OWNA Charleston

2025 – Feb 27 – 6pm Charleston Horticultural Society

Introductions: Ron Sassard, OWNA President

Mayor Cogswell 

1. Stormwater – significant investment in improved storm drainage, new outfall behind the school that has been approved by Charleston County School District.
2. Dominion – Mayor met with head of Dominion to talk about tree trimming. Our neighborhood is 2nd in line after Wappoo Heights for undergrounding. Stocker is being looked at individually and the neighbors on Stocker Dr are being queried as to their support of a “small project” to install underground on that street. As a “small project”, the cost to the residents is considerably less.
3. Pedestrian Bridge – On budget, on schedule  (maybe summer ’27) – looking at alternate landing spot to go to Brittlebank Park. The exact approach of having the Greenway cross Folly Road has not been finalized. A “walkover” has been ruled out but a means of crossing this major artery must be agreed upon to fully utilize the new pedestrian bridge.
4. Round Holiday Inn area improvements to entrance of West Ashley.
5. Zoning rewrite – collaborative effort with the county, integrate flooding studies. 
6. Safety improvements to 17 and 61. Question asked about the greenway crossing at Folly Road.

Council Chair Reverend Pinckney

1. Redistricting.
2. Savannah Highway improvements, and speed humps through neighborhoods, includes Riverdale, Nicholson, Stinson, and Wappoo Road. 
3. The project to align the intersection at Nicholson and Avondale is still being considered. This would turn this intersection from an “F” rating (very dangerous) to an “A” rating (very safe) but the residents of Byrnes Downes are against this project. 
4. Has held two town halls in the last three years. 

Ross Appel

1. Windermere Basin Stormwater improvements – Federal and State permits are done. Required funding has been obtained. There is a clear need for this project.
2. Ackerman will have 48” culvert instead of existing 24” pipe.
3. For underground power examples, look at Country Club II (James Island, the most recent underground project) and the Crescent (done many years ago) for green boxes on people’s lawns.
4. Plan West Ashley is on the back burner. The commission hasn’t met. 
5. Preservation Ordinance  – looking at historic preservation while not over regulating.
6. Piggly Wiggly West Ashley site, Sumar Street will be closed. The private developer partner is EDENS. They developed Fresh Fields at Kiawah. 
7. Ryan’s Steak House has been demolished, that is a Gramling Brothers development that was already entitled. 
8. Citadel Mall – also already entitled, no move in construction yet.
9. Zoning Re-write is different then character protection. 
10. Federal Grant for crossing safety at Folly Road and Greenway, and Wappoo at Greenway. 
11. Discuss Riverdale to Nicholson (Avondale/Byrnes Downs) crossing, safety and traffic betterment.

Matt Fountain – Stormwater

1. Will not be this summer. Utility easements with CWS and others is a challenge. Waste and Forced Main lines.
2. Huge Culvert (6’ wide and 3’ deep) is being installed at Ackerman – Matt said that during high flood tides and heavy rains, the new system will not be able to drain out and causes short-term flooding. But once the tide starts going out, the neighborhood will de-water quickly.  Eventually other smaller scale fixes will be needed – pipes in the neighborhood are not addressed in this improvement.
3. Improvement at the base of Beverly should have improved, but is not 100% fixed
4. Tide and rain events still will cause an issue, when the tide lowers the water will drain fast.
5. 10 million dollar stormwater investment is most per home cost in the city

Ron – OWNA

1. Balance in the OWNA account is $5069
2. Preservation Ordinance – we removed the percent pervious surface clause. Neighbor pointed out that he could then pave his whole lot (though he did not want to do that – his driveway is dirt) – other neighbor discussed educating people who are moving in about pervious surface versus hard.
3. Question from John Mulvey – Have we had our lawyer look at this? Important to distinguish between should and shall, how will should be enforced. Does not like the part where the city can issue individual policy statements to amend protections. 
4. Lot area ratio remains.
5. Spring Social. Jump castle and something for adults. To be announced…

This will also be posted on ownacharleston.com (website) under Latest Updates! Those of you who have signed up to receive email alerts may see a notification once it posts.

Thank you to those of you who have already joined OWNA for 2025, it is appreciated!