MOUNT PLEASANT — Town leaders are considering adopting more protections for Gullah Geechee communities — historic Black neighborhoods situated primarily in unincorporated areas within Mount Pleasant — that mirror those set by Charleston County.

Two recent annexation requests from landowners in the Hamlin Beach Community prompted the discussion at the town's planning committee meeting May 5.

These properties would become part of the town of Mount Pleasant, a move that could sidestep historic protections enforced by Charleston County.

Residents urged the town's planning committee to take up similar protections and close a gap that could put Black communities at risk of overdevelopment and displacement.

"It should not be that loophole, that they annex out of our area just to build these subdivisions," said Myra Richardson, president of the Hamlin Beach Community Association. "We're just asking you to protect our history, our heritage, our legacy."

Resisting development

Mount Pleasant's Gullah Geechee communities, often referred to as settlement communities, have long been resistant to annexation. Concerns about overdevelopment have led property owners to stay in unincorporated Charleston County, even as these communities are surrounded by town property.

Hamlin Beach, nestled behind Rifle Range Road on Hamlin Sound, became the fourth neighborhood designated as a historic district by the county in 2025.

Hamlin Beach seeking historical protections from Mount Pleasant, to fight overdevelopment and close a loophole that developers have used to get around a county-level subdivision moratorium by annexing into the town.

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Coakley Chapel in Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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An aerial view of the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Deliverance Tabernacle in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Trees cover a road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Hamlin Beach resident Isaiah Horry, 70, takes a walk around his neighborhood Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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A children’s playground statues are seen from a resident’s home in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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The intersection of Hamlin Beach road and Boston Grill road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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A decorated yard in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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The intersection of Hamlin Beach road and Boston Grill road in the Hamlin Beach community Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

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Capital Improvement Plan signage is seen along Hamlin Road Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Charleston County.

The recognition came with stronger building restrictions and review processes for new developments. A two-year moratorium, established in July 2024, also prohibits construction of major subdivisions within the district. The county considers a major subdivision to be a parcel of land split into five or more lots.

Shortly after the county approved the recognition, Mount Pleasant's planning commission reviewed an annexation request for a 3.11-acre tract of land on Hamlin Beach Road.

The developer told planning commission members in April that the motivation for annexing was to gain access to town water and sewer services. If approved, the property would see some development restrictions from the town, including limits to how many homes could be built per acre and how big lots could be.

But the property would no longer be beholden to the county's subdivision moratorium, nor review from the county Historic Preservation Commission.

Town Council gave the initial thumbs up for the request in April, though Charleston County Council opposed the move.

Larry Kobrovsky, a county councilman who represents much of Mount Pleasant, told committee members on May 5 that the area is at a "tipping point." He urged the town to pause the annexation.

"We're trying to do everything we can to preserve historic communities and keep the area rural," Kobrovsky said.

Recommending protections

Chaired by Councilwoman G.M. Whitley, Mount Pleasant's planning committee agreed that annexation should not be used to get around building restrictions.

"It's created this disparity between our community of Mount Pleasant and the county to where people who have sold out their properties … they're trying to escape, basically, these historic overlays into our town," Whitley said.

MOUNT PLEASANT — While one luxury car storage facility is celebrating its grand opening in Mount Pleasant, a town planning committee hit the brakes on a proposal for a second.

The luxury storage site, or "car condominiums," are individually owned garage-focused properties with their own TMS number on commercially zoned land.

They are built to be upwards of 1,500 square feet of climate-controlled space with nearly 20-foot ceilings, suitable for storing luxury vehicles, RVs, classic cars, boats and more.

The price tag? Around $400,000 per car "condo."

Mount Pleasant’s first car condominium, The Vault, located on Faison Road about halfway between Costco Wholesale and Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, will celebrate its grand opening May 30. The project broke ground in September 2024.

The Vault owner Lee Janik said the 29-unit property on two acres was fully leased well in advance of its opening, a testament to the needs of Mount Pleasant where people own multiple luxury vehicles, boats and RVs. The development company kept two units in hand but will list them for sale shortly after opening and expects to sell them both quickly.

“It’s for high-net-worth individuals with too many toys and nowhere to put them. Homeowners Association’s don’t allow anything in driveways,” Janik said. “I sold four units before I even owned the property. There are a number of (clients) who bought two units.”

Janik, who came up with his concept in 2021 as an offshoot of a luxury indoor boat storage business he owned in Ohio, is now in nine different markets working with real estate agents, car enthusiasts and more. He uses word-of-mouth to garner interest.

Owners get 24/7 access with water, bathrooms, kitchens and even loft-style living rooms for lounging with a secure access gate. The only restriction is that owners can’t live in the units or sleep inside them overnight.

He announced The Vault’s next expansion will be on Daniel Island, with property already under contract and the ability to build residential units on top of the mega-garages.

“We already have ten units sold on Daniel Island,” Janik said. “We sell units before we build, so we can customize the size (needed).”

Janik said he expects the Daniel Island location to be open in the next year-and-a-half.

Despite the demand for these types of developments, a second car condominium proposed for Mount Pleasant by another developer wasn't given the green light from two town planning bodies.

A proposed 55-unit car condominium over four acres in the Belle Hall Planned Unit Development, accessible from Seacoast Parkway and adjacent to Long Point Road, was recommended for denial by the Mount Pleasant Planning Committee and Planning Commission May 5. Florida-based developer WHWE, LLC proposed the project.

