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People living in the Clarks Point neighborhood and along Oak Point Road will be moved from septic to sewer lines by December of 2026.

Published: Wed May 10 2023|Updated: 19 hours ago

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The James Island Public Service District will begin work to replace septic tanks and connect sewer lines to 199 properties as residents will be moved from septic to sewer lines.

People living in the Clarks Point neighborhood and along Oak Point Road will be moved from septic to sewer lines by December of 2026.

The total projected cost is about $10.3 million.

“So we’ve been at this since 2020. And that’s when the James Island Water Quality Task Force was created. So the James Island Creek was designated as an impaired waterway and the task force needed to start addressing the issues,” District Manager Dave Schaeffer says.

Director of Land Water Wildlife at the Coastal Conservation League, Riley Egger says septic tanks released decomposed matter that can be detrimental if disease causing bacteria makes its way into waterways.

“Septic tanks along the coastal zone especially can be particularly dangerous knowing that they face certain conditions from sea level rise from groundwater intrusion and just the challenges of living on the coastal zone,” Egger says.

Egger says the James Island grant is a good step in fixing one area that faces problems.

“When we set up septic tanks that are particularly dense right on the waterways, right on our wetlands, we’re really setting up the future to fail,” Egger says. “What we really need to do is consider septic tanks and where we place them more within the planning process and more of our regulations. The best way to prevent a septic tank from failing is before it ever it gets in the ground.”

The homes impacted by the district’s project can expect a letter detailing the plan in the coming months.

The federal money for the project had a deadline to be used by December of 2026. Schaeffer says it will take time to get proper and easements and estimates groundwork will begin toward the end of 2024.

“Obviously we have started already with preliminary engineering and surveying and the easements that are required and the permitting that is required. So that is a years long process,” he says.

Schaeffer says there will be public engagement sessions to answer questions for people who live on properties being connected so their questions will be answered over the course of the years long project.

“This is kind of like 199 mini projects. We have to work with each one of the homeowners as far as where the pump is going to go, where’s the power to be able to have the pump, to be able to get each one of those households on to the sanitary sewer system. It’s kind of an individual project,” Schaeffer explains.

The sewer lines will be laid underground, and a pump will replace each home’s connection to a septic tank.

“We’re the last utility going into these neighborhoods. So there’s already power and there’s already cable and water and things for us to hit. And so instead of trenching, open trenching, we have the technology to be able to bore through so that we’re not tearing up the roads and there’s less disturbance for the community,” Schaeffer says.

Schaeffer thanked the state representatives who lobbied for this money and says the district will continue to work to replace aging septic with lines as they are able in the coming years.

The cost breakdown is as follows:

Upcoming James Island Public Service District Wastewater meetings:

Meetings are located at Fire Station 1 on 1108 Folly Rd.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

For the last 36 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation asks the public to nominate places in danger of being torn down. They then narrowed that list down to 11 sites and now work to raise awareness of the historical significance of these places to help preserve them.

Sites on this year’s list include a gas station, a church and a cemetery. To learn more about the historical sites and their preservation efforts, host Deepa Fernandes talks to Katherine Malone-France, chief preservation officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

America’s 11 most endangered historic places

This site is not just a gas station; it’s been a hub for the Hualapai Tribal community for almost a century.

Osterman Gas Station, Peach Springs, Arizona. (Richard Knott)

Little Santo Domingo is the cultural heaty of Allapattah. It’s been threatened by overdevelopment, cultural erasure and displacement.

Allapattah Collaborative CDC

Established in 1828, this site is one of the oldest burial grounds for Africans enslaved at plantations in Harris County, Georgia. The two acres of land are estimated to contain up to 500 burials.

Hamilton Hood Foundation

These two early iconic skyscrapers have been vacant since 2005 and face the possibility of demolition.

Landmarks Illinois

This 11-mile-long corridor is an intact cultural landscape including historic villages such as Lucy, Edgard and Wallace. A company has applied to put the largest grain elevator in the world directly within this site.

Brian M. Davis/Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation

Also called the Perseverance Benevolent and Mutual Aid Society Hall, this site was one of the first places jazz was heard and was an essential safe place for the Black benevolent society. Hurricane Ida collapsed the back half of the building, and other parts are at risk of falling down too.

