This week there are a large number of multifamily and large residential developments coming before the various City of Charleston boards and committees. Below are those items as well as the application results for specific items to Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area.

More detailed agendas and results can be found at charleston-sc.gov/agendacenter.

Feb. 2: A major subdivision road development plan at Cainhoy Del Webb on Clements Ferry Road and Cainhoy Road for 164 single-family residences.

Feb. 9: A site plan at Mikasa Apartments (Aventon) on Clements Ferry Road for the construction of five multifamily residential buildings (320 units), clubhouse and parking lot.

Jan. 26: A site plan at 1900 Daniel Island Drive for a proposed sidewalk, plantation mix path and yard inlets. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

A site plan on Clements Ferry Road for one industrial building with a stormwater detention pond. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

Berkeley Co. Bd. of Education meets twice each month. Executive Committee meets at 5:30 p.m.; meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Berkeley Co. Council meets fourth Mon. of each month, 6 p.m., Berkeley County Admin. Blg., 1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner.

City of Charleston Council typically meets the second and fourth Tues. of each month, 5 p.m., City Hall, 80 Broad Street, Charleston, SC and/or virtually via Conference Call #1-929-205-6099; Access Code: 912 096 416. Exceptions: Summer Schedule - 3rd Tues. of June, July, and August; December meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tues. Dates and locations subject to change.

City of Charleston Technical Review Committee meets every Thurs. at 9 a.m.via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Site Design meets the 1st Wed. of each month at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

City of Charleston Board of Zoning Appeals – Zoning meets the 1st and 3rd Tues. of each month at 5:15 p.m., except for January and July when no meeting is held on the 1st Tues.

City of Charleston Design Review Board meets the 1st and 3rd Mon. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

City of Charleston Planning Commission meets the 3rd Wed. of every month at 5 p.m.

City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review – Large projects meets the 2nd and 4th Wed. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review – Small projects meets the 2nd and 4th Thurs. of every month at 4:30 p.m.

As traffic flow changes throughout one of the state’s busiest thoroughfares, so do the plans for the proposed I-526 Interchange Improvements project at Long Point Road. Although the traffic ramp reconfiguration will take place near the Wando Terminal at Exit 28 in Mount Pleasant, the impacts will be felt down the stretch of interstate that leads to Daniel Island.

The $165 million project proposes to improve the operations of the I-526/Long Point Road interchange and I-526 mainline and reduce operational conflicts between port-related and local traffic. The average daily traffic from Daniel Island to Long Point Road was approximately 78,000 motorists in 2017, according to SCDOT. If there was no build out or mitigation by 2050, a projected 131,000 motorists would frequent the same stretch of road daily – a 69% growth rate.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) deems the current Long Point Road and I-526 interchange configuration is deficient because it does not have the capacity to accommodate the forecasted 2050 traffic as outlined in the I-526 East Lowcountry Corridor Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study Report.

Last August, SCDOT personnel held a public information meeting to discuss the project’s proposed alternatives. Recently, as a result of community feedback received, the preliminary design of the new partial interchange, including the associated flyovers, have been adjusted in order to reduce or avoid impacts to Seacoast Parkway in Mount Pleasant, according to I-526 Lowcountry Corridor Project Director Pete Poore, who replaced SCDOT’s senior engineering project manager Joy Riley following her resignation after 13 years in December 2022.

Poore noted that the adjustment to Reasonable Alternative 2 is now the Reasonable Preferred Alternative for the project. The proposed alternative includes new ramps from the Wando Terminal that would connect to the truck climbing lanes on the Wando River Bridge.

SCDOT previously performed a safety analysis for the existing truck climbing lanes on the Don Holt and Wando Bridges and concluded that it was safer to leave the existing truck climbing lanes in operation rather than closing them to decrease the number of accidents.

Although these adjustments do not have any direct impact on Daniel Island, the Long Point Road interchange improvements are expected to greatly improve the commuter flow of traffic all the way to Daniel Island’s interchange at Exit 24.

The project has been funded by a combination of federal funds with state matching dollars through the Interstate Improvement Program in SCDOT’s 10-year Plan. Construction is expected to begin by the spring or summer of 2024.

