Mount Pleasant asked to lift the cap on hotels within the mixed-use Seaside Farms (2024)

A Seaside Farms property owner has approached the town of Mount Pleasant about changing the existing development agreement from the mid-1990s to allow a second hotel.

Scott Benedict, a representative of the owners of a building on 2.4 acres near Riviera Drive and the Isle of Palms Connector, said they’re working to establish a community meeting ahead of the next public meeting.

The amendment request triggered some pushback from nearby residents, who emailed the Planning Commission with concerns about traffic and livability impact.

Benedict said the zoning allows for another hotel within Seaside’s 52-acre commercial area, but the original 1996 development plan set the limit at just one — the neighboring Homewood Suites.

Town staffers recommended approving the change, according to public documents. The request was scheduled to go before the Planning Commission late last month, but the applicant, Charleston Commercial Specialty Group, withdrew it after reviewing the community’s concerns.

The site in question is currently occupied by Yamato Japanese Steakhouse which Benedict said will remain for the foreseeable future.

“We’d like to keep options open for a future buyer,” he said. “Seaside is a wonderful development.”

Benedict said he believes a hotel would be an economic benefit to the community and the town in terms of generating tourism spending and hospitality tax revenue. He said he’s looked at commercial traffic patterns in the area and determined that a lodging would generate fewer trips than a restaurant.

The next steps will be decided after ownership representatives meet with residents and other local stakeholders.

Back at the BAR

Plans for the proposed 12-floor, 250-key Kimpton hotel in the Morrison Yard development are heading back to the city’s Board of Architectural Review on June 12 to go over some revisions to the towering upper peninsula project.

Also on the agenda for the 4:30 p.m. meeting: a mock-up panel for a much smaller lodging planned for several parcels at 93 Society St. and 348 King St. The 25-room boutique hotel with restaurant and retail space has already been approved for the site, but the developers are requesting changes to the storefront that will require a Wednesday morning site visit by the BAR. The properties last sold in 2017 for more than $5 million.

Juneteenth plans

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens is hosting a lineup of events to pay homage to Juneteenth.

From cooking demonstrations to storytelling sessions and gospel performances, attendees can spend June 22 immersed in history and culture. In partnership with the Slave Dwelling Project, the all-day celebration will be included with regular admission.

George H. McDaniel, Magnolia’s director of interpretation, said Juneteenth is a day to uplift and remember the stories of those who were enslaved.

“In doing so, we give voice to those who have long been voiceless and celebrate their humanity. Their vibrant legacies have left an indelible mark on American culture and we are honored and humbled to acknowledge those magnificent gifts,” McDaniel said.

Local gospel music group Oh Happy Day will perform and local food vendors will be on-site.

Joseph McGill, founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, said the collaboration aims to “educate visitors about the plantation’s history, including its ties to slavery and the contributions of the enslaved to the Magnolia Plantation.”

On June 21, the plantation will host a nighttime campfire conversation with McGill and McDaniel; sweetgrass basket-making classes will be offered June 23.

Free admission

A visit to Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is free on June 19. Attendees can join a ranger at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. to learn how the Sullivan’s Island military installation fit into the larger narrative of how slavery began and ended in the U.S.