National Trust for Historical Preservation

Artist L.V. Hull once lived and worked at this site. After her death in 2008, her artwork was moved, but the house suffers neglect, vandalism and weather exposure.

L.V. Hull Home and Studio, Kosciusko, Mississippi. (Yaphet Smith)

This house was the birthplace of renowned painter Henry Ossawa Tanner and many of his also-esteemed family members. The house is severely deteriorated and at risk of collapsing.

Henry Ossawa Tanner House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Justin Spivey/WJE Associates)

One of the oldest remaining active Chinatowns in the U.S., the neighborhood is at risk for development such as a planned 18,500-seat arena that would abut the area.

Terry Robinson/Flickr

Union Pier, a 65-acre waterfront site, has been used for maritime business since the early 18th century. A development has been proposed that would block views and negatively impact climate resilience.

Vanessa Kauffmann

This area is one of the oldest Asian American neighborhoods on the West Coast. An expansion project of Sound Transit, Seattle metro area’s transit agency, could impact the community’s access to public transportation and disrupt cultural preservation.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – As more Americans hit the links, the golf industry is teeing up big business in South Carolina.

The Palmetto State has cemented itself as a top golf destination in recent years as millions of people searched for fun, safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had quite a problem during the initiation of the COVID period and as we became obvious to be a healthy sport to participate in…we began to see a lot of traffic funneling to the state because of that,” Executive Director of the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association (SC GOA) Terry Sedalik said. “It was something that people could do in a healthy way.”

In 2021, the sport generated roughly $3.3 billion in sales, according to a survey conducted by SC GOA and released by the S.C. Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism.

“I suspect now that in 2023 that number has significantly increased,” Sedalik said. “All businesses are cyclical and we were afraid that was going to happen during COVID and it had the exact opposite effect.”

It also contributes to more than 40,000 jobs, $1.5 billion in wages and income, and drives more than $370 million in federal, state, and local taxes.

“Of all the admission taxes collected in south carolina, golf pays 44% of them,” Sedalik explained. “So, it’s a tremendous income source for the state and an economic driver for the state.”

The industry’s boost can be partially attributed to a growing partnership between the state and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA). Last month, the PGA TOUR inked a multi-year deal with Discover South Carolina that will designate the state’s tourism agency as an official tourism sponsor of the organization.

Annually, the state hosts the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greenville, and the newly-announced Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

Officials say both professional and amateur tournaments help attract visitors to South Carolina’s more than 350 scenic courses–which saw a nearly 14% increase in foot traffic in 2021.

“We have some very well-recognized and very popular golf courses in South Carolina,” Sedalik said. “Last year we got tremendous exposure when Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship here and that’s still paying dividends for the community.”

But, the industry’s impact extends far beyond the fairway. Golf generates more income than any other single entertainment or recreation activity in the state with visitors on a golf trip spending an additional $1.1 billion off-course, according to SC GCOA.

“When people travel for golf, they’re going to need lodging, they’re probably going to need air transportation depending on where they’re coming from,” Sedalik said, noting that most out-of-town golfers come from the Midwest, North Carolina, and Georgia.

In 2021, Myrtle Beach was the top golf destination in the state, followed by Hilton Head Island and Charleston.

The industry’s boom in South Carolina echoes a similar trend seen nationwide wherein more Americans are playing golf than ever before.

According to a report released by the American Golf Industry Coalition on Wednesday to coincide with National Golf Day, roughly one in seven people played golf in 2022, resulting in $101.7 billion in direct economic impact.

“If we get just a significant piece of that — people coming and wanting to play somewhere other than their home course — that’s extremely significant.”

Of Good Nature brings its soulful sound to town this week for an intimate show at Charleston Pour House on May 20.

The band is a collection of Charlotte musicians founded in 2011 by vocalist/guitarist Cam Brown and trombonist Brandon Hucks. The pair was later joined by drummer David Hamilton Jr., bassist Clifton Bundick and saxophonist Marcus Jones.

“We all met playing with different groups around town and in the local scene,” Brown told the Charleston City Paper.

Having a deep sense of place from which to draw influence has been key to the act’s development.

“We are definitely proud of our hometown and where we come from,” Brown said. “Four out of five members were born in Charlotte, and five out of five members were raised in Charlotte. It has become a new-age big Southern city. Many styles and cultures are mixing and forming, similar to how we write and play.”

