1324 Bexley Street - PARK CIRCLE

REALTORS Ask Governor To Intervene

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS ask Governor Nikki Haley to step-up and solve the rail dispute in Park Circle located in North Charleston, SC.

N. Charleston files lawsuit challenging condemnation

Ashley Fletcher Frampton
Published Feb. 15, 2011

 

Following through on its promises to engage the state in a legal battle, the city of North Charleston has filed a lawsuit challenging the S.C. Department of Commerce’s right to take several parcels on the former Navy base to build a rail yard.

 

The Commerce Department on Dec. 22 announced plans for building a rail yard near the Port of Charleston’s new cargo terminal on the former base. At the rail yard, shipping containers would be assembled into trains.

 

The same week in late December, state officials served several property owners, including the city, with notices that it would use eminent domain to take parcels for the facility.

 

The city’s lawsuit, filed Jan. 21, seeks to overturn the condemnation action. In nine separate claims, the city argues that the Commerce Department and its S.C. Public Railways Division:

• Did not complete the project plans and financial studies required for condemnation.
• Did not follow certain procedures outlined under the state’s eminent domain laws.
• Cannot legally take the city’s land for a public use because it is already devoted to a public use.
• Lack the statutory authority to build a port-related rail yard. That authority belongs to the S.C. Department of Transportation and the S.C. State Ports Authority, the city claims.
• Are violating city contracts and debt obligations.
• The Commerce Department has not yet submitted a response to the lawsuit.

“We believe the claims are without merit and will be filing responses soon,” said Commerce spokeswoman Kara Borie.

 

North Charleston filed the lawsuit for each of the three parcels the Commerce Department seeks to take from the city itself, as well as a tract that the city deeded to Clemson University several years ago for its Restoration Institute.

 

City attorney Brady Hair said the recent lawsuit won’t be the last one that North Charleston files, though he declined to detail future filings.

 

“Challenging the condemnation is just the first shot across the bow,” Hair said.

 

The “heart and soul of the city’s position,” Hair said, is its contention that the state committed in 2002 not to run trains serving the new port terminal through the northern end of the former Navy base, and that the state is now breaking that promise.

 

The city sought that commitment from the S.C. State Ports Authority in a formal memorandum of understanding in an effort to protect redevelopment efforts on the northern end of the base.

 

“That deal was a written agreement approved by the Budget and Control Board, signed by the city and signed by the State Ports Authority,” Hair said. “And now the state, through the Department of Commerce, has tried to come in and break that deal, and we don’t believe they can do that.”

 

But Commerce Department officials and some state lawmakers have said that they are not breaking the deal. Instead, they say, the agreement was between the SPA and the city, and it does not bind them.

 

Those who support the state rail plan say it’s the best strategy for providing the two major rail carriers, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corp., with equal access to the new port terminal. That equal footing makes the Port of Charleston more competitive with other ports, they say.

 

CSX has proposed its own plan for a rail yard that would be accessed only from the southern end of the base. Company executives recently said they would share that yard with competitor Norfolk Southern, and share its costs, to achieve equal dual access.

 

What will happen with the rail plan in Park Circle?

Park Circle residents turn out for rail meeting

By Daniel Brock
Published Jan. 12, 2011

Residents of a North Charleston neighborhood are mobilizing in their fight against the state’s rail plan.

More than 120 community members attended the Olde North Charleston Neighborhood Council’s monthly meeting Tuesday night, a gathering that usually attracts a crowd of fewer than 10.

Worried faces filled the room on East Montague Avenue as citizens voiced their concerns over the S.C. Commerce Department’s rail plan, which city officials say likely will have a dramatic effect on quality of life in the area.

The plan calls for construction of an intermodal rail yard on 71 acres near the Clemson University Restoration Institute’s wind turbine test facility at the former North Charleston Navy base. The rail yard would provide near-dock access to the S.C. State Ports Authority terminal under construction at the base’s southern end. The region’s two Class I railroads, CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp., would use the yard.

