Improvements

Saturday was a beautiful day so I decided to ride around the city taking stock of what I saw - on going projects and our ambitious plans for the future. After several years of planning and cobbling together dollars to meet matches to federal and state grants, several of my stops were to look at projects that are finally underway.

Along Boundary Street I saw: sidewalks taken up to make room for the duct banks that will carry all utilities underground; flags marking small parts of properties that have been acquired for right of way for wider sidewalks removed from the road’s edge; the new signals that allow joggers, walkers and cyclists traveling the Spanish Moss Trail to cross highway 170 more safely.  

I saw the Battery Creek Bridge near Applebee’s completed and the re-construction for three new retail stores in the shopping center.

Perhaps most importantly, I saw that large machines have begun to grade the new and safer intersection of Highways 21 and 170 adjacent to the new McDonalds.  The Boundary Street redevelopment is finally underway. It is a two year process and will move slowly.  Please note the speed limits have been reduced and that fines are higher for speeding in construction areas. Also, remember that every Thursday afternoon city staff and project engineers are stationed on the ground floor hall of city hall between 3-5pm to meet with anyone who has questions.

 

After Boundary Street I rode over to Southside park where I found the dog parks fenced in, the mile plus walking path flagged and laid out and dirt getting ready to be laid as the bed for phase two of the city tree farm. Last year Young Leaders of Beaufort planted the first twenty trees and we will return in the spring to plant the next twenty.  I was also happy to see the Palmetto trees that had been removed from Boundary Street have been relocated to Southside park.

 

And finally I looked at the terrible condition of the  sidewalk that will soon be replaced along Southside Boulevard, along with storm water drainage improvements. We should see work beginning very soon.

We talk a lot about improvements and I am delighted to see that we have finally begun to address issues that have been a long time coming.