Charleston County's Public Comment Summary Report on the Sea Islands Parkway The idea of building a toll road across Johns Island still fires up controversy despite the results of a public survey designed to bring some clarity to a contentious proposal. Charleston County officials have posted on the county's Web site a summary of 1,274 comments they received about the proposed road known as the Sea Islands Parkway. Not surprisingly, the results indicate that the vast majority of Kiawah and Seabrook islands residents who responded support building the road. The county received 395 responses from people who live on those islands, and 367 were in favor of building the parkway. Most supporters said the toll road would pull traffic off Johns Island's other roads, making them safer. But results from 330 Johns Island residents were surprising. Exactly half, or 165 residents, were opposed to the toll road and 165 said they were in favor of building it. According to the 2000 U.S. census, about 2,400 people live on Kiawah and Seabrook islands and about 11,500 people live on Johns Island. At a public meeting at St. Johns High School on Johns Island in June, at least two-thirds of the standing-room-only crowd of more than 500 people was against building the road. People opposed said the new parkway would encourage more development, bring more traffic and ruin the rural character of Johns Island. Although the actual route of the parkway hasn't been determined, it would begin at Maybank Highway near James Island and would stretch across Johns Island, ending near the Betsy Kerrison Parkway. Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond, whose district includes Kiawah and Seabrook islands, said he strongly supports building the parkway. He also said he found the percentage of people from Johns Island who indicated they supported building the parkway encouraging. Only "a very vocal minority" of Johns Island residents are opposed to the road, he said. "Johns Island's growth is going to be tremendous," Thurmond said. "Why do we have to be reactive rather than proactive?" Councilman Curtis Inabinett, whose district includes Johns Island, said he "supports the concept" of a toll road. But he has concerns about the route of the proposed parkway and how many properties it will affect. He's also concerned that people who work on Kiawah and Seabrook islands might have problems affording the tolls. But, he said, "the traffic situation on Johns Island is going to get worse. We've got to do something different." Thurmond said he plans to ask fellow council members in the next several weeks to approve a resolution asking the South Carolina Department of Transportation to start discussing the idea with private companies that build roads. Councilwoman Colleen Condon, who represents West Ashley, said she's not going to support the toll road. The road mainly would benefit people on Kiawah and Seabrook islands, she said. And, "we need to help everybody, not just the wealthy." Charleston County needs roads that are "culturally sensitive and open to everyone," Condon added. "Toll roads are not part of the solution for Charleston County anywhere," she said. "It's really that simple to me." Condon said she thinks most people who live on Johns Island are opposed to the parkway, even if they didn't make their opinions known to the county by completing a public comment form. Bill Saunders, a native of Johns Island and co-founder of Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands, said he's not surprised more island residents didn't complete comment forms. A lot of people are struggling with other things in life and completing a form about a road isn't a priority for them, he said. And many people don't have computers so they can't complete a form online, he said. People on Johns Island are part of a culture that, for many years, simply wanted to be left alone, he said. The best way for people to be free, he said, was for them to remain uninvolved. But on Johns and Wadmalaw islands, "people are opposed to this," Saunders said. Previous stories Toll roads a tough sell in Palmetto State, published 06/22/08 Toll road foes, fans speak out, published 06/20/08 Council hears toll road dissent, published 06/13/08 Hearing planned on Johns Island toll road, published 05/20/08

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