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Ross Appel

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@alexisappel’s boo and Jo’s and Zane’s pop ◽️ Attorney ◻️ Charleston City Council

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How does the City cut back development?

There are a few methods:

1. Our incredibly strict stormwater regulations which require developers to improve flooding by at least 20%, which took Riverland Oaks from a possible 153 to 91 units (under the most recent plans).

2. Charleston County’s Greenbelt Funds can be used to buy undeveloped plots of land to prevent development. The recently opened Fort Pemberton was made possible, in part, due to Greenbelt Funds (and a generous seller who sold the property below market rate).

3. City processes, such as the Technical Review Committee, impose requirements as part of the approval process (which can also reduce the number of units).

This video is a slice of a much larger conversation between the Mayor and City Councilmember Ross Appel. Search “Talking Charleston” wherever you watch or listen to podcasts!

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Why doesn’t the City outright block developments?

It all comes down to property rights and zoning decisions made decades ago. If the city were to “downzone” a property or back out of an development agreement (regardless of how old), the city would be sued, we would lose, your tax dollars would be paid to the developer, and the development would still happen.

Although our options are limited for downzoning, we still have options at our disposal. A big one for projects like Riverland Oaks on James Island is our Stormwater Manual, which requires new builds to improve flooding by 20%. This not only prevents a new build from causing worsened flooding during storms, it also cuts down on the number of units significantly. For Riverland Oaks, it took the project from a possible 153 units down to 91 (under the latest site plan).

For much more on this topic, search “Talking Charleston” wherever you watch or listen to your podcasts. In the first episode, the Mayor and Councilmember Ross Appel went in depth on Riverland Oaks, development in general, and of course traffic.

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What began as a major City drainage project and some disruption to our school and surrounding neighborhood has created an unexpected opportunity. For this year’s Boosterthon we are making the most of the “mud” and raising money to bring the Lowcountry to life with an outdoor classroom!

Let’s give our children and all SASMS students the opportunity to experience science rather than simply read about it.

Our City Council & the Mayor’s Office, Charleston Parks Conservancy, & Clemson’s Architecture & Design Programs are all interested in helping SASMS achieve our goals but we have to do our part too!

Learn more and donate using the link in our bio.

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This morning we celebrated the opening of Fort Pemberton Park on James Island with a ribbon cutting!

The 8.7-acre site along the Stono River has a history spanning hundreds of years, from a Civil War-era earthwork fort built to protect Wappoo Creek, to farmland, to decades as private property, and now a waterfront park for the public!

Mayor William Cogswell, City Councilmember Ross Appel (plus Leslie Skardon and Kevin Shealy!), former Section Chief of Facilities and Capital Projects Jason Kronsberg, Charleston County Councilman Brantley Moody, Project Manager Matt Compton, and Garrison Marcoux of the SC Battleground Trust joined community members to mark the occasion and celebrate the park’s new fishing dock, kayak launch, walking paths, and picnic shelter.

This project wouldn’t have been possible without greenbelt funds from Charleston County, which support the preservation of green space across our City and beyond!

The park is located at 217 Yates Ave in Riverland Terrace, with separate ADA entrances providing access to both the upper fort area and the waterfront.

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A special morning celebrating the official ribbon cutting of Fort Pemberton Park! 🌿

We’ve already had the privilege of enjoying this beautiful waterfront space for the past few months, but today was an opportunity to recognize the many people and organizations who worked over the years to preserve it and make it accessible to our community.

Thank you to the City of Charleston, Mayor William Cogswell, Councilman Ross Appel, Jason Kronsberg and the many City staff members who helped bring the park to life; to the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust for its role in protecting this historic property; and to Charleston County for the Greenbelt funding that helped make its acquisition possible.

We’re also grateful to former Mayor John Tecklenburg and Peter Evans, whose early work together helped make the City’s acquisition and preservation of this special property possible.

And last but certainly not least, a particularly heartfelt thank you to our own Riverland Terrace neighbor Matt Compton, who has poured an incredible amount of time and care into Fort Pemberton over the past several years. His dedication has helped turn a historic piece of our neighborhood into a place we can all walk, fish, watch the sunset and enjoy together.

What a gift to have Fort Pemberton preserved, protected and open for everyone to enjoy.

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It was a beautiful morning to be at the Fort Pemberton park grand opening today! It was a special moment while I was listening to the presentation to realize that my late uncle by marriage (but luckily my husband’s family has lovingly woven me in), Uncle Doug Bostick, was part of bringing this park to life.

