[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6188047,"mediaKeyId","5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600","parentId",5064132,"title","Charleston County Council votes to support state hate‑crime legislation","audioSeconds",1029,"startMs",4837000,"endMs",5866000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600&start=4837&end=5866","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600/thumbnail_4837000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6188047/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Charleston-County-Council-votes-to-support-state-hatecrime-legislation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188047-7a1fc27b75b169ae4508013d42270720/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=nDFiCEl8slQKZGZVGyc9Xk6e4vRzIOp9Zjbi1KgKJg00uWwqz9SotI1z7cODdMbo22tEW8kZE8ePteCUNNXkJqp0tF5a1NxEek~Lt0i8nRwdudkVjdU8s7HIuuKWT2iWcgElCN0fF9oZGjDM~ZlxxDGMC~aM64i1inhUZw9RGSAGCL276Bp2XRQs5YBtfojPgKPcV78Kdx9eFdoViGzUyCaSr~fXsYguQAxu~b3neIqiFU6T3bc6a5MUcUYSV1Hvqx7PD6unY8TlrWbJgpqDAEZhRWb~FqBd933KKWZW2t4thU7~AEptfr3Kx662xtP~bbfkIavZTZN-pQJ791eiCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-25T12:20:55.633Z","article","Charleston County Council on June 24 adopted a resolution expressing support for state hate‑crime legislation after members debated whether the county should reference a specific bill and whether the solicitor and sheriff should review proposed language.

Councilmembers who spoke in favor framed the measure as a statement of support for state action rather than a new local criminal offense. Councilmember Brian said the resolution simply expresses support for whatever bill emerges from the state legislature and does not enact local prohibitions. Several members, including Councilmember Moody and Councilmember Boykin, urged staff to seek input from the county solicitor and sheriff to ensure future language does not impair prosecutorial authority or enforcement.

Councilmember Darby asked whether the resolution should cite a specific bill number; other council members noted that session deadlines and bill numbers can change between legislative sessions and that the county can update guidance in later actions. Vice Chair Kabowski cautioned about broad definitions of “hate” and urged care in how such laws are framed to avoid unintended effects.

After discussion the council adopted the resolution by voice vote; the transcript records the motion carried with the ayes prevailing. No formal ordinance or local criminal code change was enacted by the county; the resolution expresses the county’s support for state‑level legislation, and staff said they can provide bill numbers and consult the solicitor and sheriff in follow‑up as requested by council members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06/24/2025 - Charleston County Council","oneSentenceSummary","After debate about defining hate crimes and whether to consult prosecuting authorities, the council adopted a resolution expressing support for state hate‑crime legislation and asked staff to obtain bill specifics and, in future instances, to coordinate with the sheriff and solicitor on enforcement implications.","taxTitle","Charleston County, South Carolina","taxId",3700,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6188052,"Johns Island residents urge council to spare 'Butcher Oak' and limit tree loss for Main Road roundabout",424,6084000,6508000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600&start=6084&end=6508","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600/thumbnail_6084000.jpg","/articles/6188052/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Johns-Island-residents-urge-council-to-spare-Butcher-Oak-and-limit-tree-loss-for-Main-Road-roundabout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188052-75f6fcb2bdfc80e0ee5e61eb2e021712/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=PMBWyYhkO5n3wMN6KOIj2ZUTQgpQZ87n2fIyIlAVcY-4emfqKMn-VbYKOJmxlYEyH52x2smUDnk6nbOVMuH~Lc11jMn2W~bjnt23KfimnN9-BRYuWyPSuqY82OZ2lKJpul8BzN-SsELdzzm53kjNGEPstgd1P78S5BDLWW1DPsdRRNOACkWgljMCknpdTFACrdvRjLJONrTU2eQCHuB1JYjBvfBMBusWZ9Q1epvEKTuqwZkH6mWG5a3NpmV-YSXAUbUncNHEv9L614woev4x36I9XfFygFax7J86O74L8BjV1rtRoLUXwbM21OWhlXVtHtXKJGKIQVQ~D66kBHDcww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Johns Island residents and neighborhood groups urged Charleston County Council on June 24 to reduce tree loss and reconsider aspects of the planned Main Road segment A roundabout, citing the value of large live oaks, safety concerns and long recovery times for replacement plantings.

Mary Gwen, president of the Magnolia Garden Club, asked county staff to hire a landscape architect specializing in native coastal plants to design tree mitigation and replacement so new plantings have the best chance to survive in the coastal environment. She described the club’s stewardship of the “Butcher Oak” at Chisholm and Main and asked that the tree be preserved with drainage, irrigation and electrical improvements where needed.

Several speakers quantified the proposed removals and underscored the scale of mitigation. Liz Munn said the plan calls for removing 799 inches of tree circumference and described how that translates into large numbers of replacement trees at smaller nursery sizes — for example roughly 319 two‑and‑a‑half‑inch trees or 66 larger 12‑inch trees — and noted that live oaks grow only about an inch in diameter per year. Randy Delp called the trees “iconic” and asked whether project designers had been instructed to save as many grand trees as possible.