The project’s next step is to obtain National Environmental Policy Act documentation in order to get environmental approval sometime in early 2023. NEPA compliance is estimated to take up to 12 months and the design and construction is estimated to take up to 32 months.

The I-526 corridor program includes $7 billion of interstate improvement projects representing the largest and most complex projects developed by SCDOT to date.

“SCDOT welcomes input from the communities wherever infrastructure projects are planned,” Poore added. “Our goal is to work with our partners, which includes the public. We encourage citizens to make comments and offer suggestions.”

For more information and virtual access to the project or to provide public input, visit 526lowcountrycorridor.com.

Series I federal savings bonds linked to inflation — I-bonds — were the hot investment last year when they briefly offered a 9.62 percent annualized interest rate.

At one point the flood of purchasers crashed the U.S. Treasury’s website, treasurydirect.gov, which is the only place to buy I-bonds electronically. There’s also a way to buy them on paper, and that’s to use the proceeds of a federal income tax refund.

And that brings us to today’s column. Using a federal tax refund to buy I-bonds allows people to avoid buying them online, which many find confusing, and also allows them to exceed the $10,000 per person annual cap on purchases.

Up to $5,000 in old-fashioned paper I-bonds can be purchased with an income tax refund. The minimum purchase is $50.

I-bonds are the only U.S. bonds you can buy in a form you can hold in your hands, and they can be purchased in the names of others and given as gifts.

If you’re anticipating a federal refund and want to use some of that money to buy I-bonds, just indicate that on IRS Form 8888 with your return. That’s the same form that tells the IRS where to send your refund.

I-bonds are meant to keep money from losing value to inflation, and the interest is exempt from state and local taxes (and federal taxes if used for higher education expenses).

I-bond interest rates change twice each year, in May and November. If someone were to purchase an I-bond right now, or any time before May 1, they would get the current annualized composite interest rate of 6.89 percent for six months. After that, the rate would become the rate that will be set in May, for the next six months, and so on.

I-bonds must be held at least one year before redeeming them, and if they’re redeemed in less than five years there’s a penalty equal to the last 3 months of interest. Otherwise, they gain interest for 30 years.

An important question to consider is whether I-bonds are still attractive. The gap between I-bond interest rates and bank-issued certificates of deposit has narrowed greatly since last year, and could potentially close when I-bond rates are reset in May.

Will the next rate be lower? Many people think so, because inflation has been easing. Some financial websites are predicting the May I-bond rate could be slightly north of 2 percent, which would make the 12-month interest rate a bit more than 5 percent if someone purchased an I-bond prior to the rate change.

Meanwhile, it’s become easy to find a one-year CD paying a guaranteed interest rate of 4.25 percent or more.

When I wrote about I-bonds in April, a 12-month bank CD was paying about 1 percent interest, and the annualized rate on I-bonds was 7.12 percent. That rate increased to 9.62 percent in May, and fell to 6.89 percent in November.

My takeaway is the I-bonds remain competitive with bank CDs but with less certainty about rates going forward. However, the interest on bank CDs is taxable, while I-bond interest is exempt from state income tax.

One nice thing about using an income tax refund to buy I-bonds is that you actually get the paper bond, which can be redeemed at a bank, and don’t have to worry about misplacing your password for treasurydirect.gov. Alternatively, paper bonds can be converted to the electronic version, if one prefers.

Technology is becoming a regular menu staple at restaurants across South Carolina.

Computer kiosks stand ready to take food and drink requests. Scrambled QR codes deliver menus via smartphone cameras. Small tableside devices invite diners to place their orders and pay their bills.

Restaurants have typically counted on front-end workers and wait staff to perform these routine yet critical tasks. But with an industrywide labor shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, finding those workers has become more difficult.

The S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association estimated that the state needs nearly 5,000 employees to fill restaurant and hotel job vacancies.

And the hiring challenge is projected to worsen over the next couple of years.

The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce conducted a “Talent Demand Study” that found the need for workers will grow by 15 percent through 2025 to fill food preparation and service-related positions.

Faced with staffing shortages and hiring challenges, restaurant owners are embracing automation and robotic technology that was once limited to multinational franchises such as McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts.

