Roof Repair in Mount Pleasant, SC

MOUNT PLEASANT — Behind the scenes, in lawyers' offices and the back room of Town Council meetings, talks have continued over the fate of a 185-acre waterfront property the town tried to buy three years ago for almost $21 million.

"When I got on council I brought it to their attention that the property was for sale," said Councilman John Iacofano. "Nothing would make me happier than to see that all the way through."

The owners of the property on the Wando River off S.C. Highway 41 wanted more than the town offered in 2022. In 2023, they sued the town and Mount Pleasant Waterworks over development-related regulations involving water and sewer service, which they said prevented a $41 million sale.

Both sides have been in mediation, with the latest meeting held June 6. At a special Town Council meeting June 10 the town's elected leaders discussed the ongoing lawsuit and the property in a closed-door executive session and then voted to do what they had discussed.

What they discussed, and voted to do, council members won't reveal.

There's no doubt it involves the property and the lawsuit because that was their stated reason for legally meeting behind closed doors. Town councils may, but aren't required to, meet outside the public view to discuss real estate negotiations and certain legal matters.

Councilman Jake Rambo, who made the motion to do what had been discussed in executive session, said he wouldn't confirm or deny that the town is negotiating over a purchase price for the property, known as the Republic tract.

"I am hoping there will a resolution before" a trial, he said.

Councilman Gary Santos has been part of the town's mediation team and said he spent all day meeting with lawyers downtown, last week.

"We're going back and forth," he said. "They want so much for the property."

"It's a great piece of property for the town, if we're able to do that," Santos said.

Part of the town's motivation has been to keep the property from becoming another development. It sits next to the Rivertowne County Club subdivision on state Highway 41, and sports nearly 105 acres of high ground.

The property is one of the largest undeveloped riverfront properties in the East Cooper area. It was owned by Republic Contracting, was the site of a river barge terminal and a large concrete dock still exists there.

To build hundreds of homes there, a developer would need access to Mount Pleasant Waterworks' water and sewer lines. But rules observed by the town and the affiliated utility require properties to annex into the town in order to gain that access, and doing so makes them subject to the town's development restrictions and impact fees.

That's what the lawsuit is about.

The property owners don't want to make the land subject to the town's rules and argue that the utility must nonetheless provide water and sewer access, partly due to a disputed 1989 merger agreement between Mount Pleasant Waterworks and the Bulls Bay Rural Community Water District.

Lawyer Ross Appel, a Charleston city councilman, represents the landowners, who are five children of Republic Contracting President James Deierlein.

Appel said he couldn't comment on the case because it's in mediation.

If the property remained outside the town boundaries but gained access to water and sewer lines, town Administrator Eric DeMoura has estimated as many as 1,600 homes could be built under the county's regulations.

Without a settlement of some kind, the litigation could potentially go on for years.

Mount Pleasant has been aggressive in limiting development over the past decade, and willing to engage in lengthy legal disputes. It was the most-sued municipality for development-related disputes in 2015, after voters elected council candidates who promised to curtail rapid growth.

One case, involving a multi-level parking garage and office complex on Coleman Boulevard, has been working through the court system for eight years as the town filed appeal after appeal to fight a multi-million-dollar judgment.

MOUNT PLEASANT — While one luxury car storage facility is celebrating its grand opening in Mount Pleasant, a town planning committee hit the brakes on a proposal for a second.

The luxury storage site, or "car condominiums," are individually owned garage-focused properties with their own TMS number on commercially zoned land.

They are built to be upwards of 1,500 square feet of climate-controlled space with nearly 20-foot ceilings, suitable for storing luxury vehicles, RVs, classic cars, boats and more.

The price tag? Around $400,000 per car "condo."

Mount Pleasant’s first car condominium, The Vault, located on Faison Road about halfway between Costco Wholesale and Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, will celebrate its grand opening May 30. The project broke ground in September 2024.

The Vault owner Lee Janik said the 29-unit property on two acres was fully leased well in advance of its opening, a testament to the needs of Mount Pleasant where people own multiple luxury vehicles, boats and RVs. The development company kept two units in hand but will list them for sale shortly after opening and expects to sell them both quickly.

