This Saturday is Free Skateboarding Day from 12-5 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Skate Park, behind the R.L. Jones Center where you can try MPRD’s SkateLite Pro Ramps for free.

Participants must bring their own skateboard and safety equipment (helmet, knee pads and elbow pads) and have a current, signed waiver on file.

All skate park rules and regulations apply. Check the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department website for more info, or contact Mark Friedrich at 856-2196.

For more skate park concepts going on around the country, check out Skateparks Start to Go Green.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Mt. Pleasant Skate Park draws crowds

According to an Oct. 31, 2008 Shem Creek appraisal from Atlantic Appraisals, the acreage Mt. Pleasant bought from the previous Ok Tire owners, Mark Mason and Phillip Smith, for $6 million is now worth only half that.

Originally asking $7.6 million for the property, the owners settled for $6 million when Mt. Pleasant threatened eminent domain foreclosure on the property early last year.

Even with proposed enhancements on the property to repair aged docks, etc., the value only gets as high as $4,138,000 based on today’s declined real estate market and economic downturn.

“We’re not going to do anything with it. We’re not moving forward at this point in time. We’re looking at some other possibilities in Mount Pleasant,” -
PRC Commissioner Mark Kearns.

While Mark Mason and Phillip Smith obviously made out, higher property taxes are going to have to pay back the bonds that were used to buy the property.

Mt. Pleasant intends to use the location for a park and public space, so everybody is interested in how this will turn out. Local firm Thomas and Hutton Engineering is surveying the property now to come up with a master plan.

Input from several parties will be noted:

1. shrimpers,
2. the U.S. Coast Guard,
3. the sailing community,
4. adjacent neighborhoods,
5. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
6. Shem Creek restaurants and businesses,
7. the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), and
8. the state Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

Mt. Pleasant will be announcing when the meeting for public input is going to take place; until then, stay tuned.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Shem Creek appraisal: $3M – after a $6M buyout!

To make things even more hectic for local longshoremen and truckers, the SPA CEO is leaving now too.

All this happened before President Obama gave his first weekly address Saturday. In that historical speech, he demanded increased security for our ports, so to say it’s the reason SPA management decided to not successfully renegotiate with the union, and that somehow the SPA’s CEO leaving office has anything to do with it, is totally without merit – although President Obama did mention port security in his earlier campaign pledges.

“…we will rebuild and retrofit America to meet the demands of the 21st century. That means repairing and modernizing thousands of miles of America’s roadways and providing new mass transit options for millions of Americans. It means protecting America by securing 90 major ports…” – Pres. Obama

In fact, the local ILA couldn’t come to terms with Maersk management, and in the end, decided to leave Charleston completely by the end of 2010. Dana Magliola, spokesman for Maersk Line, said “The South Carolina State Ports Authority offered us a workable solution that involved a move into the common yard, but we needed the consent of local ILA to accomplish the move. The local ILA refused to consent, and so we are forced to move.”

According to Shipping Digest, “Not one of the East Coast’s major metropolitan areas, Charleston is nevertheless the second busiest container port on the East Coast, trailing only New York / New Jersey in container volumes.”

Current weekly Maersk departures out of Charleston include:

1. Africa,
2. Asia: Russian Far East, Japan, Korea,
3. Asia: Taiwan, China, Hong Kong,
4. Caribbean/Central America,
5. Europe/Mediterranean, and
6. Indian Subcontinent/Mideast/Red Sea

With Maersk leaving Charleston, it will obviously have a huge impact on the local economy, but another carrier will surely fill the gap when the opportunity arises – let’s just hope it happens sooner, rather than later.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Obama increases port security, Maersk leaves Charleston

Those who were there last year may remember that Ryan Seacrest and the ‘American Idol’ folks were in town for auditions; I wonder if any special events are planned for this year? It doesn’t really matter, the oyster festival is always a great time IMO!

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of.

For more information, call Boone Hall Plantation at (843) 884-4371. They do ask that no pets or coolers be brought to the event. Enjoy!

To date, more than $1,000,000 has been donated to the Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center, the Hollings Cancer Center, and the Ronald McDonald House.

From the Shem Creek blog.

The 2009 Lowcountry Oyster Festival is this weekend

It was also cool to see some turtles – or were they tortoises? – and some slithery snake bracelets brought in by local animal lovers.

Unfortunately, all the money being spent here isn’t gonna be much help for Shem Creek’s shrimping boats if these gas prices stay so high and the amount of shrimp out there keeps dwindling.

Of course I took a bunch of pictures while I was there, click the clown to see a gallery of 27 of them.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Mt. Pleasant ‘Blessing of the Fleet’ 2008

A’las, those good ol’ days are history now, but the same people that came rushing in on the construction boom are a lot of the same ones suffering through the nation’s mortgage crisis right now. Checkout this infograph the NYT’s did illustrating the nation’s foreclosure market.

