See the aerial. Parker’s Kitchen, the convenience store chain, wants to put a store at Cook’s Crossroads, not far from the Ashley River, with a bunch of gas pumps. Several years ago, Dorchester Co. Council passed a master plan for that district, identifying it as a “gateway” to the Ashley River Region and its historic sites and gardens (MIddleton, Magnolia, Drayton Hall). I was on the committee.
The “gateway” district (see photo) has these nearby amenities: the Ashley River, a SC State Scenic River; Rosebrock Park, a passive, nature-based park of c. 80 acres; the county’s new Ashley River Park, which has broken attendance records; a soon-to-be-built county library on the opposite side of the Ashley from Rosebrock, and across the road from the park. Does your town or county have a comparable cluster?
The district also has developable high ground, and we’re not opposed to development. That’s why the Dorchester Trust Foundation (DTF), which owns Rosebrock Park, and the county invested in a master plan, which won awards. That plan allows for restaurants, hotels, beds and breakfasts, and retail shops like kayak/canoe rentals, clothing, etc., while prohibiting multi-family developments, convenience stores, and gas stations.
What’s the first thing to be proposed? A Parker’s Kitchen convenience store with gas pumps. And guess what? Dorchester County Council then amended its ordinance to allow it.
I care because a good while ago, I was on the committee, and we and the county organized a range of public and private meetings. We helped draft and win unanimous County Council approval for that award-wining plan for the Cook’s Crossroads district. It was our ideas for Cook’s Crossroads to serve as the “gateway” to the region.
I remember the pros and cons of our debate about gas stations. Some members were non-commital but were swayed by those who pointed to the proximity of the canal (see the aerial) which feeds directly into the Ashley, a State Scenic River, and to the quick in-out traffic a gas station generates. Also, the “cookie-cutter design” of a convenience store was not in keeping with the idea of a welcoming and distinctive “gateway.”
Drivers are not in a “gas station desert” because 3 are within a ½ mile of Cook’s Crossroads but not near the river. A Parker’s Kitchen was just several miles up the road, again not by the river.
Fellow DTF board members Sharon Richardson and Daniel Prohaska and I plus our attorneys with the SC Environmental Law Project had a mediation hearing this morning with Parker’s Kitchen attorneys and the county attorney, John Frampton, and county planner, Kiera Rienertsen. The meeting may produce agreements, but if not, the case will probably go to trial. I’ll keep you informed.
Next time you go to a gas station, please look at the dark spots on the concrete, which represent petroleum spills, which at Cook’s Crossroads will eventually pollute the scenic Ashley River. Look at the overall design. And the litter — where will it end up?
Why do people want to muck up nature and history and push to change a master plan for a gas station? Money?
Will a gas station at that location produce positive or negative effects?
Would you like this small postage stamp in the county to be developed into an attractive and distinctive gateway to the scenic and historic Ashley River Region?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
George W. McDaniel, PhD, is the President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. For 25 years, he served as the Executive Director of Drayton Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC. A native of Atlanta, he earned a BA from Sewanee, a MAT (history) from Brown University, and PhD (history) from Duke. Interspersed through those years were travels to many places — Europe, Africa, Vietnam — where he saw peace and war and learned by experience about cultural differences and commonalities. For 40 years, he built a career working in education and history museums, beginning with the Smithsonian Institution, and earning awards at the local, state, and national levels.
“Building Bridges through History”
The company’s tagline is grounded in McDaniel’s personal beliefs and his professional experience. Services address site management, preservation, education, board development, fundraising, community outreach, and more.
Rather than using history to divide us, McDaniel helps organizations use history, especially local history, to enhance cross-cultural understanding and to support local museums, preservation, and education.
Turning Beliefs into Actions
Dr. McDaniel led volunteer efforts with Emanuel AME Church and historical organizations in Charleston to use historic preservation to enhance racial reconciliation and healing.
A frequent writer, speaker, and facilitator, reach him at gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com or through his website www.mcdanielconsulting.net.
Images courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.
McDaniel Consulting LLC is a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and its broader constituents. 