Pressure Washing in Johns Island, SC

Two ballot questions up for vote in next week’s election have Charleston County residents split, with notable advocacy groups and community leaders loudly proclaiming their opposition.

Charleston County is seeking to extend a half-penny sales tax previously passed in 2016 to generate $5.4 billion to pay for large-scale infrastructure projects — including the extension of Interstate 526 across Johns Island. Almost half of all funds raised through the half-cent tax (about $2.3 billion) would go toward the interstate project, including more than $600 million to pay interest costs on a tax-backed loan worth $1.8 billion.

At an Oct. 15 Charleston County Council meeting, dozens of residents and local advocates spoke for roughly an hour during a special public comment period. Those who spoke against the sales tax pointed to its unclear language, the unfinished projects from the 2016 tax and grievances with the Mark Clark extension project as reasons to vote against the measure.“The county has already failed to pursue all but one of the projects from the previous sales tax,” one speaker said.

The new tax would also pay for millions of dollars of work that was supposed to be covered by the 2016 referendum. About 5% of the new tax’s revenue, or $282,223,000, would go toward “carryover projects” from the 2016 sales tax.

“Once more, we’re back where we started again,” another said. “It’s time to start from scratch.”Meanwhile, groups like Citizens for Safe Roads, a grassroots movement, support the referendum.

In its “Vote Yes” campaign, the group said: “The transportation sales tax potential distributions include billions for road improvements across Charleston County necessary to improve the safety of dangerous intersections; reduce response times for EMS, fire, police; improve hurricane evacuation routes; and reduce traffic injuries and fatalities.”

Altogether, the funds raised by the sales tax would be allocated to:

Opponents say lumping the massive Mark Clark extension project with other, crucial improvements is unfair to voters.

“Charleston County voters deserve to make informed choices when they head to the polls. They should not be forced into an all-or-nothing decision,” Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Faith Rivers James said in a statement. “Voters deserve the right to vote for preferred needed improvements — like Greenbelt and CARTA funds — without being forced to support the destructive and unnecessary Mark Clark extension as the priority project.”

Republican County Council member Larry Kobrovsky of Sullivan’s Island added that there’s no guarantee all of the projects funded by the new sales tax would be built, either, adding to the uncertainty of the measure.

“My fear is that we will jeopardize ongoing projects from the [2016] sales tax,” he told the Charleston City Paper in a previous report. “By lumping it all, we’re holding hostage all these other projects to 526.

“When people vote on this, they think the projects will be built,” he said. “This is just a fantasy. … There’s no guarantee we will have the money to finish these projects. How can we in good faith put out something that we don’t have the money for? To me, that wouldn’t be ethical or fair.”

A second question on the ballot would approve the issuance of up to $1 billion in bonds to the county payable from the new sales tax. If passed, the new sales tax would be active starting in 2027 and remain in place for no more than 25 years, or until a matching total of $5.4 billion in returning revenue has been collected.

Know your candidates before you head to the polls

Election Day may look a little different this year. Up to 140,000 Charleston County voters are expected to have voted before Nov. 5, according to county election officials, which will make it much smoother at the polls for same-day voters, projected to be about 80,000 people.Here is a list of all candidates in contested races who will be on Charleston Countyballots to help readers prepare to check the box when they arrive at their polling locations.

District 1 — Nancy Mace (Republican, incumbent); Michael B. Moore (Democrat)

District 6 — Duke Buckner (Republican); James Clyburn (Democrat, incumbent); Gregg Marcel Dixon (United Citizens); Joseph Oddo (Alliance); Michael Simpson (Libertarian)

District 20 — Kendal Ludden (Libertarian); Ed Sutton (Democrat, incumbent)

District 41 — Rita Adkins (Democrat); Matt Leber (Republican)

District 43 — Chip Campsen (Republican); Julie Cofer Hussey (Democrat)

District 44 — Brian Adams (Republican, incumbent); Vicky Wynn (Democrat)

District 15 — J.A. Moore (Democrat, incumbent); Carlton Walker (Republican)

District 80 — Kathy Landing (Republican, incumbent); Donna Brown Newton (Democrat)

District 110 — Tom Hartnett (Republican, incumbent); John Moffett (Democrat)

District 111 — Wendell G. Gilliard (Democrat, incumbent); Joe Jernigan (Libertarian)

