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Continental Realty Corp's (CRC) bid to develop a currently vacant area once occupied by Bed, Bath & Beyond at 1744 Towne Centre Way — and possibly redevelop surrounding areas — produced more questions than answers at a Sept. 17 Town Council retreat.

Mount Pleasant Towne Centre's ownership group, CRC is seeking a Planned Development (PD) ordinance amendment to build in five designated areas of the retail center. The approximately $400 million proposed undertaking would include an increase of 230,000 square feet in office space.

CRC Chief Operating Officer David Donato's request for the right to add residential units, office space and retail comes with contingencies in the event of current anchors, Regal Palmetto Grande and Belk shops, exiting Towne Centre.

CRC's hope, as far as the theater is concerned, is to add 326 units in the Regal area.

"Belk is a top performer, but Bed Bath & Beyond was a top performer ... You've got to walk a fine line. You don't want to be an alarmist," remarked Donato. "I don't think it's happening tomorrow, but it is the optimal outcome honestly ... In the future, I don't know if department stores will be around. But if they're around, they've got a challenge. That would be my plan."

Councilmember John Iacafano related to the executive's concern, referencing the decaying state of The Citadel Mall in Charleston, a venue fraught with vacant space.

On the subject of how CRC would plan to replace the two anchors, Donato indicated that just about anything could be added or built in their stead, including two new anchors facing each other.

Realtor Alan McMahon from the Beach Company observed: "I think when you talk about anchors going in, what can become new anchors is all that's going in: the potential of people working in the office buildings, the green space, the families coming out. So, it's really holistic with overall placemaking."

Councilmember GM Whitley expressed trepidation in endorsing CRC's ask of attaining full flexibility in all five areas in how they'll develop down the road. Determining where the residential units would go, she added, would probably come down to which anchor goes down first.

"We just don't know the entire proposal, and say, well, when they fail, come to us with a concrete plan, and then we'll get to know them ... so that's another approach to be taken," said Whitley.

Councilmember Jake Rambo voiced similar concerns, questioning if a large retail conglomerate should be granted more entitlements than smaller local outfits that get rebuffed by the council body on height and rezoning requests.

Councilmember Laura Hyatt was of the same mind, as she asked Donato and his team for more clarity.

"Oftentimes, when it comes to PDs, this is the advantage we have. This is the reason y'all been run through the ringer is that we don't know what we're getting. You're just asking for entitlements and once we grant them, it's out of our hands," she asserted.

"I mean, you show us all the beautiful pictures and you remind us it's just concept ... and I guarantee you that's not what we're going to get."

Other elected officials chiming in included Councilmember Daniel Brownstein, who indicated that the Regal property (Area D) is the portion he feels most passionately about. He stated his preference for either another theater backfilling Regal if and when it closes, or ushering in another form of family-friendly entertainment in lieu of residential units in this spot.

Mayor Will Haynie closed discussion on the nearly three-hour morning conference by communicating that the Planning Committee will decide to act on the collective input of council. The planning committee's feedback will set the stage for a future public hearing on the Mount Pleasant Towne Centre project.

With Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler naming Charleston the No. 1 vacation destination in the world year after year, developing Patriots Point demanded a clearly defined master plan, according to Ian Duncan, development director of the Bennett Hospitality Group. Having updated sketches of the vision for the project continuously over the last 10 years, Duncan said the plans for a blend of commercial and residential properties that have been in place since 2011 have since evolved into an upscale, world class mixed-use 6.2-acre development called Seafair Village, located within the 30.32-acre Patriots Annex development.

Additionally, Jake Carter, planner for the Town of Mount Pleasant, shared that the site as it exists today consists of the current entrance drive to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, parking lot area and existing underground utilities adjacent to the critical line against the Cooper River. According to Duncan, the Bennett Hospitality Group is collaborating with the USS Yorktown to ensure that the first phase will not interfere with operations at Patriots Point.

