Keep West Ashley Suburban

Charleston City Council recently held a workshop at the Bees Landing Recreation Center off of Bees Ferry Road. The agenda was focused on West Ashley issues. It is refreshing to see Mayor John Tecklenburg prioritizing the needs of our area.
The first agenda item at the workshop is one which should concern all of us. It was about the Gathering Place concept used in the design of West Ashley Circle surrounding the intersection of Glenn McConnell Parkway and Bees Ferry Road. It’s fundamental to what character we want West Ashley to have in the future — urban or suburban.
The Gathering Place concept was developed along the guidelines of the United Nations Sustainable Development plan. Charleston is among the four South Carolina cities, which are members of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), which exists to implement the plan.
The ICLEI guidelines encourage developing more high-density urban settings in land use planning. There is an emphasis on people using mass transit or riding bicycles to the workplace or shopping centers. When you read the plan at SustainableDevelopment.un.org, you will see numerous references to climate change. While not specifically stating this, the plan implies that driving cars promotes climate change.
West Ashley Circle is among the three Gathering Places proposed for the City of Charleston. The others are along Maybank Highway and Clements Ferry Rd. on the Cainhoy Peninsula. The circle (which isn’t actually a traffic circle like North Charleston’s Park Circle) is scheduled to open by the end of April.
City planners were asked about whether the drainage issues at West Ashley Circle have been addressed and solved. They were not able to provide a definitive answer. When asked about what types of development are in the works inside the circle, planners were not able to answer.
A local study committee proposed guidelines for the Gathering Place. The committee proposed a maximum housing density of 45 units per acre (apartments or condominiums), subsidized housing for people who work there, a 5-story height limit for the buildings, sidewalks, open spaces and shuttle buses for workers.
Many City Council members expressed concerns over the West Ashley Circle plan. Councilman Marvin Wagner, who represents the subdivisions along Bees Ferry Rd., stated that city planners are trying to treat West Ashley like an urban area. “Trying to apply the urban concept to a suburban area is wrong,” he told them. “We’re different (than the downtown community) here.”
Councilman Peter Shahid, who represents the Old Towne community which includes my Sandhurst neighborhood, expressed that City Council needs to develop a mission statement for the Gathering Place concept. He asked, “Do we want to transport the downtown concept to James Island, Johns Island and West Ashley?”
James Island Councilwoman Kathleen Wilson indicated that the plans seem skewed toward favoring large apartment complexes at the expense of retail development. She wants retail to take priority. She noted that high density housing is not within the character of James Island.
Mayor Tecklenburg has a very inclusive leadership style. He ran the meeting in the role of moderator and had a very collaborative tone with the 12 council members. I am optimistic that he will ensure that every voice is heard before deciding on the eventual development plan for West Ashley Circle.
Another item on the workshop agenda was Mayor Tecklenburg’s West Ashley Master Plan concept. It seeks to examine the future of housing, retail development, transportation, drainage, parking and parks as West Ashley continues to grow. When when downtown councilman Mike Seekings suggested that City Council should focus strictly on transportation needs, Tecklenburg countered, “With all due respect, the time for West Ashley is now!”
A proposed West Ashley Farmers Market was also discussed. A survey of more than 3000 West Ashley residents indicated that the preferred times for the market opening would be Thurs. evenings or Sunday afternoons. The market will focus on local products and include entertainment and prepared food. The site has yet to be determined.
These are exciting times for the future of West Ashley. I am confident that Mayor Tecklenburg and our City Council will work to maintain the suburban character of our community.
John Steinberger is the former chairman of the Charleston County Republican Party, a leading Fair Tax advocate, and a West Ashley resident. He can be reached at John.steinberger@scfairtax.org.