Tree Servicein Isle of Palms, SC

Gone are the days when we were forced to run or bicycle immediately adjacent to fast-moving vehicles on the Isle of Palms connector. Now we have real, demarcated and safe paths, with enough space to navigate other users and avoid debris.

In 2021, after providing proposed restriping plans to both Isle of Palms and Mount Pleasant, and after receiving majority public comment in support, the S.C. Department of Transportation accomplished a cost-efficient compromise for the Isle of Palms connector, one that is working well for multiple modes of transportation and recreation.

By lowering the speed limit, and restriping the connector to designate walking, running and biking lanes with buffers on each side, we now have the best experience possible with the existing infrastructure. The Transportation Department even managed to improve the connector without taking away designated space for motorized travel. And it certainly seems as if more people are walking, running and biking the bridge than ever before.

DOT has spent the past several months assessing not only whether the 2021 improvements are functioning well, but also whether there might be better options. After agency staff presented their findings to both municipalities, we now know that emergency response time has not been affected and that overall crash numbers are down. We also learned that the connector cannot withstand the added weight of a concrete barrier between vehicles and people on bicycles and on foot. This reality makes the painted buffer out there now, as well as the green paint for visibility, all the more important. Striping both sides of the bridge provided a safe space for those of us who bike and run the connector. Even better, there is enough of it for the inevitable increase of users in the future.

In contrast, all five newly proposed alternatives would shift every person running, walking and biking — no matter which direction — to 10 feet of usable space on one side of the connector. For reference, Wonders’ Way on the Ravenel Bridge is 12 feet wide, plus a concrete barrier. Because Wonders’ Way has increased in popularity, we now know that 12 feet for people on bikes and on foot, heading in two directions, is not enough space.

Imagine while running the connector, you are allotted five feet of space with all other runners and walkers, whether headed to Mount Pleasant or Isle of Palms. You would likely step into the other five feet of space set aside for bicyclists, who are also passing each other within that small area, as well as navigating adjacent motorists. Since all five new alternatives would require the removal of one of the existing multi-use paths in Mount Pleasant leading to the connector, users would face a predicament similar to what we now face when we access the Ben Sawyer path from Jasper Boulevard.

One of the alternatives also proposes adding a second lane for motorized traffic coming off the island. This would be accompanied by major construction to widen the roadway in Mount Pleasant, up to its intersection with Rifle Range Road. This configuration also would narrow the painted buffer between cars and bicycles on the connector and would be particularly unfortunate because it would put vulnerable road users closer to traffic, high winds, debris and the water below.

As a Mount Pleasant resident who is an avid runner (and who was only willing to run on the connector after the 2021 improvements) and an Isle of Palms resident who is an avid cyclist, we see no benefit to any of the proposed alternatives. The data indicate that the current configuration is our best option for balancing the safety and comfort of all users.

Bob Brimmer is a former Mount Pleasant Town Council member, and Ted Kinghorn is a former Isle of Palms City Council member.

COLUMBIA — Widening a 53-mile stretch of Interstate 95 through lower South Carolina is a newly designated priority for keeping freight moving safely to the Georgia border, but a start date is still years away.

While the timeline is still to be determined, work to widen the segment between U.S. Highway 17 in Jasper County and Interstate 26 in Orangeburg County to three lanes each way likely won't start until at least 2030, S.C. Department of Transportation officials say.

That's concerning for state Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Isle of Palms, who questioned whether continued patchwork repairs of "the worst roadbed in the entire state" makes financial sense.

"It is literally falling apart," he told DOT Secretary Christy Hall following her presentation to senators last week on the status of the state's highways.

"I actually take (U.S. Highway) 15 instead of the interstate because of the potholes," said Campsen, whose coastal district extends to Beaufort County.

"I see boat trailers abandoned on the side of the interstate because they’ve busted an axle — their springs broke — because they hit a pothole," he added. "You better know where the potholes are to safely drive it. I wouldn’t dare drive 70 miles an hour on it."

DOT is "very much aware of the situation," Hall said.