Chris Pilinko, with WHWE, LLC, said the luxury storage facility would be priced between $400,000 and $500,000, and would include a monthly regime fee.

“We've done three of these in other markets and have a local partner who has identified this site. They're very low intensity uses. They have no demand on public services,” Pilinko said at the planning meeting.

Committee members said there were better uses for the commercially zoned location than the use for individually owned garages to store luxury vehicles.

“I think the residents would much prefer a grocery store or a restaurant as an amenity to the community rather than $400,000 to $500,000-owned storage,” said Guang Ming Whitley, planning committee chairman and town council member.

The vote was three to deny the request and one abstention, with committee member Jake Rambo wanting more information about car condominiums before voting on the issue.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Specialty grocer The Fresh Market marked a major milestone on Saturday, May 3, with the grand opening of its newest store in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. This brings the total number of locations to 172 nationwide.

The highly anticipated launch drew large crowds as the Mount Pleasant community turned out in numbers to welcome the brand's Greater Charleston area debut. Shoppers gathered early to be among the first to experience The Fresh Market’s signature blend of gourmet offerings, fresh ingredients, and impeccable hospitality.

“We are extremely pleased with the response to our new store,” said Brian Johnson, CEO of The Fresh Market. “We have a great team that is excited to bring our brand of impeccable hospitality to the town of Mount Pleasant.”

Opening day festivities included The Fresh Market’s beloved traditions, such as a ceremonial bread breaking and the cracking of an 80-pound wheel of Parmesan cheese. Early guests were treated to exclusive giveaways: the first 120 received a complimentary 4-inch potted orchid, while the first 500 were gifted a reusable Mount Pleasant-themed grocery bag.

Reinforcing its commitment to community partnerships, The Fresh Market launched its collaboration with the Lowcountry Food Bank by presenting a $2,000 donation to support local hunger relief efforts.

The new 25,000-square-foot store features a thoughtfully curated selection of premium meats and seafood, fresh produce, local products, and an array of international items. Shoppers can also enjoy restaurant-quality prepared meals and convenient ready-to-cook or ready-to-heat options tailored to busy lifestyles.

The Mount Pleasant store is the latest in a trio of recent openings, following launches in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and Jensen Beach, Florida, just one week prior. The Fresh Market has opened 11 retail locations and introduced its new Spirits & Wine concept in the last six months, marking a significant growth phase for the company.

For more information, visit TheFreshMarket.com .

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - If you drive east of the Cooper River on Johnnie Dodds Blvd, you’ve probably seen the new development sign in an empty parking lot for Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

They are in the final planning stages of a new facility there. The design review board will meet next week to go over some options for the exterior of Roper’s Mt. Pleasant Ambulatory Health Pavilion.

The three-story building will have emergency medicine services on the first floor, along with imaging and lab services. The second and third floors will be clinical-based services like women’s services, oncology and more.

Dr. Megan Baker, chief coordinating officer for Roper St. Francis Healthcare, told me it’s part of their 2030 plan.

“We wanted to increase and improve our access in that lower Mount Pleasant geography,” Baker said. “We’re also noting pockets of the population that are changing in terms of age demographics, and with every age group there are unique healthcare needs that come, and so as traffic density gets more challenging, convenience becomes ever more important.”

Baker said it is extra important for patients who have more advanced needs.

“I’ve been a practicing clinician in the Mt. Pleasant market for my entire career, so having increased services in this area is really going to meet such a critical need for our patients, particularly for those patients who have cancer. You know, convenience can’t be underscored in terms of just making that journey easier for them, and having something that is more convenient and accessible to them is just going to be key to their success,” Baker said.

Baker added they’ve gotten input from patients, clinicians and town officials as this project has progressed.

“I think we’ve arrived at really a terrific plan that’s going to meet the growing community’s needs that Mount Pleasant will be proud of,” Baker said.

Baker said this project has been in the works for about four years, and they’re excited to see it come to fruition. She said if all goes as planned, the facility will open in early 2027.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

As we celebrate and admire the remarkable homes .in our community in this edition, let’s take a minute to reflect on the nature of Mount Pleasant and what makes this one of the most desirable communities in the nation.

I have had the privilege of observing Mount Pleasant in every phase of my life: childhood, young adulthood and middle to senior age. I have seen it grow beyond what anyone could imagine and yet the essence of what makes it unique still exists. True, it is not the small, quaint fishing village it was when my family first moved here and yet the tight-knit fishing community still exists with all its quaintness. The attendance of thousands of people at our annual Blessing of the Fleet celebration gives testimony to the importance of the local shrimping/fishing fleet among all our residents.

We now have exquisite homes, both old and new, all the way from the Old Village to the farthest reaches of the municipal limits. This shows that interest in living here and building remarkable residences has remained strong over several centuries.

As a member of your local government, I see it as our job to continue to protect the uniqueness of our town, its natural resources and its livability. The question is, how can that be accomplished?

These are some of the issues Mount Pleasant is identifying and addressing to keep our community livable and vibrant:

My wife Suzette and I have four grown children and have just moved my parents here into a senior living community. We wish our children could live here, but lack of affordability prevents it. We know that we are not alone in that. As your mayor, I continue to work with the council and affordable housing groups to find solutions. Our future as a healthy, complete community depends on it.

By Will Haynie Mayor of Mount Pleasant

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