Nix 526

We wanted to let you all know what happened at last week’s DOT commission meeting — not much, surprisingly.  526 was not discussed or voted on which means (1) our emails are working and they don’t have enough votes to carry the project forward, or (2) staff hasn’t had enough time to review the project. It’s probably both.  But the emails were noticed and appreciated.  One commissioner even said how much he appreciated hearing from people and that he too was opposed to this project.

So, first and foremost, THANK YOU for getting in touch with the DOT commissioners on such short notice.   It’s amazing what an educated group of people can do!

The DOT commissioners meet again on February 16th.  Now, we all know that between now and then, proponents of 526 may call/email/visit DOT commissioners.  That is why we need to keep our opposition on the front burner.

• If you have not already written the DOT commissioners, please email them before February 16th (addresses at bottom of email).

• If you have already written them, please ask at least one friend or neighbor to write them too.

• Remember that your letters do not have to be long to be effective.  You can simply say you are opposed to 526.

Should DOT choose to accept 526, it would be responsible for the cost of the project above $420 million dollars.  At 2009 costs, this means the DOT would be responsible for at least $69 million dollars to meet the $489 million for Alternative G and considerably more for any expressway alternative.

This would place a huge burden on already strained DOT resources.  South Carolina has the 4th largest network of state-maintained roads in the country, and more than 25% of our bridges are failing.  The statewide fatality rate ranks second in the United States, and we are near the bottom in pedestrian safety.

DOT has many more pressing statewide concerns, including but not limited to how to move freight and people along our economic corridors (I-26, I-85) and a $17 billion dollar maintenance backlog.

Tell the commission it’s time for DOT to improve our existing roads instead of building wasteful projects at taxpayers’ expense.

The original project sponsor, Charleston County, voted against the project and voted to give up the project after considerable discussion.  They agreed that environmental permits would be hard to come by and the financial and community costs would be too high.  Now the DOT must decide if it should accept a project that does not have support from its sponsor, has high costs, and only saves an average of two minutes (just 36 seconds in West Ashley and James Island).  This project is an example of wasteful government spending and should not be accepted by the DOT.

We will send other ways you can help very soon, but in the meantime, please write your letter to the DOT commission … and please ask your friends and family to as well.  (Please send email to info@nix526.org if you need email addresses for DOT commissioners. )

Finally, if you would like to attend DOT’s meeting in Columbia on February 16th, let us know!  We will arrange a carpool/caravan.

Last week the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) made a last-ditch effort to keep 526 alive. It took the project away from Charleston County and gave it to SCDOT.

This move took place during a meeting that was held over the phone. The agenda for the meeting was announced less than 24 hours in advance.

Glenn McConnell and Bobby Harrell, who want 526 and are responsible for appointing the majority of the SIB’s board members, claim that most Charleston County residents share their view. If that were true, why did the SIB need to take action with such limited public involvement?

SCDOT has to formally accept the project, and Charleston County has to formally release it. Charleston County will review this transacation at tonight’s County Council meeting.

At this point, we should simply thank councilmembers for their opposition to Alterative G. They have done what is best for Charleston County — they have put it on record that, regardless of what anyone would like us to believe, we don’t actually want (or need) 526.

That is really important, and you should feel proud because that is what needed to happen.

Here are some other important things to know:

- One in four South Carolina bridges are failing.

- SCDOT does not have enough money to build two new bridges to rural Johns Island, even with a $420 million grant from the SIB.

- The SIB grant is based on bond projections. This money isn’t available now and may not be for years.

- This still leaves a $70 million shortfall, based on cost estimates back from 2009.

- State taxpayers would be strapped with that leftover cost.

- The project has received no environmental permits.

- All state and federal agencies have recommended denial of these permits.

- The vast majority of public comments were against 526, and that number is recorded in the EIS.

The most important thing we can do now is to get engaged at the state level. SCDOT has been under fire for corruption and not being able to pay its contractors. We need to keep up the pressure and call for reform. We can do this by contacting our state legislators — legislative season starts this week! — and writing letters to the editors of all major state papers. We must insist that SCDOT work on projects that are actually important, not projects that are being politically pushed on them.

The State: stateeditor@thestate.com
Post and Courier: letters@postandcourier.com
Myrtle Beach Sun News: opinions@thesunnews.com
Greenville News: Submit online at http://www.greenvilleonline.com/interactive/article/99999999/OPINION/110803005/Submit-letter-editor

We will continue to keep you up to speed and send important action items as they come along.

Thank you for everything. Believe it or not, we ARE making progress!

The bad news is that, as expected, 526 is beginning to rear its ugly head again.  The good news is that, this time, there’s a great chance we can defeat it once and for all!