Ordering kiosks and customer-facing tabletop devices can reduce labor costs, decrease order wait times and improve accuracy. But the initial investment and upkeep of the devices can also increase restaurant operating costs and deliver a less-personal dining experience.

At the Dunkin Donuts on Dorchester Road in Summerville, an ordering screen sits at the counter with the orange and pink logo flashing, waiting for a customer to step up and use it.

Kimberly Dawn bypassed the machine, opting to place her order with Victoria White, who was running the cash register.

“I would rather talk to a human than to a computer,” Dawn said. She added, “I am old school.”

The kiosk gets minimal use, White said

“About one in every 20 customers might use it,” she said, noting most of them tend to be younger.

Hits and misses

Customer comfort with automated restaurant tools often dictates their use and restaurant owners’ decision to offer them.

For many whose idea of a dining-out experience is about consumption, the infiltration of technology at their favorite eating establishments is a welcome addition because of its time-saving convenience.

Jill Schenzel, co-owner of Bodega Todo, a quick-service restaurant on President Street in downtown Charleston, is set up with no front-end staff to speak of. She said she installed a kiosk to handle orders as a result of the pandemic.

Schenzel was first introduced to the technology when traveling the festival circuit with her food trucks — Semilla and Street Bird.

“When the pandemic happened, and labor issues started, people were coming into the restaurant to order, and we started to think about what that technology would look like,” she said.

Schenzel reached out to Toast Inc., a Boston-based restaurant management software company, for help. She said the kiosk works seamlessly for her neighborhood establishment, where about 80 percent of the clientele come in every day or three times a week and are familiar with how it works.

Schenzel said it was less successful at Rudy Royale, which she owns with brother Mcready Downer.

“We hoped to use technology there,” she said, adding that the higher-end East Bay Street restaurant is “more tourist-driven” and “we quickly realized it wouldn’t work.”

Some restaurant owners and operators are finding that customers seeking an enjoyable experience see the introduction of the type of technology they have at their fingertips in other situations as an impediment to a meaningful social engagement.

“I think that it’s a matter of listening to your customers and figuring out how to create a great experience for all,” said Steve Fredette, president of Toast.

“For some people, using digital tools like a kiosk or QR code — is hospitality to them. And that’s a better experience,” Fredette said. “Other people want to come in and say hi and talk. And that’s okay, too.”

“If restaurants can use technology to enhance their experience, which means restaurant workers can focus on higher value activities, then I think that’s a win for hospitality and a win for the guests who can get a better experience,” he said.

People pleaser

But more traditionally minded diners who are accustomed to perusing and then choosing their entrees from a conventional menu from a smiling server ready to take their order may find disconcerting the QR codes and tabletop devices.

And while the machines can take a load off of employees, the new systems don’t always get an enthusiastic response from the staff it is designed to help.

At Bahama Breeze, Rashaud Sutter, a bartender and server, pushes the tabletop device aside and directs customers to the personal touch.

“I don’t like it,” he said, pointing to the device. “I would rather engage with the customer.”

The technology was brought into the restaurant he works at on Rivers Avenue at Northwoods Mall for busy diners seeking fast service. Sutter said it takes away from the server experience he likes to provide.

“I look around and try to be at the table for whatever the customer needs,” he said.

A self-professed people pleaser, Sutter said he wants to give customers full, personable service to earn their satisfaction and his monetary reward.

Some have found that point-of-sale terminals increase the frequency and amount of tips by making it easier with preloaded options charged automatically to a card.

Sutter isn’t convinced.

“If they can order themselves and pay themselves, why do they need to tip me?” he asked.

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DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Lace up your skates! Credit One Stadium is bringing an outdoor ice-skating rink to Daniel Island for the holiday season.

“Skate the Stadium” will bring a new custom-built ice-skating rink to the entertainment venue featuring cozy fire pits, seasonal concessions, and special holiday events like holiday carolers, visits with Santa, and a Christmas tree lighting.

“Our goal is to create thoughtful, unique experiences that bring joy to the communities we serve. By building an outdoor skating rink for the holidays we hope to create another way for people to engage in a new holiday tradition that encourages movement and social connection,” said Bob Moran, President of Charleston Tennis.

