Newly elected Kiawah Island Council Member Russell Berner gave an update at the Kiawah Island Town Council meeting on Feb. 7 related to his involvement with the Johns Island Task Force as the town’s liaison to the committee.
“There is a lot going on,” Berner said. “Especially in terms of design and construction.”
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
A flyover ramp will be installed at the intersection of Highway 17/Savannah Highway and Main Road on Johns Island. The ramp will connect to Main Road from Savannah Highway. Berner announced that the contract for designing and building the ramp is set to be awarded the contract in the next couple of months. The forecast is for construction to commence in December. “This means the selected contractor will have to design it pretty fast and then start construction by the end of the year,” Berner said.
Trident Medical Center plans to build a new facility on Maybank Highway. Although plans have not been submitted, signs are up on Maybank Highway announcing the new medical facility. Berner said that they expect that to be completed in two or three years.
“The new MUSC medical center project on Seabrook Island has been stalled,” Berner said. The new medical center needs an additional access point, which is supposedly going through the Bohicket Marina expansion, which is also stalled. Berner explained that there is no progress yet with respect to how the two owners of those properties are going to resolve the need for the additional access point.
“The infamous putt putt is back,” Berner declared. “The owner is looking at buying property on Maybank Highway.”
Berner added that the scary part of the Johns Island Task Force updates has to do with the future development that is going on around the intersection of River Road and Maybank Highway. “The owner of the land behind the CVS at Maybank and River Road is looking at joining seven individual parcels together to build yet another living community.”
“And if that isn’t bad enough,” Berner continued. “Where the Food Lion is at the same intersection, there is going to be a housing development constructed right behind that Food Lion.”
All of that is in addition to what we already see under construction along Maybank Highway.
The good news, according to Berner and Council Member Bradley Belt, is that Low Tide Brewing is planning to set up a new operation on a 10-acre parcel south of its current location. The new spot is next to Trophy Lake off Maybank Highway. The review process has started but the new operation isn’t planned to open until sometime in 2025 or so. The current Low Tide Brewing is at 2863 Maybank Hwy.
PROJECT MISSION
The Johns Island Task Force’s website states:
“The mission of the Johns Island Task Force is to ensure Johns Island remains both urban and rural for generations. We accomplish this by actively working to:
Fortify the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)
Through ordinances, zoning, sewer service area, and conservation corridors.
Maintain the rural character of the area outside the UGB:
Through zoning, neighborhood advocacy, and transportation infrastructure
Preservation of heirs’ property, cultural landmarks, farmland, and tree canopies
Public access to marshes, creeks and rivers
Ensure the area inside the UGB maintains a town and country feel:
Through zoning and transportation infrastructure
Ensure all Johns Island is resilient to water events
Through zoning, stormwater manuals, Dutch Dialogues implementation, and comprehensive plans
“Throughout it all, do it with respect for others,” according to the project’s website.
