsibilities and obligations.
First, try to stop your car and ensure it is positioned safely near the scene of the crash. Then, call 911 to report the accident. While most folks go into full-blown panic mode, you need to stay calm so you can process the situation. If you notice that there are injured people, give them "reasonable assistance." Per South Carolina Code of Laws, that could include transporting hurt people to a hospital or calling an ambulance for them.
If you're in a car crash, you need to be prepared to exchange contact information with other drivers at the accident scene. If the person who caused the collision is present, make sure to get their name, phone number, address, and insurance info. If witnesses are present, get their contact info, too, in case our team needs to obtain their account later.
Next, try to piece together how the car crash happened. This is an appropriate time to take photos of the cars, wreckage, and debris. Ask yourself if you think a vehicle failed to follow the rules of the road, like speeding or failing to stop at a stop sign.
Regardless of how minor your injuries may appear and who may be to blame for the accident, get legal advice from Theos Law Firm first before giving any recorded statements or refusing medical care.
Tractor-trailer and semi-truck crashes are often more complicated than two car crashing. Because these cases are more complex and nuanced, it's imperative that you contact a truck accident attorney in West Ashley, SC to help you through the recovery process and win the compensation you deserve.
After a semi-truck crash, you must take steps quickly to preserve evidence so that the crash may be recreated. In serious semi-truck accidents where people are injured or killed, trucking companies usually send a team of investigators to the accident site immediately. These investigators will do their best to obtain evidence that can hurt you in court or even attempt to hide or destroy evidence. The last thing a trucking company wants is for you to win a settlement against them.
That's especially true since various entities may be liable for your truck accident injury, not just the driver. The trucking company, the trucking manufacturer, and the team responsible for truck maintenance could also be responsible. Additionally, if dangerous or inadequate road conditions factor into your accident, you could actually sue some government departments. For those reasons, it's critical to retain quality representation ASAP after a truck accident in South Carolina.
At Theos Law Firm, our team has experience winning compensation in many types of truck accidents, such as:
As your truck accident lawyer in South Carolina, we work hard to fight for your rights and win your case. In order to do so, our team will:
We'll arrive on-scene to notate skid mark length and the locations of vehicles involved. We will also capture detailed pictures and measurements pertinent to your crash.
Obtaining the trucking company's records and discovering the info they have on the semi-truck driver involved is an important part of our process. We will also secure access to the trucker's driving log notes, which they must maintain according to law.
Like airplanes and helicopters, big rigs have a "black box" that records real-time truck data, like speeds, changes in direction, and brake application.
We'll arrive on-scene to notate skid mark length and the locations of vehicles involved. We will also capture detailed pictures and measurements pertinent to your crash.
Sometimes an expert is needed to digest all the evidence and provide an expert opinion on the cause of the semi-truck collision. When needed, our team will hire such an expert to ensure your case is robust and air-tight.
We will obtain the police's investigation report and any accident photos, measurements, or other documentation taken by officers while investigating your semi-truck crash.
It's imperative to find all the witnesses of your accident and interview them to get recorded statements in a timely manner. Doing otherwise may result in faded memories and inaccurate facts.
Time and again, auto accident victims agree to early settlements provided by insurance companies because the offer seems like a lot. But what if you return to work after recovering from an accident, only for your pain to return?
With adjusters, lawyers, and investigators at their disposal, insurance agencies will do everything in their power to minimize the compensation you deserve. Don't let them pick on you or silence your voice. If you or a loved are victims of a negligent car or truck accident in South Carolina, contact Theos Law Firm today. We have the team, tools, and experience to fight back on your behalf, no matter how complicated your case may seem.
To schedule an appointment for your free consultation, contact Theos Law Firm in West Ashley today.
CHARLESTON — Fencing and yellow caution tape already surround part of a West Ashley shopping center, where construction on the long-awaited redevelopment project along Sam Rittenberg Boulevard will finally begin after a ceremony planned by city officials and developers on May 7.The ...
CHARLESTON — Fencing and yellow caution tape already surround part of a West Ashley shopping center, where construction on the long-awaited redevelopment project along Sam Rittenberg Boulevard will finally begin after a ceremony planned by city officials and developers on May 7.
The overall proposal covers 35 acres that combines the larger Ashley Landing shopping center and a vacant lot across Sumar Street where a Piggly Wiggly once stood. Plans call for more than 6 acres of green space, a four- to five-story apartment complex with 285 units, 100 townhomes and 240,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
"We're addressing what people have been wanting there," said Councilman William Tinkler, who represents the district where the site is located. He called the investment completely unprecedented for West Ashley, home to more than 40 percent of the city's population.
