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By Cari Lawson

Sharing is Caring

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MOUNT PLEASANT — Town leaders are considering adopting more protections for Gullah Geechee communities — historic Black neighborhoods situated primarily in unincorporated areas within Mount Pleasant — that mirror those set by Charleston County.

Two recent annexation requests from landowners in the Hamlin Beach Community prompted the discussion at the town's planning committee meeting May 5.

These properties would become part of the town of Mount Pleasant, a move that could sidestep historic protections enforced by Charleston County.

Residents urged the town's planning committee to take up similar protections and close a gap that could put Black communities at risk of overdevelopment and displacement.

"It should not be that loophole, that they annex out of our area just to build these subdivisions," said Myra Richardson, president of the Hamlin Beach Community Association. "We're just asking you to protect our history, our heritage, our legacy."

Resisting development

Mount Pleasant's Gullah Geechee communities, often referred to as settlement communities, have long been resistant to annexation. Concerns about overdevelopment have led property owners to stay in unincorporated Charleston County, even as these communities are surrounded by town property.

Hamlin Beach, nestled behind Rifle Range Road on Hamlin Sound, became the fourth neighborhood designated as a historic district by the county in 2025.

Hamlin Beach seeking historical protections from Mount Pleasant, to fight overdevelopment and close a loophole that developers have used to get around a county-level subdivision moratorium by annexing into the town.

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Coakley Chapel in Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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An aerial view of the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Deliverance Tabernacle in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Trees cover a road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Hamlin Beach resident Isaiah Horry, 70, takes a walk around his neighborhood Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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A children’s playground statues are seen from a resident’s home in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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The intersection of Hamlin Beach road and Boston Grill road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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A decorated yard in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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The intersection of Hamlin Beach road and Boston Grill road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Capital Improvement Plan signage is seen along Hamlin Road Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

The recognition came with stronger building restrictions and review processes for new developments. A two-year moratorium, established in July 2024, also prohibits construction of major subdivisions within the district. The county considers a major subdivision to be a parcel of land split into five or more lots.

Shortly after the county approved the recognition, Mount Pleasant's planning commission reviewed an annexation request for a 3.11-acre tract of land on Hamlin Beach Road.

The developer told planning commission members in April that the motivation for annexing was to gain access to town water and sewer services. If approved, the property would see some development restrictions from the town, including limits to how many homes could be built per acre and how big lots could be.

But the property would no longer be beholden to the county's subdivision moratorium, nor review from the county Historic Preservation Commission.

Town Council gave the initial thumbs up for the request in April, though Charleston County Council opposed the move.

Larry Kobrovsky, a county councilman who represents much of Mount Pleasant, told committee members on May 5 that the area is at a "tipping point." He urged the town to pause the annexation.

"We're trying to do everything we can to preserve historic communities and keep the area rural," Kobrovsky said.

Recommending protections

Chaired by Councilwoman G.M. Whitley, Mount Pleasant's planning committee agreed that annexation should not be used to get around building restrictions.

"It's created this disparity between our community of Mount Pleasant and the county to where people who have sold out their properties … they're trying to escape, basically, these historic overlays into our town," Whitley said.

MOUNT PLEASANT — While one luxury car storage facility is celebrating its grand opening in Mount Pleasant, a town planning committee hit the brakes on a proposal for a second.

The luxury storage site, or "car condominiums," are individually owned garage-focused properties with their own TMS number on commercially zoned land.

They are built to be upwards of 1,500 square feet of climate-controlled space with nearly 20-foot ceilings, suitable for storing luxury vehicles, RVs, classic cars, boats and more.

The price tag? Around $400,000 per car "condo."

Mount Pleasant’s first car condominium, The Vault, located on Faison Road about halfway between Costco Wholesale and Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, will celebrate its grand opening May 30. The project broke ground in September 2024.

The Vault owner Lee Janik said the 29-unit property on two acres was fully leased well in advance of its opening, a testament to the needs of Mount Pleasant where people own multiple luxury vehicles, boats and RVs. The development company kept two units in hand but will list them for sale shortly after opening and expects to sell them both quickly.

“It’s for high-net-worth individuals with too many toys and nowhere to put them. Homeowners Association’s don’t allow anything in driveways,” Janik said. “I sold four units before I even owned the property. There are a number of (clients) who bought two units.”

Janik, who came up with his concept in 2021 as an offshoot of a luxury indoor boat storage business he owned in Ohio, is now in nine different markets working with real estate agents, car enthusiasts and more. He uses word-of-mouth to garner interest.

Owners get 24/7 access with water, bathrooms, kitchens and even loft-style living rooms for lounging with a secure access gate. The only restriction is that owners can’t live in the units or sleep inside them overnight.

He announced The Vault’s next expansion will be on Daniel Island, with property already under contract and the ability to build residential units on top of the mega-garages.

“We already have ten units sold on Daniel Island,” Janik said. “We sell units before we build, so we can customize the size (needed).”

Janik said he expects the Daniel Island location to be open in the next year-and-a-half.

Despite the demand for these types of developments, a second car condominium proposed for Mount Pleasant by another developer wasn't given the green light from two town planning bodies.

A proposed 55-unit car condominium over four acres in the Belle Hall Planned Unit Development, accessible from Seacoast Parkway and adjacent to Long Point Road, was recommended for denial by the Mount Pleasant Planning Committee and Planning Commission May 5. Florida-based developer WHWE, LLC proposed the project.

Chris Pilinko, with WHWE, LLC, said the luxury storage facility would be priced between $400,000 and $500,000, and would include a monthly regime fee.