District 112 — Peter Brennan (Democrat); Joe Bustos (Republican, incumbent)

District 114 — Gary Brewer (Republican, incumbent); Adrienne Lett (Democrat)

District 115 — J. Warren Sloane (Republican); Spencer Wetmore (Democrat, incumbent)

District 116 — Charlie Murray (Democrat); James Teeple (Republican)

District 119 — Brendan R. Magee (Republican); Leon Stavrinakis (Democrat, incumbent)

District 3 — Hayden W. Seignious (Republican); Rob Wehrman (Democrat, incumbent)

District 7 — Brantley Moody (Republican, incumbent); Sydney Van Bulck (Democrat)

9th Circuit Solicitor — David Osborne (Democrat); Scarlett A. Wilson (Republican, incumbent)

Sheriff — Kristin R. Graziano (Democrat, incumbent); Carl Ritchie (Republican)

Coroner — Frank Broccolo (Democrat); Bobbi Jo O’Neal (Republican, incumbent)

Treasurer — Mary Tinkler (Democrat, incumbent); Mike Van Horn Sr. (Republican)

District 2 — Carolina D. Jewett; Ed Kelley (incumbent)

District 4 — Kevin D. Hollinshead; Craig Logan

District 6 — Daron Lee Calhoun II (incumbent); Michele Leber; Samuel Whatley II

District 8 — Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson (incumbent); Michelle Faust; Charles Glover Sr.

District 1, St. James Santee — Thomas Legrant Colleton Jr.; Chayann Lashay Simpson; Marie Snyder-Facine

District 3, James Island — Sue McManus; George Tempel

District 4, Cooper River Area 3 — Lala B. Fyall; Jametta L. King

District 4, Cooper River at Large — Michael Garnett; Jametta L. King

District 9, St. Johns — Bill Antonucci; Pat Cline; Gertie S. Ford; Cedric I. Solomon

District 10, St. Andrews — Francis Marion Beylotte III; Joy Brown; Piare A. Powell

District 20, Peninsula — Downing Child; F.X. Clasby

District 23, St. Pauls — Blanche Bowens; Marvin Lamar Bowens; Tiffany Deas-Smalls; Elijah Hammer Dent; Damian M. Jones; Richmond Truesdale

The Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections is reminding voters to double-check their polling locations ahead of the 2024 general election next week,as some locations in the county have moved.

Of the locations that have moved, one is in McClellanville, six are in Mount Pleasant, three are in North Charleston, one is in West Ashley and one is in Hollywood.

Charleston County residents can check their polling location and make sure their voter registration is up to date online at chsvotes.gov.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.

It’s not too late to vote early, but time is running out.

Voters can cast an early ballot at seven locations through Saturday. Early voting is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Polling locations:

Help keep the City Paper free.No paywalls.No subscription cost.Free delivery at 800 locations.

Help support independent journalism by donating today.

[empowerlocal_ad sponsoredarticles]

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – After the weekend, the Johns Island and Lowcountry community came together to help out St. John’s High School.

The local high school hasn’t had a traditional homecoming dance since 2020, but this year they are bringing it back. One student on the dance’s committee took to Facebook and sent out a post hoping to make this year’s homecoming special.

“She was worried our homecoming dance wasn’t going to happen,” Erin Longshore, a teacher at St. John’s High School, said. “I think her original intention was to see if she could get a couple of things here and there for us to have really great decorations and from there it just kind of exploded.”

The response from that post allowed the school to raise over $13,000. Longshore checked her email on Saturday and shared the news with her committee members Madison Evans and Morgan Denton, who are also teachers at the school.

“Completely utter shock,” Longshore said. “I started crying when I saw all the emails on Saturday and I normally don’t check emails on Saturday, but something told me to.”

School officials said students are excited for the dance and were also surprised by the amount they fundraised. Some of the donations included buying tickets for students and others to their Amazon wish list. With the dance coming up tomorrow, students and staff on the decorating committee are continuing to prepare for the night.

“We’ve been patiently waiting for the Amazon delivery truck to show up so we can get all our packages and undo those,” Longshore said. “They’ve been able to come out of their classes do so, and we’ve been slowly decorating during lunch. And in any free time we might have, which we don’t have much, but we’ve been getting it done.”

