Charleston Co. leaders discuss, vote on three proposed developments in Ten Mile Community

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County leaders discussed the potential for three new developments in the Ten Mile Historic Settlement Community Wednesday during a Historic Preservation Commission meeting.

Seats inside the Council Chamber at the Charleston County Government Building were filled with Ten Mile community members who reiterated that their community has been there for over 200 years, and now they’re fighting to preserve the integrity and culture of the land.

“The agenda item that is next is HIST-11-22-00064,” Charleston County Historic Preservation Commission chair Melanie Millar said. “A request for a Certificate of Historic Appropriateness.”

Several Ten Mile neighbors voiced their concerns about the adverse impacts they say these new developments would have on their community.

“The community that is there has always respected the land and the water that impacts their community and reflects the character of the community,” Marilyn Hemingway said, “and we don’t want that to change.”

One of the neighbors’ worries is for the development proposed on Seafood Road, which they say is right on the marsh line.

“New residents may not understand how often that road floods,” Edward Pinckney said. “It floods on a weekly basis, and every two months during king’s tide, it’s buried under about a foot and a half of water.”

Another major concern is the $900,000 price tag for each of the 42 proposed homes, which could increase their property taxes.

“We in general,” Hemingway said, “are on fixed incomes or low incomes. We can’t maintain that. We just can’t stay there. It’s not that we’re against economic development, we’re not against housing, but we are for affordable housing.”

Throughout the meeting, members of the Historic Preservation Commission took three votes, voting unanimously each time to deny developers their Certificates of Historic Appropriateness.