Demolition of part of the existing shopping center will kick off the construction. This will make way for a new Publix. The grocery chain is currently located across the parking lot in the middle of the planned development.
Publix will remain open during construction, as will many retail and commercial spaces along the periphery of the shopping center.
The same can't be said for the Crunch Fitness or Charleston Stage's West Ashley Theatre Center, which are also slated for demolition.
The theater production company preforms at the city-owned Dock Street Theatre downtown, but rehearses and holds classes and programs at the West Ashley location.
The developer behind the shopping center's upgrade is renovating a vacant 10,000-square-foot space for Charleston Stage in the same development, according to Marybeth Clark, the company's artistic director.
"We're not going away," Clark said. But there will be a pause in their fall classes as they wait for the new location to be complete, she said. The new space will feature more studios, office space and theater seating than they have currently.
"Ultimately, we will have a beautiful new space in a beautiful new center," said Clark, who hopes to be in the new location by the start of next year. "Between now and then, it will be inconvenient."
People visiting the shopping center should expect to be "inconvenienced for the next few years," Tinkler said. But once the dust of construction settles, he believes the "vibrant community" left behind will be worth the wait.
The city and county are both planning improvements to traffic around the site, which Tinkler said is one of the biggest complaints for residents who live nearby. He hopes the investment will encourage additional traffic mitigation from state authorities.
"This is revitalization," Tinkler said. "We're finally realizing plans that were envisioned 20 years ago."
Back then, his father sat on City Council, and every councilman since has pushed for redevelopment of the area, he said.
Past proposals ground to a halt as council failed to come to a consensus last year about what to do with the smaller former Piggly Wiggly site the city bought in 2017. When Mayor William Cogswell took office, he began courting developers with deeper pockets to tackle the larger redevelopment effort.
The overall plan will cost taxpayers an estimated $48 million, with another $300 million investment from Edens, a Columbia-based real estate company that owns properties in Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and California.
Edens purchased the Ashley Landing shopping center in October for more than $38 million, and in December paid the city $1.1 million for the 3-acre Piggly Wiggly parcel, according to county property records. That's nearly $2 million less than the city paid for the property in 2017.
The city also changed how it approves development along the busy commercial corridor in order to fast track the project. The property sits in a tax-increment financing district, or TIF district, which the city is relying on to fund its portion of the site's public infrastructure. That will include $10 million for affordable housing; $9.6 million for public streets and right of ways; $4.7 million for parks and green space; $1 million for a 3,000-square-foot community space; and $13 million for stormwater infrastructure.
A TIF essentially allows municipalities to borrow against future tax revenue generated from improvements to blighted properties and reinvest it back into the district. The West Ashley TIF was created eight years ago, and according to county tax records, still hasn't accrued any revenue. If the city doesn't issue any bonds within the next two years, then the TIF expires.
If all goes to plan, construction is slated to complete in 2028.
Reach Ali Rockett at 843-901-1708. Follow her on Twitter @AliRockettPC.
Downtown Charleston is about to temporarily lose its main library for renovations, but it’s gaining a major gap: a used bookstore.The Charleston Friends of the Library is moving its stockpile of thousands of books from its operations on Calhoun Street to Citadel Mall in West Ashley, where the volunteers will organize donations to sell on a daily basis.It means no more having to wait weeks between pop-ups to pick up a bargain book, although Friends ...
Downtown Charleston is about to temporarily lose its main library for renovations, but it’s gaining a major gap: a used bookstore.
The Charleston Friends of the Library is moving its stockpile of thousands of books from its operations on Calhoun Street to Citadel Mall in West Ashley, where the volunteers will organize donations to sell on a daily basis.
It means no more having to wait weeks between pop-ups to pick up a bargain book, although Friends of the Library executive director Leah Donaldson said there’ll still be plenty of events that locals have come to love.
The move comes as the main library at 68 Calhoun St. takes its turn on the docket as the 13th library up for renovations thanks to $108.5 million referendum passed in 2014.
“We thought if we have to move everything out temporarily anyway, let’s try a retail space,” Donaldson said. “We have a lot of great independent bookstores in Charleston and surrounding counties, so obviously there is a market of refer readers here.”
The store fills the particular hole in the market for used bookstores, especially after local shop Mr. K’s closed its doors in North Charleston in 2023 after 11 years.