Last spring, County Council made a strong, respectable decision to say “no” to the project as it was proposed by SCDOT.  It honored the will of the people.  The state is dragging its heels, however, and has not given the County much of a response. This has put the project in limbo.  Basically the powers that be didn’t like the answer County Council gave them, so they are trying to wait it out and see if things change.

SCDOT is in big trouble and it has no business building a road that taxpayers don’t even want.  If it wasn’t clear before, it is now absolutely certain that we must prioritize our spending -– on road projects that actually provide public benefit.

Hello!  We wanted to send along the official wording of the Town’s proposed new resolution so you can see how tricky it is. (See below.)

First, its author claims that the Town is just trying to save taxpayers money by helping the County avoid default on its loan from the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB).

Well, for starters, we have already written about how unlikely it would be for the County to actually have to reimburse that $11.6 million, especially since the bulk of it is held in property value owned not by the County, but by SCDOT.

The main problem with the resolution’s “logic,” however, is of course that the SIB said on Thursday the County WON’T be held in default after all!  (See http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/Council/3745_001.pdf )

This completely negates the reasoning for the Town’s resolution and makes its supposed logic a moot point.

Second, buried at the bottom of the resolution is this hidden gem:

“The Town retains its right to review and then approve or reject any alternative that crosses the Town limits.”

This of course is the real reason for the resolution — to negate the Town’s current resolutions against ANY VERSION of I-526 through James Island.

In short, the Town is attempting to tell SCDOT that the door would again be wide open for them to build an interstate highway through James Island.  The mayor and other council members may try to put a  spin on this, but that is what’s really going on.

Even though the wording is tricky, please do not be fooled.  This is just like what happened with the County back in May, when they flip-flopped and took back their previous vote for no-build.

While the Town says it’s still against the parkway concept in Alternative G, it is also saying that, aside from that, it would be receptive to any ideas.

This move is designed for one thing and one thing only: to take away the Town’s official opposition to I-526, which is the single greatest legal protection we have on our side.

It is also really insulting given how many times the people of James Island and Charleston County have spoken out against I-526.  The resolution says the Town needs to “thoroughly and properly gauge public sentiment” — which is ridiculous since we have repeatedly come out in droves to voice our opposition.

At the last Town Council hearing on I-526, for example, a speaker asked the audience (which was standing room only) how many people there actually wanted I-526.  Only one person stood up!

It seems to us that the Town is not listening to its citizens but is instead being politically strong-armed by other politicians who want this road.  It is time for the Town to be true representatives instead of simply political pawns.

If you are a South Carolina taxpayer and don’t want to see $489 million blown on a bad decision, please attend Tuesday night at 7 PM and tell James Island’s Town Council NO.  The meeting will be at Town Hall, which is located at 1238 Camp Road (by Smokey Oak).

In the meantime, please contact:

Bill Woolsey – Mayor
mayorbillwoolsey@jamesislandsc.org
697-7020 (c), 795-5062 (h)

Carter McMillan
cmcmillan@jamesislandsc.org
795-9910(h) 814-8684 (c)

Leonard Blank
lblank@jamesislandsc.org
795-7463 (h) 532-6705 (c)

Karen Wilder Smalls
kwilder-smalls@jamesislandsc.org
762-1767 (h) 320-0350 (c)

Robin Welch
robin@jamesislandsc.org
609-5427 (c)

Thank you all!

Nix526.org

…

WHEREAS, on July 7, 2009, the Town Council of the Town of James Island adopted a Resolution in opposition to the Mark Clark Expressway project; and

WHEREAS, on September 21, 2011, the Town Council of the Town of James Island adopted a Resolution reiterating opposition to the project; and

WHEREAS, Charleston County Council has taken a position in opposition to the SCDOT’s preferred alternative G, and

WHEREAS, as a result, the South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank has declared that the County is in default of its intergovernmental agreement for the project, and

WHEREAS, a determination of default could have significant impacts to the County, including payment of $11.6 million; and

WHEREAS, residents of the Town of James Island are also residents of the County;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of James Island:

•    The Town seeks to help the County avoid default on its agreements related to the project;
•    The Town supports efforts by Charleston County to renegotiate its intergovernmental agreement to allow consideration of additional alternatives, including less costly alternatives that do not extend to James Island.
•    The Town concurs with County Council in rejecting SCDOT’s preferred alternative G.
•    The Town retains its right to review and then approve or reject any alternative that crosses the Town limits.
•    The Town supports a public process to properly and thoroughly gauge public sentiment regarding alternatives for the Mark Clark Expressway project.

Like Charleston County, the Town of James Island is attempting to reverse its resolution against I-526.

This is really disappointing, especially given the fact that so many people have come out so many times to voice their opposition to a highway that would cut their island in half.

Council will vote this Tuesday, June 7th, at 7pm.  Please come!  You will need to sign up to speak.

