Pressure Washing in James Island, SC

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A busy intersection on James Island could soon see a roundabout that would better traffic flow and make the intersection safer, county officials say.

The Charleston County Council plans to meet on Tuesday night where they will be requesting approval for the roundabout to be put in at the intersection of Fort Johnson Road and Camp Road.

Charleston County Council Member, Jenny Costa Honeycutt, says this intersection is one of the most dangerous ones on James Island.

Honeycutt called it an urban compact roundabout which she says is the best way to preserve the stone posts and grand trees near the intersection that many residents want to keep, while also making the area safer.

“There are a significant number of cars traveling both on Fort Johnson Road, as well as Camp Road, but there are a number of tree impacts and to put a stoplight at this location would require taking those trees down,” Honeycutt says. “So, this was a much more feasible alternative that kept the character of the area.”

With the urban compact roundabout only two trees will be impacted compared to other alternatives they looked into that would’ve impacted many more.

On top of that, there is a high school located just down the street, James Island Charter High School and Honeycutt says that with a lot of student drivers and parents taking their kids to and from school, it can make the area very dangerous.

The biggest complaint she says she’s received is that there is a stop sign for Camp Road, but not Fort Johnson Road. So, cars will be backed up on Camp Road and will be unable to turn because there is so much traffic on Fort Johnson.

“There needs to be some control mechanism so that both traffic patterns get attention to turn,” Honeycutt says.

She added that a project like this affects many stakeholders, and it will be a step-by-step process, so it will take some time before residents see the roundabout. It involves the unincorporated county, the Town of James Island and the City of Charleston. They needed municipal consent from those municipalities, and she is grateful they wanted to partake in this project, she says.

Honeycutt says the first thing they will do if this gets approved is contact utilities, so they can get them moved out of the area where they plan to start construction. The total cost of construction for the roundabout will be $1.4 million.

Blake Noll, a James Island resident who lives off of Camp Road, says he has seen cars lined up down the road, especially when school is released.

“In terms of a roundabout, I think it would be a good choice,” Noll says.

He says he has lived off Camp Road for 2 years and often hears cars screeching and sirens.

“It is a natural calming device. So, you can’t go 45 miles an hour through a roundabout, you’re going to have to slow down. I think it will make drivers more conscientious,” Honeycutt says.

Blake Noll, a James Island Resident who lives off Camp Road, says he has seen cars lined up down the road, especially when school is released.

“In terms of a roundabout, I think it would be a good choice,” Noll says.

He says he has lived off Camp Road for two years and often hears screeching tires followed by sirens.

He adds that he often has issues with traffic on Camp and Fort Johnson Roads.

Charleston County Council plans to meet Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Ditches running through a James Island neighborhood are still holding several inches of water from Monday’s storm, frustrating some residents who say they don’t know who is responsible for maintaining the ditches.

Kat Skover lives on James Island in a neighborhood near the intersection of Folly and Fort Johnson Roads.

She says the standing water attracts flies and mosquitos and impacts her ability to play outside with her daughter.

“We got the house so that we could be in the backyard and hang out outside but with the difficulty of all the drainage and the water it can be really difficult to keep the yard in a state that is enjoyable,” she says.

The water can also affect the safety of the roadways, she says.

“Some streets will even have water on the street for a day or two following a heavy rain,” she says.

Her neighbor, Nicholas Connolly, says the ditches fill up fast during a storm and will stay filled for days.

“The ground is really soft, and if you walk around your feet will sink into your yard,” he says. “I’ve not once seen the city come and redo the ditches.”

Skover says she’s called the James Island Public Service District for help but got waitlisted.

“We’re on a schedule we’ve heard of, but that was several months ago,” she says.

The neighborhood sits in the jurisdiction of the Town of James Island.

James Island Mayor Brook Lyon says the problem is typically caused by clogged pipes under driveways. If the town is alerted of a drainage problem, they’ll come clean it out with a shovel, she says.

If it’s packed too hard or the driveway is too wide, they’ll call Charleston County or the South Carolina Department of Transportation for help with a vacuum truck.

The town doesn’t have any record of drainage complaints from the neighborhood, according to Lyon.

She encourages anyone with an issue to file a complaint on the Town’s website under the “MyTOJI” tab, or by calling Town Hall at 843-795-4141.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Ditches running through a James Island neighborhood are still holding several inches of water from Monday’s storm, frustrating some residents who say they don’t know who is responsible for maintaining the ditches.

Kat Skover lives on James Island in a neighborhood near the intersection of Folly and Fort Johnson Roads.

She says the standing water attracts flies and mosquitos and impacts her ability to play outside with her daughter.

“We got the house so that we could be in the backyard and hang out outside but with the difficulty of all the drainage and the water it can be really difficult to keep the yard in a state that is enjoyable,” she says.

The water can also affect the safety of the roadways, she says.

“Some streets will even have water on the street for a day or two following a heavy rain,” she says.

