$1.3 BILLION Flood Wall Takes Major Step Forward

Hey, it’s Bill!

I have been issued a challenge, and I need your help. A friend and mentor of mine challenged me to double the number of ChuckTown Report subscribers before the end of the year. I said CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! So to kick things off, if you find value in reading this every week, forward it to one person who isn’t signed up. That’s it. Easy Peasy!

In this week’s issue:

CIVIC SNAPSHOTS

City of Charleston · Resilience and Sustainability Advisory Committee
🌳 Public raises alarm over removal of 200 peninsula palmettos and city replanting capacity
Public commenters questioned whether all 200 palmetto trees slated for removal by Dominion Energy are necessary, noting Dominion previously cut planned removals by more than half on Sullivan's Island after scrutiny. He asked about the timeline and public accountability for promised replacement plantings, whether the city has urban forestry capacity to execute them, and whether Dominion should absorb the estimated $80,000 stump grinding cost. Staff and a Dominion representative confirmed the removal is federally mandated for grid safety and that city and Dominion are actively aligning on the final number, with a fuller public update promised soon.

City of Charleston · Resilience and Sustainability Advisory Committee
🌊 $9 million secured for West Ashley drainage
The city received $9 million in Army Corps funding for Oak Forest drainage improvements in West Ashley and is advancing the next phase of James Island flood work at Central Park. The Charleston Tidal and Inland Flood Risk Management Study in Year 2 is evaluating nature-based solutions for West Ashley and James Island marsh areas.

City of Charleston · Resilience and Sustainability Advisory Committee
🌊 City prepares to publish first-ever public groundwater monitoring dashboard
The city partnered with a College of Charleston graduate student to collect and interpret data from 14 groundwater wells installed across the peninsula in 2023, with a public dashboard nearing launch on the city's Tide-to-Tide website. Staff noted the data will inform development review, and future well expansion is being considered.

City of Charleston · Committee on Recreation
🏗️ John's Island Recreation Center construction timeline and early activity explained
Significant pricing and scheduling details for the John's Island Recreation Center project are expected over the next two months. Early construction activity beginning around July 1 will appear slow as required tree protection fencing and silt fencing must be inspected before demolition equipment arrives. Site signage with design renderings and contact information will be installed as standard practice to keep the community informed.

City of Charleston · Board of Architectural Review – Large (BAR-L)
🏗️ Parking garage wins reinstatement approval with mural condition on prominent blank wall
The board granted conceptual, preliminary, and final approval for a previously approved parking garage at 194 Cannon Street after the applicant's vested rights lapsed. Design is unchanged from 2020–2022 approvals and includes ground-floor retail, a landscaped plaza buffer, and accommodation for a future city road extension. The approval is conditioned on the applicant obtaining separate board approval for a mural on the large north-facing blank wall before any building permit can be issued. The vote was 4-1 with one board member dissenting on grounds that the lapsed rights warrant a full design restudy.

Town of Mount Pleasant · Town Council
🏙️ Council approves first reading of 10-Mile historic settlement community zoning overlay
Mount Pleasant gave first reading approval to a new zoning overlay district covering the historic Ten-Mile settlement community, modeled closely on Charleston County's recently adopted overlay. The district caps building coverage at 25%, rejects the county's density bonuses of up to 18 units per acre, and allows duplexes through quadplexes as workforce housing via special exception. A question about the prohibition on community docks and boat ramps was raised but left unresolved pending staff follow-up.

City of Charleston · Committee on Ways and Means
🏗️ Land deal advances pedestrian connection to new Asher River Crossing
The Real Estate Committee, reporting to Ways and Means, unanimously approved an agreement with the Holiday Inn developer to acquire a lot between the bridges on the Ashley River and grant a public easement for construction of a pier head. The easement and acquisition will ultimately allow the city to build a sidewalk connecting the Highway 61 side of West Ashley to the future Asher River Crossing Bridge, a project that has been widely discussed in the West Ashley community. Nine residential annexations and a one-year lease extension for the city operations center on Milford Street were also approved.