The twofold problem is unique to that section of interstate through the Lowcountry. Regular washouts erode where the pavement connects to the interstate shoulder, plus soil that tends to stay wet undermines 30- to 50-foot slabs of concrete that rock and crack under traffic, she said.

"When these slabs break, we try to safen them up as best we can, then bring somebody in to do an overnight repair by removing that slab and replacing it," she said. "There is some challenge in that because it seems as soon as you fix one, the next one starts to crack."

The good news, she said, is that much of that cracking is occurring on the southernmost segment where widening work starts next year, and major repairs of the existing lanes south of the I-26 intersection are under contract.

A complete reconstruction has begun of the four lanes — two each way — between the U.S. 17 connection at mile marker 33 and the Walterboro exit at mile marker 68. The $86 million contract includes tree clearing for safety, patching concrete and laying asphalt on top. That work will continue through 2025, said DOT Chief of Staff Justin Powell.

A separate contract of $7.4 million covers patch repairs only on the 18 miles between the Walterboro exit and the I-26 interchange, which started last March and should be done by year's end.

Widening the first 33 miles from the Georgia border will be done in three stages, wrapping up in 2030 with a total price tag of roughly $1 billion, Hall said.

Work on the first 8 miles, to include replacing the Savannah River bridge, will start in 2024, followed by 13 more miles in 2026. Plans calls for the next 12-mile segment, from mile marker 21 to the Ridgeland exit at U.S. 17, to start in 2028.

That construction was accelerated by a $600 million infusion of state and federal money the Legislature approved last year for the DOT's existing plan for interstate widening through rural areas.

In addition to the first 33 miles of I-95 completed at least two years ahead of schedule, a 70-mile segment of I-26 between Lexington and Berkeley counties is on track for completion by 2034 — six years sooner than projected.

Speeding up those projects allowed for more to be added to the priority list for rural interstate widening.

Last month, the state DOT Commission added three. Ranked highest among them was the remaining 53-mile stretch of I-95 to the Interstate 26 connection, followed by 29 miles of I-95 from the North Carolina border to Florence exit 170 — the Buc-ee's travel center exit. Ranking third is a 34-mile stretch of I-26 from the Little Mountain exit in Newberry County to the Interstate 385 split at Exit 51.

It's important to prioritize the movement of freight through rural South Carolina, not just urban centers, said DOT Deputy Secretary Brent Rewis.

"First and foremost, if South Carolina wants to continue to attract business and increase manufacturing, it’s imperative we have a reliable interstate system. Secondly, we need to improve safety," he said. "We also want to make sure we have an efficient system. Hopefully, that will help lower costs from a freight perspective. It doesn't do any good if we have commercial motor vehicles stuck in traffic."

About 9,500 commercial trucks travel daily on the three stretches that total 116 miles. And over the last five years, there were an average of eight accidents per mile involving commercial trucks, he said.

"The bottom line is, it's time to expand our rural interstate program," Rewis told DOT commissioners before they unanimously approved adding the segments to the priority list.

Their addition allows for engineering, environmental studies and long-range planning, not construction in the short term, Powell said.

"A tremendous amount of interstate work is moving forward," Hall said.

Still, legislators were hoping to hear of more work faster.

"That's the welcome to South Carolina — at least, when you're coming from the south," Campsen said about I-95. "And it's not a very welcoming welcome mat when you're coming from Georgia, which has great roads, and then you get to 95 in South Carolina, and it's like no-man's land in World War I with the craters."

Hall reminded senators that South Carolina has the nation's fourth-largest state highway system serving the third-fastest-growing population.

A 12 cents-per-gallon increase to the state gas tax is funding $3 billion of road and bridge work across the state. Legislators approved the phased-in tax hike in 2017, the first for state gas taxes in 30 years. South Carolina gas taxes, at 28 cents per gallon after the increase fully phased in last July, remain 3.2 cents below Georgia's and 12.5 cents below North Carolina's.

"Of course, Georgia has twice the budget and half the responsibility," Hall told Campsen.