North Charleston officials warn that the state’s plan would triple train traffic in the Park Circle area while greatly expanding the trains’ size — to almost two miles long in some cases. Residents questioned how the plan would affect emergency services, traffic patterns and property values.

City officials contend the Commerce proposal goes against a 2002 agreement with the SPA prohibiting that agency from using track that runs out the base’s north end and past areas North Charleston has spent millions to redevelop in the past decade.

Norfolk Southern trains would access the Commerce facility via tracks that run next to Park Circle, and CSX would arrive at the yard from the south.

“We’re going to spend a lot of money” on a legal fight against the plan, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey told the crowd.

Summey said that the city has spent $15 million on its Waterfront Park, $2.1 million on another park on the south end of town and $3 million on redevelopment of the East Montague area, based on the belief that heavy trains would not rumble through the area.

He added that a renaissance in the area that includes extensive business and residential growth would have never happened had people thought they would one day have a rail yard as a neighbor.

Asked who had moved to Park Circle during the past eight years, nearly everyone in attendance raised a hand.

“We’re in for a fight folks, and we need your help,” said Summey, who said he wanted to bring 250 residents on a trip to address the state Legislature.

Already, a group of residents has formed a Facebook group, which is growing rapidly, and a website has popped up. The site allows users to sign an online petition and write letters of support.

A large e-mail list was compiled by meeting organizers during the gathering, and 100 bumper stickers that read “Save Park Circle No More Rails” were long gone moments after the crowd was dismissed.

Nicholai Burton, 28, lives in Park Circle and operates a nonprofit movie theater on East Montague Avenue. He helped design the website and said that TV ads and more Internet campaigns are on the way.

“We’re going to do what we can,” Burton said.

Boeing Co.’s 150-acre assembly line

These photographs were published in The Post & Courier on Sunday, September 5, 2010, and give a great view from above of the construction at Boeing.

November 2009

December 2009

April 2010

June 2010

August 2010

Photos by Aerial Photos Elite.

To see original post: http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/galleries/2010/sep/06/boeings-150-acre-assembly-line/12834/

Opponents speak out against rail plan

Friday, 09 July 2010
By Daniel Brock

NORTH CHARLESTON -- Mayor Keith Summey’s play to eliminate northern rail service to the former Navy base in favor of a line from the south has come under criticism from longtime opponents, who claim the plan isn’t in the region’s best interest and say they have been shut out of negotiations.

Summey, development firm Shipyard Creek and railroad operator CSX Transportation have drafted a memorandum of understanding that, if approved by the North Charleston City Council, would basically greenlight an intermodal rail facility that designed to service the $600 million S.C. State Ports Authority terminal under construction at the base.

Summey’s push for southern rail stems from a desire to preserve redevelopment efforts in North Charleston’s neighborhoods and on the base, which he says a northern line would negatively affect.

But a rival rail line and state agencies say that they’ve been frozen out of the proceedings and that they disagree with the plan.

“We have not been involved in this,” said Robin Chapman, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, Charleston’s other Class 1 railroad. Chapman said the company hasn’t participated in talks because it wasn’t invited.

“We don’t believe it’s in the right spot. We believe the best solution is a single consolidated terminal served by both Norfolk Southern and CSX,” he said.

Norfolk Southern would have to pay a switching fee for use of the CSX-owned track that would service a proposed intermodal yard on the Macalloy property, which is owned by Shipyard Creek. That charge can run into the hundreds of dollars per car.

Though it is common for rail companies to charge switching fees, Chapman said in this instance it would put Norfolk Southern at a competitive disadvantage in Charleston.

Summey addressed that issue in an interview on Wednesday.

“If the state was running it, they’d charge both of them a fee,” Summey said. “That’s the way it works in just about every location across the country. Now if Norfolk Southern wants a yard, they can build a yard somewhere else.”

S.C. Public Railways President Jeff McWhorter echoed Chapman’s sentiments, saying that his agency has not been consulted and that it prefers a facility that “would be accessible by both” rail lines.

The ports authority, which has long tried to distance itself from the debate, is not part of any specific plan, according to Jim Newsome, the agency’s president and CEO. The SPA was also not involved in the drafting of the proposed agreement.