Uncle Doug was the CEO of the SC Battleground Preservation Trust which had acquired the Fort Pemberton property through a conservation easement and then the Trust worked with the City of Charleston to preserve the historical land and help mold it into the beautiful passive park it is today. Previous Transportation Sales Tax funding was able to utilize greenbelt funding to purchase the land and federal grants helped turn it into the park.

I cannot wait to take my husband and son back with me for a picnic, fishing off the dock and further exploring. And I hope to continue on in Uncle Doug’s footsteps of helping preserve land through use of conservation easements and greenbelt funding for our current and future generations to enjoy.

Strong roots for a stronger Charleston 🌴

#FergusonForCharleston #Charleston #RiverlandTerrace #FortPemberton #JamesIsland

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Monday 6 p.m.: City of Charleston townhall co-hosted by all three Councilmembers who represent James Island: Ross Appel (District 11), Leslie Skardon (District 12), Jim McBride (District 3).

Location: Baxter Patrick Library

You'll learn about all the significant County and City infrastructure projects on James Island that are in progress, planned, and coming soon.

You'll hear about projects on the County's upcoming 2026 Transportation Sales Tax Referendum.

You'll learn about the City's stormwater regulations and how they are designed to tackle one of James Island's -- and Charleston's -- biggest challenges.

You'll learn about the City's upcoming effort to significantly revamp its (very old) zoning regulations to reflect our modern population, stormwater, and other infrastructure needs.

You'll learn about current and upcoming efforts to improve safety and traffic congestion on James Island's roads.

And more (as much as we can squeeze in 90 minutes).

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📣🗓️ Join your James Island City Councilmembers, including myself, Jim McBride, and Ross Appel, for a Town Hall Meeting on Monday, August 17 at 6 PM at the Baxter-Patrick Library (1858 S Grimball Rd). 📣🗓️

Meet your neighbors, hear community updates and ask questions! This is a great opportunity to hear from constituents on the issues they’re facing and to share updates on current projects.

Can’t make it, but want to receive updates? Sign-up for my newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/rqM6qOq/skardonnewsletter

#citycouncil #TownHall

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Fort Pemberton Park is now open on James Island, an 8.7-acre site along the Stono River with a story spanning hundreds of years!

What started as a Civil War-era earthwork fort built to protect Wappoo Creek later became farmland, then private property for decades, and now it’s a waterfront park for everyone!

You’ll find a new fishing dock, kayak launch, walking paths, and a picnic shelter. Keep an eye out for eagles, wood storks, foxes, and even the occasional armadillo!

The park is located at 221 Yates Ave in Riverland Terrace. There are separate ADA entrances on either side allowing access for both the upper part of the fort and waterfront portion!

Join us for the official ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 29th at 9 AM!

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Today I am in Columbia with members of Charleston City Council, staff and the Mayor, to advocate for critical funding that we need on James Island to build sidewalks and mitigate flooding. Let’s get it done!

#citycouncil #funding

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It’s been a long time coming, but we think it’s worth the wait!

The Windermere Drainage Improvement Project will finally begin construction in just a few months!

This summer, crews will be out installing new drainage systems behind the Saint Andrews School of Math and Science.

After systems behind the school are installed, attention will be turned to William Ackerman Blvd and the Greenway, where larger pipes will be installed to funnel water out of Windermere, which can be flooded for days at a time during a significant rain event. This construction is expected to last around a year.

Pedestrian detours will be established and lanes will be accessible while construction is underway. Construction behind Saint Andrews School of Math and Science will take place during the Summer to not disrupt the school year.

The Windermere Drainage Improvement Project would not be possible without help from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, Charleston County School District, and Charleston Water System.

This project is just one of many stormwater projects that the City of Charleston is working on the reduce the impacts of flooding, stay tuned for updates on other projects in the works!

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Terri Griffis @ P&C covering the latest chapter in the Eastwood Homes saga with an excellent article here.
Result = Supreme Court denied cert. Appeals have been exhausted. Hopefully these wonderful, innocent homebuyers will get their day in front of a jury without any further delay and stalling. When we say the wheels of justice turn slowly, this is the kind of delay that we are talking about. We are 5 years into it and we have yet to meet a jury. @appelross and I are immensely grateful for these clients! They refuse to back down. They refuse to fold. Photo of a home under construction from Eastwood Homes on Johns Island in Swygert’s Landing.

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