Speakers also raised safety concerns about the planned roundabout configuration where Chisholm Road meets Main Road and River Road. Betty Craig warned that a double‑lane approach and close succession of movements could create conflict points and called for design changes such as limiting left turns at a new secondary access to the boat landing. Commenters asked staff to coordinate tree planting with future utility plans to avoid conflicts that can kill young trees (several speakers noted recent examples where planted trees suffered from adjacent construction or bus movements).

John Zlogar of Rational Roads said he supports the project’s transportation goals but encouraged hiring a landscape architect, planning for utilities and taking advantage of the moment to run utilities while construction occurs. He also urged the county to consider using other settlement funds to improve Maybank Highway as part of a broader approach to entrance corridor congestion on Johns Island.

County staff did not make a decision at the hearing. Speakers asked for additional outreach and for staff to consider alternatives that preserve large specimen trees where feasible and to involve community organizations such as the Magnolia Garden Club in mitigation planning.","Residents, garden‑club leaders and local advocates pressed county officials during a public hearing to reduce the number of large live oaks slated for removal under the Main Road segment A design, to hire a landscape architect familiar with coastal native plants for mitigation, and to reassess design choices that could affect safety and flooding.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6188057,"Regional planners tell council congestion will worsen without new county investment",161,960000,1121000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600&start=960&end=1121","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600/thumbnail_960000.jpg","/articles/6188057/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Regional-planners-tell-council-congestion-will-worsen-without-new-county-investment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188057-513013a30f24c039c3c6b48dc1e56f9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=BC-j9HWKLSlHCPQjUfOPKESvUZw2bZM6zfiUyZcUYDJJC4GXxUAFNoy1WKXmKkCKakzrvxfznt7y6TxhKEs559bgjEAGFwSbKZ8OjchDQB~u8t~i-3JvIK5CPBX6EBWZXH12Hy70-jH4qG8C~RLKdy7d7rOSvLasejg3AEtf7VWT-rd0hrHr1N5e-B04m3vZtgyagUwrde6Z16jH0c0Nc6ncObiJCRKA6lxvgQTueFDgqLbr5SCRH6IJ4vTqqPOh1GrhiKrVgTkay0SEz3BWcX8LanlILV9y6zPhxaJl92KBEqxus2zEky-a~QHcwD1UEeHMGkQ1-94g-7W~2T8zdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A representative from the Berkeley‑Charleston‑Dorchester Council of Governments briefed County Council June 24 on a transportation needs assessment that projects sharply increased congestion through 2045 if Charleston County provides no additional local investment beyond traditional state and federal sources.

The COG presentation included projections for population and employment growth, and staff said almost 136,000 people commute into Charleston County each day. The model compares a 2019 baseline to forecasted 2045 conditions assuming only existing and committed projects; many corridors are projected to fall into poor level‑of‑service categories (E–F) without new investments.

COG staff said the modeling incorporates land‑use assumptions, cell‑phone mobility data, planning time index and safety crash data. The agency recommended council consider a range of interventions: corridor and intersection capacity projects, targeted safety and non‑motorized improvements, operational and technology investments such as adaptive signal systems, and expanded transit service. The presenter noted that county criteria for prioritizing projects could differ from state criteria (Act 114) that govern state and federal funding prioritization.

Several council members asked about public transit and alternatives to widening. Councilmember Wierman asked the COG to include stronger transit strategies in the county’s decision framework; the presenter said COG can model investment packages that include transit and technology to maximize system capacity. Councilmember Boykin asked whether congestion and safety should be the county’s top priorities; the COG presenter said public input typically ranks safety and congestion highest and said the county’s role includes deciding which project categories to target in any future funding measure.

Councilmembers also discussed land‑use coordination with municipalities to avoid moving traffic problems from one corridor to another, and the need for explicit criteria to guide a future referendum or prioritization process. The presenter offered to support council and county staff with public engagement materials and modeling options ahead of an upcoming retreat and recommended that the county identify desired outcomes and criteria so COG can produce a prioritized list tailored to county policy goals.