“We've done three of these in other markets and have a local partner who has identified this site. They're very low intensity uses. They have no demand on public services,” Pilinko said at the planning meeting.

Committee members said there were better uses for the commercially zoned location than the use for individually owned garages to store luxury vehicles.

“I think the residents would much prefer a grocery store or a restaurant as an amenity to the community rather than $400,000 to $500,000-owned storage,” said Guang Ming Whitley, planning committee chairman and town council member.

The vote was three to deny the request and one abstention, with committee member Jake Rambo wanting more information about car condominiums before voting on the issue.

MOUNT PLEASANT — It’s official: The Harris Teeter grocery store in Seaside Farms will close by May 28, on the heels of Memorial Day weekend.

Rumors had been swirling for nearly a year that the supermarket at the Target-anchored Shoppes at Seaside Farms was planning to shut its doors.

The grocery chain's confirmed closing means that residents in the mixed-use development at the Isle of Palms Connector and Rifle Range Road will have about a month to find an alternative.

“There’s been a lot of controversy about this since many people in the greater Seaside Farms community feel like they were ‘promised’ a grocery store in the beginning when (the community) was being developed,” said DeAnne Reed Vane, director of marketing at Franke At Seaside, a retirement and active lifestyle community within walking distance of the supermarket. “I think we would all hope to see another grocery go into that space.”

In a statement this week, Harris Teeter stated the decision to close followed a “careful consideration and strategic market review.”

While the nearby Target in the Shoppes at Seaside has a grocery section, Vane said the selection is much smaller than what Harris Teeters offers.

“Target does have a grocery section that takes up about a third of the store, but only very small refrigerated section and limited in some types of groceries," Vane said. "I imagine our 250 independent-living residents will be greatly inconvenienced by this closing, as will our staff of approximately 275 employees."

The next-nearest grocery option is a Trader Joe's store that opened last year in Sweetgrass Corner.

Speculation about the Harris Teeter closing started nearly a year ago after the supermarket chain's landlord announced in a marketing email that the 45,660-square-foot space would be available to lease.

Danna Robinson, spokeswoman for the grocery store, told The Post and Courier it began notifying employees on April 24.

“In the coming weeks, the company will work closely with its valued associates to assist them through the closing process. Harris Teeter will offer its associates the opportunity to transfer to other locations," Robinson said in a statement.

The Kroger Co.-owned chain moved into Seaside Farms in October 2013. Previously, the space with its 40-foot vaulted ceiling had been the "flagship" supermarket for the defunct Piggly Wiggly Carolina franchise, which built it in 1996.

With the closing, Harris Teeter will have 18 stores in the Charleston area.

The chain has announced supermarkets for two undeveloped parcels — in the Carnes Crossroads area of Goose Creek and at Maybank Highway and River Road on Johns Island. No formal plans have been announced for either site.

MOUNT PLEASANT — A long-awaited local tree ordinance will soon officially take effect, giving pines in the area stronger protection. Removing trees will also come with added costs and more-stringent mitigation requirements.

The new provisions of Mount Pleasant's tree ordinance go into effect May 1 along with the rest of the town's updated zoning code. Planning staff and town officials spent over two years rewriting sections of the zoning code, a document that hadn't been fully revisited since the 1970s, Planning Director Michele Reed said.

The new code was ready to be approved by the town council in January, though its adoption was delayed 90 days.

In the northern end of Mount Pleasant, new developments like Carolina Park and Park West have cropped up among the abandoned rows of pine trees that were originally planted for pulpwood, a material used in paper making.

"The volume of (pines) is incredible, especially in the north end of town... Carolina Park, for example, that was planted as timberland, so there's pines everywhere," said Eddie Bernard, the town's urban forester.

Pines to finally get some protection

Pine trees, like loblollies and longleaf, are native to South Carolina, though they don't typically have as grand a reputation as live oaks or the Southern charm of a magnolia.

These trees also haven't received the same protections as live oaks, cedars and other revered trees, which have been protected by the town's zoning code for years. Historic trees, meaning trees that measure 24 inches or more in diameter, are also protected.

Meanwhile, pines of any size and species could be removed without a permit or special approval from the town.

There are some cases in which protected trees are removed. The process to do so can be lengthy and requires approval from the town, though it's not always given.

This will soon be the case for mature pines with a diameter of 24 inches or more. A removal permit will be required to remove a larger pine, as well as a mitigation plan.

Permits, which are currently free, will cost $50. This permit is required for removing any protected tree.

Michele Reed, planning director for the town, said the decision to include pines of certain sizes was driven by resident concerns voiced at a series of public input meetings held in 2023.

The meetings were meant to gather comments to help draft a new comprehensive plan, but Reed said the desire to protect pines was a common concern raised to staff. Changes to the tree ordinance were outlined in the Community Forest Master Plan and also got the thumbs-up from the town's planning commission and committee.

Trees come down, and least one must go up

Those who wish to remove trees will also see stricter mitigation requirements.

When trees are cut down and removed from a property, at least one must be replaced on-site. A plan for replacing trees will also be required and approved by the town before a permit to cut one down is issued.

Currently, developers and property owners can pay into the town's tree bank in lieu of replanting. Starting in May, at least one tree must be replanted on-site.

"We want them to try and plant more. But if they can't, then you you have that option to still pay into the tree bank," Reed said.

Tree bank funds are used for replanting in other areas of town, Bernard said.

"It's still, in the broader sense, is still funding trees. It just may not necessarily be on that lot or that neighborhood," Bernard said.

Reach Anna Sharpe at 843-806-6790.