Since 2010, the 65-plus age group in South Carolina has grown 48% — more than the national average. In South Carolina, nearly 40% of the population is more than 50 years old. These 2 million South Carolinians are getting ready to retire, or have already retired, hoping to live out their golden years alongside trustworthy neighbors in a quiet and safe community.

South Carolina is a wonderful place for seniors to put down roots. There are beaches and mountains, small towns and large metropolitan areas, and historic districts in cities such as Charleston. However, it is becoming more difficult to maintain a good quality of life, especially for those with fixed and lower incomes, due to increasing housing costs and reduced housing availability.

A key driver of this phenomenon is an increase in short-term rentals. Because South Carolina is also such a desirable place to vacation, Airbnb and Vrbo rentals are popping up across the state, oftentimes taking homes off the market and reducing housing options for local residents. Seniors deserve a place where they can afford to retire safely and comfortably — not a neighborhood plagued by noisy parties, strange neighbors and other unruly behaviors.

As commercially operated short-term rentals continue to proliferate across the state, they are raising alarms among seniors and families who are concerned about neighborhood safety and care about the future of their neighborhoods. Seniors should be able to walk around their neighborhoods and know their neighbors. Parents and grandparents want their children and grandchildren to be able to play outside without worrying about unknown guests next door. If communities begin to fill up with short-term rentals, you might not even know your neighbors — they could change every weekend.

Charleston, Hilton Head Island and Greenville are just a few cities that have already taken action to restrict short-term rentals. However, if South Carolina’s Legislature passes a state preemption bill aimed at changing the oversight of short-term rentals, this will replace any regulations implemented by localities with a one-size-fits-all law that will not adequately address the issue. Local leaders, who know the issues facing their communities, are best equipped to create regulations regarding short-term rentals.

State legislators who are unfamiliar with the nuances of individual cities and towns cannot be expected to create policies that work for the entire state. Charleston, Columbia, Isle of Palms and Rock Hill are all vastly different communities that are affected by short-term rentals differently. It is important to support legislation that allows local leaders to determine what works best for their residents.

As you age and transition from working to retirement, the community you live in becomes extremely important. The fabric of our communities is greatly affected by the continued presence of short-term rentals. As an advocate for America’s aging population, I urge state legislators to oppose any proposal to take away the ability of cities and towns to protect their residents from the negative impacts of short-term rentals that are flooding neighborhoods. Our seniors deserve better than a revolving door of strangers next door. They deserve to feel safe in their own homes.

You can trust your local leaders to make the best decisions for their residents without the state stepping in and taking over. If you have any doubts, look no further than Arizona. In 2016, Arizona passed one-size-fits-all legislation that hurt the housing market with higher costs to rent and buy and increased property insurance prices. The bill was such a disaster that Gov. Doug Ducey signed a new law in 2022 that now gives regulatory power back to local municipalities.

A state preemption law is not the right choice for South Carolina. Legislators can avoid making the same mistakes by opposing a state preemption law and empowering local leaders to make these critical decisions. Ultimately, they will make the best choice.

Saul Anuzis is president of the 60 PLUS Association and the American Association of Senior Citizens.

ISLE OF PALMS — As the new year approaches, the fight over public beach parking remains unsettled with a court case awaiting a decision by the state Supreme Court.

The Palm Republic group created by Isle of Palms’ former mayor and a current councilman has asked the court to hear a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state law that says free beach parking along state roads can’t be removed without the state’s permission.

It’s a law created by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, and signed by Gov. Henry McMaster in the spring of 2021, following the island’s attempt in 2020 to remove much of the beach parking on the island and charge for the parking that would remain.

The S.C. Department of Transportation had already rejected the island’s plan to eliminate hundreds of parking spaces, and later stepped in to increase the amount of free parking near the beach on the island — “unilaterally and illegally” according to the Palm Republic lawsuit.

Those actions prompted Councilman Blair Hahn and former Mayor Jimmy Carroll to declare the island “The Palm Republic” in an airing of grievances that included a declaration of independence, signed in costume at a local bar.

