CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The community on Fleming Road is highlighting what they say is an overdue need for sidewalks.

A property owner on Fleming Road shared this concern with her tenants. Fleming Road is near various amenities in the area like the James Island County Park, Terrace Movie Theater, and Ride & Roll Cycle studio.

When it comes to safety, residents say children in the area are being dropped off near school bus zones and are reportedly standing on the street or on small patches of grass near the ditches.

Kylie Bissell, who lives in the area with her husband and dog Boogie, says she fears for both her and Boogie’s safety. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reported an accident on the road already this year and five collisions, some with injuries, last year.

“Being able to walk this area without a sidewalk, it gives me a lot of fear that if someone’s not paying attention, like, they do it all the time,” Bissell says. “They’re on their phones, they’re looking at their maps or they’re just looking at the area he could easily just get hit and that’s something we fear every day so honestly I don’t walk him in the area.”

Charleston Moves and various other neighbors even began petitions in 2020 to fund sidewalks on Fleming Road but to no avail, according to documents. Residents who live on Fleming Road have also expressed safety concerns since hearing of the tragic accident with Jenn Drummond only a few miles away on Woodland Shores Road.

“We were all just cautioned if we live in the area to be extremely careful,” Bissell says. “But at that time, I was living here as well and that definitely scared me. As in, are people going way too fast down this area? Are they not paying attention, etc.”

As part of Charleston’s county evaluation criteria for prioritizing sidewalk installation, officials consider safety (based on current traffic safety data), connection to schools/parks/transit, estimated cost, and how a project is ranked by each municipality.

“Fleming Road is a state road,” Charleston County officials say. “Part of it is in the city and part in the county. Charleston County is currently working towards final plans for our project which includes sidewalks on Fleming Road from Maybank Highway to Standard Way. From Standard Way to Central Park Road, Fleming Road is within the city of Charleston limits. The portion of Woodland Shores we are putting sidewalks on is a county-maintained road, so we don’t have to work with another municipality or the state on the work we are doing there.”

If you have a road concern you’d like to submit to Live 5 News, let us know What’s Driving You Crazy.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Charleston County adults will receive a life-saving lesson on Saturday about the importance of CPR and how it can save loved ones’ lives.

James Island Emergency will invite Charleston County Emergency Management Services to share the hands-only CPR technique with Charleston County adults at the emergency center building from 10 a.m. to noon.

More than 300,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital and instead in homes, work or the community. On average, 60 to 80 percent of those cases die before arriving at the hospital.

James Island Emergency and Charleston County EMS aim to teach the hands-only CPR technique to as many people as possible at the 945 Folly Road location in Charleston. The goal is to prepare the community for sudden emergencies that can happen to anyone, regardless of age.

The hands-only CPR technique is a non-mouth-to-mouth contact rescue method that focuses on compression of the body using the strength of the palm. Users lay one hand over the other and press down on the sudden cardiac arrest victim’s chest. The method is used to push oxygenated blood throughout the body and can “double or triple survival chances” the American Heart Association says.

Hands-only CPR does not require a certification to be practiced at the time of an event. In this case, technique users must act while medical professionals are en route. Carl Fehr, division chief of Charleston County EMS, says people must know how to give hands-only CPR in times of need.

“You being able to provide those actions to try to give them the best of being able to survive as possible is huge,” Fehr says. “It’s kind of like in baseball, if you know it’s a fastball or a curve ball coming at you, you have a much better chance at hitting the ball. If you know a little bit about what you need to do to try to save somebody’s life, you’ll be better prepared to jump into immediate action and be able to help take care of them.”

The hands-only CPR event is free to those interested in attending. Guests can register on the Trident Health System website before arriving.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Updated with visitor information on Friday, Oct. 13

Something green is coming to Charleston, and we’re not talking about St. Patrick’s Day. A new state park is in the works at the tip of James Island. We spoke with SC State Parks Director Paul McCormack for the latest on the project.

