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Charleston County authorizes CARTA to pursue eminent domain for LCRT fairgrounds parking
Summary
Following a presentation from CARTA, the council voted to authorize CARTA to exercise eminent domain to acquire fairgrounds property for Lowcountry Rapid Transit parking; the resolution passed 6–2–1 after public objections that the site supports a longtime nonprofit.
Charleston County Council voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) to exercise eminent domain to acquire interests in real property for parking tied to the Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) project, carrying the motion on a roll-call vote of 6 ayes, 2 nays and 1 absent.
CARTA executive director Ron Mission told the council the project is on schedule for a funding grant agreement in July and that a discrepancy between the agency’s charter and state law required formal clarification before completing certain acquisitions. "We discovered that as we're pursuing the acquisition of property at the Shane's Park Fairgrounds... our charter has slightly different language than state law," Mission said, urging the council to approve the requested authorization so the agency could proceed.
The action followed questions from council members about ongoing litigation and whether approval would remove mitigation requirements. "No, sir. There's still other items to be addressed," Mission replied, and the county attorney confirmed the litigation remains active. Council discussion also addressed funding sources: Mission said approximately $750,000,000 in federal funding had been cited for the broader project and that the county has set aside roughly $60,000,000 for related activity.
Public commenters and several speakers urged the council to reject the authorization. Resident Duncan Townsend said CARTA had acted as "a rogue agency" and warned against retrospective approvals while litigation is pending. Sarkis O'Hanneson, who identified himself as a resident, urged the council to "reject finance committee [imminent domain] and use of the domain for Exchange Park," characterizing the fairgrounds as working land supporting local charities.
A motion to adopt the resolution was moved by Committee member (S12) and seconded by Chair (S4). The clerk called the roll and recorded the vote: 6 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent. The council’s approval authorizes CARTA to proceed with eminent-domain actions in furtherance of the LCRT parking acquisition; the litigation and potential mitigation remain separate legal matters.
The council did not vote on any specific property transfer price at the meeting. Mission said acquisitions are proceeding and that some negotiations and acquisitions are already underway; he also emphasized the request was to formalize authority rather than to end ongoing litigation.
