Public hearing set for Johns Island plan

Can road-hugging oak trees and increasing traffic co-exist on Johns Island? Can the area maintain its rural charm while welcoming new businesses? According to the Johns Island Plan, the answer to these questions is yes. The community will have the opportunity Wednesday to weigh in on the plan created by Charleston's department of planning, preservation and economic innovation. A public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. before the city's planning commission determines its recommendation to City Council. The 31-page plan suggests multiple strategies to preserve the sea island's unique character while allowing for impending growth. It focuses on the area of Johns Island inside the urban growth boundary, which was created in 1999 to keep urban and suburban development from spreading into rural areas. Instead of widening the main roads, which would in many cases destroy large trees and their scenic canopies, the plan suggests a network of interconnected roads. The tree canopy over the eastern end of Maybank Highway, where drivers enter the island from James Island, should be saved by constructing two new roads on either side, it states. The two-lane roads would start at the intersection of Maybank and Fenwick Hall Aly and extend to two points on River Road. The plan also proposes public transportation and a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths to decrease traffic. Other suggestions in the plan include acquiring public access to water and requiring public parks and green space in all new developments. The Johns Island Community Plan discusses and builds upon previous planning efforts for the area. In the process of creating it, the city held workshops for a week in March to gather public input. More than 350 people attended, which is the largest attendance of any city-held week-long workshop. The upcoming public hearing will be held at 75 Calhoun St. After the planning commission's vote, the plan will go before City Council. A copy of the plan can be found on the city's Web site at http://tinyurl.com/ytaex8.

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