“Whatever solution is implemented doesn’t require our buy-in,” Newsome said.

SPA spokesman Byron Miller said the SPA has concerns about Shipyard Creek’s plan for the Macalloy land. One of those concerns pertains to a port access road that would run across part of the Macalloy property.

A clause in the current memorandum calls for North Charleston to “assist and support the effort to cause” the port access road to be relocated.

If the road is moved, permits pertaining to both the road and the terminal could be reopened. Newsome said a reopening of the permits would likely be both time-consuming and costly, and could delay the terminal’s construction.

Residential Real Estate Sales Up 31% from October 2008

CHARLESTON, SC—(November 10, 2009) Preliminary data from the Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS® showed a 31% increase in closed sales year-over-year. 721 homes sold this October, as compared to 549 homes in October 2008.

The increase in sales is largely attributed to a more affordable market, as buyers take advantage of the robust inventory of fairly priced homes. In line with the national trend of an 11% decrease in median price, the Charleston area saw median home prices settle to just under $170,000 in October, a 13% variation in price from 2008.

Inventory dropped slightly again, with 10,631 homes currently listed for sale with the Charleston Trident Multiple Listing Service.

BERKELEY COUNTY
Berkeley County sales were up 25% from October of last year; 186 homes sold at a median price of $155,000. In October of 2008, 149 homes sold at a median price of $169,900.

CHARLESTON COUNTY
In the last 30 days, 339 homes sold at a median price of $205,000 in Charleston County. That reflects a 9% increase in sales, from last year’s 312 closings during the month of October.

DORCHESTER COUNTY
Sales in Dorchester County increased by 53% year-over-year; 177 homes sold at a median price of $152,700 compared to 116 sales at $167,663 in October 2008.

BOEING SELECTS NORTH CHARLESTON

Governor Sanford Welcomes Boeing to South Carolina

COMPANY ANNOUNCES 2nd PRODUCTION LINE IN NORTH CHARLESTON

Columbia, S.C. - October 28, 2009 - Gov. Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on Boeing Company’s announcement of its plan to establish a second production line for the 787 Dreamliner adjacent to the company’s existing facilities in North Charleston.

"Boeing's decision to expand their presence in our state with an infusion of jobs and capital investment - the largest announcement in South Carolina history - represents not only enormously good news for our state’s economy, but also a telling dividend from our state's continued efforts to better our business climate. For us, that means lowering taxes, easing regulatory burdens in our state’s tort and workers’ compensation systems, and keeping South Carolina a right-to-work state," Gov. Sanford said. "I'd first and foremost applaud the hardworking Boeing employees already in the Lowcountry for both their day-to-day efforts and their confidence in Boeing’s management, and in the same way I'd thank Boeing - and in particular Chairman Jim McNerney - for returning that vote of confidence in our state.

"Just as the similarly monumental BMW investment catalyzed a now extensive automotive presence across South Carolina more than 15 years ago, we believe Boeing landing decisively in North Charleston will spur on an already growing aerospace hub in our state. Also just like BMW, Roche, or the Global Aeronautica investment that led to Boeing’s foothold in South Carolina only four years ago, this project required a team effort from dedicated leaders in both the private and public sectors. Accordingly, I'd single out a few heroes in this process:

"First, I’d offer our and the state’s appreciation to Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor and Senator Hugh Leatherman, who worked side-by-side on this matter, and whose work was complemented by Jack Ellenburg and Daniel Young. Legislative leadership was similarly vital - and decisive - in Boeing’s commitment to South Carolina, and accordingly, I’d especially credit Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell and Speaker Bobby Harrell, along with Senator Leatherman, for the legislative yeoman’s work they’ve done. I would also thank people at the local level like David Ginn, Steve Dykes and Heyward Horton. Lastly, but certainly not least, I’d give real credit to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham for his invaluable efforts along the way. With all that said, we look forward to welcoming the Boeing team to South Carolina."

