James Island just might be on to somethingBy Brian Hicks (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, August 8, 2008
 
File/Staff The town of James Island has a sign and everything. Previous storyTown of James Island perseveres through creative budgeting, published 07/11/08 Not so long ago, a fairly high-ranking Charleston County official told Joe Qualey that James Island needed to start acting like a "real town." This was right about the time, the local lawyer and town councilman recalls, that the county decided to stop providing certain services for "free" to municipalities with more than 5,000 residents. That little remark stuck with Qualey, and it raises a good question: What's a town supposed to act like? If you want to get technical, a town or city is a separate entity in a county formed largely to provide its residents a higher level of service than the county offers: a larger police department, more fire stations, garbage trucks, sadistic parking enforcement officers, etc. In some places across the country, when a city is born, county officials immediately forget its residents are their constituents too — until it's time to send out the tax bills. Cat in the tree? Call the city fire department. Tree in your driveway? Call your local public works department. Tree in your house? Call FEMA and, while you're waiting, find someplace new to live. That's not nearly the problem here that it is in most places. But there is a lot of duplication of services — many folks pay twice for basically the same thing — because the big cities like to run everything themselves. Mount Pleasant even gives out a free, extraneous "e" to every store and subdivision (see Towne Centre). It's all about local control. For a town of 20,000, James Island doesn't act much like many of the other 15 cities and towns in Charleston County. It's got fewer than a dozen employees (including council members and the mayor) and doesn't levy a property tax. Town Hall is in a modest shopping plaza. Residents get trash pick-up and fire service from the public service district; for police protection they rely on the same sheriff's deputies that they did before they incorporated. They don't have much to do with most government things. Make no mistake, James Island is all about local control, too, but it doesn't want to reinvent the wheel and get into the business of government. It is more concerned with one-third of an acre. In most places in Charleston County, developers can build houses on a quarter-acre or even less land. Since they've been a town, James Island folks have not allowed houses on any lot smaller than one-third of an acre. That basically means you have three houses per acre on James Island, where you can have four or five in many other places. They have done this to lower density on the island (although, to look at Folly Road, that ship has sailed). But Qualey says this will keep it from getting worse. Right now, James Island is fighting for its right to be a town in a lawsuit. Twice before, the town has been dissolved after losing similar suits. It could happen again, any day now — that's what happens when you let the state Legislature interpret constitutional law. Even if the town is dissolved, however, its legacy could change the Lowcountry. The island's laser-focused raison d'etre could start a trend. Johns Island right now looks like James Island once did. What's to stop folks there from forming their own town just so they can manage growth on the island? James Island has shown that a little town doesn't have to be all things to all people. But Qualey says he's just trying to improve quality of life and cut down on traffic on the island. "I'm not trying to change the world, just James Island," Qualey says. In fact, he's not even trying to change James Island. He's trying to keep it the way it is. That's the kind of thing that could catch on. Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@post andcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 22 comment(s)
Posted by common_sense_is_where on August 8, 2008 at 5:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Alright, Mr. Hicks. Enough is enough. The last article you wrote was full of inaccuracies, and I fought the urge to write back, but this is ridiculous. It is so very clear that as a "reporter" you are extremely biased, and it is time you checked your facts. I bet the "fewer than a dozen employees" would jerk a knot in your dumb tail for starters. In your last "journalistic" view, you had so many inconsistent entries that you kind of looked like an idiot. So, yeah, many did not even respond. Look out with this one. Live here, love it, and then get it. Stop looking for drama where there is none.
Posted by amapper on August 8, 2008 at 6:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting a town has been formed for the sole purpose of encouraging "sprawl". Instead of increasing minimum lot size which promotes sprawl, the town should be looking to create denser development with more room for open space. As it now stands, the town would better be called, "Nimby, SC".
Posted by icbmman on August 8, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amapper and common sense, all good points. What the hell is this piece doing in this section of the paper? It needs to be put in the editorial section, because that's what this article is...a completely biased view of the pseudo-town of JI. Mr. Hicks, you talk about duplication of services but fail to even acknowledge the negatives behind it. You also fail to point out the cost that this pseudo-town places on the residents of the other cities in the Chas area and the county.
Nevermind that the town doesn't even pave or re-grade roads within its limits, and nevermind that while it limits home building per acre, it has no regulations to encourage proper neighborhood development such as drainage, sidewalks, lighting, and street signage.
Good grief, you basically imply what amapper said: the town purely exists to limit property rights as it pertains to development. You even have implied encouragement for the town to start levying its own taxes; one of the primary reasons for the town to form was NOT TO HAVE CITY TAXES!
I hope that the state Supreme Court makes the right decision in dissolving this town...AND makes a stipulation that the town never be attempted again. This is SC idiocy at its finest.
Posted by MP on August 8, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you want to maintain your identity and any semblance of quality of life, separate yourself from the City of Charleston, Mayor Joe, and the city council as far and as fast as you can. What can the city of Charleston offer? Some of the highest taxes and crime rates in the State, crappy streets, terrible sidewalks, and congestion.
