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https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/commentary/commentary-laurel-hill-parkway-is-an-unnecessary-irreversible-mistake/article_d7ad00cc-1b6b-11ee-8c92-8b0c6ef132fa.html
Dear Supporters,
We want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who sent emails, showed up, and spoke out in recent weeks. We also want to update you on where things stand — and what comes next.
At the July Charleston County Council meetings, members of the Finance Committee and full Council declined to take action to remove the Laurel Hill Parkway from the Highway 41 project. Many of them not only continued to spread misinformation about the project and disregarded our concerns — they did so with open hostility and contempt towards the Smart Growth 41 community and the thousands of Charleston County residents who have been advocating for a better, more responsible transportation solution.
If you haven’t already seen it, we encourage you to watch the footage from the meeting to understand just how unwilling some councilmembers are to listen:
🎥 Watch here (https://www.youtube.com/live/TGEzQDtrjOE?feature=shared&t=4690)
Despite this deeply disappointing outcome, we want to acknowledge and celebrate what our community accomplished:
✅ More than 450 public comments were submitted to the Charleston County Council demanding a better solution — a nearly unprecedented number
✅ The room was filled with residents demanding a better solution than bulldozing Laurel Hill Park
✅ And County Council was forced to once again confront the reality that their constituents are paying attention and will not be silenced
We are especially grateful to County Councilmember Larry Kobrovsky for fighting to bring this issue back before the Council, and to Mayor Will Haynie and Councilman John Iacofano for showing up to represent the Town and its residents at the meeting.
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Next Step: Mount Pleasant Town Council Vote – Monday, August 4
The fight isn’t over. In fact, one of the most important next steps is right around the corner.
🗓 Monday, August 4 at 1:30 PM
📍 Mount Pleasant Town Hall – 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
At this meeting, the Mount Pleasant Transportation Committee will consider a formal vote to deny municipal consent for the Laurel Hill Parkway portion of the Highway 41 project. If passed, this would create a significant procedural hurdle towards advancing the project:
🚫 It could delay or prevent the County from acquiring the land it needs to build the Laurel Hill Parkway
📣 It would send another strong message to Charleston County that our Town and its residents remain united in opposition
You can help by:
✅ Attending the meeting in person and speaking in favor of the resolution
✅ Emailing the Town Council at councilclk@tompsc.com to urge them to deny municipal consent
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Looking Ahead: Federal Permitting Process Likely to Begin Soon
We also want to flag an important development on the horizon: there is a strong possibility that the Army Corps of Engineers will begin its public comment period on the project within the next 60 days.
This is one of the most powerful remaining tools we have to stop the Parkway and advance a better transportation solution for Highway 41. If the Corps declines to issue the necessary federal permits — especially if the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services also withholds approval — the project cannot move forward.
When that comment period begins, there will be a formal public hearing and an opportunity to submit electronic comments. We will share detailed guidance and suggested language as soon as that window opens. Please stay alert and ready to act.
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We’re Not Going Away
The County Council may not have listened — but that doesn’t change our strategy, our determination, or the core fact that this project remains very vulnerable in the permitting and regulatory process.
With your continued help, we will protect Laurel Hill Park, preserve our communities, and push for a smarter, more sustainable plan for Highway 41.
Thank you for being part of this movement.
The fight continues.
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