Tickets will cost $10 per person including the skate rental and a one-hour skating session. Organizers say non-skaters may enter for free. Special assistive devices will be available for those who need them.

Those tickets can be purchased at creditonestadium.com/skate-the-stadium

“Children 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Credit One Stadium is a drop-off site for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation,” said organizers. “Bring a toy, get $2 off a skating session.”

Guests can enjoy cookie samplers, smores kits, cinnamon sugar pretzels and other classic concessions will be available for purchase. Hot chocolate, cider, and a full bar with seasonal beer and cocktails will also be on hand.

‘Skate the Stadium’ will open Friday, December 2^nd. Dates to skate include:

Thursdays and Fridays from 5-10 p.m.

Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. & Sundays 12 – 5 p.m.

The rink will be closed on Friday, Dec. 30 and Christmas Day.

Daniel Island Tree Lighting Ceremony | Friday, December 2, Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the tree lighting at 6 p.m.

Enjoy musical performances from Charleston Concert Band, carolers singing and activities for the children then watch the holiday magic of a 22-foot tree lighting.

Holiday Carolers Thursdays | December 8, 25 & 22, 5:30-6 p.m.

Catch the holiday spirit with vocal performances from local High School choral groups.

Ladies Night/Bubbles on Ice | Thursday, December 8, 7-10 p.m.

Nibble on hors d’oeuvres and sip on bubbles from Moet. Browse some curated holiday selection from local vendors. This is a ticketed event, $35 per person and includes food plus cash bar.

90’s Glow Night | Saturday, December 10, 7-10 p.m.

Skate to your favorite songs of the 90’s and sport your best glow gear.

Jazz Night & Bourbon Tasting | Thursday, December 15, 7-10 p.m.

Sample all-you-can-eat oysters on the half shell and a bourbon tasting with entertainment by Grammy Award winning Charlton Singleton & The Contemporary Flow Band.

Visit with Santa | Sunday, December 18, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Stop by for a visit with Santa the last weekend before Christmas.

Have you visited your local library recently? If so, you’ve noticed that libraries have become more than just a place to check out books – they have become vibrant community centers where individuals gather to explore, interact and imagine. If not, you are missing out!

Offerings include summer reading programs, teen essay contests, technology courses, access to 3D printers, crafting and exercise classes and more. They are also community conveners, engaging the public in civic dialogue to address some of our community’s most pressing issues.

Libraries are essential to the health and well-being of our community. They have a large impact on the local economy and workforce development by offering a multitude of resources that are free and accessible to all community members regardless of their socio-economic status, race, age, gender, religious affiliation or agency. The only caveat to taking advantage of these resources is one’s ability to read.

Literacy rates in South Carolina, especially for children, are abysmal. Only 20% of at-risk elementary school age students are reading proficiently by the end of fourth grade. Research indicates that if students are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, there is an 88% chance that they will never catch up and they are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Reading Partners South Carolina is on a mission to change those odds so that our youngest citizens have the foundational literacy skills they need to be successful in

school and in life.

We do our work by partnering with the community – students, volunteers, schools, churches, corporations, civic organizations, media outlets as well as libraries. Through those relationships, Reading Partners has served over 6,400 students, delivering 177,300 tutoring sessions to students who are reading anywhere from six months to two and a half years behind grade level during our first decade here in South Carolina. The results have been outstanding.

Local libraries have been paramount to our success by providing meeting space for us to orient and provide continuing education sessions for thousands of volunteer tutors, promoting our need for volunteers, serving as Reading Partners volunteers and partnering with us to collect and distribute over 38,000 books to our students to take home, keep and share their new found love of reading with their families and caregivers.

We are grateful for the support of all of our partners, especially the Charleston and Berkeley county library systems. This month, in celebration of National Library month, please visit your local library to check out their amazing offerings. Explore, interact and imagine and thank the staff for the important role they play in strengthening our communities.

Christine Messick has over 20 years of nonprofit management experience with an emphasis on volunteer engagement. Messick serves as the interim executive director for Reading Partners South Carolina.