Panel approves Skipton Way for access road at Goose Creek Station 4

The Planning Commission voted Feb. 4, 2025, to approve naming the access road adjacent to Goose Creek Station 4 as Skipton Way, after staff said Berkeley County requested the shortened form and Fire Chief Mike Nixon described the life and service of Steve Skipton.

A staff member explained the agenda originally listed "Steve Skipton Way," but Berkeley County asked that the official name be limited to "Skipton Way" per county naming practices. Chief Mike Nixon, who identified himself as a Goose Creek resident, spoke about Skipton’s service to the fire and emergency-services community: "Steve dedicated 25 years of his life to the fire service and emergency services as a whole," Nixon said, and he noted that Skipton "responded to the World Trade Center attacks in New York City on 09/11/2001 to aid rescue efforts."

Chief Nixon told the commission Skipton became a career firefighter in the City of Goose Creek in February 2010 and that the department has a memorial to him in the front lobby at fire headquarters; he described Skipton as "a shirt off his back kinda guy to help others and was a true service mentor and friend." Nixon said Skipton died Sept. 23, 2014, at age 41 and was survived by his wife, Jen, and four children.

A panel member asked where the new street would be located; Chief Nixon said the name would apply to a shared access road off Second Avenue behind the fire station. A member moved to approve the street name as Skipton Way; a second was recorded and the motion carried on a voice vote.

The commission’s approval will allow the access road serving Goose Creek Station 4 and an adjacent parcel to be named Skipton Way. Staff noted the name will appear in the county’s addressing records following the county’s naming rules.