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JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A proposed storage facility and at least ten new homes could be coming to Dills Bluff Road on James Island if one developer’s sale moves forward.

But some neighbors say after months of seeing the plans change, they say they still aren’t pleased with the proposal.

The plans have changed for 6.5 acres of Dills Bluff Road on James Island. Earlier plans included at least 20 homes with around 20,000 square feet of commercial space. After the town denied that plan in October, the new proposal involves a new storage facility with at least ten new homes.

“A storage unit facility is incredibly inappropriate for this area,” James Island resident Casey Buchanan says. “Yes, some of the parcel is zoned commercial because it’s right next to the shopping center here. But that zoning was done 20 years ago before all that we knew about flooding.”

Buchanan adds this will have an impact on property value.

“Really doing anything that reduces our resilience to storms as an island is really just incredibly foolish,” Buchanan says. “And I would be very cautious if I were to be — if I was buying a home now, buying in this area, especially if this plan is slated to go forward.”

John Peters, who lives in Whitehouse Plantation right behind this property, says he’s heard from more long-time residents that the flooding is worse during storms now than it was during Hurricane Hugo.

“Not making a problem where we have to rethink Dills Bluff Road because we’re already rethinking Folly Road,” Peters says.

Peters has created numerous petitions, with his current online one having over 960 signatures voting against this new proposal. He says this greenspace should be partially preserved and put to better use.

“Create a space that allows food trucks, a food truck radio or something that has a market area like they do downtown,” Peters said.

The two say the developer, Taylor Consulting Group, hasn’t had any meetings with the public since the original denial of the first plan.

The proposed plan has numerous grand trees slated to stay, but Buchanan says that’s not enough.

“They’re critical for managing stormwater on an urban sea island, which is what James Island is,” Buchanan said. “We don’t have a lot of these sponge forests left.”

The town of James Island says this is now a build-by-right property, which means Taylor Consulting Group has the right to build what they want under the right density with no more votes. The sale from the James Island Public Service District to the developer is still under contract.

“They may say they care about James Island,” Peters said. “Caring about James Island would be preserving James Island at this point.”

Taylor Consulting Group did not respond to a request for comment.

Residents say the next James Island Public Service District meeting is Feb. 26 at James Island Fire Station #1 at 7 p.m. and it’s one of the last chances to voice your opinion publicly before the sale could be finalized on March 1.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Ditches running through a James Island neighborhood are still holding several inches of water from Monday’s storm, frustrating some residents who say they don’t know who is responsible for maintaining the ditches.

Kat Skover lives on James Island in a neighborhood near the intersection of Folly and Fort Johnson Roads.

She says the standing water attracts flies and mosquitos and impacts her ability to play outside with her daughter.

“We got the house so that we could be in the backyard and hang out outside but with the difficulty of all the drainage and the water it can be really difficult to keep the yard in a state that is enjoyable,” she says.

The water can also affect the safety of the roadways, she says.

“Some streets will even have water on the street for a day or two following a heavy rain,” she says.

Her neighbor, Nicholas Connolly, says the ditches fill up fast during a storm and will stay filled for days.

“The ground is really soft, and if you walk around your feet will sink into your yard,” he says. “I’ve not once seen the city come and redo the ditches.”

Skover says she’s called the James Island Public Service District for help but got waitlisted.

“We’re on a schedule we’ve heard of, but that was several months ago,” she says.

The neighborhood sits in the jurisdiction of the Town of James Island.

James Island Mayor Brook Lyon says the problem is typically caused by clogged pipes under driveways. If the town is alerted of a drainage problem, they’ll come clean it out with a shovel, she says.

If it’s packed too hard or the driveway is too wide, they’ll call Charleston County or the South Carolina Department of Transportation for help with a vacuum truck.

The town doesn’t have any record of drainage complaints from the neighborhood, according to Lyon.

