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West Columbia hears Main Street master plan update; consultant hopes construction will start this year
Summary
Consultant Charles Howe presented a Main Street master plan update to West Columbia council, describing a corridor redesign from Dravet Street to Ninth Street that includes parking, medians, street trees, widened sidewalks, public‑art panels and DOT coordination; contractors are on standby pending permit approval and the team hopes to start construction in 2026.
Charles Howe, the presenter on the Main Street master plan, told the City of West Columbia council the project stretches from Dravet Street to Ninth Street and is intended to create a cohesive downtown corridor with improved pedestrian amenities and an aesthetic identity. "We looked at both studies, and we've been hired to implement," Howe said, summarizing prior planning work and the current scope.
Howe described the street-level design: 63 on‑street parking spaces, seven medians, 117 street trees and wider sidewalks with green‑space buffers where right of way allows. He said medians were placed to minimize impacts where driveways are concentrated, and that the design will reduce excessively wide driveways and add on‑street parking in appropriate locations. "There is no work outside of the right of way. So no work on private property," Howe said.
The consultant said the team coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Transportation on a lane reduction point, noting that while the project technically begins at State Street, DOT recommended the lane reduction occur at 378, which influenced the project limits. Howe also outlined streetscape treatments meant to create an identity for the corridor, including light lanyards that can carry a West Columbia triangle logo and acrylic art panels near commercial edges to replace unsafe rail conditions.
Howe described landscaping and materials decisions intended to ease maintenance and reflect the river theme, saying the plan uses DOT‑approved native plantings and mortared river rock in medians where appropriate. He noted the City has already selected three qualified general contractors who are on standby: "While we're pruning that, we'll go and put those out for bid so that the hope is that when we get the permits, ... you have a contract, you're ready to go," Howe said. He stated the next steps are finishing property‑owner meetings, finalizing plans, submitting to DOT and then bidding; he expressed hope the project could be under construction this year.
Council members thanked staff for outreach to property owners and for incorporating feedback into the designs. The council did not take a formal vote on the plan during the presentation; Howe described remaining administrative steps before permits and construction can proceed.