“That was like a death,” Donaldson said. “So I think we're filling a niche here, sort of county wide, but also in West Ashley where you don't have any other used bookstore.”
The Friends of the Library store was to hold a soft opening April 7 right near the mall's center court and Medical University of South Carolina outpost. Hours for now will run Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Following the nonprofit’s “Big Book Sale” June 5-8 at Omar Shrine Auditorium in Mount Pleasant, the entire sorting room will be then moved to Citadel Mall for a grand opening, Donaldson said. At that point, she’ll announce how to donate or volunteer to support the program.
Charleston Friends of the Library funds more than 7,000 programs annually at the Charleston County Library with its events — most notably its short-term book sales supplied by donations from Lowcountry residents.
“We’re doing it this way because while we have extensive experience in selling books at book sales, we’ve never done retail, which is a little bit of a different animal,” Donaldson said, adding the store is entirely volunteer-run. “We want to make sure we give our teams enough time to get up to speed and fix whatever snags we hit.”
The new store will be dual purposed with retail space for a variety of genres, be it fiction, non-fiction and children's books in the front. The back of the site will serve as storage and a sorting room for donations.
“The space is going to be packed to the gills,” Donaldson said with a laugh. “Anyone who says people don't read books anymore, I'm like, ‘Well, come out to a brewery on a Saturday and check out how many people are buying these books.’”
As every discount book sells, backroom stock will be moved up in replacement, making the collection ever-changing.
“I’m a huge used bookstore person and for me browsing is part of the fun,” Donaldson said. “There will be organization but there’ll be opportunity to browse and explore and find your next cool read.”
Kristi Tolley, marketing and specialty leasing manager for Citadel Mall, said the shopping center is looking forward to the new tenant.
“This addition brings a valuable community resource to our visitors and complements our current mix of local tenants,” Tolley said. “The Charleston Friends of the Library offers a unique service for the Charleston community, and we are excited to see how shoppers will engage with this new offering.”
The main library’s renovations will conclude plans more than a decade in the works after the $108.5 million referendum passed by a three-to-one margin.
With the funding, 13 existing Charleston County libraries were earmarked for renovations and five new ones have since been built.
The Wando Mount Pleasant Library was the first new branch to open in 2019. The four others now in full operation are on James Island, West Ashley, Hollywood Library and North Charleston.
Also, five regional branches and smaller branches were renovated.
Whatever referendum funding is left over will go to the overhaul of the 27-year-old main library, said Angela Craig, the library system's executive director. She envisions updating floorplans for better programming in the space and meeting technology needs, but her big wish is to invest in the youth area.
“Right now the children’s area and the teen area get a lot of love, and the teen area was put in years after the building opened," she said. “ So it’s definitely served its purpose.”
The county is working with locally based Liollio Architecture for the renovations. A timeline had not been determined as of April 7, library spokesperson Doug Reynolds said.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County Planning Commission will be taking another look at a potential rezoning for a farmland property to allow for a multi-family residential community.The 10-acre Storybook Farm property sits at the intersection of Bees Ferry Road and Bear Swamp Road and is currently zoned R-4, which allows for 4 homes per acre. If the rezone were to happen, it would be changed to the Storybook Farm Planned Development and would allow up to 144 housing units total.The plans say that this will be a cond...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County Planning Commission will be taking another look at a potential rezoning for a farmland property to allow for a multi-family residential community.
The 10-acre Storybook Farm property sits at the intersection of Bees Ferry Road and Bear Swamp Road and is currently zoned R-4, which allows for 4 homes per acre. If the rezone were to happen, it would be changed to the Storybook Farm Planned Development and would allow up to 144 housing units total.
The plans say that this will be a condominium community and include six four-story buildings with 24 units in each.
At the initial presentation to the planning commission in February, the proposal said that Storybook Farm is designed to meet the demand for both workforce and market-rate housing, with a focus on the “missing middle” price point.
The developer said that the units would be for sale only, not for rent with a goal of keeping prices attainable. He said the starting price point could be $300,000.
Proposed plans also say that 5% of the units would be deed-restricted as workforce housing, which means that those units would remain attainable even if market prices increase over time.
The proposal also includes amenities that tie in the farm property’s features. Those include a farmstand gathering space where residents will be able to purchase produce as well as community gardens where residents can grow their own plants and vegetables.
Other amenities proposed include a dog park, walking trails and enhanced parking and access for Light of Christ Ministries Church, which sits next to the property.
West Ashley resident LaDon Paige says she has lived off of Bees Ferry Road for almost 20 years and is not against development, but would like to see it done responsibly.
