Mayor, council talk roundabout, transit, growth at DINA meeting
E-bikes, waterfront parking, and a potential new public pier were all on the table when Daniel Island residents got a rare face-to-face update from city and county leaders on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell joined several city and county council members, Charleston police, and leaders from the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association to talk to an audience of almost 80 residents through some of the island’s biggest growing pains.
ROUNDABOUT WORK BEGINS
After years of discussion, the River Landing and Seven Farms Drive roundabout is finally moving from plans to pavement.
Berkeley County Councilman Jarrod Brooks said the state's department of transportation is set to begin mobilization of the area the week of Sept. 13, followed by utility work and construction around the outside of the intersection. The roundabout itself is scheduled to take shape from late November into early January, with final improvements expected through Jan. 23, weather permitting.
“It’s going to be an uncomfortable three months, and I apologize in advance for that,” Brooks said, “but all good progress has its painful ends.”
The intersection will remain passable during construction, with crews building the outside lanes first. Brooks said officials will also monitor drivers cutting through nearby neighborhoods and business parking lots to avoid congestion.
WATERFRONT PARKING, AND NEW PIER?
DINA President Nick Kalkas presented the results of the association’s 50-day waterfront parking study, launched as the privately owned gravel lot currently used for parking heads toward redevelopment as a boutique hotel.
Volunteers counted thousands of vehicles and identified 332 publicly available spaces within a quarter-mile of Waterfront Park, not including the gravel lot’s 107 spaces.
Kalkas said the good news is that current weekday and typical weekend demand can be accommodated without the lot.
The trouble comes during major island events, like the Acoustic Guitar Series or the Charleston Charity Duck Race, when demand already exceeds available spaces. Friday and Saturday evenings could become another pinch point as the area grows.
“We have more to do with parking down there,” Kalkas said.
Mayor Cogswell floated another idea: a public pier near the Daniel Island Recreation Center, potentially giving visitors another waterfront destination connected to existing trails and parking.
DI UNIT CAP NEARING LIMIT
Charleston City Councilman Boyd Gregg addressed another frequent question: How much more can Daniel Island grow?
Projects under construction or in permitting will bring the island to 7,046 residential units, leaving roughly 450 units left before reaching the 7,500-unit cap agreed upon in Daniel Island's development agreement.
“We are all committed to never raising that cap,” Gregg said.
Cogswell also said the city wants residents involved in deciding the future of 62 acres donated last year by original Daniel Island developer Frank Brumley, with playing fields, trails, and parking among possibilities. The parcels are located off Oak Leaf Street.
EMS STATION STILL PLANNED
The long-discussed effort to relocate the Berkeley County EMS station closer to the center of Daniel Island remains underway. Brooks said SCDOT and federal transportation officials are working to approve use of a site near the existing medical helipad at the intersection of I-526 and Island Park Drive.
The obstacle now is infrastructure, as the site was never intended for development, making utilities difficult to reach. Brooks said the county and city are working together to determine how utilities can be extended to the property.
The current location of the EMS station is inside a unit at the Port House apartment complex off Robert Daniel Drive.
E-BIKES AND ENFORCEMENT
The island’s new e-bike ordinance prompted questions from residents who said they continue to see young riders violating them near Daniel Island School.
Police Lt. Joseph Harvill said officers have issued zero citations, specifically under the e-bike ordinance, but have towed several motorized vehicles ridden by juveniles. He said many of the problems are not legally defined e-bikes but instead are motorized vehicles like e-motos, e-scooters, and e-motorcycles.
Harvill encouraged residents to report violations when they see them, including where riders are headed, so officers know where problems are occurring and can respond. “If you see something, report it, and I can get officers there.”
MORE FERRIES, FEWER CAR TRIPS?
Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings said growing traffic will eventually require more ways to move people on and off Daniel Island without adding vehicles to already-congested roads.
Traditional bus service presents a challenge, he said, because Berkeley County does not have a regional transportation authority or much public transit infrastructure. Seekings is instead suggesting water ferry travel, paired with circulator routes or microtransit on the island.
“For Daniel Island, the answer is not on the roads,” Seekings said. “It’s the water.”
The discussion followed a public transportation forum held immediately before the DINA meeting. The Daniel Island News will take a closer look at the ferry proposal, obstacles to bus service, and other transit options in next week’s edition.
CROSSWALKS AND STATE OF THE CITY
Several smaller projects are also moving forward, including pedestrian and crosswalk improvements at Island Park Drive and Central Island Street and at Seven Farms Drive and Pier View Street. The city is also considering $350,000 in its 2027 budget for AI-assisted traffic signal timing along Clements Ferry Road.
Residents will have another chance to dig deeper on city projects on Oct. 20, when Cogswell brings Charleston’s “State of the City” meeting to the Daniel Island Recreation Center.
As Daniel Island nears buildout while development continues around it, Seekings left residents with a broader reminder: “What goes on around this island matters, and it's going to really set the theme for the next 20 years.”