Dear Editor,

A plea from the community needs to be heard. I welcome growth, but it needs to be smart, and in the best interest of the community. While our Goose Creek Planning Commission acknowledged community concerns on the Avalon Point proposal, denying the rezoning of the 32 acres to Planned Development on April 4,2023, city officials do not seem to be hearing our plea.

They have gone forward with the first reading at the April 11 Council meeting. Sufficient notice wasn’t given to have this on the agenda. Goose Creek City Council agenda was posted April 7, and the rezoning signs throughout the affected area still say Planning Commission Hearing in April. How is this public notice?

We, the residents, know how bad the traffic and flooding are in West Greenview, Greenview, Gardenia Villas. This area, which is home to the site of the first Goose Creek Council meeting, is being dismissed instead of acknowledged.

The proposed development, Avalon Point, will include 71 townhomes and 71 single family homes, and a small portion of commercial property bordering Red Bank Rd., Wisteria Rd., Pandora Dr., and Hastie Dr.

The neighborhood roads can’t handle 250 vehicles. Cars speed down Pandora Dr. to cut through. Fences, mailboxes, and as recently as February, a car have been crashed into, yet, nothing is done.

The proposed development will remove a small wooded buffer that my family has been trying to purchase to help further mitigate the flooding issues we have. This land has no TMS number and all officials I’ve spoken with told me we cannot purchase it because no one owns it (we have been maintaining this for almost 18 years). BUT, the Master Plan for Avalon Point has this land on it for a bike path between my home and my neighbor so these residents can walk into our neighborhood. How is it the city will approve a bike path over flood mitigation?

Pandora Dr. floods for many other homes. Lake Greenview pond and the natural drainage ditch that runs through the proposed development area, are not enough currently to mitigate the flooding.

Look and you’ll see a problem. The traffic study for Red Bank Rd was conducted February 2022. The data for average annual daily traffic came from 2020 (during COVID-19 lockdowns). It’s not comparable data.

This deal has a lot of benefactors and tax paying citizens being disregarded for the almighty dollar.

Lisa Berry

Goose Creek

Central Creek Park is dubbed “a park for all” and so far it has been just that since opening on Dec. 16, 2022. The site on Old Moncks Corner Road has been a big success and the only real problem is finding a parking space.

It’s the three-month anniversary for Central Creek Park and it is as welcoming as envisioned when plans got rolling on the park over two years ago.

It was once just an idea for a playground but the 13-acre site is now a top destination.

The area offers pickle ball and basketball courts, a massive pavilion, a stage for concerts and movie nights, walking trails, greenspace and a giant playground that offers enrichment to the special needs community.

“The park has been packed,” said Hannah Miller, the Therapeutic and Community Programs Coordinator for Goose Creek. “I think everyone is a bit surprised about having this kind of resource. Everybody jokes we don’t have enough parking spaces. You pull up there in the morning and everyone is playing pickle ball, or getting an early start on the playground.”

And it’s not just early in the day, Central Creek Park is busy both day and night because there is such a variety of things to do.

“Then you drive by in the evening and the basketball courts are packed. I don’t have exact numbers but we have a few hundred different parking spaces and they are practically always full,” said Miller.

The $9.5 million park was built with the help of major donors and the business community. The spot is for everyone of any age or ability.

“We get a lot of compliments about how beautiful it is and how well it was organized and about how well it’s running,” she said. “We get a lot of thanks and a lot of praise for like, ‘My children haven’t always been considered so now they have a place they can go and feel safe and have a place to play.’ It’s been all compliments which is kind of overwhelming.”

The park, on the old site of the old Casey Recreation Center, is not only popular with Goose Creek residents, those from outside the city have been arriving as well.

“Not a day goes by that somebody is like, we drove here from North Charleston or we drove here from Summerville. It is really an attraction point and people are utilizing it,” said Miller. “It’s been a joy to have in the community, it’s been an honor to work there and be a part of the project. I think it’s going to be a staple for really long time to come.”

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — Tonight, the City of Goose Creek is expected finalize its plans for a new 300-unit apartment complex coming to Henry Brown Boulevard, as the city’s Board of Architectural Review will make its final recommendations to the developers for adjustments.

The complex will take up 24 acres adjacent to Henry Brown Blvd. With 10 three-story buildings surrounding a central pond. The complex will include amenities such as a dog park, pedestrian walkway and a five-story garage.

Read More: City of Goose Creek board to review plans for 300-unit apartment complex

However, it has been a long time coming to get to this point. The conceptual design was initially approved over a decade ago. The development is zoned under a “Pre-Existing Development” which outdates projects which were approved by the current city council and Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib.