City of Charleston · Committee on Ways and Means
🚰 City authorizes $32 million loan for lead service line replacement
The committee approved a series ordinance authorizing the city to borrow up to $32 million from the South Carolina State Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund. Funds will finance the construction and equipping of water supply and distribution facility improvements, specifically focused on replacing lead service lines throughout the city.

City of Charleston · City Council
🚧 E-bike ordinance passes final reading with Daniel Island path restrictions
The e-bike and bike parking ordinance received second and third reading approval, finalizing rules that ban e-bikes on Daniel Island multi-use paths with enforcement while keeping other city paths open pending a future review. Amendments since first reading also restored previously deleted bike parking provisions and adjusted the scooter speed limit threshold to roads of 25 mph or less. Charleston Moves executive director Katie Zimmerman publicly thanked council for the ordinance and the Safe Streets grant application.

City of Charleston · City Council
🚧 Council approves applying for a $4 million federal safe streets grant
Council approved submitting an application to the US Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program for a $4 million grant requiring a $1 million local match. The measure was approved unanimously in both the Traffic and Transportation Committee and Ways and Means before full council approval. Charleston Moves thanked the council for moving the application forward.

Charleston County · Charleston County Council
📋 County advances landmark zoning rule requiring infrastructure proof before upzoning
Charleston County held a public hearing on sweeping amendments to the Zoning and Land Development Regulations that would require applicants to demonstrate adequate transportation and stormwater infrastructure capacity before any rezoning to a more intensive designation is approved. The changes also clarify traffic impact study requirements for plan development applications and set new expiration timelines for site plan and preliminary plat approvals. Multiple conservation and civic groups testified in strong support, calling the amendments a necessary safeguard against growth outpacing infrastructure.

THE DEEP DIVE

Flood Wall - Peninsula
Charleston's $1.3 Billion Flood Wall Takes Step Forward

The Battery Extension Project has been in the works for two years. This week, City Council took a significant step forward — and the details are worth paying attention to if you live, work, or own property on the Peninsula.

The Big Picture

Charleston is building a full coastal flood protection system around the entire Peninsula.

Total estimated cost: $1.3 billion (2021 dollars — updated estimate coming by end of 2026).

The project is a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and it's been 24 months in development.

It Won't Look Like a Concrete Barrier

The original Corps design was a T-wall or combo-wall concrete structure. The city pushed back.

The revised design mimics the look and feel of the existing High and Low Battery promenade — the iconic seawall you already know.

Proposed height: 10 feet — matching the High Battery, and one foot above Hurricane Hugo's 9.4-foot storm surge.

The structure is engineered to add another 2 feet in roughly 50 years. Why not build to 12 feet now? Raising it those extra 2 feet immediately would significantly block harbor views. That tradeoff was rejected.

The Alignment Matters as Much as the Design

The original Corps alignment ran along inner Lockwood Drive and crossed it multiple times — through Brittlebank Park, inside Union Pier, and leaving the aquarium area unprotected.

The new alignment pushes outward toward the water, staying on publicly owned land and avoiding private property condemnation. That's a big deal for cost and timeline.

It also connects to projects already underway:

How It Gets Built: Phase by Phase

Phase 1a — Adgers Wharf Connects the High Battery elevation to Waterfront Park through Hazel Parker. Includes a garden wall and raised walkway into Joe Riley Waterfront Park. Construction target: 2027

Phase 1b — Lockwood Drive (Western Alignment) The longest and most expensive initial segment. Protects the hospital and medical district. Includes an offshore promenade, tidal gates, and stormwater retention areas. Construction target: 2028

Phase 1c — Western Alignment Around the Bridges Battery-style structure connecting Stony Field and the Joe Riley Arena to Brittlebank Park. Ties into the Citadel campus and Huger Street.

