Physical Therapy near James Island, SC

More than 1,100 residents have signed a change.org petition asking the town of James Island and the PSD to leave this property as undeveloped green space, possibly a scenic, wooded town park with walking trails, picnic areas and maybe a dog park. The town has expressed its support for such a deal, but the district has not, at least not yet.

The property's location — close to a scenic boardwalk overlooking Simpson Creek, James Island Town Hall and the new Arts and Cultural Center — is well-suited for a park.

The first town of James Island purchased the property with public money to build a Town Hall, but the court conveyed most of this parcel to the Public Service District in 1997, after the first town was dissolved. In 2004, an adjacent piece of land previously conveyed to the Honeyhill Neighborhood Association was also transferred to the district, per the terms of the original court order. In March 2023, the district entered a 12-month contract with KT properties to purchase the site for $1.89 million.

The developer originally proposed a planned development called Marsh Walk Village, with 20 townhomes, a large shopping center and a parking lot. The plan involved removing 19 grand trees and dozens of unprotected trees. The accompanying stormwater management plan has been a serious concern for residents near the property, as they suffer frequent flooding. During several public meetings last year, residents from the adjacent neighborhood of Whitehouse Plantation and beyond spoke out against the rezoning. James Island Town Council voted down the Marsh Walk Village development plan in October.

The Public Service District has since extended the developer's contract, and the developer is seeking to move forward with two plans to develop the property under its current zoning, which would allow a 50,000-square-foot, 3-story storage facility and 12 single-family homes. But these plans are just as environmentally destructive. James Island is an urban Sea Island, and urban forests like the one on Dills Bluff Road are critical to managing stormwater.

Charleston County has lost more than 10,000 acres of tree cover since 1992; that's an area larger than the Charleston peninsula and Daniel Island combined. New stormwater ponds and other features cannot fully replicate the absorption ability of a naturally vegetated and wooded area. A 2019 study of 12 cities, including Charleston, showed that runoff increases when forested land is converted to impervious surfaces.

If the proposed project is developed, the retention ponds will not adequately manage the stormwater runoff, and that water will have to go somewhere. And where it will go is to the existing homes behind the proposed retention ponds and Dills Bluff Road. This will have a devastating impact on Whitehouse Plantation homeowners, and Simpson Creek will likely be impacted, too.

It would be incredibly shortsighted for the PSD to effectively sell out the residents of James Island; and it would be unwise to sell this land to a developer to build 10 to 12 homes and a massive self-storage facility that is nothing more than another asset for an investment firm's real estate investment portfolio.

The James Island PSD should terminate its contract with the developer and allow the town and the residents of James Island to purchase the land, possibly with county greenbelt funds, and turn it into a park.

Casey Buchanan is a James Island resident.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The sanctuary of a Baptist church nearly destroyed in a devastating fire will finally reopen this weekend two and a half years after it was struck by lightning and went up in flames.

The fire happened at Fort Johnson Baptist Church on Camp Road on James Island on Sept. 9, 2021.

“Remembering this date and everything that comes from that, I think it speaks to God’s faithfulness since then,” Marty Middleton, the pastor of Fort Johnson Baptist Church, says.

The fire started in the steeple after it was struck by lightning. The wood smoldered for hours until the entire sanctuary was engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke billowed through the air.

“The ceiling had collapsed, and the steeple was laying inside of it,” Middleton says. “It was pouring down rain that day. [It was] just a really dark and depressing day.”

That day is now behind them, and after years of work, $5.4 million spent and lots of prayers, the doors of the sanctuary will reopen for Sunday service at 10:30 a.m. on March 17.

“It was the community, it was the people, that made it happen,” Venessa Dennis, a member of the church, says. “It’s been an adventure. It’s been hard, but great stuff comes out of a struggle.”

The damage from the fire, smoke and water from fire hoses forced the church to tear the sanctuary walls down to just cinderblocks. Now, new chairs fill the room, new instruments sit on the stage and new carpet, paint and lights decorate the space.

“We’ll have one unified sound system that’s state of the art and sounds amazing,” Middleton says.

While insurance covered a portion of the rebuild, church leaders say donations from the community played a major part in funding the new sanctuary.

“Getting to see the look on people’s faces on Sunday morning is going to be super exciting,” worship leader Landed Allen says.

