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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEEFER COUNTY.
WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF COASTLINE.
AND JOINING US IN THE STUDIO TODAY IS DEAN MOSS.
NOW THAT NAME MAY SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE DEAN FORMERLY WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BUFORD JASPER WATER, SEWER AUTHORITY.
UH, HE WAS THERE 25 YEARS AND I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I, AND TALKING WITH HIM DISCOVERED HAS BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE HE LEFT THAT POSITION, TIME DOES FLY.
DOESN'T IT, DEAN? IT SURE DOES.
BUT A PERSON LIKE YOU IS NEVER SATISFIED TO JUST SIT ON THEIR LAURELS.
AND, UM, HE IS NOW INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THEM, BUT THE FIRST IS HIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
AND, UH, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH HAVING SEEN VARIOUS INTERSECTIONS AND, BUT GIVE US AN IN-DEPTH SURE IT RUNS, UH, IT'S A PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE TRAIL.
UH, 12 FEET WIDE MADE OUT OF CONCRETE THAT RUNS FROM, UH, NEAR PORT, NEAR REBO ROAD IN PORT ROYAL ALL THE WAY OUT TO CLARENDON ROAD, UH, IN, UH, ON GRAYS HILLENBURG.
UM, AND IT'S ABOUT 10 MILES RIGHT NOW OF TRAIL.
UH, IT IS VERY HEAVILY USED, UH, WORKING.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW ON, ON COUNTERS TO KIND OF GET A GOOD FEEL FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THERE EVERY DAY.
THEY THEY'VE JUST INSTALLED THOSE.
UH, IT WAS BUILT IN STARTING IN ABOUT 20 11, 20 12.
UH, THE FIRST SECTION OPENED, WHICH WAS, UH, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF WHAT WE CALL THE HEART OF THE TRAIL FROM DEPOT ROAD IN BUFORD, DOWN TO ALISON ROAD.
YOU'VE HEARD NEAR THE HOSPITAL.
UH, AND SINCE THEN WE'VE EXPANDED IT A CHUNK AT A TIME.
UH, IT'S A, UH, WE, WE, WE WORK HARD AS THE FRIENDS OF THE TRAIL TO KEEP IT CLEAN, UH, TO WE'VE ADDED BENCHES HERE AND THERE.
WE'VE GOT TRASH CANS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO WATER FOUNTAIN, WATER FOUNTAINS.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROUPS OF PEOPLE, UH, WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO PICK UP THE TRAIL.
SO YOU WILL SEE IF YOU'RE OUT THERE, YOU'LL SEE SIGNS AT INTERSECTION, SAY THIS SECTION OF THE TRAIL, UH, MAINTAINED BY TOUCHING.
SO IT WAS A ROTARY CLUB OR A CHURCH GROUP OR SOMEONE THAT IT'S, THEY'RE ALL WONDERFUL.
THE TRAIL WAS THE OLD EMC TO PORT ROYAL TRAIL, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 26 SOMETHING MILES LONG IS THE PLAN TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE MSC.
NO, THE PLAN, THE PLAN CALLS FOR US TO GET TO THE WHALE BRANCH.
UH, SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD GO ON UP UNTIL WE GOT TO SEABROOK.
THERE'S A COUNTY FISHING PIER RIGHT THERE ON THE OLD, WHERE THE OLD BRIDGE WAS TO GET ACROSS THE WHALE BRANCH AND THE, THE, THIS WAS A SWING BRIDGE THERE.
THEY GOT TAKEN OUT SO THAT THE CURRENT PLAN CALLS FOR AT THE END THERE, I GET PEOPLE ALL THE TIME THAT SAY, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO GO ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO HERE? UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO BRIDGE THE WHALE BRANCH AGAIN, UH, BUT, UH, PROVIDING A WAY TO GET BACK OUT TO 21 AND USE THAT BRIDGE.
THAT'S THERE, UH, MODIFY THAT TO ALLOW THE TRAIL TO GO OVER AND THEN KEEP WORKING OUT IS ALL ALWAYS POSSIBLE, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN LONG AFTER MY TIME.