Phase 2 — Union Pier Extends protection to the edge of the pier decking. Creates large stormwater retention areas — a 2023 nor'easter simulation showed dry conditions behind Harris Teeter, where flooding currently happens. Local match expected from the Union Pier developer via TIF.

Phase 3 — Columbus Street Terminal Lower wall due to higher existing elevation. Connects the aquarium area to East Bay Street and the bridge running to Huger Street. Local match expected from the State Ports Authority or state government.

Nature-Based Solutions — Wagner Terrace/Rosemont and Bayside Manor These communities preferred non-structural approaches. Work underway includes marsh reinforcement and tidal creek restoration. The goal: make sure no community ends up left outside the wall.

The Money

This week's vote: Council unanimously approved releasing the remaining ~$3.7 million of the city's 2023 appropriation to complete its local funding commitment and unlock the federal design contract.

What Happens Next

One Question Worth Watching

A council member raised the issue of downstream impacts — what happens to James Island and West Ashley residents when storm surge hits the wall and redirects water? The Mayor acknowledged the city needs clear public answers ready.

That's the kind of question this project will need to answer convincingly before shovels hit the ground.

Covering Charleston's civic decisions so you don't have to sit through the meetings.

REAL ESTATE CORNER

Historic Home of the Week
67 Warren St • Radcliffborough
6 bed  •  5 full + 1 half bath  •  5,800 sqft  ·  $4,200,000
A circa 1898 Queen Anne style home that has had many additions and alterations over the years, including adding 2 apartments, adding piazzas, and then enclosing the piazzas. Was once slated for demolition in the 1960’s and then brought back to life into its glorious state it’s in now.

CHECK IT OUT →

How’s the Market?
Charleston Area Real Estate Market Summary | January–April 2026

The Charleston market is still healthy, but the early signs of a slowdown in price growth are starting to show. That's not a crash — it's the market catching its breath after a few years of aggressive appreciation.

The Price Cooling Signal

This is worth watching. April 2026 median prices were down 7.3% vs. March 2026, and down 2.5% vs. April 2025. A couple of key submarkets are showing real price softening:

One important note: average sales price has shot up because of the volume of $1M+ sales in the market. That number can be misleading. Median price — the midpoint where half sell above and half below — is always the more honest number.

Where the Market Is Hot

Where Things Have Slowed

Transaction volume dropped notably in West Ashley, James Island, and parts of Goose Creek and Moncks Corner. These aren't alarming declines, but sellers in those areas should price carefully and not assume the 2022 playbook still applies.

What This Means for You

Buyers: You have a little more breathing room than you did 12–18 months ago, especially in some of the outer suburban markets. Prices aren't collapsing, but the days of waiving everything and offering 10% over ask on every property are mostly gone. Be strategic — some pockets are still very competitive.

Sellers: You're still in a favorable market overall. But pricing matters more now than it did two years ago. Overpriced listings are sitting longer. The buyers who are out there are informed and selective.

Homeowners: Your equity is largely intact. The modest price appreciation we're seeing is healthy and sustainable — this is what a normalizing market looks like after an extraordinary run.

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THAT’S A WRAP

Three types of people should respond to this email:

1️⃣ You own a home in Charleston, and you're watching all of this growth happen around you.
The new developments, the zoning fights, the infrastructure changes. That activity isn't just news. It's moving your home's value in ways a Zestimate will never catch. Reply with your address, or just your neighborhood, and I'll tell you what it actually means for you.

2️⃣ You're buying in Charleston, and you know you're not just buying a house.
You're buying into a neighborhood, a school district, a commute, a lifestyle. You need an agent who can tell you what's being built two streets over, not just what sold last month. That's what this newsletter is.

3️⃣ You’re seeing land get cleared. Zoning notices are popping up near your home. Something's happening, and you want to know what.
Reply with the address and/or any details and I’ll find out!

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Until next week,
Bill Olson
Father • Husband • Realtor® • Civic Storyteller