Anthony Hamilton, K-Ci & JoJo, Simplified, The Avett Brothers, Luke Combs and Lute are a few acts Brown pointed to that emerged from his neck of the woods.

Although it was time spent on the road that really allowed Of Good Nature to hone its collective skills.

“I think a key occurrence in our development as a band was the moment we committed to a full-time touring schedule back in 2017,” Brown said. “Since then, our synergy has become strong.”

Importantly, this closeness seems to have carried over from the stage into the studio where the group has begun to stretch out freely. Perhaps most interesting are the band’s recent collaborations. These have included cool cuts with Vermont-based singer-songwriter Mihali Savoulidis of rock band Twiddle as well as with Charleston’s own Little Stranger.

“We’ve been touring the country playing shows and running into John and Kev for about six or seven years now,” Brown said of Little Stranger. “We finally put out a song together called ‘Looking For It’ at the beginning of last year.”

Additionally, Brown hinted that there is another Lowcountry connection that will resurface as part of the Pour House performance.

“Elise Testone is a Charleston legend and a good friend of ours. We initially met on a cruise performing with the band Train. Elise was singing with Robert Randolph, and we all hit it off. She is an absolutely amazing singer and knows her music. We’re so thankful to have her sing on our upcoming record as well as to be able to feature her on some live shows on the tour.”

The admiration is mutual. “When I think of how to describe the band’s sound, the first word that comes to mind is ‘positive,’ ” Testone told the City Paper.

“From the band name to the lyrics,” Testone said, “99% of the time there is a positive message and energy being delivered. Our career paths vary in many ways, but the biggest connection is an intangible feeling of knowing there’s no other choice than music for us.”

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One of the world’s best known luxury hotel brands soon will be coming to downtown Charleston.

A Four Seasons hotel will be built at 155 Meeting St. on the former location of the Days Inn budget motel.

Strategic Property Partners LLC, based in Tampa, Fla., is the developer. Proposals for the project call for three different buildings to be constructed on the 1.9-acre site. The mixed-use development for the site will also include residential condominiums and retail space.

“Strategic Property Partners LLC has agreed on terms with Four Seasons Hotels and Resort, the world’s leading luxury hospitality company, to manage the planned hotel and residences at 155 Meeting Street in downtown Charleston,” said Brad Cooke, senior vice president of development for SPP. “The project is subject to public approvals and more details will be communicated as they become available.”

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Required zoning changes for the project have received approval from the Charleston City Council and plans for the property have been submitted to Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review.

No specific date for the demolition of the former Days Inn has been revealed. The site had been the home of budget accommodations since the 1960s when it was the home of the Golden Eagle Motel. Days Inn took over the property in 1983.

The site’s budget past will be long gone when Four Seasons moves in. The chain was started with one motor hotel in 1961 by founder Isadore Sharp, and now operates 100 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide.

This will be the first Four Seasons in South Carolina. Other locations in the Southeast include Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Surfside, Orlando and Palm Beach in Florida; and New Orleans.

Leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry say the newest luxury hotel addition to Charleston’s peninsula will bring new attention to a city that is already known worldwide.

“It’s an honor that Four Seasons selected Charleston for one of their inspiring properties – it’s an incredible addition to the region’s travel and hospitality offerings,” said Chris Campbell, vice president of strategy and external affairs for Explore Charleston, which handles marketing for the city of Charleston and the surrounding region.

Campbell is also excited about renderings of the future property that show a structure more in sync with the neighborhood’s aesthetic than the Days Inn was.

“Redevelopment of that property with the aesthetic and character of the historic district in mind will be a big benefit,” he said.

The arrival of Four Seasons is part of a long-time effort to bring more higher-end accommodations and upscale travelers to the Palmetto State that goes back more than 20 years, according to Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Parrish has significant past experience in the hotel industry, including senior management roles with several major chains, and he is well aware of the visibility a world-renowned name like Four Seasons can bring.

“This is a big deal for both Charleston and the state of South Carolina,” Parrish told SC Biz News. “It verifies and confirms the fact that Charleston really is a world class destination because a chain with the service level of a Four Seasons wouldn’t go there unless the market was there for it.”