What Should The Gateway To Charleston Look Like?

Long before the Piggly Wiggly store at the “suicide merge,” where Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road meet, closed in 2013, residents in the nearby neighborhoods were concerned about the appearance of the property.  As visitors exit Interstate 26 and drive over the North Bridge, that property creates a first impression of Charleston.
In March 2000, the City of Charleston in conjunction with the Old Charles Towne Task Force, which represents 13 neighborhoods along Old Town Rd. and Orange Grove Rd., released a design for the Gateway To Charleston. It featured distinctive landscaping and a clock tower with a Welcome To Charleston message.
The 2.5 acre Piggly Wiggly property was purchased by Charlotte-based Faison Enterprises for $1.9 Million in 2014. Faison also owns the nearby Ashley Landing shopping complex. A lease agreement for the property has already been signed with the corporation that owns the Sunoco gas stations, Energy Transfer Partners.
Permits for new building projects must be approved by the Charleston Design Review Board (DRB), consisting of architects and engineers. Representatives of Faison and Sunoco submitted a design proposal to the DRB at a June meeting, referring to the design as “iconic”. The DRB unanimously rejected the proposal, noting that it was out of character for the surrounding neighborhoods.
The DRB hearing for the Faison property attracted a standing room only crowd, mostly residents from the Old Towne neighborhoods. Ellen Hoffman, who owns several apartment complexes in the area, echoed the sentiments of the crowd by stating, “Sam Rittenberg should be a beautiful thoroughfare like Johnny Dodds Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant. The (submitted) design looks like a Sonic (restaurant). We’re tired of being called West Trashly!”
Longtime Sandhurst Civic Association President Melvin “Hack” Ezell was also very critical of the design. In response to the developer’s presentation, he said, “We need to revisit the meaning of the term ‘iconic’.” Ezell, who worked on the Old Charles Towne Task Force design in 2000, also noted that a Welcome To Charleston sign is needed for the property.
Former Charleston City Councilman Aubry Alexander blasted the design for having a retro look. He said it reflected the type of developments which were common in West Ashley in the 1970s.
Several speakers cited Hilton Head and the Mt. Pleasant Town Center as models for tasteful design. Both locations have high standards for signage, landscaping and building façades.
Other residents spoke about concerns over traffic, public safety and loitering. The Sunoco station will include a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and a convenience store which will sell beer and wine. DRB Chair Bill Marshall pointed out that his board has no input on usage.
West Ashley architect Dinos Liollio and City Councilman Peter Shahid both noted that the Gateway To Charleston design will have a significant impact on future West Ashley development. Shahid commented, “This project must be in harmony with the rest of the area. An unsuitable design will set back West Ashley revitalization.”
The only speaker who approved of the project was downtown resident Harry Gregorie, owner of the GDC Home store on Sam Rittenberg. He displayed poster-sized photos of the vacant properties near his store and said we must reverse the urban blight besetting the area.
Faison and its tenant must submit a new design and present it the DRB. The DRB does not have any leeway to determine whether a gas station is a suitable use for the property. It may only rule on whether the design conforms with city ordinances and is compatible with community standards.
I would like to see city leaders dust off the design worked out by the Old Charles Towne Task Force in 2000. The clock tower with the Welcome To Charleston message fits the Gateway concept, and it would be appropriate for the City of Charleston to pay for it.
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.