The church never missed a Sunday service, even immediately after the fire, Middleton says. They have been operating out of another building, but he and the congregation are overjoyed to return to the sanctuary in just a few days.

“It brings a sense of excitement and anticipation for seeing what God has done over the past two years and only continues that exponentially better,” Middleton says.

If you would like to learn more information about the renovation or to donate, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

|Updated: Mar. 8, 2024 at 7:43 PM EST

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Dominion Energy has been working to trim down trees in the Riverland Terrace neighborhood on James Island, prompting complaints from residents.

Dominon Energy says the trimming is necessary because the branches have grown to come into contact with power lines, which can result in power outages. But some residents in the neighborhood are not happy about the work.

The neighborhood is full of many large trees, like oaks and magnolias, but they are trimmed down every five years as a part of Dominion Energy’s routine cycle to ensure that they deliver safe and dependable energy to customers.

One resident of the neighborhood, Kev Hollo, says a lot of the trees have been a part of the neighborhood for a hundred years now and that they are one of the main factors for Riverland Terrace’s prestige.

One of the large oak trees won a blue ribbon award from the neighborhood’s Garden Club for the best-looking tree in the area. Woodland Shores Road Coalition Founder Adam Friend says that the tree was trimmed down just two days after being recognized.

“The most important thing here is we’re not getting the support from government officials, from the county, from the city, to really make this a sustainable solution. The trimming is not working for us and we want the lines underground,” Hollo says.

He believes that putting the power lines underground would be the best solution to make the neighborhood not only safer from power outages, but also make the area more aesthetically pleasing.

Friend serves as an advocate for the neighborhood, and says he wants to bring awareness to others as Dominion Energy plans to continue to trim down trees throughout James Island. Dominion Energy posted on its website the areas where tree trimming is complete and the locations where they still plan to trim.

Another concern Friend mentioned was the future state of Charleston because of issues such as sea level rise. He says the trees can absorb a lot of that water.

“The most important thing for me and the trees is that they have been here for longer than we have. They provide one of the best services that we can ever offer in this area now as absorption. We have a sinking city and a rising water climate. Can there be any other worse scenario?” Friend says.

He says that putting the power lines underground would permanently solve the issue.

“We’re trying to save trees in an area that’s known for our trees,” Friend says.

Dominion Energy responded to the issue with a written statement:

As part of our routine five-year cycle to ensure safety and reliability, Dominion Energy South Carolina supports a comprehensive and proactive vegetation management program. While we understand and appreciate the passion surrounding trees across the Lowcountry, safety remains our top priority. Trees that have grown too close to overhead lines are both a fire hazard and an issue of employee and public safety.

Trees and tree limbs continue to represent the No. 1 reason for power outages on our system, and the routine safeguarding of overhead lines remains critical to delivering the safe and reliable energy our customers count on every day.

Dominion Energy and established contractors follow nationally recognized utility pruning standards outlined and approved by the International Society of Arboriculture. Our certified arborists oversee each project and ensure the work adheres to ANSI A300 standards. Research indicates that following these standards will help preserve the health and integrity of the tree over its lifetime. Each tree is different in structure, and our practices take that into consideration. While trees may look different immediately following a cycle, we know based on our need to return every five years that those canopies fill in quickly, particularly with our approximately 300-day growing season each year here in the Lowcountry.

Dominion Energy is always willing to consider placing lines underground if the engineering is technically feasible, system reliability is not compromised and there is a mechanism in place to cover the additional cost.

As we work to safeguard overhead lines from hazardous vegetation, debris is removed daily. Typically, any debris that is not collected the same day will be removed within 24 hours. Crews will also leave a door hanger to notify customers if they expect a delay. Customers with questions regarding trees on or near their property, are encouraged to contact us directly at 800-251-7234. Only OSHA-certified contractors are permitted to work near energized lines.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Parts of Charleston are sinking faster than any city on the East Coast. Sinking land — paired with rising sea levels — help explain why Charleston Harbor has reached flood stage more times since 2010 than in the previous eight decades combined.

While scientists have long been able to say just how fast the water is rising, measuring the rate of sinking land has been far more difficult.

New research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey used satellite data from 2007 to 2020 to gauge how fast coastal areas are sinking up and down the East Coast, a problem known as subsidence.

