Photo by: Leslie Cantu/Journal Scene

Members of the Dorchester County Parks Commission gaze out over the water at an observation point on the wooded trails in Governors Park on Daniel Island. Although Pine Trace won’t be able to boast of that view, County Councilman Jay Byars said, it also won’t have to contend with the trash that people fling from cars on I-526 that has already begun to pile up in one section of the park.

Photo by: Leslie Cantu/Journal Scene

Chris Campeau of Seamon Whiteside and Associates tells members of the Dorchester County Parks Commission about the thinking that went into planning the ballfields at Governors Park.

Members of the Dorchester County Parks Commission toured the city of Charleston’s newest park Tuesday to see how active and passive elements can be combined.

Governors Park on Daniel Island isn’t officially open yet, although the dog park is open and the Dorchester group passed a couple people bicycling on the trails.

Seamon Whiteside and Associates designed and oversaw construction of the 40-acre park in the shadow of I-526. The $4 million park includes two baseball/softball fields, a large open grassy area that can be soccer fields or open space for a concert or festival, dog park, and wooded trails that overlook the Wando River.

“I think they’ve got a good blend,” of active and passive features, County Councilman Jay Byars said.

With more than 300 acres, Pine Trace could feature a much larger trail system, he said. Trails are also relatively inexpensive, so the county could put trails out there first to give people an idea of what the park could be, he said.

Seamon Whiteside is now working on the conceptual plan for Pine Trace. Chris Campeau, a landscape architect with the company, gave the tour of Governors Park.

Some of the features he pointed out included the sodded fields, which will have to grow in for about a year before they can be used, and the underground drains that ensure the field will be playable shortly after it rains.

Byars said the current YMCA fields don’t drain well and it can take two or three days before they’re playable after a rain. Having the drains helps ensure that a hundred or so children don’t have to go home without playing, Campeau said.

On the other hand, “you have to pay for it,” he said.

After the tour, the parks commission voted to send a list to County Council of preliminary ideas for Pine Trace so that Seamon Whiteside can create a conceptual plan. This would also let the county know if there’s likely to be land left over that could be sold or put to another use, Byars said.

The county signed an agreement with Seamon Whiteside in August for $24,800 for the company to meet individually with Summerville, Summerville CPW and Dorchester County School District to discuss zoning, drainage, water and sewer and school issues; to prepare a preliminary master plan and a revised version based on feedback from the county; and to give a preliminary estimate of development costs.

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