No formal council action was recorded; councilmembers directed staff to include this topic on the retreat agenda and to invite COG to assist with public engagement and scenario modeling.","BCDCOG staff presented long‑range transportation modeling showing severe congestion by 2045 on many Charleston County corridors if the county does not add funding beyond traditional state and federal sources; planners urged council to set priorities for corridors, safety, transit and technology investments ahead of a possible referendum.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6188062,"Charleston County outlines $245 million Highway 41 improvements, seeks right‑of‑way approval",423,52000,475000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600&start=52&end=475","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5064132-ff970651fa81d9eb48261df4ba17a600/thumbnail_52000.jpg","/articles/6188062/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Charleston-County-outlines-245-million-Highway-41-improvements-seeks-rightofway-approval","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6188062-95edc8f8274944b29fc351bd163d0334/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162118&Signature=ijwthDrXLIBJ9t2JLDCU3qXvihb89iddZktM2yleymnJDUOIE3bcLOR4FB7865mfHTjlk-dpptbsIMVkpNw5EohroyBE~QthNSIy1EsKS1TCmudJWUsUcLLpO-FmSmvyYPi~aV8a1TynV5orR0rDlCUYGBMdST4M97UggshKDObeAb~xkbAdU2fbEdbuBV5MxjsoTOOVBtIrlCi-KAeMk-5k1tXAya1W2YprpDPV3XNNww0q0eI0T9CfTfXX2~O4bqfMJcIeJ9qkyQPcBIRTzHCeqy~nYTQsEU0OAHPWFy55jFONoJEo0xxHClYqkXpCmMgQSaUbZ7LimNYE109zdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charleston County programs manager Sean Sotek told County Council on June 24 that the county is preparing to move forward with planned improvements to SC Highway 41, a roughly 9.5‑mile project intended to reduce congestion, add bicycle and pedestrian facilities and minimize property relocations.

Sotek said the project — started in 2017 and refined after extensive public engagement — now uses a “compromise alternative” that narrows widening through the Phillips community to a three‑lane section, avoids residential and commercial relocations and includes a continuous multi‑use path connecting US 17 to Clements Ferry and Berkeley County. He said the county plans to advertise the project for construction bids in the third quarter of 2026 and anticipates a roughly four‑year construction schedule once work begins.

The project has accumulated substantial public input and technical review during an eight‑year planning period, Sotek said. County staff received more than 7,000 public comments, evaluated roughly 20 alternative designs and coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice on impacts to the Phillips community. Sotek said the county has resubmitted revised environmental work to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after changing the shared‑use path design from an earthen berm to a short trestle bridge, an alteration that reduced permitted impacts.

Sotek summarized cost and funding: total project cost approaches $245,000,000, of which about $50,000,000 covers preliminary engineering and right‑of‑way and approximately $194,000,000 is construction cost. He said the majority of funding is from the county’s 2016 transportation sales tax, with $62,000,000 expected from the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank and about $2,000,000 from Berkeley County; the town of Mount Pleasant has contributed roughly $600,000 for interim improvements. Sotek said recent interim intersection work at US 17 and Dingle Road and at Joe Rouse Road cost about $1,300,000, with Mount Pleasant contributing $200,000, and that signal timing upgrades cost about $85,000 from the project budget.

On project schedule and risks, Sotek said staff expects approval of right‑of‑way plans from SCDOT within about 30 days and anticipates final plan approval around May 2026. He noted the county has title research and early owner contact underway for the roughly 168 parcels from which easements or acquisitions will be needed. Sotek also said the county has a funding agreement with the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank that states construction must commence by May 1, 2026; staff has been updating the SIB quarterly and intends to request an amendment to shift county expectations to a November 2026 construction start if needed. He described the main schedule risks as the time required to secure environmental permits and any delay in the SIB agreement amendment. If an extension is not agreed, Sotek said staff may phase the project, starting work at the 41/17 intersection while finishing remaining right‑of‑way acquisitions.

Council members asked clarifying questions during the update. Councilmember Wearman asked whether the Phillips community had been informed; Sotek said staff had met with them recently and they “seemed very pleased” with the updates. Councilmember Moody criticized long project timelines and regulatory delays, citing previous local projects that took many years. Vice Chair Kabowski asked whether regulatory agencies had indicated problems with permits; Sotek said recent Corps discussions suggested no major objections but that paperwork and inter‑agency review take time. Councilmember Sasse and others asked about utilities and drainage; Sotek said routine utility relocations are expected but no major transmission upgrades have been identified within project limits.

Councilmembers and staff also discussed next steps: obtain right‑of‑way approval to begin offers to property owners, complete the Corps and state environmental permits (SCDES was named in the presentation), finalize construction plans by May 2026, and advertise the project in third quarter 2026. Sotek said staff is coordinating a memorandum of agreement and encroachment permits with the town of Mount Pleasant to allow work in town right‑of‑way and to document town responsibility for maintenance of Laurel Parkway and landscaping once work is complete. He cautioned that condemnation filings could be necessary before construction in areas where agreements with property owners are not reached.","County staff updated council on the multi‑year SC 41 improvements project, describing a preferred “compromise” design, funding sources, a need for federal and state permits, 168 property acquisitions, and a likely advertisement for construction bids in third quarter 2026 if permits and agreements proceed on schedule.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Charleston County Council votes to support state hate‑crime legislation

Johns Island residents urge council to spare 'Butcher Oak' and limit tree loss for Main Road roundabout

Regional planners tell council congestion will worsen without new county investment

Charleston County outlines $245 million Highway 41 improvements, seeks right‑of‑way approval