But with the population in goose creek growing by over 25 percent over the past decade, the main concern for residents is making sure the infrastructure is in place to fit the current state of the city.

“I feel that we're kind of at the mercy of the builder at this point, because they were approved so long ago, before the vision of what it should be for Goose Creek. So, anything that the [Board of Architectural Review] recommends or anything like that, it's kind of limited what they can do,” Goose Creek Resident Eric Bennett said.

How a new 300-unit apartment complex will shake up the Goose Creek area in the future. (WCIV)

“I really think that the city council, I think that the mayor is working with these builders and talking to them, and seeing how they can come to some middle ground and anytime that you're able to communicate, anytime that people are willing to meet in the middle, then everybody wins," Bennett continued.

Since the project was approved already the BAR can’t stop or reject the apartment complex from being built. The board of architectural review will make recommendations including lighting, signage and elevation at tonight’s meeting.

But the question for a lot of residents remains how those in charge will handle the project which was approved in a very different Goose Creek than we are seeing today.

There are already some changes in the works as the city has is nearly two years into their project to expand a portion of Henry Brown Blvd. from a two lane road to a four lane road.

Read More: Does Goose Creek need more apartments? Leaders, community members weigh in

The bigger concern for residents is the infrastructure around the building, with one of the key elements being storm water management. This has been a problem for the city and greater Berkeley County area for a while, especially after we saw flooding impacts from Hurricane Ian and Tropical storm Nicole hit those areas.

While some say the complex isn’t a negative for the city, residents do say they want to see the right steps made in the implementation of this new building to fit into the city’s current structure.

“The challenge that you have, though is where does the money come to get that infrastructure put in place? And the answer to that is to the growth, right? Putting these projects and the impact fees that come from these projects towards that infrastructure, the tax revenue, and everything else from the property taxes and stuff is what's going to drive the ability to improve that infrastructure,” Bennett said.

Read More: Proposed plans for downtown Charleston apartment complex causes controversy

In a statement provided to us from the City of goose creek officials says in part quote:

All stormwater requirements required by the county will be in place for these or any developments.

But there was no statement on whether the city or county as a whole would plan to change any of those with the new building in place. It is important to note most of the Stormwater Management or external infrastructure management comes from Berkley County and not the city of Goose Creek.

City officials also said developers now need to have any new apartment complex approved by the current mayor and council for full approval. Something which was not in place when this complex was approved.

The city's Board of Architectural Review meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m.

GOOSE CREEK — Lydia Wright squealed and giggled uncontrollably as her brother Michael pushed her on a swing at Central Creek Park in Goose Creek.

The 4-year-old, who has epilepsy, was belted securely in the swing by a plastic harness designed to hold children in place as they fly through the air.

Lydia’s family was one of the first families to use the city’s new 13-acre Central Creek Park, a barrier-free park and playground designed to accommodate everyone, including children and adults with disabilities. That was important for her parents, Rob and Bethany Wright, who say it’s extremely hard to find activities that accommodate their 22-year-old daughter Lissy, who has autism.

“We have been driving all the way to downtown Charleston” from their home in Cane Bay to participate in the city’s inclusive parks and rec activities, said Bethany Wright. “And when COVID came on, they stopped all their programming.”

The new Goose Creek park’s playground includes wheelchair-accessible swings, equipment designed to aid people with sensory processing issues and other features that appeal to “kids of all abilities,” said Mayor Greg Habib.

The park officially opened to the public on Dec. 16 after nine months of construction. Habib said it was a community effort — more than $1.3 million of the total $9.5 million cost came from private donations.

Hannah Miller, the city’s therapeutic recreation coordinator, and Nicole Herrera Murray, assistant recreation director, both advocated strongly for inclusive playground equipment.

“A lot of the pieces are intentional,” Miller said. “Like, we have a seesaw that you can put a wheelchair in. You can wheel somebody up so that they can experience the motion that you wouldn’t typically find at another park.”

While still not widespread, inclusive parks are becoming more common throughout the Lowcountry. Both North Charleston and Summerville opened playgrounds for children with disabilities in the spring, and North Charleston is working on a $5 million, 50,000-square-foot recreational space accessible for both children and adults.

Last month, Moncks Corner opened its long-awaited Home Telecom Miracle League baseball field, an inclusive, wheelchair-accessible field for the town’s Miracle League team to play sports. The field’s grand opening was attended by baseball fans throughout the Lowcountry. Like Central Creek Park, the $1.5 million project was funded partially by donations.

“We are excited about having our first season this spring,” said Moncks Corner Recreation Director Becky Ellison in an email to The Post and Courier.

