Project Title: Cainhoy Plantation, SAC-2016-756 Branch/Office: CESAC-RD-Special Projects Branch Project Manager: Elizabeth Williams Email: Elizabeth.g.williams@usace.army.mil U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILDING STRONG Applicants: Cainhoy Plantation is currently owned by four different limited liability companies, all listed as co-applicants, which include Cainhoy Land and Timber, LLC, Tract 1 Timber, LLC, Seven Sticks, LLC, and Tract 7, LLC. Peter O. Lawson-Johnston II is listed as the applicant for all four companies. General Description: The 9,375-acre Cainhoy Plantation property is being proposed as an environmentally sensitive and conservation minded mixed-use community with residences, public schools, retail shops, restaurants and office space. The property contains approximately 3,321 acres of freshwater wetlands and 1,200 acres of tidal wetlands. Cainhoy Plantation was annexed into the City of Charleston in 1995 as a part of the city s growth plan and serves as a connection between Mount Pleasant, Charleston and North Charleston. The application states that development plans for the site call for the creation of a new town where extensive nature trails, bikeway and footpaths will connect people to rivers, creeks, parks, and marshlands, as well as neighborhoods, schools and a vibrant village. The overall project purpose, according to the applicant is construction of a conservationminded and environmentally sensitive true mixed use development with access to major traffic arteries that has the demographic support, zoning, infrastructure and access to schools and hospitals to help meet the needs of the growing Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area. This requires a planned community with sufficient land mass to provide for the development of residential, commercial, educational, office and governmental facilities. Location: The project site is approximately 6 miles west of Mt. Pleasant, 6 miles north of downtown Charleston and 6 miles east of North Charleston in the City of Charleston, Berkeley County, South Carolina. It is adjacent to and on both sides of Clements Ferry Road, between Jack Primus Road and Cainhoy Road (S-8-98) and abuts the Francis Marion National Forest (FMNF) on its eastern border, the marshes of the Cooper River on its western border, the marshes of Flagg Creek on its northern borders, and the Wando River on its southern border. (Latitude: 32.923189 N, Longitude -79.869725 W) Proposed Impacts to waters of the U.S.: The proposed work consists of the discharge of fill material into 187.90 acres of freshwater wetlands and 2.65 acres of impacts to critical area wetlands. The applicant has updated their initial request for a 30 year DA permit. Major Issues: The proposed project will impact a large amount of aquatic resources. With approved zoning in place for residential neighborhoods, schools, retail, office and commercial, Cainhoy will become a significant submarket within Charleston, the City s last borough. The property is fully entitled for as many as 18,000 homes, although approximately half that number is anticipated to be built.
Threatenend and Endangered Species: The property contains frequently burned, high quality, long leaf pine flatwoods with isolated gum and cypress pond/wetlands within. This habitat is suitable for the frosted flatwoods salamander, pondberry, Canby s dropwort, Amercian chaffseed, and the red-cockaded woodpecker. Cultural Resources: A cultural resources survey of the property has been completed and was received by the Corps on August 6, 2018. The Corps has determined that the proposed project will have an adverse effect on historic resources determined eligible for inclusion in the NRHP as well as historic resources that will require additional work prior to a final eligibility determination. The Corps invited all the identified tribes as well as St. Dennis parish to be consulting parties to the 106 process and participate in the development and review of a memorandum of agreement (MOA). Status: While the applicant has provided a response to the comments received from the public notice as well as the Corps concerns, it is not complete. The Corps is still waiting on the identification of the phasing/ pod layout as it is directly related to the concerns regarding parcel development, timing of mitigation, etc. Upon receipt of this information, the Corps will forward that to all commenting agencies for review and comment. Regarding the potential impacts to Cultural Resources, SHPO concurred with the determination of eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in a letter dated September 20, 2018 and requested that additional information regarding resources be included in the revised final cultural resources survey report. The Corps invited all the identified tribes as well as St. Dennis parish to be consulting parties to the 106 process and participate in the development and review of a memorandum of agreement (MOA). The African American Settlement Community Historic Commission, Inc., Historic Charleston Foundation, Preservation Society of Charleston have all requested to be consultaing parties. The Corps sent the cultural resources report to everyone on November 5, 2018 and a meeting is planned for December 6, 2018 for all consulting parties to initiate the development of the MOA.
PROJECT BOUNDRY
PROPOSED PROJECT- NORTH SIDE OF CLEMENTS FERRY ROAD
PROPOSED PROJECT- SOUTH SIDE OF CLEMENTS FERRY ROAD