Does the College of Building Arts really need the site?

Remember McLeod Plantation? Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) sold it to the then School of Building Arts (SOBA) to be developed into its new school campus. There was a public outcry from folk who wanted the plantation, at least what is left of it, preserved and restored. No, said the HCF. The plantation is a financial drag. We have tried to sell it to legitimate preservation groups but unsuccessfully. We will sell it to SOBA.

Continue reading "Sales tax funds should be used to preserve McLeod Plantation"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 03:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Jack Duane
Friends of McLeod
347 Cheves Drive
James Island,

After recently celebrating Black History Month, I find it disturbing how our local leaders and historians have failed to preserve an invaluable piece of African American history at McLeod Plantation. Despite thousands of petitions and strong opposition at City Council Meetings, a school overlay was approved to allow for the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) to build 21 new buildings and two parking lots. The property was recently sold by the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) to the ACBA under the guise of preservation. The easements and restrictions set forth by the HCF do anything but preserve this national historic treasure.

Continue reading "A Celebration or Desecration of Black History at McLeod?"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 02:05 AM | Comments (0)

Remember the Aquarium

Remember 10 years ago when Aquariums were the rage of the nation. Many cities aspired to build one and some actually did - to their ultimate sorrow. All are financially against the ropes and Charleston's is no exception. Ours cost over $80 million and is losing nearly $2 million a year.

Continue reading "An African American Museum that costs $60 million? A Contentious Issue."

Posted by Warwick Jones at 01:29 AM | Comments (3)

An unusual meeting

It was an unusual meeting. The main issues before the Board were two requests for reconsideration, one relating to the McLeod Plantation, the other to a property on Tradd Street. Both involved finer points of the law and involved no arguments in defense of previous positions.

Board disallows appeal over McLeod Plantation decision
The McLeod Plantation was probably the most important of the matters before the board. At its last meeting, the board was presented with a list of reasons why it should reconsider its earlier decision. Mr. Ben Peeples speaking on behalf of Friends of McLeod then stated the board had erred in its decision and had not made proper consideration of parking, traffic, visitors, archaeology and other factors. He also said that the Board has erred in procedure. The board rejected Mr. Peeples' arguments except the latter. It deferred a decision on the procedural issue while it waited on legal opinion from the City.

Continue reading "Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting - November 16"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 01:37 AM | Comments (0)

Appeal on McLeod Plantation decision still undecided

The appeal by the Friends of McLeod against the decision of the Zoning Board to approve exceptions to the School Overlay in relation to the proposed School of Building Arts (SOBA) at McLeod Plantation was not resolved at the meeting last night. There were a number of issues that were raised by the attorney for the Friends of McLeod but the Chairman of the Board dismissed many of these as being outside the realm of the board. However, the issues of parking and voting procedure were legitimate, he said. After some discussion the board agreed that it had considered all of the factors affecting parking and on that basis alone, it would reject the appeal. However, the Chairman confessed to some discomfit on the way the decision was voted at the first meeting. He consequently sought legal opinion from the City Attorney and as of the meeting last night, had not been received. For this reason, the final decision was deferred.

Continue reading "Board of Zoning Appeals - November 1"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 02:40 AM | Comments (0)

Board has it both ways on McLeod Plantation

A tied vote of 3-3 brought to defeat the requested special exception sought by the School of Building Arts(SOBA). But with board member Smith unhappy with the outcome, a motion was made to approve the requested exception but with some restrictions. The motion passed in a 5 to 1 vote.

Continue reading "Board of Zoning Appeals - September 21"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 05:23 PM | Comments (1)

Ivy Stanger
1212 Taliaferro Ave.

What a disappointment our City Council leaders are. They do follow the leader well though. They don't have a clue about James Island or the importance of the McLeod property. Maybe we are just the little redheaded stepchild who gets handed down whatever scraps may be left. Most don't know we have already three large empty shopping center buildings, our traffic is horrendous and that there are people who care about their heritage. If they do, they seem to be either too tired to comprehend the issue so follow the leader, or they don't care as they have their own agenda. Thank God for Bob George, Kwadjo Campbell, and James Lewis who stood up for us and their own beliefs, opposing the rezoning on this valuable historic site. Admitted, it must be difficult for councilmembers to take some of the verbal abuse that comes their way. There surely are better ways to get one's point across besides calling people stupid! Fortunately there were only one or two of those folks and they made points about another issue and not this rezoning.

Continue reading "McLeod Plantation - Disappointment with City Council"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 03:58 PM | Comments (1)

Carol S. Jacobsen
607 Wampler Drive
Charleston

Sir,

"Located across Charleston Harbor just southwest of the city, McLeod Plantation encompasses acres of fields and woods. McLeod offers the Foundation an opportunity to interpret the contributions and influences of the rural and agrarian South." The Historic Charleston Foundation website.

I note with concern that we seem to be entering a war of words regarding the opposition by the Friends of McLeod, Inc. to the sale of McLeod Plantation to the School of the Building Arts. The Friends of McLeod, Inc. are dedicated to preserving and protecting all aspects of McLeod Plantation including its house, slave cabins, outbuildings, cemetery, oak allees, woods, and character-defining fields. We want to inform and educate the public on the plantation's historical importance, its military history, its importance in the Civil War, and particularly its importance in African-American history, from slavery to the Civil War to freedom.

Continue reading "McLeod Plantation - An open letter to the Mayor, City Council, and the Board of the Historic Charleston Foundation"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)

Warwick Jones, Editor

The Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) can take pride in the large role it has played in preserving many of the City's historic houses. Over the years it has acquired houses, imposed covenants, and resold the properties to buyers prepared to maintain their historical integrity. It has also played the role of watchdog in BAR, Planning Commission and Zoning Board hearings, often opposing developments that were out of character with the surrounds. As well as these things, it holds house and garden tours that do much to advertise the charm and attraction of our city. So having paid these compliments, there were many of us wondering why the HCF plans to sell the McLeod Plantation property to the American School of Building Arts (SOBA), and why it was so supportive of the City's plan to raise the height restriction in the Ansonborough Field area? Prima facie, we would assume that HCF would have opposed both these moves.

Continue reading "The Historic Charleston Foundation - Watchdog or tail-waggin' Spaniel?"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)

Variance applications for McLeod deferred

The Board last night declined to hear the application for a variance in relation to the Mc Leod plantation. It thought that it was premature for the City to be asking for variances before the actual School overlay plan had been approved by council. One of the Board members thought it might be worthwhile to discuss the issue to provide some guidance to the City but this was rejected by the other members.

Continue reading "Zoning Board Meeting September 7"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)

Carol S. Jacobsen
607 Wampler Drive
Charleston

Sir,

Partial interest in the McLeod Plantation was left to the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) in 1990. It, in turn, purchased full title to the property in 1993, "thus saving the plantation, the complex of antebellum outbuildings and archeological resources from future development." The preceding sentence is a direct quote from the HCF website, which goes on to wax poetic about the history and the house, the unique kitchen and dairy structures, the barn and the rarity of the still existing slave cabins. By accepting the Willie McLeod gift, the Historic Charleston Foundation accepted responsibility and stewardship of this magical historic site as "an opportunity to interpret the contributions and influences of the rural and agrarian South."

Continue reading "McLeod Plantation- "Fight is not over""

Posted by Warwick Jones at 05:50 PM | Comments (0)

Warwick Jones, Editor

The City of Charleston has begun the process allowing the School of Building Arts to acquire the McLeod Plantation. The issue comes before the Board of Zoning Appeals -Zoning, Tuesday, September 7 at 5:15 pm, 75 Calhoun St., and the opponents of the sale are gathering. The opponents, and there are many, want to see the Plantation preserved and open to the public. They have formed a group called Friends of McLeod, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Plantation. They have also been joined by the Cities of Folly Beach and James Island.

Continue reading ""Friends" gather to save McLeod from SOBA"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

Warwick Jones, Editor

"In the blink of an eye, we could destroy an irreplaceable natural area or allow a use which irresponsibly changes a special place. Therefore we must be more prepared than ever. We must have a community vision and sound proactive initiatives in place. All developments and physical changes in our community must pass two fundamental tests. First, is what is planned excellent? Is it the best it can be? If the answer is no, it shouldn't be done. Second, will what is being proposed be useful and celebrated from 50 to 100 years from now? if the answer is no, it must not be allowed. We don't have to make compromises in quality now, if ever we did." Mayor Riley. 2000 Inaugural Address

Mayor Riley has made a lot of noise in the past about Charleston's need for green space. Actually we have press clippings that go back to 1975 where he is quoted about the need. There also was a charette the City organized on parks and green space a month or so after the charette on Ansonborough Field. I suppose that this was some sort of palliative for us who resented the loss of Ansonborough Field, or a large part of it, to the developer's hoe.

Continue reading "Green space - Can we take Mayor Riley seriously?"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 03:57 PM | Comments (1)

Alfred F. Croucher III
469 Riverland Dr
James Island

Sir:

The town of James Island has $3 million in the bank. I see the vultures landing to rip out their share. While our officials figure out how to approach the State Supreme court on reversing its decision, they gather. On the edge of the Town limits the bulldozers and constrution workers line up for the whistle to blow so their machinery can begin, again, the destruction of our rural peace. The line at the bank is growing longer as the committees and government agencies begin fighting over their share of the funds we've put away for the good of our island.

Continue reading "The vultures gather"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 04:23 PM | Comments (1)

McLeod Plantation development and Neck Area project approved

A questionable rezoning, CARTA budget approved without comment

McLeod Plantation to be developed
Well, maybe the Mc Leod Plantation will not be developed in the strict sense of the word, but many in the community feel that the acquisition by the American School of Building Arts will represent the equivalent. After a very long and emotional session, the Council approved the inclusion of the 31.5 acres that represents the major part of the Plantation in the School Overlay Zone classification. This clears the way for the School to purchase the Plantation from the Historic Foundation, and for the School to add those buildings that will be necessary to provide facilities for the 144 students that are expected to be enrolled.

Continue reading "City Council Meeting June 20 -"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)

Is the Building Arts College good for McLeod Plantation?

It is possibly the only intact plantation in all of America. Plantation house, slave houses, oak allee, magnificent vistas from the front piazza plus fields, where once, rice was cultivated. But, no, that wasn't enough to convince the Planning Commission that McLeod was worth preserving. Misty-eyed students and McLeod board members (of which there were so-o-o many) positively swooned whenever the proposed school was mentioned.

Continue reading "Planning Commission Meeting, July 12"

Posted by Warwick Jones at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)