Refrigerated Trailer for Rent in Daniel Island, SC

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Tuesday, February 27, 2024) – At its meeting on Monday, February 26, 2024, Berkeley County Council voted unanimously to approve $100,000 for Daniel Island School to fund handicap-accessible playground equipment for special needs students and expand the school’s community sensory garden.

Daniel Island School’s Student Council President, eighth-grader Emily Hughes, addressed County Council on the matter, requesting $72,000 for the project; but Council surprised the Student Council by exceeding that request.

“We’re interested in making recess accessible to all students. We want to make this school a better place by adding special needs playground equipment and a sensory garden. We want to expand the play area to include handicap accessible equipment such as swings. We would love to expand the nearby community garden, which includes our current small sensory garden to be used by all of our students. We see kids with wheelchairs who sometimes get left out of recess or cannot physically use the equipment we currently have…and we want that to stop.” -Emily Hughes, Student Council President, Daniel Island School

The funding stems from Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funding (LATCF) and Accommodations Fee Discretionary Funds.

“These students challenged themselves to improve their school for all students and in turn challenged Council by going to their local government to help them. It was the easiest of votes for us and I am honored to represent these incredibly kind and brilliant students.” -Josh Whitley, Finance Committee Chair, Berkeley County Council

“On behalf of Berkeley County Council, we are proud to make this monetary donation for such an essential quality of life project for our children. It is encouraging to see children looking out for their peers; and this Student Council’s selfless and inspiring mission is proof that we have incredibly promising leaders in our County’s next generation.” -Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County Supervisor

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Councilman Josh Whitley, Supervisor Johnny Cribb, and all of County Council for their incredibly generous donation to the Daniel Island School Student Council. Their support will make a significant impact in building a playground tailored to the needs of students with special needs, fostering inclusivity and joy for all. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our community’s children.” -Dr. Anthony Dixon, Berkeley County School District Superintendent

“We are so grateful to Councilman Josh Whitley, Supervisor Johnny Cribb and the rest of the Berkeley County Council for their generous donation last night. A powerful message was sent to our youth last night! Your voices matter! And they heard our County Council members, loud and clear! We are so grateful for our community and their unwavering support, especially in this initiative that is so important and near and dear to the hearts of our students. Thank you so much!” – Laura Blanchard, Daniel Island School Principal

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– Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office –

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – One agenda item for the City of Charleston’s Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Wednesday received pushback from many people who live on Daniel Island.

A proposed 30-unit townhome community is slated for a tract of land off Fairchild Street near the I-526 on-ramp, according to the meeting agenda and Eric Schultz, a Principal Planner for the City of Charleston.

“The primary concern is the location. Were this somewhere else, I think it might have received less attention, but its right at the front door to Daniel Island. And this is the most, the highest volume entrance to our island. So, everybody who gets on or gets off is going to see what happens on this parcel,” said Tory Sullivan, the Land Use and Development Committee Chair for the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association.

On Wednesday, the BZA was scheduled to hear a request for variances from the Tree Protection Ordinance. However, the applicant requested a deferral at the start of the meeting, and it passed.

The changes would allow the removal of 11 grand trees and construction to occur closer to the base of seven grand trees.

“That involves sidewalks, fill material, trenching, driveways, buildings, whatever’s like impervious construction, we have certain regulations that dictates how far away from the base of the tree you have to be,” explained Schultz.

The original request received 162 public comments, mostly all in opposition. Many of the people not only expressed concerns about the protected trees, but the rest of them on the tract as well.

Sullivan said the trees serve as a barrier to 526.

“We’re right on the gateway to Long Point and the Wando Welch cargo terminal. So, we have big rigs and trucks all day every single day, so this is a really key spot for that,” Sullivan told News 2. “In addition, around us is a bunch of Lowcountry marshland and maritime forest. It’s surrounded by that so these trees, you know, from resiliency purposes and otherwise are really important.”

According to Sullivan, the project received over 300 comments when it was on the BZA’s agenda a few months ago.

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins have found a home on Daniel Island, all thanks to the spirits of one islander family – Scott and Heather Engler.

Some call this month October, others view it as Halloween time. Scott and his family only know it as spooky season, a time for haunted houses and eerie specters to roam the streets.

In 2021, he took it upon himself to transform the neighborhood into a thrilling maze of ghostly abodes, all for the pleasure of fellow neighbors and Halloween fanatics. The Daniel Island Spooky Tour was born out of a simple desire: to bring the spine-chilling joy of the spooky season closer to home.

Engler, the mind behind this frightful festivity, was inspired by the excitement his daughter Austen found in exploring haunted houses on James Island.

“When we first moved here in 2019, we saw the [James Island] houses and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is better than Disney,’” Engler said.

Determined to create the same magic within Daniel Island (and tired of driving 30 minutes away), he organized a group of willing neighbors in transforming the island into a haunted wonderland, a place where families and friends can experience the thrill of the spooky season without venturing too far from home.

