Latest news with #Haynie
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant conducts underwater and above-water inspections on Shem Creek
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The Town of Mount Pleasant began conducting a portion of its above-water inspections in Shem Creek. Crews were looking above and below some of the boardwalks and bridges at Shem Creek, ensuring that they are up to National Bridge Inspection Standards. The town makes safety a priority for the popular destination for tourists and locals. 'First is safety, safety is always first with Mount Pleasant town government. So, it was done four years ago. We try to make sure every bridge and boardwalk is inspected at least every five years, and this is every four years,' Will Haynie, mayor of the Town of Mount Pleasant, said. '[It] gets a lot of traffic out there, we want to make sure. Also, it's exposed to some pretty corrosive elements out there.' In addition to the above-water inspections, divers are expected to come to the creek on Wednesday and do checks underwater. There will be a safety boat in the water during that time. Officials urge boaters and pedestrians to keep a safe distance as the crews look for wear-and-tear on the materials. 'They are trained, they know what to look for. To look for any signs of weakening, any corrosion, wood – even though it's treated wood or cement pylons depending on where it is. It can be corrosive, it can eat away things at the base of it from tidal action or propeller action – you can have sand or sill moving,' said Haynie. The mayor added that because the town owns this boardwalk, they must regularly maintain it as it's a high traffic area. 'I mean one – most towns don't have a creek like that with restaurants, shrimp boats, kayaks and recreational boats out there,' Haynie said. 'Two, to have it basically encircled with public boardwalks is quite a blessing to have, but the price of that is you have to consistently monitor them for safety and you have plan for the maintenance and for the repairs.' As this is a routine inspection that evaluates the immediate safety, it also serves as a way for the town to plan ahead of time in case there is an emergency in the future. 'It helps us with the long-term financial planning for the town. Replacing something like that can be very expensive, and if we were to have to, we need to know that way ahead of time instead of us scrambling on an emergency basis,' said Haynie. The work is expected to be complete by May 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant unveils new flashing beacons along Mathis Ferry Road
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The Town of Mount Pleasant celebrated Wednesday the inaugural use of a new safety improvement on Mathis Ferry Road. Leaders, staff, and neighbors gathered at the corner of Milldenhall Road and Mathis Ferry Road for to see the area's newest safety feature, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB). It comes as a step forward in the town's safety action plan and Vision Zero, which is an effort to provide connectivity, encourage healthy living, and protect non-roadway users on popular pedestrian crossings. The Point Pleasant neighborhood has been working with staff for over a year to get a RRFB installed on Mathis Ferry Road, as concerns for pedestrians had grown. 'We have a number of children in our neighborhood that use this crosswalk to get to and from school. The traffic is getting faster and faster on Mathis Ferry and it's hard for those drivers to see us trying to cross the street in the morning, especially when it's dark out,' Erin Haselkorn, a resident, said. According to national studies, the beacons are expected to reduce pedestrian crashes by 47% and increase the probability of drivers yielding to 73-93%. Will Haynie, mayor of Mount Pleasant, added that this safety feature was also a neighborhood-friendly option. 'We don't want to cut down all the trees, that's what makes Mathis Ferry beautiful and it's part of our community,' Haynie said. 'So, these rapid flashing rectangular beacons are the answer. You push the button, those little lights start blinking, and you can't miss it. So, while you might not see a person coming out of the shadows or the dark, which has happened. You know see that these flashers are there. We just need people to use them and use them correctly, it will save lives.' The town has reaffirmed $16 million for its federal Safe Streets for All initiative, which will allow for more installations. The beacons aim to make everyone feel safer, but they are especially important near schools. 'This was a high priority area because of the traffic because of the schools and because of our Safe Routes to school program. We are always looking for if there is a traffic improvement that will make a school route safer. We will go there first,' said Haynie. 'It's fantastic, we feel a lot safer with the kids in the morning crossing the street. They press the button – the drivers actually see us now and will stop, which is great,' Haselkorn said. 'Then we're able to safely cross the street and make the morning a lot less stressful and a lot easier in terms of getting to school.' The town also honored Ms. Austin, who was a crossing guard for James B. Edwards Elementary School 19 years ago. She had been struck by a car and was thankful she was able to see these beacons constructed. Officials plan to add more beacons across the town with the federal grant funds. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant Town Council discusses plan to protect wetlands