The town’s continued opposition is critical.  State law says that I-526 can’t be built through a town’s borders without its consent.  This is one of the most important legal protections we have against 526!

We must generate a large crowd at the meeting to show Mayor Woolsey and Council that we are still very much against 526. This is of utmost importance because the Mayor has publicly stated he is undecided on 526, and perhaps even leans towards its extension.  We need to make sure they hear us loud and clear!

Moreover, the new council (elected in August) has NOT been unanimous in its opposition to 526 and we fear that they could change their minds and vote in favor of 526 on Tuesday evening.

Please sign up to speak for public comment during the meeting!

Please bring your family and friends too! As we have seen recently, the supporters of 526 have finally taken an active stance in 526 and they will definitely be in attendance. We need to outnumber them considerably!

In the meantime, please contact Mayor and Council letting them know you are opposed to 526 and you are expecting them to represent you.

Bill Woolsey – Mayor
mayorbillwoolsey@jamesislandsc.org
697-7020 (c), 795-5062 (h)

Carter McMillan
cmcmillan@jamesislandsc.org
795-9910(h) 814-8684 (c)

Leonard Blank
lblank@jamesislandsc.org
795-7463 (h) 532-6705 (c)

Karen Wilder Smalls
kwilder-smalls@jamesislandsc.org
762-1767 (h) 320-0350 (c)

Robin Welch
robin@jamesislandsc.org
609-5427 (c)

Town Hall is located at 1238 Camp Road, beside Dollar General.
Thank you everyone! See you there!
Nix526.org

Well, as you’ve surely seen, last-ditch 526 threats and scare tactics have been flying fast and furious over the past few days.

And now, just to set the record straight, here are a few facts certain
Councilmen seem content to ignore:

1. First – “No build” has always been a viable, legal option. It was included in all of DOT’s public hearings and documents. The State
wants to penalize us for picking a legitimate option – that is not
going to blow over well in court.

2. The SIB’s decision to seek repayment was a political one – not a
legal one. Despite the propaganda appearing daily in the newspaper,
it is absolutely unclear what part of the contract we supposedly
violated. This should go to court, and we may not have to pay back
any money at all.

As Councilman Qualey said last month: What if an endangered species was found in the path of the road – would the county be forced to pay back the money then? No. The County has gone through the public process and learned about the merits and the costs. It has decided the costs are too high. It should not be penalized for educating itself before making a decision.

3. Even if we did have to pay back some money, the amount would be $4.9 million – not $11.6 million. Let’s be clear: $6.7 million is in
right-of-way value, and DOT holds the title to this land, not the
County. Despite the rumors, this land is not our responsibility and
we don’t necessarily have to dispose of it. If we decided to take
over the titles from the State, we could then sell the property (some
of it waterfront) to help reimburse the cost.

Incidentally, here’s a great quote from today’s paper: “Council
Chairman Teddie Pryor insists that the right-of-way has little value.

To which Councilman Dickie Schweers responds: ‘If it’s not worth
anything, how did we end up spending $7 million on it?’”

4. The truth is, Charleston County signed a crummy contract with the State and DOT got way ahead of itself buying right-of-way. That is not the people’s fault, and the entire future of our area should not be traded for a measly 5 million bucks.

5. No matter how you slice it – $4.9 million, or even $11.6 – is a
heck of a lot cheaper than $70 million, which is the bill Charleston
County taxpayers would have to foot if 526 were built … IF
construction estimates prove to be accurate in the first place, which
is a mighty big if.

6. Not to mention the remaining $420,000,000 we’d have to pony up as state taxpayers if 526 got built!

7. Despite all the threats of “up to 200 layoffs,” $4.9 million is a
drop in the bucket compared to the County’s annual budget of nearly $400 million.

8. The County can also develop a payment plan to spread any costs
over time to prevent any layoffs.

9. State law says DOT can’t build a road through a town unless they
agree to it. James Island has signed a resolution against 526, so
this whole issue is a non-starter to begin with.

10. And finally, for the last time, would someone please explain to
Chairman Pryor and Mayor Riley that extending 526 will NOT help with hurricane evacuations? The bottleneck is I-26 and a beltway is never going to change that fact.

As you all know, 526 is now a thing of the past. Last week,

County Council voted 5 to 3 to end the project. The beltway that has

threatened our community for the past 40 years died a long overdue

death.

When we began our fight, everyone said 526 was a “done deal.” From

our politicians to our next door neighbors, we were told we were

wasting our time and that we “couldn’t stop progress.” However, we

refused to give up. We knew that 526 did not constitute “progress,”

and we choose to fight a fight no one thought we could win.

We did win, and everyone who wrote a letter or made a call deserves

credit for this. This was an amazing grassroots victory that pitted

the people of our community over some of the most powerful politicians

in our state. We here at Nix526.org are very proud to have been a

part of this movement. We thank each and every one of you from the

bottoms of our hearts.