SC among the worst in subsidence

These counties sank more than two inches from 2007 to 2020

NH

NY

MA

RI

CT

NJ

MD

VA

Delaware is sinking at a rate outpacing other states.

NC

SC

GA

Charleston is among the fastest-sinking cities on the east coast.

FL

SOURCE: Virginia Tech

HONGYU LIU / STAFF

The South Carolina coast, home to 1.5 million people, on average lost more than a half-inch of height in that time frame. But the rates vary widely up and down the coast. The land around the oldest house on Edisto Island sank as much as 2.1 inches, while Fort Moultrie lost about 1.5 inches. A few spots in Georgetown County and Hampton County saw the ground get higher.

This is an interactive story. Scroll the graphics for more information.

The data, first reported by The New York Times, underscores the growing vulnerability of coastal communities and infrastructure. This global issue, largely stemming from groundwater depletion, highlights the increasing susceptibility of coastal areas to inundation. More than 11 million gallons per day of groundwater now are pumped by public, industrial and private wells in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Pumping groundwater can cause the land to lose support and essentially deflate. In the Lowcountry, infrastructure such as buildings and roads can also contribute to localized compaction, pushing the ground lower.

The long-term threats are wide-ranging: worse flooding; failing septic tanks; damaged underground pipelines; cracks in homes, roads and bridges.

The Ridge View boys basketball team began the season No. 1 in the rankings. Now they have a chance to finish the year in the top spot.

Senior Jayden Pretty scored 31 points and the Blazers moved on to the Class 4A state championship game with a 60-38 win over James Island on Wednesday night at the Florence Center.

“Enjoy it,” Ridge View coach Joshua Staley said to his team in the locker room after the game. “What you did is nothing short of amazing. But we aren’t finished yet.”

Ridge View will play Riverside at 8 p.m. Saturday at Florence Center in the final contest of the 10-game championship weekend.

It’s the Blazers’ seventh state title game appearance and sixth since 2018. But it’s the first trip under Staley, who took over for Yerrick Stoneman and is in his second year leading the program.

Ridge View is the third different school Staley has taken to the state championship. He took the Orangeburg-Wilkinson girls team there three times and A.C. Flora boys twice, winning it all in 2016.

The Blazers took their lumps in their first year under Staley, going 15-13 and losing in the second round of the playoffs to Wilson. The Blazers beat the Tigers this year to advance to the semifinals.

“I wouldn’t say we were all the way in last year,” Pretty said. “The trust wasn’t there. We had to learn to really believe in our coach.”

Ridge View returned most of its roster, including Pretty, and was ranked No. 1 in the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 4A preseason poll. The Blazers started the year 16-0 and won the prestigious Chick-fil-A Classic tournament with wins over nationally ranked John Marshall (Va.) and Grayson (Ga.).

Ridge View moved into the national rankings for a few weeks before losing to rival Westwood and then to A.C. Flora in the regular season finale to finish second in Region 5-4A.

The loss to the Falcons was a wakeup call for the Blazers and for Pretty, who Staley called out for his effort and lack of leadership as one of the team’s seniors.

“When A.C. Flora beat us, he changed his mindset,” Staley said of Pretty. “He knew one of the reasons we took those two losses was because of his mindset. He changed his mindset, has been very mature in practice, and it has been good for the team.”

Pretty said the loss to A.C. Flora reminded him of the playoff loss to Wilson last season. It sparked an energy inside of him to want to go harder, he said.

“We haven’t had a leader this year, so I feel like I needed to step up and help my team,” Pretty said.

Pretty had 14 in the semifinal win over Wilson last week and turned in arguably his best performance of the season against James Island, which rallied to beat Westwood to advance to the semifinals.

Pretty had 15 of his points in the first half for the Blazers, who led 16-5 after the first quarter. James Island cut the deficit to 24-18 before Malachi Cooper’s basket right before halftime.

Ridge View ended any type of James Island comeback attempt with a strong third quarter and led 47-29.

RV: Jayden Pretty 31, Corbett 6, Davis 8, Mack 2, Cooper 5, J. Smith 1, Staley 4, T. Smith 2, Vankallen 1 JI: Jenkins 6, RJ Simmons 12, Linhart 6, Ward 8, Scott 4, Renault 2

This story was originally published February 28, 2024, 10:14 PM.

(803) 771-8419

Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.