Tuesday, May 3, 2016

TWO LANES EACH WAY AND 10,000 CARS A DAY - SPEED LIMIT 35 MILES PER - AND NO OTHER ROUTE - ?

SAVE JAMES ISLAND TODAY

Comments ? Write to bobcharlesshow@live.com

BOB CHARLES SAYS

DUE TO AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS THAT DO NOT SUPPORT MORE LIVING COMMUNITIES

( TheLively) SHOULD FIND ANOTHER LOCATION AWAY FROM JAMES ISLAND

As a Radio Broadcaster I hear and get mail about many situations like the James Island MESS !

There are many things that come to mind like who pays for Water Company Improves that will need to be done, Yes Your Water Bill will go up, Who pays for the extra Police and Police Cars ? You will !

How about one More Ambulance and Firetruck

You'll Pay in Tax rises.

There is a ton more things that will change and if you think the Parent Company is going to foot these bills your thinking South of Your Belly Button.

NOW THIS IS A VERY LARGE CORPORATION

THAT IS IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY

PERIOD SO HOW MUCH WILL GO INTO YOUR POCKET? NOTHING, IT WILL ONLY COME OUT !
LADIES & GENTLEMEN FOLLOW THE MONEY !

READ THE ARTICLE !

Some James Islanders oppose new development on congested Folly Road

Prentiss Findlay Email Facebook @prentissfindlay

Mar 19 2016 6:00 pm Mar 22 5:31 pm

Some mornings, Liz Singleton has trouble starting her day, with traffic so heavy outside her James Island home that it makes it difficult to cross the street to pick up her newspaper.

Singleton, who lives on North Grimball Road, worries things will only get worse if another large-scale Folly Road apartment complex is approved.

“We should not be encouraging development. Folly Road is not capable of handling that much traffic,” said Singleton, who is president of the Greater Grimball Home Owners’ Association.

Singleton and other islanders are worried about plans for a 10-acre residential and commercial development called The Lively on Folly Road at South Grimball Road. Just across Folly, a large-scale apartment complex called Broadstone Seaside recently opened its doors.

Singleton and her neighbors are among about 19,000 people who live within a half-mile of Folly Road, which runs 8 miles across James Island from the Wappoo Cut to the beach.

Folly’s average daily traffic ranges from 43,000 vehicles at the north end to 9,300 near the beach, officials said. But during beach season, the few miles next to the beach can be even more crowded, said Carolyn Sotka, a resident of the Secessionville area of James Island.

“The southern end of the island is already struggling with intense summer traffic,” she said. “At what point are we going to say enough is enough?”

But not everyone is as concerned. Some say The Lively would not necessarily be a bad thing for the island. Carol Edney feels that way even though her home is behind the location of the proposed project.

“My fear is that this (The Lively) doesn’t go in,” she said. “It’s gotta be better than what it looks like now.”

Edney said The Lively also would be better than a gas station or fast-food restaurant. She described the corner of Folly and South Grimball roads, which has been home to a light industrial use, as an eyesore.

County Councilwoman Anna Johnson, who represents the district where The Lively would be located, said the developer should be given a chance to present his plans.

“It could be a good project,” she said. “It didn’t sound so bad to me, and I want to hear more about it.”

Johnson noted that a stop light and crosswalk are approved for Folly at South Grimball Road which will help with traffic management. And there are plans for a new CARTA bus stop there.

“Let the people decide if that’s a good project or not,” she added.

Plans for The Lively will be presented to the county’s Planning Commission in May, said McFaddin Blanding, president of real estate developer Orange Capital Advisors of Orangeburg.

“We’re continuing the work on our planned development and look forward to sharing that in the near future,” he said.

County Council ultimately will decide whether to approve The Lively, which was discussed at a recent Planning Commission workshop. The project would have as many as 350 apartments, up to 20,000 square feet of artist studios and as much as 30,000 square feet of market space. Buildings could be as tall as 55 feet or four stories. About 14 percent of the apartments would be affordable housing, while the rest would rent from $1,300 to $2,300 a month, the developer said.

The Planning Commission will make a recommendation on the project to County Council.

“It’s going to be fully scrutinized and vetted,” said Councilman Joe Qualey of James Island.

The proposed development comes at the same time as governments are trying to address Folly Road’s congestion.

A recently completed, $500,000 analysis “Rethink Folly Road: A Complete Streets Study” found room for improvement. It said the road needs sidewalks, more bike lanes and better bus stops. Some residents polled for the study said the road was dangerous.

The study looked at a possible park-and-ride “Folly Trolley” with a dedicated lane to the beach, as well as new roundabouts where Folly intersects with Fort Johnson and North Grimball roads.

Meanwhile, the county is beginning work to improve the intersection of Folly and Camp roads, a project funded by its half-cent sales approved in 2004. That work, which began Friday, will include more dedicated turn lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks.

The complete streets study suggests consideration of an additional half-cent sales tax to pay for further improvements to Folly and other area roads.

Reach Prentiss Findlay at 843-937-5711.