The movement goes beyond the Lowcountry to other parts of the state. Greenville has several parks accessible for those with disabilities. The newest, Unity Park, opened in May with features like smooth, wheelchair-friendly turf, supportive swings with extra straps and interactive elements to the toddler playground, said Loren Thomas, the city’s multimedia communications specialist.

“Unity Park was really about bringing everyone together and giving everyone a place to play, a place to fellowship, a place to just enjoy the city of Greenville,” Thomas said. “Part of that was making sure the playgrounds, which are going to be a feature of the park, were accessible to all and inclusive to all.”

Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb, who attended the openings of both the Miracle League field and Central Creek Park, said it’s exciting to see places that everyone, regardless of age or ability, can enjoy.

“I look at this park, it’s like cradle to grave,” he said. “It’s (for the) really, really young, all the way up to old, and everyone in between.”

Goose Creek Parks Director Crystal Reed said the city worked closely with the special needs community and the rest of the public when designing Central Creek Park. The parks and recreation department already has a therapeutics program in which children and adults with disabilities participate in bowling, dance, music, art and fishing. Lissy Wright and her family has participated in the program for several years.

“When we started those programs, we started getting connected with a lot of the day programs in the area that serve a lot of the adults, and we started working closer with the schools, you know, their special education programs,” Reed said. “It’s really this close-knit community ... We feel like we got a lot of feedback from these groups as we started planning and we have sessions where we kind of were able to hear what the public wanted, what our community needed.”

The park also fits into a larger push by Goose Creek to expand its recreation and entertainment options as the city’s population and surrounding area grows. Last year, John McCants Veterans Memorial Park opened on Anita Drive, and the city has plans to break ground on a $4 million amphitheater behind the municipal center in April.

“I want to create as many opportunities for people to leave their home, go where other people are and have fellowship with one another,” Habib said. “I believe that’s how you build community. That’s how a hometown is built.”

Deborah Grace is a newcomer to the city, having recently moved from West Ashley, and said she thinks the park as a whole will be a great place for the city to hold events that she can take her family to.

“It’s just unique,” said Grace. “And I don’t think there’s any other park around the area like it that I have seen even in the tri-county area.”

In addition to the two playgrounds, Central Creek Park includes eight pickleball courts, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a food truck court, a splash pad that will open late next spring, a field and stage, and half-mile walking trail around the perimeter. The park also has the Casey Pavilion, where the city expects to hold events like farmers markets, craft fairs, movie nights and concerts if the weather is too rainy to hold them on the stage.

-Fast casual concept celebrates Berkeley County grand opening Feb. 21 with free chicken salad for a year-

ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today its latest opening in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Located at 220 St. James Ave., this is the third Chicken Salad Chick for the Charleston area and the 13^th to open in the state. The new restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday, Feb. 21 by offering free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 guests.

During grand opening week, Goose Creek guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for with specials and giveaways that include:

Chicken Salad Chick's South Carolina expansion is being led by Julie Beville and Michelle Singleton of Sing Bev Hospitality. These multi-unit franchise owners opened their first Chick in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2013 and have steadily grown to own and operate a total of 15 locations throughout the Carolinas, including the two other Charleston-area locations in Summerville and Mount Pleasant. A decade with the chicken salad brand has shown them a lot about the value their restaurants bring to their communities.

"Michelle and I always say one of our favorite parts of bringing the Chick to new neighborhoods is the opportunity to positively impact the lives of our guests," said Julie Beville, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick Goose Creek. "We've gotten to know our fans here in the Lowcountry over the past several years, and we know they rely on us for fresh, made-from-scratch meals they can enjoy with friends and family in our dining room or on the go. They also appreciate the warm hospitality of our restaurant teams and the way we support local organizations. We can't wait to be their new go-to spot in Goose Creek."

Chicken Salad Chick in Goose Creek will be open Monday – Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

For more information on giveaways and specials, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChickenSaladChickGooseCreekSC/

*Guests should start arriving at 7 a.m. to get checked in. The first 100 guests will be assigned a number and a designated return time between 10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Upon return, guests will make a purchase of "The Chick" or anything of greater value and enter a code on the Chicken Salad Chick app to officially secure your spot. If you are late, or miss the return time, your spot will be awarded to the next in-line. Guests will receive their first free Large Quick Chick electronically to your App the Monday following Grand Opening Day. **Must download the CSC App and be 16 years or older to purchase. Not valid with any other offers. Limit 1 reward per guest present.

About Chicken Salad Chick Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Founded in Auburn, Alabama, by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 220 restaurants in 17 states. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the brand is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in the 2023 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious for the third consecutive year, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers from 2018 to 2022, QSR's Best Franchise Deals in 2019, 2020 and 2022, and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

Contact:Nicole HunnicuttFish Consulting404-558-4108nhunnicutt@fish-consulting.com

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick