Mortgage Broker in Mount Pleasant, SC

The Town of Mount Pleasant is considering a ban on new slab-built single-family homes in flood zones. Also known as “slab-on-grade” or “fill-and-build” construction, the method involves placing homes directly on a concrete slab foundation, which can make those buildings vulnerable to flooding.

The practice can also create a domino effect that impacts adjacent homeowners. When trying to ensure new homes reach a certain elevation above sea level, developers often will raise a plot by importing dirt. That practice, multiplied across an entire development, can dramatically shift the hydrology of an area and worsen flooding. Developers often clear-cut trees and other plant life that help capture and control flood water — further complicating an already problematic situation.

Charleston City Council approved an essentially identical ban in April. It was a years-in-the-making policy that involved input from local environmental organizations and developers, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center, one of the ban’s key supporters.

Mount Pleasant’s ban would only bar new slab-built homes in the 100-year floodplain. Those are areas that have a 1 percent probability of flooding in any given year.

The proposed ban would go into effect July 1, six months after Charleston’s takes effect. Katherine Gerling, Mount Pleasant’s floodplain manager, said the proposed timing of the ban was intentional.

“This effective date was chosen to kind of see how the city of Charleston is going to manage their ordinance,” Gerling said at a Dec. 13 meeting of Mount Pleasant’s planning commission, where the proposal was under consideration.

Planning Commission member Adam Ferrara expressed concerns that the ban could make it more difficult to build affordable housing in Mount Pleasant, which has seen rising rents and home costs as a result of a decadeslong population boom. Mount Pleasant’s population has roughly tripled since 1990.

“Just bear in mind, that does kind of go against the narrative of trying to build workforce housing that is single-family,” Ferrara said at the meeting. “That does create a cost burden to builders and to homeowners. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, I’m just saying that is a result of what we’re doing.”

Despite those concerns, the commission passed the measure unanimously. The ban still needs approval from Mount Pleasant Town Council.

Also at the Dec. 13 meeting, planning commission members voted unanimously in support of a measure extending restrictions on new residential construction in Mount Pleasant. Town leaders enacted that measure in 2019 to curb traffic and strain on local resources in the growing suburbs.

“In response to people that said, ‘We need to have all this development because it’s the only way we’re going to keep real estate reasonable,’ — they are wrong,” commission member Kathy Smith said. “That argument only works when the supply and demand curves are in a state of equilibrium. As long as we are net positive in demand in Mount Pleasant, no matter what we do, prices will go up. You can build until your brains blow out, and the prices will go up.”

The proposed ban would extend the restrictions, which would only permit up to 600 new residences annually, until January 2029. The restrictions also still need approval from the full town council.

Graze Craze, a new charcuterie concept known for crafting grazing boards and boxes, has opened its first South Carolina location at 3373 South Morgans Point Road in Mount Pleasant.

The new storefront is located in the National Crossing shopping center at the main entrance of the Charleston National neighborhood, according to a news release. Graze Craze is a part of Big Flavor Brands, the food service division of Starpoint Brands, a family of companies affiliated with United Franchise Group.

At Graze Craze, charcuterie experts, known as grazologists, design arrangements that feature an array of ingredients that are ideal for grazing, like fresh fruits and vegetables, premium meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, nuts and more, the release stated.

The Mount Pleasant Graze Craze is the only one of its kind in the Charleston area, and the franchise owners behind the new store Keith and Kendra Lovas are thrilled to share something completely new with the community they call home, the release stated.

Related content: Restaurant, entertainment venue opens in downtown Charleston

Related content: Lowes Foods to open Summerville store, close others

“The wonderful people of Mount Pleasant love to gather and celebrate,” said Keith Lovas in the release. “There is no better centerpiece for a special occasion than a Graze Craze charcuterie board — it’s unmatched in quality, beauty and functionality.”

The Lovas enjoy playing a role in their community with Kendra working at a local elementary school and Keith coaching youth sports teams through the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department, according to the release. In addition to serving exceptional grazing boards, the Lovas plan to use their Graze Craze to expand their local involvement and sponsor sports teams, further supporting kids in being active and chasing their dreams. The Lovas are also interested in bolstering regional business development through their involvement with the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce.

Graze Craze charcuterie arrangements incorporate an assortment of flavors, like the popular Gone Grazey board, balanced to provide a bit of everything – a mix of cured meats, premium cheeses, crackers, fresh produce, nuts and more. The Vegegrazian is designed with a medley of fresh fruits and vegetables for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle.

The artisan-inspired charcuterie offerings at Graze Craze are available in different size options, from Char-Cutie-Cups and Picnic Boxes for nibbling to sharing-size boards with enough fresh food to feed a large party, the release stated.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - The town of Mount Pleasant is looking to extend limiting building permits for another five years in an effort to slow growth down and build infrastructure up.

A proposal to extend the building permit allocation system was presented at a planning commission meeting Wednesday night with one more final vote left from the town council.

As people continue to move to the Lowcountry, the town of Mount Pleasant put this building permit allocation into effect back in 2019 and is now looking to extend it until 2029.

“The council is very serious about maintaining our level of service,” Mount Pleasant’s Director of Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Michelle Reed says.

“Keeping the growth slowed down, the way they have the last five years, and slowing that growth rate down, has really allowed them to continue the levels of service that we provide to our citizens,” she adds.

The goal is to finish major capital improvement projects before allowing more growth to happen in the town.

“I think the idea is really to allow the town to continue with their infrastructure improvements and to catch up with all the growth that occurred over the years,” Reed says.