If James Island wants to be a town, James Island has all the right in the world to be a town. The city of Charleston's opposition is purely based on greed.
Posted by iceman1978 on August 8, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
MP, I agree. I wish that the entire island could become its own town. The city of Charleston is totally about development and sprawl. Remember the proposed super Wal-Mart on Folly Rd? Guess who was trying to cram that one down our throats. Pretty soon a community won't even be able to challenge something before city council unless they have an attorney present. Nice huh?
Posted by Rebel_Yell on August 8, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The greed is from the James Islanders who work in the city and then want to live in a fake town with the rest of us paying for their services. Oh--that would be Mr. Qualey himself. Mt.P decided to be a town 100s of years ago; Charleston for 200+ years. It's so obvious that the attempt at incorporation is simply to take advantage of others while still sucking off a charleston's tit when it suits. If you people hate Charleston so much, please do us all a favor and quit your city jobs and go live somewhere else--we will not support a welfare city which is exacatly what JI is right now--a city looking for handouts at the expense of others.
p.s. Love the town hall.
Posted by pompusmaximus on August 8, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Iceman1978 how is 3 houses per acre not sprawl? Many people think by having huge lot sizes, you keep a rural nature to the island. This is completely false. All that large lot sizes do is encourage sprawl further and further out. This increases dependency on your car, and puts a strain on services. It is simply a failed strategy.
Posted by iceman1978 on August 8, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
pompusmaximus, We need to have a moratorium on development if you ask me. The regulations are probably 5 houses per acre in parts of West Ashley but it hasn't stopped development from spreading further and further. (Nor will 3 houses per acre on JI) At the rate we're going we'll see the suburbs back up to Walterboro in another twenty years. Same story with Goose Creek and the Cane Bay development. My parents live in Goose Creek and complain about the traffic problem. It will only get worse as more homes are built and infrastructure can't keep up.
James Island isn't rural in the way John's Island is, but it's also not as bad as West Ashley or Mount Pleasant.
Posted by icbmman on August 8, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Iceman, unfortunately we're going to disagree here. As pompus has pointed out, the town itself encourages "sprawl". Additionally, many people forget that the majority of JI's first suburban neighborhoods that essentially made JI become a bedroom community/suburb were built before Chas annexed any areas of the island. The city merely annexed areas that were already developed. So naturally as an area grows, the city is going to be involved with development.
The city and county have both been inept at addressing issues to relieve JI commuters from traffic, with the exception of the connector. However, the island has no sidewalks primarily because of a complete lackadaisical government that doesn't enforce them. Notice, mostly all areas in the city have sidewalks. The city has a well-organized trash pickup, and they provide residents a TON of input (too much if you ask me) on any project that is scheduled to be constructed.
Clark, Qualey, and her other minions saw a way to gain power and money, as did N. Charleston, by siphoning off funds from other more established cities and towns. They're completely incompetant as managers. Rebel Yell does a great job of pointing out glaring examples.
Bottomline, creating a new town may appear to "keep the island as it is", but in fact, the pseudo-town will eventually become the monster that residents feared the city of Chas would be.
Posted by iceman1978 on August 8, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
icbmman, The traffic on JI isn't as bad as when I lived in the north area. Even though I commute further to work it actually takes me less time. I don't necessarily worry about JI having more development because we're waterlocked and they can't exactly make any more major land grabs. The traffic that we currently deal with is about as bad as it will get in the forseeable future. Unless of course, they start building high rises, but I don't see that happening.
I agree with you though on Folly Rd and sidewalks. They need sidewalks on Folly Rd and they need to repave it while they're at it. I would also prefer that they run the power lines underground.
The part of James Island where I live is in the city limits. I like it that we have recycling, trash pickup, and other city services, but what angered me a while back was how they tried to cram the super Wal-Mart down our throats with no consideration to what it could mean for the local community. Yes, the Town of James Island is run by people who really don't know what they're doing, but my feeling is that the city of Charleston is selling themselves to the developers all in the name of revenue.
My single biggest fear with uncontrolled development is what will we do when the next hurricane hits? We've probably doubled our population since Hugo and seen quite an increase since the disaster in the Floyd evacuation.
Posted by CHRISJIII on August 8, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Rebel Yell you are so right. I wish that those people on JI who keep screaming about wanting their own town would just shut up about it or make arrangments to supply their "town" with the services that the city does now themselves.
Posted by icbmman on August 8, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Iceman, I understand your points on the WalMart situation, though I thought that it was a legitimate project, since it just replaced the current one and didn't add an additional store. The city does have a tendency to throw its power around with what it wants, and some developers go along with it.
Indeed, the city is going to be in serious trouble if another Hugo or Floyd threatens the area. I've constantly proposed for Glenn McConnell parkway to be extended all the way to Walterboro/I-95 as another interstate for evacuations...then, I recently saw the city's Long Savannah plan that basically ENDS the parkway in the project! Talk about stupid.
