photo by Jenny Peterson

Byron Toney, on the board of the Weatherstone Homeowner’s Association, discusses alternatives to connecting the end of Fripp Lane with Public Works committee members.

Summerville town officials say that connecting Fripp Lane to the Weatherstone subdivision would be a convenient way for motorists along Highway 78 to cut-through town in order to get to I-26 and the Azalea Square Shopping Center.

Unfortunately, for the Weatherstone subdivision residents, that’s exactly what they fear will happen.

They said that extending Fripp Lane to their neighborhood and opening up North Palmetto Street as a shortcut would produce more traffic, create more crime and, in general, lower their overall quality of life.

“People will take advantage of this,” said resident Shawn Abate. “It will be a bottleneck.”

Residents said the extension would also allow easy access to the subdivision from the nearby Robynwynn area, which residents contend has a high crime rate.

The project was set to go to a vote last month, but town council members sent the Fripp Lane extension project back to a committee after hearing from nearly 50 residents in opposition.

At the committee meeting Wednesday, members tabled voting on the project after an hour of discussion in order to look at possible alternatives. They were presented a petition against the extension signed by 428 residents.

Donald Klarmann, who sits on the Weatherstone Homeowner’s Association board, gave committee members a host of reasons why the project would be detrimental to the community.

“This roadway won’t take the traffic,” Klarmann said “It’s very unsafe. It endangers people’s lives.”

“North Palmetto (Street) is not a large street; there are no sidewalks,” added resident Ida Weber.

Klarmann said the additional entrance would put at least one neighbor in the thick of the new traffic.

“This poor fellow is going to have headlights coming at his house,” said Byron Toney, a Weatherstone Homeowner's Association board member.

“And my yard is not that big; someone intoxicated could (drive right) into my living room,” the man added, from his seat.

Committee members Ricky Waring and Kima Garten-Schmidt said after hearing from the residents, that they were not in favor of the project.

“I wouldn’t want this (in my neighborhood),” Waring said.

Residents at the meeting proposed an alternative to the Fripp Lane extension project: extending the road from Daniel’s Orchard, a nearby subdivision, to the shopping center and interstate.

Toney said that extending the road through Daniel’s Orchard is a good compromise.

“The natural shape of Daniel’s Orchard would slow traffic down,” Toney said. “The plan to connect Daniel’s Orchard to Weatherstone seems reasonable; it’s not a Palmetto Street-type access.”

The current extension project would allow people “to just rip down the street,” Toney said. “That’s just what residents in the Weatherstone subdivision don’t want.”

Town staffers said the Daniel’s Orchard extension wouldn’t be completed for another four-or-so more years. Town Engineer Russ Cornette said the Fripp Lane extension has gotten all the proper permitting and will cost $50,000. The town currently has about $180,000 in its transportation improvements fund.

Bob Jackson was the only committee member who saw merits in the extension project. He said it would allow traffic to be diverted off of already-congested Highway 78 and Main Street corridors.

“In our comprehensive plan, our traffic problem is connectivity,” Jackson said. “If we keep canceling every (traffic) connection (request), then we have no connections. If there is high speed of traffic (with the extension), then we can put speed bumps.”

Waring countered, “I understand the connectivity, but (if built) we’ll end up with a real problem on Palmetto Street. I don’t see the urgency or the need.”

The full council will meet on March 10 and may bring the project up for more discussion and a possible vote. The meeting will be held at Town Hall Annex at 7:30 p.m., 200 S. Main Street.

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

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