Residential development around Daniel Island continues to boom

***image1***When a falling tree limb sent colonial land baron Richard Beresford to his heavenly reward in 1722, one-third of his 4,744-acre holdings in St. Thomas and St. Denis parishes were put into an endowment to educate poor children.

This bequest was called the Beresford Bounty.

Today, more tree limbs are falling throughout Beresford’s former estate, paving the way for a real-estate bounty for builders and developers. Although it’s still an arboreal treasure – most developers have taken great pains to preserve the natural setting – the impact of thousands of new households on the Cainhoy Peninsula is unmistakable.

Take Clements Ferry Road, for example. Before construction of I-526, it was a sleepy creekside byway. But one decade of steady development has transformed it into an oft-congested commuter route that tests the patience of the most saintly of drivers.

Berkeley County traffic counts confirm the increased pressure on Clements Ferry Road. In 1997, for example, the daily number of vehicles driving from Jack Primus Road to St. Thomas Island Drive was 11,200. In 2004, the total was 18,900. During that same period, traffic counts more than doubled on Clements Ferry Road between Hwy. 41 and Jack Primus Road.

Nevertheless, the allure of "country life" has drawn scores of new homeowners to developments such as Beresford Hall, Beresford Creek, Beresford Commons, The Peninsula and St. Thomas Point.

And there’s more to come. Roadways leading into Nelliefield Plantation are in place as developers seek final permit approvals from Berkeley County. In addition, Anderson, Blankin, Wells & Associates opened a sales trailer last week next to Beresford Commons to market Meridian Companies’ new development called The Retreat at Beresford. The 90-unit subdivision will feature Lowcountry Charleston-style homes starting in the upper-$300,000 range.

Although other development proposals are on the drawing board, building may be stalled because of sewage-capacity issues, according to the Charleston Commissioners of Public Works (CPW). The wastewater authority projects that Daniel Island and the Cainhoy Peninsula could generate up to 10 million gallons per day as early as 2008. (The Daniel Island Wastewater Treatment Plant can currently handle up to 500,00 gallons per day. The CPW is hoping to expand its capacity to 700,000 or 750,000 gallons per day next spring.)

Consequently, CPW plans to build a new $40 million Daniel Island wastewater tunnel that would join the existing Charleston Peninsula tunnel system, which consists of the Ashley tunnel, Cooper tunnel and Harbor tunnel. These currently carry an average 10-million gallons of wastewater to the Plum Island treatment plant every day. The new tunnel will go online in 2008.

"We may have to say, ‘Mr. Developer, you’re going to have to wait unless you can come in with a phased-in plan that would limit sewage until we can expand capacity,’" said Mark Cline, CPW director of design and construction.

Meanwhile, current residents are able to enjoy the natural beauty of the Cainhoy Peninsula. The existing developments along Clements Ferry Road offer a variety of lifestyle choices, from townhouse living to sumptuous million-dollar homes:

· Beresford Creek Landing – This popular development features custom-built home with lots overlooking the creek, marsh or woods. Construction began in 2001 and will have 144 homes when built out. Amenities include a clubhouse with swimming pool and tennis courts, paved walkways for biking and jogging and a waterfront park with dock for resident use; 

· Beresford Commons – This 259-unit subdivision was pre-sold last year by Portrait Homes of Charlotte, NC and Pasquinelli Homes of Chicago. The complex has six varieties of townhouses and homes ranging from 1012 square feet to 1604 square feet. Construction of the project’s second phase is currently underway;

 · Beresford Hall – This gated waterfront community sits on Richard Beresford’s former home site. The 600-acre development features 200 settlement sites with nearly two miles of waterfront, marshes, creeks and meadows. Last March, the remaining 34 available building sites sold out in 40 minutes. Prices ranged from the mid-$200,000 range for an interior lot to $1 million for the premier deepwater lot; 

· The Peninsula – When completed, this subdivision will have more than 230 homes and 80 townhomes. Texas-based builder D.R. Horton has targeted first-time homebuyers and those looking to downsize as potential customers. The Peninsula is divided into three areas: Island Club townhomes, and Waters Edge and River Landing homesites. In addition, the Peninsula has a centrally located amenity center that includes playgrounds, a large pool and bathhouse; 

· St. Thomas Point – This gated community is the granddaddy of Clements Ferry Road housing developments. Established in 1988, it has 80 lots for upscale homes, along with a community dock, boat landing and tennis courts. A home there recently sold for $1.2 million. St. Thomas Point is also historically significant. Between 1765 and 1770, Staffordshire potter John Bartlam operated America’s first creamware pottery factory there and subsequent archaeological digs have retrieved important artifacts.