Officials said the remaining amount of money will go towards future dances and activities, which will leave the students and staff plenty of time and resources to plan ahead. Longshore said this year’s decorations will be recycled and reused.

The dance is on Oct. 17, while the homecoming football game and parade will be on Oct. 18.

|Updated: Oct. 9, 2024 at 6:39 PM EDT

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Nine couples sued a homebuilder on Johns Island after the builder terminated their contracts at the last minute, and a judge ruled in favor of the buyers saying the contract lacked ‘any mutuality’ and was ‘unconscionable.’

Christopher Raybon was one of many who thought he had found his dream house with Eastwood Homes in Swygerts Landing on Johns Island.

“I remarried in 2019 and my wife and I both were really excited about looking for a fresh start. We had our eyes on probably six or seven different properties, and decided to go with Eastwood because we’d heard such great things about the houses,” Raybon says.

He signed a contract with Eastwood Homes and the process began.

“We felt great going into it. The person who gave us contracts went over everything with us, assured us that they never had any problems with anyone with their contracts, and that it was pretty, as we’ve heard a couple times, just kind of a boilerplate contract,” Raybon says.

Raybon recalls getting weekly updates on the house, that started to slow in the months approaching the move, but he didn’t think anything of it. He was never notified of any sort of issues. Then, he says it was only a month until the big move when he got the call.

“Just out of the blue, I received a call from them, kind of, expressing that they had an HOA issue and that they wanted to work through, would take a couple months, and they want us to voluntarily exit the contract, and didn’t give me a choice of what to do. It was a really sinking feeling, because the impact of it didn’t hit me all at once, but after I got off the phone, it really sunk in it they want me to exit this contract, and I’ve got to explain to my wife how we no longer have anywhere to move,” Raybon says.

Eastwood Homes wrote the contract. The part this lawsuit deals with is a paragraph titled “Seller Option to Cancel Prior to Closing.” The paragraph says that if a bona fide dispute should arise between the buyer and seller, and it cannot be resolved, it is the seller’s sole judgment to cancel the contract. In that event, Eastside would notify the buyer, refund their purchase, plus $100 for the trouble.

Local attorneys Ross Appel and Michael Cooper handled the case. They say the legal issue isn’t whether there was an HOA dispute, but instead with how the contract is written and how dispute is defined.

“One of the issues that we have in this case is that when you’re dealing with these national builders, the contracts that you sign are not negotiated. These are take it or leave it form boilerplate contracts that are being provided on a take it or leave it basis by the builder,” Appel says.

“The builder is allowed to use their own contract, right? That’s totally fine, but the terms of the contract have to be fair and sort of mutual. Like, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Cooper says.

At trial, Eastwood’s lawyer testified that they defined ‘dispute’ as any reason the builder wanted to cancel. The Eastside lawyer says in the record “Your opinion is irrelevant because it’s the seller’s sole judgment, so I really don’t care what your opinion is. It’s only my opinion that matters. Period.”

The judge ruled that the terms of the contract were not mutual, lulled the buyers into a false sense of security and “no reasonable, honest, or fair person would accept such terms that allow the party with superior bargaining power to terminate the agreement at-will and without meaningful consequence.”

“The ruling that we got from Judge Scarborough stands for a pretty simple proposition, that when a builder enters into a contract with a homebuyer, they have to take that contract seriously, and they can’t just terminate the contract for any reason they want and do so in a way that’s completely one-sided, and that’s really what this case is about,” Appel says.

“So they can’t say you have to use our contract, but then I get all the benefits and you get none. And so, you know that’s the issue - is when it’s not really bargained and it’s not fair,” Cooper says.

At trial, the Eastwood lawyer said the company had the right to define ‘dispute’ dispute however they wanted and for example, could end the contract if they wanted to try and re-sell the home for a higher price.

“It was really devastating us. We were really looking forward to beginning a new life, moving into this new house. And it was just devastating to know that someone could come into a contract that we entered into with faith and just decide on a whim not to sell it to you. And, you know, and the dream that you had, we don’t really care about that, because we care more about what we think we need to do for our bottom line,” Raybon says.

Eastwood homes is appealing against the ruling, so this case may be heard by the State Supreme Court in 2025. Raybon is glad to have been a part of setting the record straight in the first ruling, even if he still doesn’t have that dream home.