“At first it was just for friends, but then it blew up. Now I feel like I have an obligation.”

Now in its third year, the Daniel Island Spooky Tour invites all islanders and visitors to cruise around the neighborhoods and explore the front yards of 31 haunted houses – and counting.

In addition to the hair-raising tour, each haunted house is named in relation to their Halloween decorations. The creativity of the residents knows no bounds, as each house boasts its own unique theme. Residents can expect to see spine-tingling displays at houses such as “House of Skulls,” “Tarantula Lair,” “Web of Death” and more.

Lisa Strehmel, who has her “House of Dragons” on display, says she chose her theme based on her daughter’s love for dragons from a young age. “Our girls are out of high school now but we love continuing to decorate every year because the kids in the neighborhood love seeing the dragons so much!”

Fellow resident Joanna Loiselle has found the seasonal house transformation to be a family tradition. “We absolutely love Halloween on Daniel Island! The kids look forward to golf carting around to see the decorations each year. This is such a special community!”

Brace yourselves for a hauntingly delightful experience. This year, the Spooky Tour is taking it up a notch. Engler said since there will be so many people, it will have to be a “shotgun” or “choose your own adventure” kind of tour where everyone can start at different places and drive to see all 31 houses on their golf carts or cars.

This year’s tour will also include a contest of four categories, judging the houses on the spookiest house, most creative, most fun and overall best haunted house.

Residents and visitors are invited to decorate their golf carts and ride along the haunted houses on Sunday, Oct. 29, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and vote for their favorites. Post your photos and comments in the DI Spooky Tour 23 Facebook group.

For those who prefer to explore at their own pace, a handy map of the participating houses has been made available. Whether you travel by foot, golf cart, car or bike, Engler has created a self-guided tour of each participating house that has decked out on decorations. Each house can be found on the Maps app by visiting tinyurl.com/a336d5f3.

For fans of the island’s decorative tour, fear not. Engler is also the driving force behind the Cheer Tour, a festive neighborhood decoration tour featuring houses adorned with dazzling Christmas lights and ornaments.

Engler’s dedication to fostering a sense of community through these projects has evolved Daniel Island into an ever-vibrant hub of seasonal celebration.

“It gives you something to look forward to and feel like part of the community,” Engler said of his decoration tours. “It also gives people recognition of their homes. They put a lot of work into this.”

Engler and each Spooky Tour resident invite all islanders and visitors to stroll through the haunted streets of Daniel Island, a realm where the spooky and the spectacular collide. Happy hauntings, everyone!

The Spooky Tour houses are available to view from now until Halloween. Engler’s Christmas Cheer Tour will begin shortly after Thanksgiving.

This week there are several developments coming before the various City of Charleston boards and committees. Below are those items as well as results, if any, from the prior week’s items specific to Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. More detailed agendas and results can be found at charleston-sc.gov/agendacenter.

UPCOMING: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

Nov. 2: Restore at Point Hope Ph. 1 (Point Hope Mixed Use – North) – Site plan for 158 single-family attached and detached residential homes on 91.82 acres at 1236 Clements Ferry Rd. TMS: B2620000028. Applicant: Thomas & Hutton Engineering. Contact: Domonic Jones, jones.d@tandh.com.

Nov. 9: 211 Seven Farms Drive Mixed-Use – Site plan for 3-story mixed-use building with parking, retail, commercial and residential uses on .34 acres at 211 Seven Farms Dr. TMS: B2750000196, Applicant: C Baker Engineering. Contact: Bret Jarotski, bret@cbakerengineering.com.

Nov. 9: Credit One Pickleball Additions – Site plan for pickleball court additions with associated check-in and restroom buildings and maintenance building relocation at 155 Seven Farms Dr. TMS: B2750000078. Applicant: Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc. Contact: Paul Peeples, ppeeples@seamonwhiteside.com.

UPCOMING: BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS – SITE DESIGN

Nov. 1: Request for a variance to remove 2 grand trees at 1995 Daniel Island Dr. TMS: 275-00-00-080, 311 & 312. Applicant: Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc.

RESULTS: CITY OF CHARLESTON TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

Oct. 26: Cainhoy Sports Park Amenity – Site plan for amenity, swimming pools, sports parks, parking lot, and stormwater pond on 23.5 acres at 3050 River Village Dr. TMS: B2620000008. Owner: Cainhoy Land & Timber, LLC. Contact: Steven Roach, roach.s@tandh.com. Results: Revise and resubmit to TRC.

Oct. 26: Towne at Cooper River Phase II - Road and infrastructure – Three separate items for road improvements to Enterprise Blvd, Beresford Run, and Clements Ferry Rd. and R/W extension, roadway construction, and master infrastructure to serve future development on 30.1 acres at 2620 Clements Ferry Rd. TMS: B2710001035. Applicant: Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc. Contact: Spencer Plowden, splowden@seamonwhiteside.com. Results: Revisions, pending zoning and SW comments.