No doubt it’s tough out there for many, and it looks to get worse over the next year at least going forward. There are good finds for those looking in the right spots though. Sure, it’s all about location, location, location, but Charleston real estate will always be a hot commodity.

Anyway, I think the lesson learned here is to not live outside your means, and always protect yourself financially against the worst of times. Those with safe, secure jobs, are fortunate and should do whatever necessary to make sure it stays that way, but helping out others in need along the way isn’t such a bad idea either – you’ll be glad you did. G/L out there.

From the Shem Creek blog.

S.C. enjoys construction boom, loathes job losses

To view a slideshow of urban growth projections for the Charleston area, click the link or image provided, but be warned, if you think traffic is bad now, “you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!”

Mayor Riley is now talking about using rail cars to alleviate some of the dreaded highway traffic we see around here every workday. Charleston paying to benefit Mt. Pleasant? Now that’s a sign of the times…

And it’s a good thing too, because when Mt. Pleasant finishes last for walkers in S.C., you know it’s time for the local government to get things fixed. I mean, have you ever tried to cross Johnnie Dodds on foot? Good luck!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Urban Growth Projections for the Charleston area

This is always a great event to go to, and unless something unexpected comes up, I’ll be there shucking plenty of oysters and clicking away with the camera.

For those coming in from out of town (since this always draws a big crowd), I’ve included an aerial shot below to give you an idea of the size of this place (which I stretched out to Hwy 41 for reference). Don’t worry though, Boone Hall Plantation is an easy find. Usually everybody enters from Long Point Run off 17N just north of the Isle of Palms connector (notice the green arrow in the lower left corner). For those that need further assistance, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of Mt. Pleasant’s finest around directing traffic.

Advance tickets for the 25th Annual Oyster Festival are on sale for $10.00 and are available at all Charleston area Applebee’s Restaurants, and through the Association Office. Tickets can also be purchased at the event for $12.00 (kids 10 and younger are admitted free when accompanied with an adult).

And don’t let a little wet weather scare you away. I can’t count how many times we’ve been there in the past with overcast skies and patches of mud around us, so wear warm clothes and boots if you can. No matter what the weather is though, we always have a blast, and I’m sure you will too! Have fun and see you there.

From the Shem Creek blog.

American Idol and Oysters: thanks Boone Hall Plantation!

Not to count one’s chickens before they hatch, Dec. 18th could be a very happy day for the two gentlemen, because that’s when the agreement is scheduled to be closed. Hopefully I will be posting just one more time on this heated topic of discussion!

* Update: looks like the good news for the OK Tire property owners I was waiting on!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Mt. Pleasant says it will do OK Tire right, $6M right!

As a matter of public record, the OK Tire property time line is as follows:

• * Sept. 11: Town Administrator Mac Burdette said that council authorized Town Attorney Allen Young to request issuance of the check pursuant to discussions it held in an executive session.
• * Sept. 25: The $2,285,000 check was based on an appraisal of the OK Tire property by Hartnett Realty Co. Inc. on this date.
• * Oct. 3: Young requests a check for $2,285,000 to be issued on or before Oct. 10 payable to Charleston County Clerk of Court. The funds will be posted with the clerk as part of a condemnation action to be filed relative to the OK Tire property.
• * Oct. 4: A requisition form for $2,285,000 states that the money is for “Mark Mason/OK Tire property condemnation.”
• * Oct. 9: Council votes to “authorize a final offer and, if not accepted, pursue final legal action as discussed” after an executive session to discuss Shem Creek contractual and legal matters. Young declines to name the specific piece of property that the council wants to buy because of ongoing negotiations. Council does not name an amount it is offering for the unspecified piece of property.
• * Oct. 10: Young issues a statement that the town is condemning the OK Tire property after owner Mark Mason rejects an offer of $2,285,000. Mason has an appraisal of $4.6 million for the land.
• * Nov. 16: OK Tire property owners Mason and Phillip Smith file suit against the town, asking for the condemnation to be dismissed. Among the grounds for their countersuit are alleged town violations of the state Freedom of Information Act, including a violation Oct. 9 when Town Council approved the condemnation.
• Young said in response to the FOIA request from Mason that the $2,285,000 was appropriated as part of the budget approved by council back in June. According to documents the town provided Mason, the money for condemnation of his land comes from the town’s tax increment financing fund. One of the documents lists $3 million for “water access acquisition” but does not specify the OK Tire property.

An appraisal done for SunTrust bank by Paul K. Moore & Associates values the OK Tire property at $4.5 million, which Mason says more accurately reflects the value of the tract.

Will this have any affect on your next Town Council voting decision? Inquiring minds want to know.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Mt Pleasant’s OK Tire and it’s eminent domain crisis