“It was just completely unfair. If they could do that to us, they could do that to who knows, however many other homeowners and I’ve never been one to stand by when I felt like there was a, you know, someone was being wrong,” Raybon says.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

When you load up the car with gas and press play on a new playlist, you're likely on your way to some outdoor excursion or small-town adventure. But here in South Carolina, our restaurants are good enough to warrant a day trip. That's why we're recommending a visit to Lost Isle in Johns Island, even if it means a few hours of driving time.

Just outside of Charleston, Johns Island is 84 square miles of land characterized by rivers, marshes, and abundant wildlife. Lost Isle blends seamlessly into this landscape, offering its visitors a hyperlocal Lowcountry experience.

Lost Isle is among the region's newest restaurants, and it's already made a name for itself after making The Restaurant List in The New York Times. It's tucked away behind a little white house. You'll follow a canopy of flora to a backyard garden, where you'll be seated under a beautiful canvas canopy complete with chandeliers. This outside-only dining space is perfect for a cozy meal under the stars, with the added benefit of seeing your food cooked just a few feet away.

Lost Isle is a "fire-to-table" restaurant, and local, seasonal ingredients are prepared over an open fire. Lead chef Josh Taylor grew up in Northern Georgia and incorporates familiar Lowcountry staples into his menu. And yet, it's the globally-inspired flavors that really make the plates shine.

The menu is divided into small plates, shareable sides, and mains, giving you a chance to share a handful of dishes with your group. Be sure to start off your meal with the whipped ricotta, served with charred tomato, herb oil, chili honey, and focaccia. Other popular orders include the curry braised collards and rire-roasted Georgia clams. The Harissa cauliflower steak is also highly recommended.

No matter what you order, be sure to pair your meal with something from the bar. There's an impressive list of house cocktails as well as beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options.

Have you had the opportunity to visit Lost Isle on Johns Island? What were some of your favorite menu items? We'd love to learn all about your experiences there! For more information, including menus and hours, be sure to check out the Lost Isle Johns Island website. Lost Isle does not currently accept reservations, and they recommend arriving either early or late to secure a table. The restaurant is located at 3338 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455.

Need a place to stay while you're exploring the area? Check out these unique vacation rentals in Johns Island, South Carolina.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Johns Island resident is continuing to push for change after he says a road in his subdivision is a speedway for drivers trying to cut through the neighborhood.

“Three years ago, we had to say this tree was hit by a speeder coming through,” Kent Kise says.

Kise has lived off Brittlebush Lane in Whitney Lakes on Johns Island for about eight years.

Kise and other nearby residents say not a lot has changed since the last time they talked about this problem.

“Every morning and every evening we’re seeing cars racing through here at 40 to 50 miles an hour. It’s got straddled with walkways on both sides. We’ve got children, pets, pedestrians,” Kise says.

Kise and his neighbors are continuing to fight for speed bumps in the area and are still dealing with speedy drivers cutting through their neighborhood around Maybank Highway.

“We have a stretch here called ‘the Brittlebush Speedway,’” Kise says.

The nickname was coined by the neighborhood after residents said the constant flow of through traffic to Maybank Highway is causing safety concerns in the neighborhood

“It’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, someone’s going to get seriously hurt,” Kise says.

Now, community members say they have reached the final straw after another high-speed driver recently crashed into the same tree in their subdivision.

“We had a very high-impact crash on the same tree in the same area. So, it just goes to show just how dangerous this area has gotten.” Kise said.

Speed bumps are on other roads in the neighborhood, but not on Brittlebush Lane - the one Kent says sees the worst of it.

“Of all areas that need speed calming and speed humps is this stretch right here… This is a very deserving location. If they want to prevent some serious accidents, they need to do it now,” Kise says.

Live 5 brought these concerns to the City of Charleston Section Chief of Public Works, Robert Somerville, who says that, for speed bumps to be considered, it’s going to take some work from the public, because of the amount of road requests they receive.

He said, first, a petition would need to be done with at least 75% of residents in the area agreeing to the issue, a study would then need to be done proving about 350 vehicles pass through at over 20 miles per hour. If this is proven, the proposal will be taken to the city council for approval.

Once approved, Somerville says they will proceed with speed bumps at the location.

What’s driving you crazy out on the roads? Submit your story suggestions here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.