Oct. 26: Woodfield Cooper River Farms – Site plan for 71 multifamily units on 2.7 acres at 700 Silo Acres Dr. TMS: B2710001035. Applicant: Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc. Contact: Malcolm Glenn, mglenn@seamonwhiteside.com. Results: Pending zoning and SW comments.

Oct. 26: Tuxbury Farm Tract - Concept plan for an 82-unit mixed-use development on15.1 acres at 2686 SC41. TMS: B2630004006. Results: Pending SW comments and final documentation to zoning and planning.

Compiled by Suzanne Detar, sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com.

All meetings are open for public comment except the City of Charleston Technical Review Committee meetings.

For more information, contacts for specific projects and on location and time of the meetings or to learn more, visit charleston-sc.gov/AgendaCenter/.

New businesses coming soon include a coffee shop, yoga studio, pizzeria, dance studio, Mexican restaurant and clothing store

Residents who live along Clements Ferry or who frequent the area will soon have more retail, eating, exercise, medical and professional options as commercial development projects at Point Hope progress. These include The Gates and The Goddard at Point Hope and additional buildings on Renaissance Lane in the Village Green.

According to Fritz Meyer of Meyer Kapp & Associates, planned restaurants include Ye Ole Fashioned, Catrina’s Tacos and Tequila, Dunkin Donuts and Domino’s. Also slated to open soon in Point Hope: Edward Jones, Modern Movement Yoga and Orchid Nail Salon.

These new retail and commercial businesses will join the recent influx and existing options that already opened their doors in the Publix Shopping Center and surrounding commercial areas. These include popular restaurants like Coastal Skillet, Famulari’s Pizzeria, Coach’s Canteen and Jersey Mike’s, as well as health care providers such as Roper St. Francis, The Look Optometry, Georgia Skin Clinic, Point Hope Dentistry and Coastal Kids Orthodontics.

The new businesses will be part of The Gates at Point Hope, a five-building, 36,000-square-foot commercial development with frontage of Clements Ferry Road developed by Vulcan Property Group. The Gates are named in homage to Philip Simmons, the master ironworker and artisan who designed many decorative gates throughout Charleston.

The developer has signed leases with each of the incoming establishments in The Gates and anticipates it will deliver the spaces in dark-shell condition in October, according to Meyer.

“It’s a remarkable mix of uses for a community so early in its development life,” Meyer said.

Construction of The Gates began in January, although the growing list of retail, dining, and corporate tenants are not set to open until 2024. Even so, the new tenants are excitedly preparing their new business models for the Point Hope community.

“Our vision is to serve the new growing community with a family-friendly spot to grab lunch, dinner and ice cream,” said Cole Spradling, owner of the Ye Ole Fashioned coming to Clements Ferry. “I plan on being involved with the local schools and sports teams, to be a spot for students to come and grab a bite to eat with friends, study and do homework.”

Modern Movement Yoga’s new location owner Jolene Newman, another business tenant of The Gates, shared her vision for the studio’s future.

“We want to build a community that helps lift each other up,” Newman said. “Our goals for our new location are to incorporate student and teacher training courses, have teachers from around the world, in-studio and at-home yoga classes and yoga retreats.”

Adjacent to The Gates at Point Hope is The Goddard, a mixed-use project from Woodfield Partners, who also built The Port House and Wharf 7 on Daniel Island and the Newbrook Apartments at Point Hope.

The 12-acre site, located at the intersection of Clements Ferry Road and Point Hope Parkway, will be home to four multifamily buildings totaling 224 residential units and two single-story commercial buildings totaling 17,000 square feet of commercial space.

No leases have been signed in the Goddard Point Hope development as of yet, but the landlord is preparing to enter into agreement with Edward Jones Financial Services, according to Meyer.

In addition, Meyer Kapp and Associates recently signed Creative Edge Dance Center, a 2,500-square-foot space in the 116 Renaissance Lane development between Coastal Skillet and Coastal Kids in the Village Green. The tenant will offer after-school classes and studio space for dance lessons.

Kapp and Associates is also working on a lease with Subtle and Sass, a women’s clothing and accessory boutique with an existing operation in Mount Pleasant, to occupy approximately 1,300 square feet in the same building.

At over 9,000 acres, Point Hope is the largest remaining zoned planning development in the City of Charleston.

The ongoing efforts to widen Clements Ferry Road will also allow the upcoming four lanes to carry over 60,000 vehicles per day, Meyer said.

The Gates will begin delivering commercial spaces in October, with continued buildout in subsequent months. Meanwhile, The Goddard at Point Hope will complete its commercial buildings by the end of this year, anticipating tenants to open for business by mid-2024.