“It’s for high-net-worth individuals with too many toys and nowhere to put them. Homeowners Association’s don’t allow anything in driveways,” Janik said. “I sold four units before I even owned the property. There are a number of (clients) who bought two units.”

Janik, who came up with his concept in 2021 as an offshoot of a luxury indoor boat storage business he owned in Ohio, is now in nine different markets working with real estate agents, car enthusiasts and more. He uses word-of-mouth to garner interest.

Owners get 24/7 access with water, bathrooms, kitchens and even loft-style living rooms for lounging with a secure access gate. The only restriction is that owners can’t live in the units or sleep inside them overnight.

He announced The Vault’s next expansion will be on Daniel Island, with property already under contract and the ability to build residential units on top of the mega-garages.

“We already have ten units sold on Daniel Island,” Janik said. “We sell units before we build, so we can customize the size (needed).”

Janik said he expects the Daniel Island location to be open in the next year-and-a-half.

Despite the demand for these types of developments, a second car condominium proposed for Mount Pleasant by another developer wasn't given the green light from two town planning bodies.

A proposed 55-unit car condominium over four acres in the Belle Hall Planned Unit Development, accessible from Seacoast Parkway and adjacent to Long Point Road, was recommended for denial by the Mount Pleasant Planning Committee and Planning Commission May 5. Florida-based developer WHWE, LLC proposed the project.

Chris Pilinko, with WHWE, LLC, said the luxury storage facility would be priced between $400,000 and $500,000, and would include a monthly regime fee.

“We've done three of these in other markets and have a local partner who has identified this site. They're very low intensity uses. They have no demand on public services,” Pilinko said at the planning meeting.

Committee members said there were better uses for the commercially zoned location than the use for individually owned garages to store luxury vehicles.

“I think the residents would much prefer a grocery store or a restaurant as an amenity to the community rather than $400,000 to $500,000-owned storage,” said Guang Ming Whitley, planning committee chairman and town council member.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The Town of Mount Pleasant’s planning committee is expected to recommend several options to council to preserve settlement communities.

Many representatives from the town’s settlement communities and council members spoke during the public comment period at the meeting. They urged the committee to take action on protecting these communities now before it’s too late, as development is expected to grow in the East Cooper area.

“Our communities are losing ground,” Myra Richardson, president of Hamlin Beach Community Association, said. “Two major differences, we have a historic preservation committee with the district in Charleston County, and we have a moratorium. In the article that was stated in March I believe, you’re going to have more people come into the Town of Mount Pleasant because they’ll get around the moratorium.”

Officials who spoke said there is a loophole for developers, and to close that, they believe a Mount Pleasant moratorium can save them. Currently, the historic areas are in unincorporated Charleston County, where there is an ongoing two year moratorium. However, developers can request the town to annex parts of these properties nearby which would allow them to build. Many cited the importance to protect these areas.

“You think of all the generations that have bled sweat and tears, it’s unique. They’ve been there since the end of the Civil War; you can’t recreate the history and the connection of families. I believe that’s part of our history and it’s worth protecting. It’s unique in Charleston County, it’s unique in America,” Larry Kobrovsky, councilmember of Charleston County, said.

Kobrovsky represents constituents who live in settlement communities, and he voiced his concerns among theirs. He added that the town must act now or there won’t be a chance to manage the population and overdevelopment in the future.

“We have a moratorium in place. We need to work together and preserve the historic settlement communities and not allow more congestion where’s there no infrastructure. If we don’t stop it there, all that congestion and traffic – there will be subdivisions all the way to McClellanville which I will do everything in my power to stop. I don’t think we need that, we don’t want it, we need to keep those areas rural,” said Kobrovsky.

The committee is recommending to council that they begin dialogue with the county to work together, create a settlement community group, and put a moratorium in place. Richardson hopes the town council will approve these measures before allowing development.