The waterfront park will be located on 23 acres at the end of Fort Johnson Road, adjacent to the Fort Johnson historic site. The parcel is managed by the SC Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

In 2021, the state purchased the land from the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy for $23 million. The May Forest Convent located on-site is expected to be converted into an event venue that will be the main component of the new park. Funding has not yet been secured for the venue construction project.

Charlestonians can look forward to a day-use recreation and picnicking area with views of the Charleston Harbor, the Ravenel Bridge, and Fort Sumter. There is an existing gazebo and bench swing. Conceptual images are not yet available, but stay tuned.

An event space, lodging, and a dock may be added in the future. A structural assessment of the property is expected to determine park features down the road. What would you like to see this new park offer? Let us know.

In addition, there is a master plan that envisions the entire ~100-acre Fort Johnson area that is separate from the state park project.

The park is expected to open this spring or summer. There is currently no timeline for potential future amenities, but keep an eye on the newsletter for updates. The plans for Fort Johnson, which surrounds the state park area, are long-term.

May Forest launched its soft opening phase. The new state park on the northeast waterfront of James Island offers views of the Charleston Harbor, Ravenel Bridge, and Fort Sumter, plus woodland and fields abutting the shore.

The park is far from finished — but you can stroll for yourself now.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources bought the 23-acre park land from the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy for $23.25 million in 2021.

May Forest State Park and the ~100-acre Fort Johnson area make up a long-term development plan including updated trail access, greenspace, historical interpretation, and research campuses.

The park is located at 424 Fort Johnson Rd. Since it occupies one tip of James Island, navigating is easy: just follow the road to its end and follow the signage for visitor parking.

During the soft opening phase, the park is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays, grounds only.

May Forest is currently hiring a park ranger. Once they do, you’ll be able to visit on weekends, too.

Currently, May Forest offers walking trails and four picnic tables to unwind by the water. Pets are welcome in most areas, but you’ll need to keep them leashed.

As the park grows, look forward to an event space at the old May Forest Convent, overnight accommodations, and dining options.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Crews are continuing to work to repair two major water main breaks that happened within a day of each other on James Island and in West Ashley.

Public Information Administrator for Charleston Water System Mike Saia says while the collapsed ground looks like a sinkhole, the damage didn’t happen that way in a technical sense. The damage to the ground and roads is from the strong water pressure when the water lines broke under the pressure. The water force caused the ground around the pipe to explode outward as opposed to sinking inward.

“Main breaks in the late part of the winter or early spring are really very common because the temperatures take wild swings with freezing one day, then they were in the 70s for a few days. After that what happens is that temperature change inside our mains really changed the structure of the pipe and to make it a little bit more brittle,” Saia says.

Saia says the water lines themselves were fixed quickly and based on the locations of the breaks, only a few customers were affected for a short time on Highway 61.

“Our main break for Fort Johnson Road was a 24-inch water main, a much bigger pipe with much bigger impact to the site and the road. But no customers were without water at any time because we were able to route the water from other means in the area and keep our customers in service at all times,” Saia says.

“It is likely Fort Johnson will be closed for at least several more days while all repairs are completed,” the town said in an updated post Sunday night. The post attributes the delay to expected rain it states will complicate the already extensive repairs to the broken water line.

Town of James Island

on Sunday

Update - Water Main Break

Repairs to the broken water transmission line on Fort Johnson and Jeffords near Folly are extensive and likely to be complicated by expected rain. It is likely Fort Johnson will be closed for at least several more days while all repairs are completed. Charleston Water System will have a mobile board placed on Fort Johnson directing traffic turn on Secessionville. For those closer to the site the Sheriff's detour signs take them left onto Jeffords and right onto Avenue A, out to Folly Road.

If possible, please avoid the area and use Camp or Harbor View Road.

With water access and pipe structure handled, now their work turns to repairing the damaged roadways. Saia says on Highway 61 luckily one lane has remained open, and it is a smaller issue that can be fixed faster than the major break on James Island.

“Our crews responded immediately but when a 24-inch water main breaks, it creates a lot of devastation and a lot of destruction. And it took Fort Johnson completely out of service where it remains today. It’ll probably take us another two days, maybe even three to get the road restored,” Saia says.

