18 Apr A little patience, please?
From telephone calls to emails in past weeks, it is clear that some residents of the greater Beaufort area do not understand the specifics of the ongoing Boundary Street Redevelopment while others are inconvenienced.
Hence, the City holds monthly update meetings where Senior Project Manager David Coleman and the oversight engineer explain progress, listen to complaints and do what they are able to mitigate unintended hardship on drivers and businesses along the construction site.
For those who are simply coming through Beaufort on their way to the islands, I recommend using Highway 21 (aka Parris Island Parkway). For those to whom the greater downtown is a destination, I can only ask for patience. Perhaps stop for some shopping along Boundary while waiting for the traffic to subside. Our merchants, some of whom are paying a price for the inconvenience, would be happy to see you.
I cannot think of a construction project that has not caused some inconvenience. I can recall many times when construction caused some challenge yet paid off in the end. For instance: Bay Street was torn up and one had to cross open trenches across small bridges made from lumber; the McTeer Bridge was under repairs after being damaged by a barge; highway 170 was being widened from two to four lanes and more recently the widening of highway 278 through the greater Bluffton area. All of these projects, while inconvenient during construction, turned out to be successful projects likely preventing accidents and saving lives.
So what do we do? I recall the renovation of a friend’s home following a fire. The renovation took a year longer than expected. Living out of suitcases, moving from rental to rental and even having to stay with friends was very inconvenient to say the least. I asked her how she handled the frustration. She reported that every time she was about to become upset with workmen and the slow progress, she turned her mind to what her new kitchen and bathrooms would be like and how the new windows would improve her views. I think this is a lesson to be learned.
While it may not mitigate the inconvenience, I think it is exciting that our city will be getting a new gateway that is safer, more environmentally sustainable and will aesthetically reflect the designation and character of our special hometown.
Please bare with us. If you see where we can improve and lessen the inconvenience, let us know.