Be proud of yourselves and know that your voice matters! And always

remember, whenever people try to make you believe there is no hope,

there IS hope. Anything we love can be saved.

End It Here, End It Now!

County Council will vote on 526 this Thursday, April 14th.

This is the single most important 526 meeting ever.

Our leaders must oppose Alternative G, and they must not allow the project to go back to the state.

What we must do …

1.) Come to the meeting!

This vote will boil down to public pressure. A full house will tell our leaders to do the right thing. It is not enough to just say no to Alternative G. They must support “no build,” and they must not allow the project to go back to the state. That would almost ensure that 526 gets built.

Where: 4:15 PM – 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, 29405 (Public Services Building, B225 Council Committee Room)

2.) Tell Our Leaders to Vote NO!

A phone call is always more effective, even if you have to leave a message. Just tell them (a) you oppose the project and (b) not to send it back to the state. You don’t need to explain your reasons — it can be short and sweet! It will literally only take 30 seconds.

Anna Johnson  (843) 795-3970
Henry Darby (843) 697-7715 (C)
Vic Rawl  (843) 766-7334 (H)
Teddie Pryor  (843) 744-3256 (H)
Elliott Summey  (843) 200-4244 (C)
Joe Qualey ((843) 693-3434)
Colleen Condon  (843) 225-7288 (O)
Dickie Schweers  (843) 513-9229

(Dickie Schweers, Joe Qualey, and Colleen Condon are opposed to 526 and to sending it back to the state.)

* Read more about the upcoming vote here: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/apr/06/i-526-debate-coming-to-head/

Thank you everyone! This is what it all comes down to, and we really need your help!

– Nix526.org

NIX526.org has just received word that the proposed extension of I-526 will be considered in executive session this Tuesday night by Charleston County Council.

This means that the public will not be able to hear what is discussed.

Extending I-526 is far too important to be dealt with behind closed doors. This is an issue that thousands of Charleston County residents care about intensely. It should be discussed as an announced agenda item in an open public meeting.

Please call and email the nine members of County Council listed below MONDAY and tell them that all matters concerning I-526 should be placed on the Council’s regular meeting agenda and discussed in the open — not behind closed doors.

It’s also really important that we all attend this Tuesday’s County Council meeting. It will be held at 7:00 pm, January 25, at 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston (Public Services Building, Council Chambers).

If you can speak during the public comments portion of the meeting, please sign up before the meeting.

In Solidarity,

nix526.org

PLEASE CALL AND EMAIL THESE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS MONDAY …

James Island – Joe Qualey, Anna Johnson

Johns Island – Vic Rawl, Joe Qualey, Anna Johnson

West Ashley – Teddie Pryor, Vic Rawl, Colleen Condon, Joe Qualey

Downtown Charleston – Henry Darby, Teddie Pryor

North Charleston – Elliott Summey, Teddie Pryor, Vic Rawl, Henry Darby

East of the Cooper – Dickie Schweers

*Anna Johnson

(843) 795-3970

ajohnson@charlestoncounty.org

*Joe Qualey

(843) 693-3434

jqualey@charlestoncounty.org

*Vic Rawl

(843) 766-7334

vrawl@charlestoncounty.org

*Elliott Summey, Vice Chairman

(843) 200-4244

esummey@charlestoncounty.org

*Henry Darby

(843) 697-7715

henrydarby@msn.com

*Teddie Pryor, Chairman

(843) 958-4030 (O)

(843) 744-3256 (H)

tpryor@charlestoncounty.org

*Colleen Condon

(843) 225-7288

colleen@colleencondon.com

*Dickie Schweers

(843) 513-9229

dickieschweers@tds.net

Thursday afternoon, DOT presented the results from the public comment period to Charleston County Council.  The comments were 2-to-1 opposed!

Thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to submit your comments — each voice mattered and together we made a heck of a statement!

Many people said 526 was a done deal, which just goes to show you that you should never give up, and you should always fight for what you believe in no matter how bad the odds seem.

County Council agreed that opposition on James Island is too strong, and that extending 526 to Folly Road is probably a bad idea.

They asked DOT to return to the drawing table and come up with some alternate plans.  One plan would extend 526 to Johns Island, where River Road would be widened all the way to Betsy Kerrison.

We are very concerned about this plan, which seems like it’s designed to promote development on Johns Island rather than solve regional traffic problems.

It would also use up 75% of our money without addressing most of Charleston County’s core choke points.

Please stay with us as we learn more about the future of 526. We will keep you posted with breaking news, and we will let you know when there are important actions to be taken.

For two really good articles on last week’s development, please see:

• New proposal: Mark Clark extension without James Island
• Reaction to I-526 divided