AS I WAS COMING TO THE STUDIO THIS MORNING, I WAS ON ONE 70 AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT I GOT STOPPED AT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL WITH, UH, ONE OF THOSE, UH, NICE NEW CROSSING, UH, APPARATUSES THAT Y'ALL HAVE INSTALLED.
AND, UM, AS I, UH, YOU KNOW, ALLOWED THE BIKER TO GO BY, AND THEN IT'S STILL BLINKING, BUT THE RULE IS THAT IF THERE'S NO PEDESTRIAN OR BIKE, OR EVEN IF IT'S STILL BLINKING, ONCE YOU'VE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THEN YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PROCEED.
UH, THAT'S HAS BEEN AN IDEAL SITUATION.
THEN, THEN AS I WAS DRIVING OVER HERE TO THE COUNTY BUILDING IT, IT STRUCK ME, HOW DO YOU GET FROM THE NORTH STREET AREA TO THE BOUNDARY STREET AREA? IS THERE A CONNECTION THERE? I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY GONE ON THAT PART OF THE TRAIL.
UM, THE TRAIL, THE TRAIL COMES DOWN FROM ONE 70 AND IT, IT PUSHES RIGHT ONTO A RAILROAD LINE RUNS RIGHT STRAIGHT THROUGH TO DEPOT ROAD.
SO TO MOVE FROM THE TRAIL OVER TO BOUNDARY STREET, PER SE, YOU HAVE TO WIGGLE.
I MEAN, YOU GET, YOU, YOU GET OFF AT NORTH STREET
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AND THEN YOU KIND OF WORK YOUR WAY UP NORTH STREET AND COME OVER REALLY PRETTY CLOSE TO THIS BUILDING.I MEAN, THE QUICKEST WAY TO DO IT IS TO SWING BY, BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND DOWN, DOWN THE BACKSIDE, ACTUALLY GOING ON THE OLD TRAIL LINE THAT USED TO BE THERE.
UM, THE, THE THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION, THE CITY HAS DISCUSSED, MAKING IT EASIER IN SOME CASES TO REACH, TO REACH THE, BECAUSE WHEN THEY PUT IN THE BOUNDARY, THE BOUNDARY STREET IMPROVEMENTS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WHICH ARE BEAUTIFUL.
YOU LOOK AT THAT SIDEWALK, THAT'S ON THE, I GUESS IT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE OR BOUNDARY STREET.
SO IT'S DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THERE'S BEEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW YOU, HOW YOU MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS, WHETHER PEOPLE CAN.
AND IT SEEMS TO PICK UP, I GUESS, AROUND THAT CEMETERY THAT'S ACROSS FROM OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, AND THEN IT GOES ON THIS NICELY, UH, WOODED LITTLE BRIDGE.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS DID A SPECTACULAR JOB ON THAT.
I REMEMBER DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE BOUNDARY STREET REHAB, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, HOW THAT WAS ALL GOING TO LOOK.
AND I THINK IT GOT BUILT ONCE AND THEN IT GOT TORN DOWN AND BUILT A SECOND TIME.
THEY DIDN'T DO, THEY DIDN'T TEAR IT DOWN.
THEY CHANGE THE, THE SLATS IN THE BRIDGE SO THAT, SO YOU COULD SEE THROUGH IT, THE FIRST SLATS WERE, WERE PUT UP AND IT WAS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THROUGH.
AND THAT WASN'T A, THAT WASN'T A PROJECT OF THE TRAIL THAT WAS REALLY A PROJECT OF THE CITY OF BUFORD.
UH, SO I CAN'T CLAIM ANY, ANY GOOD STUFF THAT HAPPENED OUT OF THAT ONE, BUT YEAH, UH, YEAH, THE TRAIL, THE TRAIL DOES FOLLOW THE OLD RAILROAD LINE.
UM, AND, AND I, AND I GUESS THE REASON I GOT INVOLVED IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS B FOR JASPER BOUGHT THAT RAILROAD FROM, UH, THE STATE BACK IN ABOUT 2008.
