Private Chef in Awendaw, SC

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - Some homeowners in Awendaw say they are concerned severe weather may be bringing severe problems to their properties.

Community members living on Seewee Road claim more recent storms in the Lowcountry have caused drainage issues for roadside ditches along the six-mile stretch of rural road.

“My backyard is just totally covered with water,” neighbor Stephen Flagg says. “My front yard has been totally covered with water. I mean, something just needs to be done.”

Flagg lives on the same portion of land as his grandmother, Lillie Swinton. The family has called Seewee Road home since the 1960s. They say they have noticed the problem for decades.

Both Swinton and Flagg say taking care of the ditches along the property is one thing, but they believe fixing the ditches along the wooded areas and uninhabited spaces would make a big difference.

“Anytime we have heavy rain, the water settles. The ditch drain, there’s nowhere for it to go,” Swinton says. “When summer comes, we’re going to have a lot of trouble with mosquitos, and moccasin snakes.”

At one end of Seewee Road sits the Town of Awendaw Town Hall. Town Administrator Gregory Saxton says he has heard the concerns of neighbors and relayed them to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for assistance.

Seewee Road is a state road and therefore maintained by SCDOT through work orders.

“We just want something to be done. Because after all, we’re taxpayers, just like others. We should be able to have access to things, just like the other communities,” homeowner Alberta Goodwine says. “When it’s raining, the water just settles into the ditches and overflows in the yard. It’s a nuisance.”

Goodwine worries parts of the neighborhood community have been neglected. She adds it is a problem that affects her social life and her daily routines.

“When I step out, I’ve gotta have a boot on coming off the step. To protect myself,” Goodwine says. “Put pipes or something, so drainage will go somewhere, not on my property.”

SCDOT spokesperson Ginny Jones released the following statement:

We had a crew work on ditches along Seewee Road Jan. 2-5. Last week, the crew had to work on storm recovery efforts, but we have employees back out there today. The crew will not be onsite tomorrow due to a regularly scheduled safety meeting, but they will return on Thursday and Friday, as well as next week if necessary. Our crews are digging along approximately 9,100 linear feet of roadway, so it is taking some time, but we will continue to work on it as needed.

Regarding a work order, the answer is both: A citizen may enter an online work request, or a municipality may enter a work request on behalf of a citizen. Online work requests can be submitted here: https://apps.scdot.org/mwro/

We have been in touch with the Town of Awendaw about this work. Please let us know if you need any further information.”

When asked for clarification on how uninhabited portions of the road are maintained, Jones released this response:

SCDOT maintains what is in our right of way. If the land belongs to a municipality, county, or other party, we often work with those folks to plan for maintenance, but there are a lot of different ways that can look.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A prescribed burn will take place Wednesday in the Awendaw area.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) will conduct two prescribed fires that include about 514 acres in the area of Victor Lincoln at Halfway Creek and approximately 147 acres near Halfway Creek and Steed Creek, according to Awendaw-McClellanville Fire District.

Officials say those who live, work, and travel in the area will see and smell smoke.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A total solar eclipse will cross North America next week – but how much will we see in South Carolina? Well, it depends on where you are and the forecast.

Totality – like what we saw in August 2017 when the eclipse passed over Charleston – will not happen here at home; however, we are in store for a partial eclipse. That means only a portion of the sun will be covered by the moon when it passes by on the afternoon of Monday, April 8.

“Unfortunately, it won’t be like it was in 2017 when we got totality where it looked like it was in the middle of the night, yet it was the middle of the afternoon. So, we’re going to get about 70% obscuration,” said Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, blocking the face of the sun, and causing the sky to go dark to appear as though it was nighttime.

Charleston saw totality in August 2017. This time we will see a partial eclipse with about 70% obscuration. However, most other areas in South Carolina will see a higher percentage on Monday afternoon.

What is the path for Monday’s eclipse?