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The Town of Mount Pleasant is discussing how to protect wetlands at the local level. The flood resilience committee agenda item comes as the Town of Bluffton has lost nearly 500 of acres of wetlands. Officials are attempting to take a proactive approach on one of the town's most valuable natural resources. 'You cannot wait on resiliency issues until you need it because if you wait until you need it, you're years behind the curve,' said Will Haynie, mayor of Mount Pleasant. The ordinances the town is considering includes zoning permits, development restriction, enforcement, and staff to facilitate this initiative. 'Two things. One is wetlands are important even quote isolated wetlands because they can hold a million and a half gallons of water. So, they're important one – as part of our ecosystem, but also part of green infrastructure,' Haynie said. 'If that water gets displaced, guess who has to pay for it to be managed, collected, and dispersed – and that's the taxpayers.' The mayor added he has spoken to his constituents, who prefer these potential ordinances rather than bearing the cost of losing these wetlands. Environmental organization, Charleston Waterkeeper, said this is a step in the right direction. 'This great news, the Town of Mount Pleasant should be commended for this great effort. At the federal level, we're losing protections for wetlands and as everybody knows – the Lowcountry is one big wetland,' Andrew Wunderley, executive director of Charleston Waterkeeper, said. 'So, anything we can being doing at the local level to protect wetlands from being destroyed is going to be wonderful for our community both in terms of water quality and habitat quality. But also in terms of resiliency.' Additionally, in San Francisco v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to continuous connections of bodies of water. This is what states used to protect water quality, but officials said the ruling puts more of the Lowcountry at risk for losing protections. 'I think it's also important for folks to remember what it was like before the Clean Water Act. Before the Clean Water Act, we had no sewage treatment. Raw sewage was discharged straight into the Charleston Harbor. Rivers in the industrial Northeast and Midwest often caught on fire because they were so polluted,' Wunderley said. 'Over the last 50 plus years, the Clean Water Act has done a lot to protect water quality at the local level.' Haynie believes by moving this initiative forward, it will allow other municipalities to follow suit. 'A lot of things of resiliency are done this way. One municipality takes the lead and others see it and follow. That was the case when we did plastic bags, six-seven years ago,' Haynie said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No plans to lengthen runway at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, mayor says
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) — Mayor Will Haynie pushed back on rumors Friday regarding the future of the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. According to Haynie, rumors falsely claiming that there were plans to extend the airport's runway recently began re-circulating on social media. 'Despite the fervor on the infamous NextDoor platform, there are NO PLANS nor have there EVER been any plans to lengthen the runway at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport,' Haynie wrote in a Feb. 21 Instagram post. 'Not now, not ever.' Haynie serves as a board member for the Charleston County Aviation Authority, which owns and operates the Charleston area's three airports. He said the idea had not been considered during his seven years on the authority's board. City of Charleston leaders move forward on plans for Clements Ferry Road fire station His post also included a statement from Executive Director Elliott Summey, which reads in part: 'There are absolutely zero plans to extend the runway at LRO…we don't have enough real estate over there to do any more expansion beyond what we already have.' The airport, located on a roughly 300-acre plot of land in northern Mount Pleasant, opened to the public in the summer of 1986. It has one paved runway measuring about 3,700 feet long and 75 feet wide. Haynie said similar rumors spread during past election cycles, and he accused some council candidates of attempting to use it as a 'political wedge' issue again. 'Any council candidates who continue to spread false information about this are fear mongers who are just desperate for attention,' he wrote. News 2 has reached out to Mayor Haynie for further clarification. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant mayor to share town goals during annual address
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie will share Thursday the town's goals for 2025 and accomplishments over the past year during an annual address. Several initiatives, such as development projects and traffic studies, are underway throughout the town. These initiatives aim to improve the quality of life and bring more economic opportunities to the area. Haynie is expected to share details about these plans and more during his State of the Town address, which is scheduled to begin at noon during the town's Chamber of Commerce meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