-###-

--Benjamin D. Fox

Communications Director

Office of Gov. Mark Sanford

(803) 734.0076 - work

(803) 269.7959 - mobile

(803) 734.5167 - fax

Public input sought on revitalization plan for N. Charleston neighborhoods

Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Staff Report

NORTH CHARLESTON -- The Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities is hosting a public meeting next week to gather input on the strategic plan for seven neighborhoods in Charleston’s Neck area that neighbor the S.C. State Ports Authority’s new terminal.

The open house is from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 7 at Military Magnet Academy, 2950 Carner Ave. in the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood.

The S.C. State Ports Authority is funding the revitalization study.

The plan identifies a number of strategies and goals for economic development, housing, community facilities and land use. Issues of concern include affordable housing, improvement of neighborhood appearance, increased parks and green space, preservation of existing neighborhoods, redevelopment of vacant and dilapidated properties and identification of traffic and transportation improvements.

Attendees at the meeting will receive information regarding the plan and will have an opportunity to make written or verbal comments. Displays highlighting the plan will be set up in the school auditorium, and project team members and North Charleston city employees will be available to answer questions.

The Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities has been working with the city for the past eight months to create a unified community vision and implement a strategy for long-term growth and equitable development in the Liberty Hill, Accabee, Union Heights, Howard Heights, Windsor, Five Mile and Chicora-Cherokee neighborhoods.

“Neighborhoods deserve to participate as partners with policymakers, service providers, regulatory agencies, industry and developers to improve the community,” said Coakley Hilton, president of the alliance. “The LAMC revitalization plan gave us an opportunity to do that. How we act on that opportunity is up to us.”

More than 25 organizations and business leaders were interviewed to gain perspectives about the future of the neighborhoods involved. A series of public community visioning workshops involving hands-on exercises and discussions also took place.

For more information, contact Wannetta Mallette at 843-740-5835.

Published Oct. 27, 2009
Reprinted from http://www.scbizmag.com/content/view/135232/1/

BEWARE OF REVERSE MORTGAGES

Increasingly, strapped U.S. homeowners are opting to take out a “reverse mortgage,” a loan against a house’s value that is repaid when the borrower dies or sells the property. The number of federally insured reverse mortgages issued to senior citizens in the past three years alone—nearly 335,000—is more than the total from 1990 through 2006. Consumer advocates have long cautioned that reverse mortgages should be used as a last resort because of their high fees. Now, those warnings are growing louder due to a spate of fraud.

The National Consumer Law Center says seniors are facing the same kind of aggressive tactics that were common during the subprime lending boom. And according to a recent report from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a host of “unscrupulous loan officers, mortgage companies, and loan counselors” are defrauding desperate Americans. In one scheme, people facing foreclosure are told that a reverse mortgage can save their homes, then “ rejected” for the mortgage and steered into a deal that transfers title of their property to “ investors.” The end result: They lose their homes anyway.

Other scam artists sell loans that appear to be HUD-insured reverse mortgages but are not, according to the AARP, the nonprofit advocacy group for Americans 50 and over. Still others, billing themselves as “investment advisers,” persuade consumers to invest the proceeds of reverse mortgages in other financial products that come saddled with extra costs. And in some cases, the FBI report says, the proceeds of investment schemes are not invested—they’re simply stolen.

Homeowners should turn down any pitch that uses reverse-mortgage funds to purchase financial products. In fact, they should think twice before signing up for this type of loan at all. Other options—like taking a home-equity line of credit or even moving to a smaller place—may be able to meet your needs at a lower cost, according to the AARP.

— Gary Weiss

Originally published at http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/091025-beware-of-reverse-mortgages.html

PARK CIRCLE A COOL PLACE TO BE

Men's Journal magazine recently name Park Circle in North Charleston one of the nation's "Coolest Neighborhoods" and I can't agree more.

Over the years Park Circle has really taken the area over by storm with its cute houses, pedestrian friendly streets, and great places to grab a bite and a drink.

Even the local newspaper seems to agree with the great article below.

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

If you have interest in exploring Park Circle please don't hesitate to call Owen at 843.224.5398 or e-mail him directly at Owen@OwenTyler.com.