20%-40% extra growth possible if I-526 is extended
A new study shows that the Mark Clark Expressway extension onto Johns Island
could spark explosive growth in the rural community, reconfirming the fears
of some who want the area to retain its rustic setting of towering oak trees
and farms.
A draft copy of the report, obtained Friday by The Post and Courier under
the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, shows that up to 40 percent more growth
than now forecast will occur on the island if the $420 million extension is
built.
"This study firmly concludes that Johns Island will experience significant
increases in the number of households and residential" units in the years
ahead, the roughly 85-page report states.
Expansion of the Mark Clark Expressway is a controversial issue. Critics of
the extension have expressed fears that the approximately eight-mile
project, which will run from Citadel Mall in West Ashley to James Island,
will open up much of Johns Island for development of strip malls and
neighborhoods, spoiling the island's rural character.
One of the project's biggest cheerleaders is County Council Chairman Leon
Stavrinakis, who has described the project as his top priority as chairman.
Stavrinakis and other supporters argue that it will improve traffic flow,
help with hurricane evacuations and bolster the region's economy.
Earlier this year, County Council approved spending $65,000 for a study
examining what might happen to the island if the four-lane interstate
extension is built. Atlanta-based EDAW Inc. conducted the study and
submitted it to the county July 13.
The report states that growth on the island will occur in the coming decades
regardless of the highway, particularly along the Maybank Highway and River
Road corridors. The extension of the Mark Clark, however, will "accelerate
and strengthen" that trend by 20 percent to 40 percent, the report says.
The study also concludes that an increase in new residents - the island is
now home to a little more than 10,000 people - will alter the character of
the island's community.
"The median price of houses sold on Johns Island has already increased by
over 160 percent during the previous decade," the report states. "Continuing
upward economic pressures will adversely affect the high regional share of
longtime residents, family households and minority residents drawn to the
island's relatively affordable housing."
The report confirms the fears of at least one road-extension critic. Megan
Desrosiers, program director of the nonprofit Coastal Conservation League,
said the data that the county has been relying on for its growth estimates
is incorrect because it hasn't factored in the possible additional 40
percent.
"The study vindicates all of those people who have spoken out against the
Mark Clark extension because they knew it would change Johns Island
forever," Desrosiers said. "It also shows how irresponsible the county has
been in pushing this road when they did not fully understand the amount of
growth this road would induce."
Stavrinakis, one of the few people who has seen the report, originally
refused to release the draft copy; the Coastal Conservation League and the
newspaper filed FOIA requests this week to obtain it.
League officials said their organization was concerned that the report was
being suppressed because the findings are politically unfavorable.
Stavrinakis, a Democrat who is leaving County Council this year, is running
in November for the state House District 119 seat that includes parts of
Johns Island.
Stavrinakis declined comment on the report Friday night.
Johns Island farmer Thomas Legare said residents will be interested in the
report. He said many have watched the development that the Mark Clark
brought to Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island, and are worried about what will
happen to Johns Island.
"The report will help the public make a decision about whether they want it
built or not," Legare said. "Some people are straddling the fence. This
report would show them what is going to happen."
Councilwoman Colleen Condon, who has not seen the report, said she, too, is
worried about how the project might affect the island. "I believe Johns
Island tomatoes aren't going to exist 10 years from now," she said. "That is
my real fear."
The Mark Clark project has been on the drawing board for decades, and in
2004 Charleston County voters approved a half-cent sales tax for roads.
Offering new tax money as a match, County Council asked the State
Infrastructure Bank for $420 million to complete the expressway. The bank's
board recently said yes, committing $99 million for planning, engineering
and the purchase of rights of way.
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