“As the Yorktown brings thousands of visitors each year, we have been working closely together to make sure we are good neighbors,” Duncan said.

Working hand in hand with high-profile and seasoned Atlanta-based Rabun Architects, Duncan said that Phase One of the long-term project includes a top-of-the-line resort boasting a three-story hotel with 105 rooms, as well as an adjacent 12 cottages, each of which are outfitted with a kitchenette, living room and covered porch. Amenities will include a pool, bar, spa, fitness facility and conference center. Further, outdoor areas incorporating gazebos, tiki huts, fire pits, open areas with views of the harbor, marinas and the Battery along with parks and an interactive fountain resembling the pineapple at downtown Charleston’s Waterfront Park will lend a family dynamic to the property.

Additionally, high-end boutiques and restaurants will give Seafair Village a vibe like that of Kiawah’s Freshfields Village, Wild Dunes or Nexton. And as Duncan said, due to its convenient location, Seafair is geared to become the heart of Mount Pleasant where residents and visitors can bike or drive. With convenient perimeter parking, a vacation or day trip to Seafair will offer something for everyone, whether hiking a waterside trail connecting to Hog Island, kayaking, playing a round at the Patriots Point Links course, relaxing during a massage, taking a harbor cruise or spending the day shopping while lingering to enjoy dinner.

“It’s so exciting to see the plans coming to fruition,” Duncan said. He added that this fall, before ground can be broken for construction of the hotel and cottages, a land disturbing activity, work on the first phase of the Seafair Village development will require the enormous endeavor of verifying existing conditions, including but not limited to topographic, tree, storm drainage facilities and all exact vertical and horizontal locations of all existing utilities. Duncan estimated that this intricate work, along with building the hotel and cottages, will take approximately 12-18 months to complete Phase One to the Bennett Hospitality Group’s high standards, with the grand opening slated for some time in 2026.

The next steps, according to Duncan, will include Bennett Hospitality finalizing landscaping, as well as interior packages with Atlanta-based Design Continuum, Inc.’s lead designer Karen Jenkins, who is in the preliminary phases of conceptualizing the coastal contemporary look that will pull neutral colors from the outdoors to mirror surrounding nature. As Duncan said, this streamlined and timeless style fits beautifully with Mount Pleasant’s vernacular.

Future phases include developing hundreds of thousands of additional square feet allocated for upwards of 500 hotel rooms, a conference facility, boutique second-story office spaces, residential components, as well as a sports and entertainment venue.

“This project is already attracting national attention,” Duncan said, adding that market demand will ultimately determine final plans for other long-term phases of Seafair Village. “I’ll still be drawing for several months,” Duncan said with a chuckle. “In fact, I’ll never stop drawing.”

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Following a previous Mount Pleasant Planning Commission meeting advising the selection of a designated overseer of tree regulations, locals recently cited the need for more trees in the community.

Long-time resident and former president of Wild Dunes Resort Mike Tinkey appeared at the Nov. 4 Mount Pleasant Planning Committee meeting to inform lawmakers about the area's diminished tree canopy.

While referencing a 200-page urban forestry document, Tinkey stated that Mount Pleasant's tree canopy is 27 percent as of 2019, which falls shy of the 40 percent coverage seen in most urban areas.

"Clearly, we've lost a lot more in the last five years and we'll need to plant, per the document, 4,300 trees annually over 30 years to reach that 40 percent," he cautioned.

In order to accomplish that goal, he suggested the Town draft a comprehensive plan and form a tree task force to examine multiple aspects of the urban forest, including wildlife, recreation and resiliency.

Further, Tinkey supported an ordinance incentivizing tree preservation in light of several healthy trees that have been eliminated over the years simply because they're in the way.

But a successful master plan, he added, will only be possible by implementing a tree inventory process.

Mount Pleasant Green Commission Chairperson David Quick also spoke on the subject, indicating that zoning changes currently in the works would require in-depth study insofar as understanding what other towns are doing.