“I just don’t know that increasing density is going to do us any favors. We have a lot of traffic already, there are concerns with that. There is concern about losing greenspace,” Paige says. “There is already zoning in place in R-4. I am opposed to rezoning that. I think there could be better uses for that property. I don’t know what the county could do. I mean, maybe even a fire station would be great. We have that small little fire station for St Andrews, but that would be something that would not allow as much density, would not allow as much traffic, but could also be an asset to the entire community.”
Angie Murto, another long-time West Ashley resident and local realtor, says she believes that the area could support homes with the current R-4 zoning, but that the number of units proposed in the planned development is too much.
“They have the R-4 zoning there for single-family homes, four per acre, which I think we can handle that. When we’re trying to do the multi-family, I just think it’s too much density for that area,” Murto says. “As a realtor I am looking at the market all the time and you know we want development cause we need it and Charleston is a very hot place to move to but we need to do it responsibly and pay attention to the infrastructure and make sure we have enough resources for those who are coming here and those who already live here.”
Justin James grew up in West Ashley and says he has long-term concerns if more development is brought to the area.
“What is traffic going to look like right? What is all of this going to look like 10, 15 years from now? I’m going to tell you, if you think today is terrible with the amount of kids to one teacher in a classroom. If you think it’s terrible trying to get I-526 to I-26 and get to your job on time by 7:30 or 8 a.m. without leaving three hours early, it’s just going to get worse,” James says.
The public is able to fill out a survey about the potential rezoning up until April 10. You can find the link to it here.
This rezoning will be brought before the planning commission again on April 14.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County School District staff could shift certain operations in West Ashley as families begin to feel the impacts of current and projected city growth.The City of Charleston reported a total population of 162,499 in 2024, with 71,648 people located in West Ashley. This nearly doubles the peninsula, sitting at 36,867.City leaders project West Ashley to reach 1 million inhabitants within the next few decades with changes in commercial and residential development on the way.“Most of...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County School District staff could shift certain operations in West Ashley as families begin to feel the impacts of current and projected city growth.
The City of Charleston reported a total population of 162,499 in 2024, with 71,648 people located in West Ashley. This nearly doubles the peninsula, sitting at 36,867.
City leaders project West Ashley to reach 1 million inhabitants within the next few decades with changes in commercial and residential development on the way.
“Most of the complaints I’ve heard have been related to the mobility issue, the inability to move. When you go places, it is very crowded,” Board of Trustees member Leah Whatley said.
West Ashley sits within Constituent District 10 and is the foundation for 10 schools.
Families within public education say the increase in traffic holds a trickle-down effect. One parent, with children in third and fourth grade, said the traffic can impact their students’ route to school by doubling the drive times. This can lead to issues with tiredness and interfere with extracurricular activities.
“It goes well beyond West Ashley; the growth throughout Charleston County has affected a number of our schools. With traffic to and from school, it’s affected bus routes and the duration of time people are on buses. We’ve seen it across the district, West Ashley has been rising as of late,” Chief Operating Officer Jeff Borowy said.
The district believes increasing bus ridership could be a mediator. The district is among the few with a large number of bus drivers, but Borowy said the students on board only fit half the capacity.
Borowy said any student on a late bus would not be penalized, and the district records which buses are consistently tardy to monitor “hot spots.”
“The ultimate goal is to want parents to be comfortable and safe and say, ‘I’m going to put my kid on the bus, I’m good to go’ to reduce the number of cars on the road,” Borowy said.
Parents suggested in the summer of 2024 and again in March 2025 that the district consider building a new school or redrawing district lines to allow zoning that eases transportation concerns.
The district is not considering either option because none of the schools are at a point of overcapacity.
“When I moved here 11 years ago, I was told right away, ‘You’ve got to build a new school on Savannah Long, because the kids are coming.’ The homes are not there. We would have had an empty school if we built one back in the day,” Borowy said.
Borowy said there is property, formerly the C.E. Williams Middle School, to use as a backup if space is needed to build a new school. The district would also consider the Savannah Long property near Drayton Hall as a short-term expansion option.
The district is offering community input for projects in a special buildings funding program through 2029.
If needed, Borowy said any project within the new program could be started two years before. The master plan will be released in Spring 2026.
“The school district isn’t directly responsible for the roads’ situation. We don’t have the authority to widen roads or add additional roads,” Whatley said. “These days, everyone is frustrated by the traffic. If something goes wrong in the area, it creates a nightmare for everybody.”