“We ask that you do not annex these properties in until this panel is established, until you have your system set up the way Charleston County is set up with the moratorium for our communities on four houses being built at a time.” Richardson said. “We’re just asking you to protect our history, our heritage, our legacy.”

The Fresh Market made its greater Charleston, S.C.-area debut on May 3, with the grand opening of a new store, in Mount Pleasant, S.C. This brings the total number of stores for the specialty grocer to 172.

The Mount Pleasant location is The Fresh Market’s latest in a trio of recent new openings. Two locations in Wethersfield, Conn., and Jensen Beach, Fla., both debuted exactly one week earlier. The three stores cap a period of growth for the company, which has opened 11 grocery retail locations and the new Spirits & Wine concept in the past six months.

The new 25,000-square-foot Mount Pleasant store is stocked with a carefully curated selection of high-quality meats and seafood, along with fresh produce, local finds and a unique collection of international products. The Fresh Market also boasts a broad selection of restaurant-quality prepared meals and sides, and ready-to-cook, ready-to-heat options.

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“We are extremely pleased with the response to our new store,” said The Fresh Market CEO Brian Johnson. “We have a great team that is excited to bring our brand of impeccable hospitality to the town of Mount Pleasant.”

On opening day, customers took part a myriad of The Fresh Market opening traditions, including a bread-breaking ceremony and the cracking of an 80-pound wheel of parmesan cheese. Additionally, the first 120 customers received a free 4-inch potted orchid, and the first 500 guests were given a The Fresh Market Mount Pleasant reusable grocery bag.

The Fresh Market also continued its commitment to supporting a local food bank with every new store launch. The team kicked off a partnership with the Lowcountry Food Bank and presented a $2,000 donation to the organization.

Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market currently operates more than 170 grocery stores in 22 states and one Spirits & Wine store. The grocer is No. 71 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The Fresh Market was also one of the recipients of PG’s inaugural Innovation Awards in the Mid-Tier (50-299 stores) category. The award was presented at the publication’s 2024 GroceryTech event in Dallas.

Rumors had been swirling for nearly a year that the supermarket at the Target-anchored Shoppes at Seaside Farms was planning to shut its doors.

The grocery chain's confirmed closing means that residents in the mixed-use development at the Isle of Palms Connector and Rifle Range Road will have about a month to find an alternative.

“There’s been a lot of controversy about this since many people in the greater Seaside Farms community feel like they were ‘promised’ a grocery store in the beginning when (the community) was being developed,” said DeAnne Reed Vane, director of marketing at Franke At Seaside, a retirement and active lifestyle community within walking distance of the supermarket. “I think we would all hope to see another grocery go into that space.”

In a statement this week, Harris Teeter stated the decision to close followed a “careful consideration and strategic market review.”

While the nearby Target in the Shoppes at Seaside has a grocery section, Vane said the selection is much smaller than what Harris Teeters offers.

“Target does have a grocery section that takes up about a third of the store, but only very small refrigerated section and limited in some types of groceries," Vane said. "I imagine our 250 independent-living residents will be greatly inconvenienced by this closing, as will our staff of approximately 275 employees."

The next-nearest grocery option is a Trader Joe's store that opened last year in Sweetgrass Corner.

Speculation about the Harris Teeter closing started nearly a year ago after the supermarket chain's landlord announced in a marketing email that the 45,660-square-foot space would be available to lease.

Danna Robinson, spokeswoman for the grocery store, told The Post and Courier it began notifying employees on April 24.

“In the coming weeks, the company will work closely with its valued associates to assist them through the closing process. Harris Teeter will offer its associates the opportunity to transfer to other locations," Robinson said in a statement.

The Kroger Co.-owned chain moved into Seaside Farms in October 2013. Previously, the space with its 40-foot vaulted ceiling had been the "flagship" supermarket for the defunct Piggly Wiggly Carolina franchise, which built it in 1996.

With the closing, Harris Teeter will have 18 stores in the Charleston area.

The chain has announced supermarkets for two undeveloped parcels — in the Carnes Crossroads area of Goose Creek and at Maybank Highway and River Road on Johns Island. No formal plans have been announced for either site.