She encourages anyone with an issue to file a complaint on the Town’s website under the “MyTOJI” tab, or by calling Town Hall at 843-795-4141.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Dominion Energy has been working to trim down trees in the Riverland Terrace neighborhood on James Island, prompting complaints from residents.

Dominon Energy says the trimming is necessary because the branches have grown to come into contact with power lines, which can result in power outages. But some residents in the neighborhood are not happy about the work.

The neighborhood is full of many large trees, like oaks and magnolias, but they are trimmed down every five years as a part of Dominion Energy’s routine cycle to ensure that they deliver safe and dependable energy to customers.

One resident of the neighborhood, Kev Hollo, says a lot of the trees have been a part of the neighborhood for a hundred years now and that they are one of the main factors for Riverland Terrace’s prestige.

One of the large oak trees won a blue ribbon award from the neighborhood’s Garden Club for the best-looking tree in the area. Woodland Shores Road Coalition Founder Adam Friend says that the tree was trimmed down just two days after being recognized.

“The most important thing here is we’re not getting the support from government officials, from the county, from the city, to really make this a sustainable solution. The trimming is not working for us and we want the lines underground,” Hollo says.

He believes that putting the power lines underground would be the best solution to make the neighborhood not only safer from power outages, but also make the area more aesthetically pleasing.

Friend serves as an advocate for the neighborhood, and says he wants to bring awareness to others as Dominion Energy plans to continue to trim down trees throughout James Island. Dominion Energy posted on its website the areas where tree trimming is complete and the locations where they still plan to trim.

Another concern Friend mentioned was the future state of Charleston because of issues such as sea level rise. He says the trees can absorb a lot of that water.

“The most important thing for me and the trees is that they have been here for longer than we have. They provide one of the best services that we can ever offer in this area now as absorption. We have a sinking city and a rising water climate. Can there be any other worse scenario?” Friend says.

He says that putting the power lines underground would permanently solve the issue.

“We’re trying to save trees in an area that’s known for our trees,” Friend says.

Dominion Energy responded to the issue with a written statement:

As part of our routine five-year cycle to ensure safety and reliability, Dominion Energy South Carolina supports a comprehensive and proactive vegetation management program. While we understand and appreciate the passion surrounding trees across the Lowcountry, safety remains our top priority. Trees that have grown too close to overhead lines are both a fire hazard and an issue of employee and public safety.

Trees and tree limbs continue to represent the No. 1 reason for power outages on our system, and the routine safeguarding of overhead lines remains critical to delivering the safe and reliable energy our customers count on every day.

Dominion Energy and established contractors follow nationally recognized utility pruning standards outlined and approved by the International Society of Arboriculture. Our certified arborists oversee each project and ensure the work adheres to ANSI A300 standards. Research indicates that following these standards will help preserve the health and integrity of the tree over its lifetime. Each tree is different in structure, and our practices take that into consideration. While trees may look different immediately following a cycle, we know based on our need to return every five years that those canopies fill in quickly, particularly with our approximately 300-day growing season each year here in the Lowcountry.

Dominion Energy is always willing to consider placing lines underground if the engineering is technically feasible, system reliability is not compromised and there is a mechanism in place to cover the additional cost.

As we work to safeguard overhead lines from hazardous vegetation, debris is removed daily. Typically, any debris that is not collected the same day will be removed within 24 hours. Crews will also leave a door hanger to notify customers if they expect a delay. Customers with questions regarding trees on or near their property, are encouraged to contact us directly at 800-251-7234. Only OSHA-certified contractors are permitted to work near energized lines.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The sanctuary of a Baptist church nearly destroyed in a devastating fire will finally reopen this weekend two and a half years after it was struck by lightning and went up in flames.

The fire happened at Fort Johnson Baptist Church on Camp Road on James Island on Sept. 9, 2021.

“Remembering this date and everything that comes from that, I think it speaks to God’s faithfulness since then,” Marty Middleton, the pastor of Fort Johnson Baptist Church, says.

The fire started in the steeple after it was struck by lightning. The wood smoldered for hours until the entire sanctuary was engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke billowed through the air.