Saia says Charleston Water System handles about 150 main breaks a year and these two are on the larger side of the average leak. He says crews are always on standby for this type of situation. He explains the cost of repairs is within the system’s regular budget.

“We’re able to handle all the street repairs on Highway 61 and will eventually bring a contractor in to do the final paving. But we are absolutely fully relying on a contractor to do the site remediation for Fort Johnson and because it’s such a very large area, actually contractors are going to do all the backfilling and all the paving throughout the remainder of the project,” Saia said.

James Island First Presbyterian Church sits at the corner of Fort Johnson and Jeffords Street. Despite the main break over the weekend, they were able to get their water running and a plan in place so Sunday Services went off without a hitch.

Mike Terelak, ruling elder on the Buildings and Grounds Committee for the church, says it was a team effort and he talked a lot with the Charleston Water System and SCDOT who helped them get through Sunday and make sure families have access to the child-care center this week.

“We had our annual Chili Cook-Off, which is a big event here. It raised a lot of money for James Island outreach and other missions that we run. And everybody came out, it was a big great time. We had a baptism, we have new members joining the church. So it was a really great day for our church and a little bit of mud wouldn’t have stopped that,” Terelak says.

Saia says since the roads are the Department of Transportation’s, he is in contact with officials there and everyone is collaborating toward a solution as fast as is possible. Saia asks that everyone who can, steer clear of Fort Johnson Road which he expects will be fully closed until at least Wednesday.

Charleston Water System will have a mobile board placed on Fort Johnson to direct drivers to turn onto Secessionville Road, the post states. Those closer to the site will see Charleston County Sheriff’s Office detour signs directing them around the sinkhole by way of Avenue A and then to Folly Road.

The post urged drivers to avoid the area if possible, suggesting Camp Road or Harbor View Road as alternate routes.

The Charleston Water System was able to divert water Saturday morning to ensure that homes in the area had working water. Anyone who does not have water service should call the Charleston Water System at 843-727-6800.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The site of a proposed preschool on James Island is causing some neighbors to worry about what their yards will look like during a storm or what the traffic will look like during rush hour.

The city of Charleston’s Design Review Board approved the basics, like what kind of building materials and plants the developer wants to use, for example, at the proposed Goddard Preschool located at 1137 Folly Rd., at Tuesday night’s meeting.

However, neighbor Matthew Pertuset says he’s more worried about what the city will review later on.

“How is that going to affect the, not just the people that back up, but the entire neighborhood?” Pertuset said.

The proposed preschool sits directly behind Pertuset’s home in the Queenborough neighborhood. He says he’s worried about the design of this building’s drainage because of how it already acts during storms.

“We’re already holding water,” Pertuset said. “So, for that to come up even more, I’m not sure. So, it’s a huge concern.”

But Robert Summerfield, the director of planning, preservation and sustainability for the city of Charleston, said because they have some of the most comprehensive stormwater regulations in the region, no project could make the problem worse but could only improve it.

“They’re working very hard to make sure that they are utilizing the existing wetlands on site and enhancing that as a stormwater catchment area,” Summerfield said.

But that’s not the only concern.

“If it is going to be a pickup, you know, we’re right here on Folly Road, how does that look during rush hour traffic in the mornings and the afternoons?” Pertuset said. “Is it going to get pushed into our neighborhood for us to deal with or is it just going to come to a stop on Folly Road?”

Summerfield said the city has already thought about it.

“We have created a drop-off low space so that cars, as they come in and drop their children off or pick them up, will actually flow through the site so that there’s a queueing situation that will occur so that people aren’t ideally not queueing out on Folly,” Summerfield said.

Neither the Goddard School nor the applicant, AAG Architects for Vista 26, LLC, have responded to requests for comment.

However, Pertuset said no matter what comes on this property, he just wants the city to be thorough with their plans.

“It is something that the community needs,” Pertuset said. “I think James Island could afford to have another preschool.”

Summerfield said the city will discuss more drainage specifics once the developer submits the next step to the Technical Review Committee. They will have to pass all initial designs before that is done and there’s currently no timeline of when that might take place.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.