Whatley expects to bring the topic up through a board discussion and public comment period in April.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
When Charleston annexed Long Savannah in 2007, the massive planned subdivision came with promises of developer-funded roads.That was meant to alleviate concerns about the congestion that would come with the city’s biggest expansion since Daniel Island.Nearly two decades later, the 4,500-home development is finally on the way — but without the “h” in “Savanna,” as The Post and Courier’s Teri Errico Griffis notes.And without any new roads.As Griffis recently reported, there ...
When Charleston annexed Long Savannah in 2007, the massive planned subdivision came with promises of developer-funded roads.
That was meant to alleviate concerns about the congestion that would come with the city’s biggest expansion since Daniel Island.
Nearly two decades later, the 4,500-home development is finally on the way — but without the “h” in “Savanna,” as The Post and Courier’s Teri Errico Griffis notes.
And without any new roads.
As Griffis recently reported, there are nearly 6,000 new housing units planned for the outer rim of Charleston’s largest suburb. Which is scary.
That's because there are no accompanying plans for new highways or parkways to handle all the new traffic that will follow. Studies suggest that many houses will add thousands of car trips to existing roads every day.
Locals are rightly concerned.
In the past few years, West Ashley has grown three times as fast as the national average, as anyone who drives around the area knows. Look at the numbers.
The S.C. Department of Transportation’s average daily traffic count for Savannah Highway between Interstate 526 and Savage Road rose by 5,000 cars — to nearly 57,000 — between 2021 and 2023.
At the same time, Glenn McConnell Parkway and S.C. Highway 61 are up 4,000 cars each.
More than 20% of West Ashley roads are over-capacity already, and all this new building isn't going to help. In fact, it’s about to bring the bustling suburb to a standstill.
There’s little DOT can do here — Savannah Highway and 61 can’t be widened, and Glenn McConnell recently got a decent upgrade. Plans call for intersection improvements throughout the area, and barriers to prohibit left-hand turns to keep traffic flowing.
Some local officials have encouraged more mass transit, and suggested more people walk or ride bikes. But Savannah Highway is dangerous enough for people in cars — a disturbing number of people often don't even brake for its numerous red lights.
All this uncertainty and overcrowding adds to the consternation of residents. They are griping pretty loudly, which is understandable.
But they also rejected plans to extend 526 onto Johns Island, which would have gotten an estimated 15,000 cars off West Ashley roads every day. Don’t expect to see those plans resurface again anytime soon.
So what’s a growing Charleston suburb to do?
Lacking any better alternatives, many folks simply blame local officials for allowing all this development without the accompanying infrastructure. Sometimes that’s even appropriate.
South Carolina is a state that foolishly doesn’t require necessary infrastructure to be in place before development like, say, Georgia.
But many of these plans — including Long Savanna, which accounts for 75% of the new homes planned for West Ashley — were approved years ago, back when the region was hungry for an expanded tax base … and long before serious gridlock was an issue.
There's one solution, which Charleston County Councilman and West Ashley native Brantley Moody explains quite well.
“Eighty-four percent of our residents leave West Ashley at 7:30 every morning and come back at 5 p.m. The longer they have to commute, it keeps exacerbating our traffic problems,” he says. “I’m an infill guy. I believe we need to build where there’s already infrastructure, where people have grocery stores, shops and restaurants nearby, even within walking distance.”
The site of the former Ryan’s restaurant and Food Lion on St. Andrew’s Boulevard (Highway 61) is the sort of redevelopment Moody is talking about.
Developers want to convert that property, just a couple of miles from downtown on a well-established thoroughfare, into a mixed-use development.
You know, like the Sumar Street plan, which the city of Charleston is shepherding along off Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Which is an infinitely better idea than continuing to throw up new houses toward Jacksonboro.
“Somebody redevelop the Chuck E. Cheese, somebody build at Citadel Mall,” Moody says. “This is where our new development belongs.”
Not, he says, along Church Creek — where more homes only increase flooding … which in turn requires expensive fixes that take money away from other infrastructure.
The county is helping the St. Andrews Fire Department build a new station near the creek, which redevelops a property that otherwise might've been filled with dozens of new single-family homes.
That’s smart. The city and county need to do more to discourage development in such areas, mostly by encouraging it in places in serious need of suburban renewal.
All it takes is a private developer with a lot of capital and a little vision … and it really doesn’t even take much of that. West Ashley has already proved it's a popular choice for new residents.
But if its traffic woes continue, that won’t always be the case.