The moon’s shadow will make landfall near Mazatlán, Mexico around 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time before entering the United States in southwest Texas, according to NASA. It will cross many south-central states before moving over the Northeast and into Canada.

What is the timing for seeing the eclipse in Charleston?

Charleston will begin seeing the eclipse just before 2:00 p.m. with the largest chunk of obscuration happening for us a little after 3:00 p.m.

“It starts about 1:53 in the afternoon for us, and about 3:10 will be our highest percentage of obscuration for the partial solar eclipse, and then it ends at about 4:24 p.m.,” Fowler explained.

How much of the eclipse will we see in Charleston?

South Carolina is in the 70%-80% range but a small portion of the immediate coast, which includes the Charleston area, is less at 60%-70% obscuration. Fowler said we’re more in the 70% range.

“I always use the analogy that if you’re in a closet and you shut the door it is pitch black. Now open that door about 30% and how much light will come in? Now you can see your surroundings. We’re not going to get the full experience,” he said.

What is the forecast for Monday’s eclipse?

“The forecast for us right now, and we’re talking on Tuesday, the forecast for next Monday is good,” said Fowler. “Sunny sky, mid-70s- so kind of a typical April day. I’m excited about the weather.”

Forecasting something like viewing a solar eclipse really depends on cloud over. You can see a cirrus cloud that could block the sun a little bit just as much as you could have stratus clouds with more widespread sky coverage.

“When you’ve got different layers of clouds and you’re forecasting those different layers, that’s the toughest part – where do you see a hole, or do you even see a hole in the cloud cover. Fortunately, when you get into this time of the year, the sun is getting high enough in the sky that the sunlight will break through some of those clouds,” Fowler said.

Monday’s eclipse comes at a time of year when you should still be able to see plenty of sun and plenty of the partial solar eclipse.

Do I need to wear special glasses to view the eclipse?

Yes, absolutely. NASA says it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection, except for a brief phase when the moon totally blocks the sun. Otherwise, you risk severe eye injury. And again, the sun will not be totally blocked when viewing from Charleston.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a partial or total, you have to use the special glasses. A lot of people who were around in 2017 probably still have their glasses hanging out – those glasses that you have most likely are the ones that are approved and safe. Sunglasses don’t do the trick and don’t look with the naked eye because it can absolutely do damage to your eyes,” said Fowler.

Click here to learn more about the proper solar eclipse glasses.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — Many Awendaw residents are calling it a "win" after the town's Zoning Commission denied a request Monday evening to rezone 66 acres for a possible development.

The land in question is in the vicinity of Boomstraw Hill Road and Sewee Road and was recently annexed into the town limits from Charleston County.

Developer David Weekley Homes recently acquired the neighboring Awendaw Village development, and made a brief presentation at Monday's meeting answering questions from board members and the public.

Read More: Proposed plan to build 72-home subdivision in Awendaw

Their proposal included creating lot sizes of 20,000 square-feet per home with a little more than 60 homes planned. But the current Agricultural zoning designation only provides for a minimum 30,000 square-foot lots. A change to Residential zoning would have decreased that limit to 12,500.

Allen Rioux serves on Awendaw's Board of Zoning Appeals and said the consensus from citizens is a desire to keep development density low.

"We're certainly not anti-development or anti-developer. We understand that this is a desirable place to be, and - in fact - we think that development is important for our community, for our tax base," Rioux said. "But, what the community is against is high-density development. We need to be reasonable. We have great resources here and we need to be careful that we don't negatively impact them."

Read More: Environmentalists fear impacts of 200 new homes near Awendaw wildlife refuge

Others at Monday's meeting called the request premature.

David Weekley Homes faces some challenges with the land. First and foremost, access.

The parcels are currently land-locked, meaning there's no road legal road access. However, a phase to development of their recently acquired Awendaw Village off Highway 17 would provide an adjacent connection to the 66-acres.

Read More: People still concerned after hearing developer's redevelopment plan for Union Pier

A few residents from Awendaw Village were at the zoning meeting and voiced their concerns over unfulfilled promises from their original developer.