Her neighbor, Nicholas Connolly, says the ditches fill up fast during a storm and will stay filled for days.

“The ground is really soft, and if you walk around your feet will sink into your yard,” he says. “I’ve not once seen the city come and redo the ditches.”

Skover says she’s called the James Island Public Service District for help but got waitlisted.

“We’re on a schedule we’ve heard of, but that was several months ago,” she says.

The neighborhood sits in the jurisdiction of the Town of James Island.

James Island Mayor Brook Lyon says the problem is typically caused by clogged pipes under driveways. If the town is alerted of a drainage problem, they’ll come clean it out with a shovel, she says.

If it’s packed too hard or the driveway is too wide, they’ll call Charleston County or the South Carolina Department of Transportation for help with a vacuum truck.

The town doesn’t have any record of drainage complaints from the neighborhood, according to Lyon.

She encourages anyone with an issue to file a complaint on the Town’s website under the “MyTOJI” tab, or by calling Town Hall at 843-795-4141.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - For four years, folks have flocked to an event known fondly as the Black History Soul Meet & Eat whose organizers say if you’re gonna be meeting, you may as well be eating.

This year, the event takes place Saturday at the James Island Arts and Cultural Center, along Camp Road.

Much like in years past it’s not only a celebration of how much you can eat or who you can meet, but also what you can learn along the way.

“It says ‘eat’ and, of course, it says ‘meet’ and with the meeting aspect we have networking so you can network with any business owners there and any of the vendors, yes, we will have vendors as well as the people that come from the community for this event,” Krystal Yeadon, the founder and CEO of Krystal Klear Productions, said. “We have to eat that good soul food, that Gullah-Geechee food. That’s just what it’s all about along with plenty of educational activities where you learn about different African Americans and their contributions to society.”

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $11 in advance online and $15 at the door for adults and $6 for children. You can add on an entry to a Black History Basket giveaway when buying tickets for $1.50.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Yeadon says the fee helps fund some of the artists who attend the event, like the Speak Freely Foundation, which specializes in poetry. Yeadon says the group combines poetry and boxing while mentoring area youth. But Yeadon says what they’ll do at Black History Soul Meet & Eat is provide “poetic vibes.”

“I like to give back to Black-founded, Black-owned, nonprofit organizations,” Yeadon said. “It’s my way of giving back and the Speak Freely Foundation is special to me because when we did this event for the first year in 2019, we gave back to them as well. So now they’re coming back around and we’ll be giving back to them again. They do a Speak Freely Foundation Poetry Festival every year and I actually organized that festival as well. So that is our “give-back” organization this year. We’re giving back to the youth, I love the youth and I love the arts.”

Along with food, networking opportunities, live poetry, and opportunities to learn about black history, Yeadon says there will also be live music.

“We have a bunch of artists. That’s the main portion of it,” Yeadon said. “These artists are all performing artists and some are actually visual artists as well. There are probably gonna be some other surprises for everyone, probably even some for me, but whatever it is - it’s going to be soulful.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - For four years, folks have flocked to an event known fondly as the Black History Soul Meet & Eat whose organizers say if you’re gonna be meeting, you may as well be eating.

This year, the event takes place Saturday at the James Island Arts and Cultural Center, along Camp Road.

Much like in years past it’s not only a celebration of how much you can eat or who you can meet, but also what you can learn along the way.

“It says ‘eat’ and, of course, it says ‘meet’ and with the meeting aspect we have networking so you can network with any business owners there and any of the vendors, yes, we will have vendors as well as the people that come from the community for this event,” Krystal Yeadon, the founder and CEO of Krystal Klear Productions, said. “We have to eat that good soul food, that Gullah-Geechee food. That’s just what it’s all about along with plenty of educational activities where you learn about different African Americans and their contributions to society.”

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $11 in advance online and $15 at the door for adults and $6 for children. You can add on an entry to a Black History Basket giveaway when buying tickets for $1.50.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Yeadon says the fee helps fund some of the artists who attend the event, like the Speak Freely Foundation, which specializes in poetry. Yeadon says the group combines poetry and boxing while mentoring area youth. But Yeadon says what they’ll do at Black History Soul Meet & Eat is provide “poetic vibes.”

“I like to give back to Black-founded, Black-owned, nonprofit organizations,” Yeadon said. “It’s my way of giving back and the Speak Freely Foundation is special to me because when we did this event for the first year in 2019, we gave back to them as well. So now they’re coming back around and we’ll be giving back to them again. They do a Speak Freely Foundation Poetry Festival every year and I actually organized that festival as well. So that is our “give-back” organization this year. We’re giving back to the youth, I love the youth and I love the arts.”

Along with food, networking opportunities, live poetry, and opportunities to learn about black history, Yeadon says there will also be live music.

“We have a bunch of artists. That’s the main portion of it,” Yeadon said. “These artists are all performing artists and some are actually visual artists as well. There are probably gonna be some other surprises for everyone, probably even some for me, but whatever it is - it’s going to be soulful.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.