Grace Impact Development Center seeks explanation after council reallocates $100,000; residents raise construction and traffic concerns

Residents and community organizations used the public-comment period at Berkeley County Council to demand explanations and action on three separate local concerns: the denial of an award to Grace Impact Development Center, persistent construction defects in new homes built by Pulte, and traffic capacity on Nexton Parkway.

Grace Impact Development Center speakers said the nonprofit was the only organization denied a $100,000 award from a county funding process that vetted nearly 40 projects. Shalad (Shalah) Durant, identified as co-executive director of Grace Impact Development Center and a resident of Moss Corner, told council the organization was "very disheartened" after learning funds staff had recommended for Grace were reallocated to a soup kitchen project. Durant said Grace runs a food pantry and farmers market, provides food education and serves hundreds of families monthly; she asked council members to explain why the organization’s application was denied.

Rebecca Antel, a food-education partner with Grace, and volunteers including Jolene Miller described regular programming at the center and urged council to reconsider or explain the decision. Tory Liferidge, who identified herself as an advocate for Grace and the organization's largest supporter, said county staff had vetted nearly 40 projects and that Grace was the only one denied funding; she supplied comparative service numbers from the Lowcountry Food Bank noting the pantry’s larger meal distribution over the same period. Liferidge asked for a meeting with council members to receive an explanation.

At the meeting, Council members acknowledged the concern. Councilman Tommy Newell, who made the motion reallocating funds at the earlier committee meeting, told speakers he would try to help resolve the issue and said the unanimous vote referenced applied only to those council members present at that meeting.

Multiple homeowners from a new Pulte-built subdivision reported construction defects and questioned county building inspection and permitting practices. Marsha Rosenberg and other residents described persistent structural and roofing problems in homes they have owned for a short time and asked why certificates of occupancy (CO) were issued when significant defects appear to remain. Rosenberg cited the building code provision R110.3 on certificates of occupancy in asking how inspectors could have signed off on unsafe roofs. Several residents provided a history of repeated inspections and repair work that they said failed to resolve defects.

Sandy Geissler and Susan Wilkinson described multiple independent inspections, repeated repair attempts and continuing deficiencies such as attic structural work and roof sheathing fastening. Residents asked whether the county's building inspectors have access to and review engineering drawings and whether staffing levels or procedural limits (for example, earlier restrictions on inspectors going on roofs) were contributing to failures to enforce codes. They requested a meeting with county officials to address their concerns.

Joel Aronson asked about traffic and future road projects, urging county officials to consider four-laning the remainder of Nexton Parkway, which fronts a growing Nexton development and has sections that remain two lanes. Aronson said a previous study supported wider lanes and asked whether county budgets include engineering and construction for widening in the near term.

Council accepted public comment and recorded requests for follow-up; the transcript shows council members said they would speak with requesters and attempt to provide additional information or meetings.