David Weekley Homes will likely need to return before town council or the Zoning Commission with an updated development proposal.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - A potential new middle and high school in Awendaw has a chance to be a partial magnet school, and students from multiple parts of the district can be pulled to take part in a specialized curriculum.

Charleston County School District Board Members and the people of Mount Pleasant got to hear new details about the potential schools on Wednesday. District officials told people at the meeting, held at Laing Middle School, that a lot of the plans right now are just ideas with no specific timeline.

This new middle and high school would be located on 107 acres at Highway 17 and Jenkins Hill Road. As part of this plan, district staff presented concept maps with multiple options for rezoning.

Jeff Borowy, the Chief Operating Officer for the district, says this plan will be a challenge.

“Most of the times we build a school, we just build a specific zone of attendance for that school, but in this case, we want to have a number of students to offer the right programs for those students,” Borowy said. “So, we have to look out of the box and look for something different beyond the zone.”

District staff says one of the main challenges is making sure that each school holds a maximum of 500 students. This would pull in kids from D1, the Awendaw-McClellanville area, and some from D2 in the northern Mount Pleasant area.

Staff also say they are continuing to research desirable education options for a partial magnet school to reach that target enrollment.

“It’s going to be very important to let’s build the school from up, but at the same time, let’s figure out what we’re going to be doing inside,” Thomas Colleton, D1 Constituent Board Chair, said. “The curriculum needs a lot.”

There is currently no timeline on construction for the schools because the district does not know if this magnet option will be included. The district says it is possible that the earliest we can start to see construction would be in four years.

Jonathan Mars, a parent of two children at Carolina Park Elementary, says this could be an option for his family when his kids get older.

“But it does sound like they’re going to have very specific programs at the school,” Mars said. “So, for example, if there’s a great art program and my daughter’s really into art that seems like a great option to have.”

As of now, this project is not fully funded and the district says they do not have a price estimate.

They say the next step is to charter a blue-ribbon committee in mid-October that will look at enrollment numbers and look at the best options to make this project successful.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A recent land purchase by the Charleston County School District (CCSD) could be the home of a joint middle and high school that would cater to students in Awendaw, McClellanville, and, possibly, Mt. Pleasant.

The $3.5 million, 107-acre property is located about 17 miles north of Wando High School off Highway 17 near Jenkins Hill Road.

It was purchased with the idea of building a school, but that process is just beginning.

“We’re investing in the future and also creating a situation where we hope to have a community school for that area,” said Jeff Borowy, the Chief Operating Officer for CCSD.

On Wednesday, District 2 Constituent Board members, parents, and community members will learn more details about what programs the school could provide, attendance numbers needed to make it come to life, and more.

“We’re going to get a little more definition about some of the programs that it potentially could offer. What we do know, at least what we’ve been told before, is that the school will probably have a population of 1,000 children and it will be a middle school/high school,” said Pamela Jouan-Goldman, the chair of the District 2 Constituent Board.

Many parents in the area say this school is a long time coming.

In 2016, CCSD permanently closed Lincoln Middle-High School due to low attendance numbers. Since then, elementary and middle school students attend St. James-Santee Elementary-Middle School, and high school students attend Mt. Pleasant high schools including Wando High and Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA).

“I’d say its about 25 to 30 miles each way,” said Nida Singleton.

Singleton lives in McClellanville and takes care of her nephew who attends OCA. Fortunately, his schedule is adjusted to begin the school day at 11:30 a.m., but when he attended Laing Middle School last year, the early mornings and long drives took their toll.

Singleton still drives to drop him off and pick him up each day.

“Getting up early, getting home late, still having activities and homework and all that, and it’s just a lot coming from McClellanville.”

She works two jobs and had to adjust her schedule to accommodate for travel to and from school. She says she’s hopeful the proposed school will come to fruition.

“I wish my nephew of my future kids could go to something closer.”