The system is broken down into three categories single-family units, accessory dwelling units and multifamily units with a certain number of permits to be issued on a semi-annual basis.

Reed says they never maxed out single-family permits with 480 available and a large amount carrying over into the next year, not really affecting single-family builds.

But if you want to add another dwelling unit to your property, only 20 permits are available each year with a large waitlist putting people on a list for July of 2024.

Five hundred multifamily units were available on a first come first serve basis when the system was put into place, with the permits going quickly to builds at Patriots Point and South Bay.

“Those are the two really that were most affected; your average person that’s coming here and is going to build a single-family home, really didn’t affect them,” Reed says.

But looking at the status of real estate in Mount Pleasant, Charleston Trident Association of Realtors Government Affairs Director Josh Dix says they find the most problems with the dwelling unit permits.

“You have this permit allocation taking place on single-family residential, but it extends beyond just single family,” Dix says. “It’s if you want to add a grandmother, in-law suite, or some duplex on a single-family lot, all of that is contained by this extension.”

Dix adds people are going to be priced out of the area with regulations like the building permit allocation system.

“You have folks in Mount Pleasant, this is an aging demographic, and we want them to be able to age in place,” he says.

“I think permit allocations and caps like what we’re seeing in Mount Pleasant is not the answer to keeping communities and residents in place, where they currently live and exist in their neighborhoods,” Dix adds.

Pricing is also affected, with single-family homes in Mount Pleasant that used to cost $500,000 are now in the millions, Dix says.

“The everyday, middle American that lives here in Charleston, they are being priced out of Mount Pleasant because of these onerous regulations,” he says.

Mount Pleasant Town Council will vote on the final approval for the permit building allocation system in January.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — Saving Hamlin.

That's the message from people living in the Hamlin Beach Community who showed up at Mount Pleasant Town Hall Wednesday night. The town’s planning commission voted to recommend the town council deny a rezoning request that would allow for new development.

Hamlin settlement community asks Mount Pleasant officials to stop new development (WCIV)

Multiple people dressed in red brought up their concerns with this possible rezoning to the planning commission.

“We are wearing this red because this is the blood, sweat, and tears that our ancestors have shed to get this land, keep this land,” said Myra Richardson. “And we are also still shedding blood, sweat, and tears to preserve, protect, and keep it for our children, and our great-grandchildren and everybody to come.”

Richardson told News 4 that a move like this would devastate Hamlin.

Read more: "Mount Pleasant native transfers to Tigertown, Graduates from Titletown."

Hamlin Beach is one of Charleston County’s many settlement communities seeking protection for its land, but people say it’s more than just that. They say it’s preserving the roots of the Gullah Geechee culture spanning for decades.

“I’m 51 years old, and I still live on the land, and I can trace my history back to my great-great-grandfather who was a slave living on that land,” said Cassandra Davis.

Land that could be rezoned, giving developers the green light to build new homes.

Read more: "Bailem family protests against alleged unauthorized conversion of John Ballam Road."

Mount Pleasant’s planning commission unanimously decided to recommend denying the zoning request. That recommendation will go to the town council and a final vote will be in its members’ hands.

People living in Hamlin hope the council will also choose to protect their homes.

“Once they come in, one little project at a time, it'll be something that overflows, and it'll be uncontrollable. If you allow one person to do it, then you're not going to be able to deny the next applicant that comes through,” Richardson said.

Richardson said she also worries about development causing traffic and flooding issues. She thinks the rezoning request was extremely vague and fears it would give developers too much power.

Read more: "Mount Pleasant family responds to Charleston County's attempt to dismiss their lawsuit against them."

“You don't know what they want, you don't know what they were planning.”

The planning commission said it’s learning it must shift its focus to protecting the area’s neighborhoods; something the people of Hamlin are grateful for.

“They have just really come together with one sound, one voice to make sure that communities like the Hamlin Beach Community is protected,” Davis said.

The planning commission also mentioned Hamlin Beach is working to get its historic designation, and they wouldn’t want something like a new development to hinder that process.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — A family is grieving after they lost their Mount Pleasant home to a fire three days after Christmas.

Two adult family members are still in the burn unit at a local area hospital, and two kids are recovering at home. The fire started around 8:02 a.m., and officials responded shortly after.

The family said they are thankful everyone is safe but are incredibly sad to lose a home filled with generations of memories.

"When that child called me yesterday and said, 'Nana, the house is on fire,' all I could do was scream," Victoria Gregg Manigault said.

Mount Pleasant family mourns loss of generational home days after Christmas (WCIV)

Read more: "2 adults, 2 children hospitalized after Mount Pleasant house fire."

The words written on the Manigault home now lost in a house fire are 100 years strong.

"Everything's gone in the house, all of our memories. Everything girl -- everything gone," she said.

She remembers growing up at the end of Venning Road.

"I used to walk by myself down that road to Sunday school -- 7 years old," Manigault said.

Read more: "Reported structure fire closes Fairmont Road in Mount Pleasant: MPPD."

More than nine kids were raised in the same home.

"A lot of my friends from school used to come down on Sundays because mom cooked the best collard greens," Manigault's daughter, Betty Gregg, said.

Three days before the fire, the entire family gathered at the home one last time to celebrate Christmas.

"Just have a big cookout in the yard and get lots of crab and shrimp," Manigault said.

Read more: "1 person transported to hospital after house fire in Mount Pleasant: AMFD."

Relatives walked us through the house, pointing at the spots where they used to sleep as a child.

To them, it's still their forever home.

"It means a lot to us because we call it home. No matter where we go, we always know we could go home," Gregg said.

The family is working to set up a way to receive funds to replace everything they have lost.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.