He agreed with the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission's endorsement of a dedicated task force that would establish a baseline and help gather data on the issuance of tree-cutting permits.

"What's the level of illegal tree cutting going on in Mount Pleasant? ... We had someone from Andrus Tree Service, who's in the business of tree cutting, saying there's an immense amount of illegal tree cutting going on in Mount Pleasant. We need to crack down on that," affirmed Quick.

Other nearby towns, he continued, have "much stronger" protection. Quick further championed the thought of ramping up enforcement of tree removals.

The role of protection, noted the one-time Post and Courier scribe, ought to be transferred from the purview of engineering departments and the like, and into the hands of tree experts.

Others voicing similar views included Michelle Stress and Lisa Schnipke, both of whom made a case for the restoration of tree canopy throughout Mount Pleasant.

"The frivolous cutting down of trees is also theft. This is theft from an entire community," opined Stress. "When you cut down a tree, you exhaust that resource, the community's resource.

Schnipke, on the other hand, recommended the appointment of "qualified and passionate" Town Urban Forester Eddie Bernard as the person entrusted with reviewing tree permit applications.

Too many trees, she reasoned, are being lost due to understaffing in Town government.

With a laundry list of agenda items before them, however, Mount Pleasant Planning Committee members opted not to take action on voting on a tree-related task force.

The tree "issue," maintained planning committee member Howard Chapman, would probably necessitate at least an hour of discussion.

Chapman also questioned if creating a new task force would be warranted given the fact that a green commission is already in place.

During the Monday morning session, attendees were reminded that to date, a Town Community Forest Master Plan (CFMP) was created in December, featuring 59 recommendations to current tree protection regulations. The draft Zoning Code incorporates nearly all of these proposals, according to Town Planning Director Michele Reed, which were addressed by the planning commission on Oct. 23.

Reed mentioned that the Town recently received a grant for the inventory of public trees, but not ones on private properties. The tree count will begin once the grant is funded, she added.

Committee Chairperson G.M. Whitley put a bow on tree talk by commenting: "I mean, for me, tree recommendations ... I'm still not comfortable with pine trees. They snap during hurricanes is what I heard ... and then doubling the tree protection zone ratio. I've had multiple citizens reach out to me with incredible concerns about that. I mean, you double that radius, you can't do anything with that property, right?"

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The early voting period is coming to a close Saturday across South Carolina.

Early voting began on Oct. 21 and election officials saw record numbers for turnout. This year marks the first time the state has done one of these periods that is open to any voter, and especially for a presidential election.

“People are excited about this year’s presidential election,” Rosie Brown, director of Berkeley County voter registration and elections, said. “Since early voting, we have seen a phenomenal turnout all over the county. People are wanting to get out and get their vote heard. And they’re participating in early voting in record numbers.”

Isaac Cramer, executive director of Charleston County board of elections, echoed the same message. Mount Pleasant is one of their busiest polling locations and said they are moving the lines as much as they can.

“Here in Mount Pleasant, wait times are 20 to 30 minutes,” Cramer said. “We’re seeing the most voters in the state at this location, so even if you see a line, they’re moving really quickly.”

Charleston County recorded nearly 120,000 votes since early voting began. Although they aren’t seeing as many people show up as last week, many were expected today.

“It seems today is the busiest day, which is what we expected – Friday, last Friday before the election, to be the biggest turnout,” Cramer said. “One thing, we’re just encouraging voters is you still have one more day – it’s tomorrow, from 8:30 to 6.”

Berkeley County added 30 in-person voting machines and 2 more to curbside vote to relieve the wait times this week. Officials said they recorded around 50,000 votes. However, voters are coming to cast their ballots at all hours and there is not necessarily an off-peak time. Brown said one trend she noticed last week, that may be helpful for those going to the polls on the last day.

“People usually get up early on Saturday mornings to do their early voting,” Brown said. “We did notice last Saturday that once the college football games started coming on TV or people going out to those games, the line became shorter at that point in time of that day.”