“The ceiling had collapsed, and the steeple was laying inside of it,” Middleton says. “It was pouring down rain that day. [It was] just a really dark and depressing day.”

That day is now behind them, and after years of work, $5.4 million spent and lots of prayers, the doors of the sanctuary will reopen for Sunday service at 10:30 a.m. on March 17.

“It was the community, it was the people, that made it happen,” Venessa Dennis, a member of the church, says. “It’s been an adventure. It’s been hard, but great stuff comes out of a struggle.”

The damage from the fire, smoke and water from fire hoses forced the church to tear the sanctuary walls down to just cinderblocks. Now, new chairs fill the room, new instruments sit on the stage and new carpet, paint and lights decorate the space.

“We’ll have one unified sound system that’s state of the art and sounds amazing,” Middleton says.

While insurance covered a portion of the rebuild, church leaders say donations from the community played a major part in funding the new sanctuary.

“Getting to see the look on people’s faces on Sunday morning is going to be super exciting,” worship leader Landed Allen says.

The church never missed a Sunday service, even immediately after the fire, Middleton says. They have been operating out of another building, but he and the congregation are overjoyed to return to the sanctuary in just a few days.

“It brings a sense of excitement and anticipation for seeing what God has done over the past two years and only continues that exponentially better,” Middleton says.

If you would like to learn more information about the renovation or to donate, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Discount grocer Aldi plans to beef up its presence across the Lowcountry.

The no-frills food chain filed plans with the city of Charleston recently to take over part of the space once occupied by the now-defunct Bi-Lo supermarket on Folly Road on James Island.

Aldi plans to lease 22,000 square feet of the roughly 40,000 square feet of empty space in the former grocery store building, according to Mark Hoffman, director of development for New Jersey-based Garden Communities, which has owned the 4.5-acre retail center since 1994.

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An Aldi representative did not immediately respond for comment on projected time frames for the renovation work and an opening date. Hoffman said he expects work to begin within the next six months with a possible opening by 2025 "if not earlier."

Last year, workout chain Planet Fitness leased and renovated 25,000 square feet on the east side of the former supermarket.

It’s the second new site in the works this year for the German-owned grocery chain in the Charleston area.

In May, the company leased several acres at U.S. Highway 17 and KOA Campground Road for a second Mount Pleasant location. Aldi signed a land lease with property owner Oakland Associates LP for 20 years with the option to renew up to 25 years.

The penny-pinching Aldi doesn’t provide free shopping bags and requires a refundable quarter deposit for a shopping cart.

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The chain stocks a variety of standard products, mostly under its own label, as well as fresh meats and produce.

The grocer launched its first store in the Charleston region in 2015 off Dorchester Road on the edge of Summerville and North Charleston. The company then followed with a second store on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mount Pleasant in 2017. Both locations were former bowling alley sites.

Aldi opened its third Lowcountry location in 2020 on North Main Street in Summerville, just south of the Earth Fare supermarket. The company added a fourth site later that year in the former Barnes & Noble Booksellers space on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston. A fifth store opened in 2022 on St. James Avenue in Goose Creek.

The low-budget grocer, with its U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., is one of America’s fastest-growing retailers. It will add 120 stores this year. By the end of 2023, it will have 2,400 locations across the nation. It has 48 stores in South Carolina.

Lidl, its competitor that is also based in Germany, opened its first Charleston-area location on St. James Avenue in Goose Creek in 2017. A second location opened in 2022 in Cedar Grove Shopping Center on Dorchester Road in North Charleston, east of the Aldi location.

Lidl signed a lease in 2021 to outfit a former kitchenware shop in Bowman Place Shopping Center on Bowman Road in Mount Pleasant for the region’s third location but later scuttled plans.

In September, specialty grocery chain The Fresh Market took over the lease from Lidl. The Greensboro, N.C.-based supermarket chain has submitted plans to the town, but it has not announced an opening time frame.

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