At the time, Hahn was declared to be The Palm Republic’s “attorney general, also known as His Beaudacious Highness, Admiral and Grand Ruler of All Seas Less than 1 Fathom.” But he says the legal issues in play are not joke.

Carroll and Hahn have said the state law is an affront to home rule and the power of municipalities.

“We want our home rule back,” said Carroll. “We just want them to hear the case.”

State Rep. Joe Bustos, R-Mount Pleasant, agrees.

“There’s either going to be home rule, or there’s not,” he said.

The issue now is whether the Supreme Court will take what’s known as “original jurisdiction” and agree to hear the case, as Palm Republic LLC has asked.

The state, through Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office, and the DOT have both urged the court to not take the case. Both said there’s no urgency to rule on a law that’s been in effect for more than 18 months, and the case should be heard in a lower court.

“If the Supreme Court does not take the case, we’ll file the case in Charleston County,” Hahn said. “The only issue is, is the statute constitutional or not?”

He said the case would end up before the Supreme Court one way or another.

Like many barrier islands, Isle of Palms has sought to manage the flood of beach-bound traffic that arrives during the warm months. Conflict over the parking issue flared up in 2020 when the island prohibited non-residents from using the hundreds of free parking spots near the beach, citing COVID-19 concerns.

The attempt to eliminate parking and charge for what remained came the following year, prompting the creation of a nonprofit group that sued the city, the new state law, and action by SCDOT.

The Palm Republic group has been urging residents to write to local and state lawmakers, and the Supreme Court, to ask that the high court take the case.

Not just for its longevity is Franke at Seaside the Lowcountry’s most trusted assisted-living facility, nor that its community recently took the top spot in three related Best Of categories. What sets Franke at Seaside apart is the way it makes people feel, and since 1892, when first founded, that element has made believers out of nearly six generations.

“We celebrated our 25th anniversary in Mount Pleasant in 2021,” said Allison Macfie, Franke’s community outreach director. “And everyone who has been part of growing Franke at Seaside has helped us establish a reputation of providing excellent, quality care in this community.”

That reputation was evident in the early years when Franke was serving only its original 18 guests. Now the faith-based nonprofit community serves 350 residents across 42 acres, next to an inland lagoon only 2.5 miles from the Isle of Palms. The facility offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care for seniors of all ages.

In addition to being near water, Macfie pointed out that Franke’s dog park, Bocce court, croquet lawn and putting green reflects the intention to be a retirement community where “older adults can live an active lifestyle and have access to care as their medical and physical needs change.”

She added, “My favorite part of my job is building relationships with our residents and their extended family members. And for me, personally, I only wish we had more space to expand and serve more people in this community.”

Such expansion was not even a thought for the first several generations after Franke’s founding. It didn’t even begin as a senior facility, but rather as a local charity — when area businessman C.D. Franke established the Evangelical Lutheran Charities Society of Charleston in 1892 (now known as Lutheran Homes of South Carolina). The first building to support the charity wasn’t purchased until 1908. And for the next 80 plus years, that single place was known only as Franke Home. By 1991, Franke’s initial endeavor had grown to almost four times its original size. As assisted living services were growing across the U.S., further demand was on the horizon.

Once the community moved to Mount Pleasant in 1996, Franke Home needed a name that reflected not only its move to the nearby barrier islands and coast, but also the fact that it was now no longer a single home. “It also represents the Lutheran Homes commitment to the growing demographic of active, 21st-century retirees,” Macfie said.

Further expansion is likely to happen in some form due to the popularity of the community. Beyond the setting, the relationships, the levels of care and the original purpose envisioned by C.D. Franke is what makes Franke at Seaside the best. It comes down to its most vital element: it’s homey. “There is a cozy environment here that you feel when you visit,” Macfie said. “Our residents and staff laugh and have fun together, and we really are like a family.”

For more information, visit FrankeAtSeaside.org, or call 843-856-4700.

By L.C. Leach III

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