One concern with the feasibility of the school is attendance. In order to make it happen, around 1,000 students would need to be enrolled. Borowy says the target is 500 each for both the middle and high schools.

As it stands now, the likelihood of just the Awendaw and McClellanville areas meeting those requirements is slim due to the population in those areas. However, there’s a possibility that some students could come from Mt. Pleasant.

“It will be extremely difficult to create a zoning situation where we’ll be able to capture 500 students in either of the school schools without progressing very far south into Mt. Pleasant,” said Borowy.

He says that possibility will be discussed over the coming months with District 1 and District 2 constituent boards.

Another option being looked at is offering a magnet program at the school. That would allow students from all over to attend the school to supplement attendance numbers.

For now, basic details are being presented and more information, as well as public feedback meetings, will be offered in the future.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A total solar eclipse will cross North America next week – but how much will we see in South Carolina? Well, it depends on where you are and the forecast.

Totality – like what we saw in August 2017 when the eclipse passed over Charleston – will not happen here at home; however, we are in store for a partial eclipse. That means only a portion of the sun will be covered by the moon when it passes by on the afternoon of Monday, April 8.

“Unfortunately, it won’t be like it was in 2017 when we got totality where it looked like it was in the middle of the night, yet it was the middle of the afternoon. So, we’re going to get about 70% obscuration,” said Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, blocking the face of the sun, and causing the sky to go dark to appear as though it was nighttime.

Charleston saw totality in August 2017. This time we will see a partial eclipse with about 70% obscuration. However, most other areas in South Carolina will see a higher percentage on Monday afternoon.

What is the path for Monday’s eclipse?

The moon’s shadow will make landfall near Mazatlán, Mexico around 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time before entering the United States in southwest Texas, according to NASA. It will cross many south-central states before moving over the Northeast and into Canada.

What is the timing for seeing the eclipse in Charleston?

Charleston will begin seeing the eclipse just before 2:00 p.m. with the largest chunk of obscuration happening for us a little after 3:00 p.m.

“It starts about 1:53 in the afternoon for us, and about 3:10 will be our highest percentage of obscuration for the partial solar eclipse, and then it ends at about 4:24 p.m.,” Fowler explained.

How much of the eclipse will we see in Charleston?

South Carolina is in the 70%-80% range but a small portion of the immediate coast, which includes the Charleston area, is less at 60%-70% obscuration. Fowler said we’re more in the 70% range.

“I always use the analogy that if you’re in a closet and you shut the door it is pitch black. Now open that door about 30% and how much light will come in? Now you can see your surroundings. We’re not going to get the full experience,” he said.

What is the forecast for Monday’s eclipse?

“The forecast for us right now, and we’re talking on Tuesday, the forecast for next Monday is good,” said Fowler. “Sunny sky, mid-70s- so kind of a typical April day. I’m excited about the weather.”

Forecasting something like viewing a solar eclipse really depends on cloud over. You can see a cirrus cloud that could block the sun a little bit just as much as you could have stratus clouds with more widespread sky coverage.

“When you’ve got different layers of clouds and you’re forecasting those different layers, that’s the toughest part – where do you see a hole, or do you even see a hole in the cloud cover. Fortunately, when you get into this time of the year, the sun is getting high enough in the sky that the sunlight will break through some of those clouds,” Fowler said.

Monday’s eclipse comes at a time of year when you should still be able to see plenty of sun and plenty of the partial solar eclipse.

Do I need to wear special glasses to view the eclipse?

Yes, absolutely. NASA says it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection, except for a brief phase when the moon totally blocks the sun. Otherwise, you risk severe eye injury. And again, the sun will not be totally blocked when viewing from Charleston.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a partial or total, you have to use the special glasses. A lot of people who were around in 2017 probably still have their glasses hanging out – those glasses that you have most likely are the ones that are approved and safe. Sunglasses don’t do the trick and don’t look with the naked eye because it can absolutely do damage to your eyes,” said Fowler.

Click here to learn more about the proper solar eclipse glasses.