My Letter-to-the-Editor, Charleston’s Post and Courier, March 23:
Why save land from development? Growing up in Atlanta, I saw development as a proud positive, believing it would be managed, but came to learn that without individuals and organizations stepping up, it would not be. An informative example is the new Ashley River Park.
Located diagonally across the Ashley River from Rosebrock Park, that tract was to become a subdivision, but during the Great Recession more than a decade ago, bankruptcy struck, so conservationist Coy Johnston and I, both on the board of Rosebrock, called on Dorchester County Council to buy it as a park, the county’s first.
Facing vocal, lengthy, and expensive opposition, council members David Chinnis, George Bailey, and Jay Byars, former parks director Eric Davis, and dedicated citizens led the way. The good news is that the council recently cut the ribbon, opening the park for the enjoyment of thousands of taxpayers.
Designed by Liollio Architecture, SeamonWhiteside, and others, the park is nature-oriented and attractive in appearance, offering amenities ranging from a freshwater fishing pond to trails along the Ashley.
With the Ashley River Park, Rosebrock Park, a proposed library across Bacons Bridge Road overlooking the Ashley, a sensitive development plan for Cooks Crossroads, the state scenic river, and a kayak launch, all close by and accessible to one another, the county now has an opportunity any jurisdiction in the nation would envy. And a responsibility.
Good design and conservation are about the future, aren’t they? But threats abound.
What kind of future do we want?
GEORGE W. MCDANIEL
Summerville
ABOUT THE AUTHOR George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., is President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. The company’s tag line, “Building Bridges through History,” is grounded in McDaniel’s personal beliefs and his experience in site management, preservation, education, board development, fundraising, and community outreach. Rather than using history to divide us, he strives to help organizations use history, especially local history, to enhance cross-cultural understanding and to support local museums, preservation, and education. Dr. McDaniel led volunteer efforts with Emanuel AME Church and historical organizations in Charleston to use historic preservation to enhance racial reconciliation and healing. McDaniel is also the Executive Director Emeritus of Drayton Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He retired from Drayton Hall in 2015 after 25 years of distinguished service. A frequent writer, speaker, and facilitator about such issues, he can be reached at gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com or through his website www.mcdanielconsulting.net.
All images courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