Growth is going to happen in a high-demand area like Chas. I don't know if a moratorium would help...it might make developers build further out. What is important is that the city does its primary job: build and enhance infrastructure that allows the area to function. It seems that this city isn't doing it...and the pseudo-town is basically doing nothing.
Posted by redman1959 on August 8, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How many of you posters have lived here and paid attention to JI for more than say 10 years? Just wondering?
Posted by iceman1978 on August 8, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
redman, 11 years here.
Posted by Jim_Isle on August 8, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow! Once more it's obvious that few of you folks actually know what you are talking about. If you live in a place where you pay County taxes, then insist on forming your own (world-class or not) fire department and police department even though you have good coverage for both, but want control - James Island is not for you. And, yes, we have recycling, trash pickup twice a week, and other County services. Most of Folly Road is in the city so they could cram it up with fast food and, now, condos. Try to talk to the city's planning dept. about that. Yep, Wal-mart wanted to add another store and fill in wetlands and cut down trees to do so. And City Council approved that. When you talk about pseudo-governments, think City of Charleston - the minority government on James Island. While you're doing that, be careful because your shopping areas will be turning in to villages. And that worked so well, they had to call Daniel Island businesses together to try and figure out why they're all leaving. Developers ARE building further out - drive down 17S. For someone to say the city isn't doing it's primary job of building and maintaining infrastructure, then fuss about the town, is incomprehensible.
Posted by icbmman on August 8, 2008 at 3:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jim, my point was that while I understand some of the grievances against the city, the pseudo-town is more incompetant, and for you to ignore that only shows your complete ignorance of the situation. Daniel Island was a good idea, but it doesn't have interconnecting infrastructure to bring more people in...it's off the beaten path. Folly Road already had fast food stores and strip malls BEFORE the city annexed that land. In fact, why don't you go into these businesses and see how many of them actually have a city business license. Very few of them.
The problem is that the county allowed development to come in before the city came in. The fact is that the city is just an easy target because of its annexations.
The city is hardly a minority government, Jim Isle. In fact, if wasn't for the city, you wouldn't have ANY sidewalks, parks, tennis courts, or public pools that JI-ers have the benefit of enjoying.
Posted by yeahright on August 8, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Charleston COUNTY Parks and Recreation.
Not City.
Posted by ASHLEY_COOPER on August 8, 2008 at 5:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Editorial? Actually a fairly accurate reporting of fact. If anything, it is a little lenient in its portrayal of this government of, by, and for the few.
The Mayor of James Island has the largest salary based as a percentage of budget or employees of any town in the USA. Whether she actually takes it or not is unkown, but it is there. And the same could be said for the salaries of the council members. You doubt this? Here is one comparison to a town of a similar size.
Greenwood - Pop 22000 - Employees 185 - Mayor Salary $ 9600
James Island - Pop 22000 - Employees 5 - Mayors Salary $35000
You do the math.
But as to the rumors that one of the town employees is a thief who is also an elected official in another agency, I think that kind of nonsense has got to stop. One member of town council is, after all, an attorney; one is a minister of God; and two are active or former government workers. These people are responsible to a higher code than most citizens and they would never let such a thing happen. As to Mayor Clark, well there you are.
You can be sure these bastions of virtue would never violate the law or lend their approval to anyone who had done so.
That said, for the most part, Brian is dead on. I just wish he would dig a little deeper.
Posted by charlestonroots on August 9, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have lived on JI my entire life, 47 years. As a teenager we rode our horses down Harborview & Folly Roads. It was a great place to grow up. The City does not provide any services to those of us who live in the Town of JI, the County of Charleston does. I live in the house my Grandparents built in 1964 in a small neighborhood where each lot is 1/2 acre. I have a great yard with lots of room for my 2 boxers to play, a vegetable garden and a fish pond. I consider myself very lucky when I drive through new developments where the houses are sitting a few feet away from the street and they are so close together they may as well be connected and backyards are non-existent. Where are the kids to play, in the street? Joe Riley has over developed this island and taken something we can't get back-Green Space!
I have lived in a neighborhood on JI that is in the City of Chas and the only difference I have experienced is higher property tax.
Go away Joe, leave our Island alone!
Posted by wonderdog on August 9, 2008 at 9:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I grew up on James Island, too, and live there now in an older neighborhood on a 1 acre lot. We asked to be annexed into the City of Charleston after Hugo because of the lack of services compared to the city's and do not regret it at all. Do you know who the biggest developers of James Island are? They are HOME GROWN James Islanders.
When I told a coworker that I live on JI, she said I didn't look like I lived on James Island. When people think of JI, she said, they think of the JI mayor. Say what you want about Joe Riley.........
Posted by SC_Leigh on August 13, 2008 at 3:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I love James Island... Dont tread on James Island, Right McDuff?????
Posted by mkris on August 16, 2008 at 6:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
James Island is the plantation to the beautiful City of Charleston. It provides the taxes to clean and maintatin the City.
Why should the city do anything for the plantation, except take the money? Maybe visit the plantation once and a while. Some things change, some things don't.