MeadWestvaco's 70,000 acre plan

[krazeeboi]

An 70,000-acre tract, named East Edisto, that borders the Edisto River west of Charleston would be partially preserved and partially developed under what officials with owner MeadWestvaco Corp. described as strict conservation guidelines to be shaped by the public. The company said it will begin work on a long-term master plan by kicking off the first in a series of public meetings in June.

The master plan is expected to address conservation. It also will take into account the need for roads and other infrastructure, traffic, housing, employment, shopping, recreation, entertainment and services, such as schools and health care.

[reeeems]

I'm glad to see that MeadWestvaco is interested in "combatting sprawl", but I'm curious to see what that really means. So maybe whenever I'm old enough to retire, this thing will be constructed.

[krazeeboi]

This is a looooooooooot of land, so I'm curious as to what plans will be drawn up.

[reeeems]

http://www.eastedisto.com/about_east_edisto/faqs.jsp

FAQ about the development, and a map:

[krazeeboi]

Thanks, now I have a much better idea of where this is located. From my parents house in southern Orangeburg County, I can hop on Highway 17 and get there directly (which is a route we've taken to get to Summerville before).

I know that this is being planned from the bottom to the top and emphasizes conservation, which is a great thing. But still, I wonder if this, in conjunction with the proposed industrial plant off I-26 in Jedburg, still won't help to facilitate sprawl further into Dorchester County and even into Orangeburg County.

[reeeems]

Yea, it's hard to be too optimistic, because you know in the end it's all about the bottom line. I know one thing - they'd better beef up the roads out that direction.

[krazeeboi]

Oh definitely, because Highway 17 is nothing but a winding country road for most of the stretch within Dorchester County.

[krazeeboi]

After re-reading this article, I'm beginning to realize just how huge this development will be and the highly significant role it will play in shaping the growth and development patterns of the Charleston metro area. Its magnitude alone sets it apart from other master-planned communities. I applaud MeadWestvaco for including the public in the planning process and its desire to make this a sprawl-combatting development with a high emphasis on conservation. I just hope the homes to be built in this area aren't the typical suburban cookie-cutter houses. I would actually prefer to see many of the lots sold to individuals so that they can construct their own houses, which is truly traditional neighborhood development. I also wouldn't mind seeing a New Urbanist community included within the larger development.

[lsgchas]

It would nice if they developed it as a few small towns, with strict conservation in place outside the town limits. That's the only way I can see it as being conservation-focused.

[krazeeboi]

Hmmm, that's an interesting concept.

[ohioaninSC]

It appears this is more land than the entire city of Charleston. Is that correct? If so, I truly hope they stick to their so called conservation planning very strictly. I hope they give the public more than enough chance to get their input into it, especially the rural residents out that way. It really could become a great area if they do it correctly. From the looks of it's location, w/ the proper roads built, it would be what about 45 min or so into Charleston? Could this also lead to a second freeway to get out of Charleston, going through this area and then say on towards say Augusta, GA or somewhere else in GA, just to get a second freeway to get in and out of Charleston would help the traffic along 26 and give the residents a second escape route when Mandatory Hurricane evacuations are ordered.

[MikesLogic]

I've always argued for an additional freeway system leading out to the southwest of Charleston. Passing Walterboro and heading out perhaps towards Augusta/Aiken.

[krazeeboi]

That would certainly make it much easier to get to Atlanta. All the other regions of the state have access to a direct route except Charleston/the Lowcountry.

[Charleston native]

I've always argued for an additional freeway system leading out to the southwest of Charleston. Passing Walterboro and heading out perhaps towards Augusta/Aiken.

[ohioaninSC]

An additional freeway heading out that way would also make it easier to get to 95 south, and could then get around a the problems the enviromentalists keep causing to widen US 17. Direct acess to the south's premier business city of Atlanta would help out tremendously, and it like I said earlier, it would help aleviate the traffic issues on 26 when mandatory evacuations are ordered. I remember I was visiting my grandparents who lived on Kiawah Island at that time in 1999 when the largest peacetime mandatory evacuation was ordered due to the approaching Hurricane Floyd. I believe at that time it was a Cat 5 storm and was absolutely huge. Millions were evacuated from the Outer Banks of NC down to like the central Fl coast b/c of how unsure forecasters were of where it would make landfall. Anyways, I remember at that time it took us almost 10 hrs to make the normal 2 hour trip up to Columbia. I don't know how many more people live down there now, but it would seem ludicrous to me to not have a second freeway evacuation route to get off the coast, b/c it isn't a matter of if the Lowcountry gets hit again by a major hurricane, it is a matter of when.

[Charleston native]

Here is an article in the City Paper about the East Edisto development. Upon further reading of what this development's primary objectives are, I got worried and wrote a comment about it in the article. Here's what I wrote:

"While this development is certainly progressive and even noble, I'm afraid that the project is going to prohibit other important projects from becoming a reality. The project will emplace the "greenbelt" that some people want in Chas, but the need for another interstate/expressway route in and out of the city is desperately needed to ease transportation burdens, to facilitate hurricane evacuations easier, and to provide a southern route from/to I-95. In Charleston, the expressway could be an extension of the proposed I-14 to Augusta, and it could begin from Glenn McConnell Blvd. It's the only logical place to even consider another freeway, and it would have to be built right through the upper part of East Edisto.

Of course, many conservationists, including the incredibly intrusive and obstructive CCL, would vehemently be opposed to something like this, even though another interstate will need to be considered in the future because of Charleston's growth. The interstate could have highly limited access around the development, ensuring limited commercial and residential development. However, even the idea of another freeway to these environmentalists is terrifying. My only hope is that the concept of building a limited access interstate around the area can still be considered and accomplished without harming the conservation-friendly project of East Edisto."