AND THERE WAS, AS IN PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER, THERE WAS CONTROVERSY ABOUT WHETHER THAT LINE OUGHT TO BE KEPT IN PLACE AND, UH, AND A DINNER TRAIN PUT IN TO RUN OUT TO JAMASZI FROM PORT ROYAL, UH, ULTIMATE A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT THAT.
ULTIMATELY THE COUNTY DECIDED THAT A TRAIL WAS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
SO BUFORD JASPER LEASED THAT RIGHT OF WAY, UH, TO BUFORD COUNTY FOR ABOUT 90 YEARS FOR A DOLLAR.
SO THE COUNTY REALLY CONTROLS THE SURFACE OF THAT RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND MOST, IN MOST CASES IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS, A HUNDRED FEET WIDE.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD SIZED CHUNK OF PROPERTY.
AND, UM, SO ONCE I RETIRED, SOMEHOW PEOPLE STARTED LOOKING AT ME AND SAYING, YOU BOUGHT IT, WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? SO I, I WORKED WITH THE, UH, THE, THE PATH FOUNDATION OUT OF ATLANTA, WHICH IS A TRAIL BUILDING ORGANIZATION OUT OF ATLANTA.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE, UM, AND BEAVER COUNTY TO PUT THIS IN.
AND IT WAS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT.
LOTS OF PEOPLE, CITY CONTRIBUTED AND PORT ROYAL CONTRIBUTED TO THE HOSPITAL, CONTRIBUTED LOTS OF PRIVATE DONATIONS, UH, AND, AND GREAT SUPPORT FROM, UH, UH, ONE VERY SIGNIFICANT PRIVATE DONOR.
UH, JIM KENNEDY, WHO, UH, IS COX COMMUNICATION AT ATLANTA AND WRIGHT LIVES HERE, HASN'T HOUSE HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
SO, SO RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU'VE GOT TWO MAJOR PROJECTS THAT ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ONE IN PORT ROYAL, SINCE WE WERE DISCUSSING A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL CROSSING ON ONE 70, AS I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND DO A SIMILAR SCENARIO ON REBO ROAD AT, UH, AROUND PENDER BROTHERS, UH, AREA THERE.
UH, TELL US ABOUT THE THREE OPTIONS YOU'RE EXPLORING THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE TRAIL CALLS FOR IT TO RUN ALL THE WAY THROUGH PORT ROYAL, DOWN TO THE SANDS BEACH.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MILES ZERO.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SINCE THAT PROPERTY IS ALL DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY, NOW THERE'S LOTS OF, THERE'S STILL PLANNING GOING ON ABOUT HOW IT WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH THAT DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'VE GOT TO GET ACROSS REBUILT ROAD AND REBA ROAD IN THAT AREA FOR ANYONE THAT DRIVES, IT UNDERSTANDS THAT THE TRAFFIC COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF PARIS ISLAND PARTICULARLY IS MOVING FAST, UH, COME DOWN OFF THAT BRIDGE AND YOU'RE RUNNING ALONG THAT CAUSEWAY.
AND IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, START CLIMBING UP TOWARD PORT ROYAL AT 50 MILES AN HOUR, AND THE SIGHT LINES ARE NOT GREAT.
SO, UH, THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO YOU BRING THAT TRAIL ACROSS SAFELY? UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT AT, UH, THE THREE OPTIONS, UH, AND THE FIRST OPTION, WHICH IS PROBABLY IN MY MIND, THE IDEAL OPTION IS TO PUT IN A FULL INTERSECTION AT THAT SPOT AND YOUR PENDER BROTHERS, SO THAT YOU, YOU, YOU COME IN, YOU HAVE A FULL INTERSECTION THERE, TRAFFIC STOPS, AND THEN IT MOVES ON BEFORE I THOUGHT, BEING THAT THE PORT OF PORT ROYAL IS
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ACTUALLY INTENDING TO BUILD A ROAD ON THE PORT ROYAL SIDE.THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONNECTION PLANS, CALL FOR A CONNECTION COMING OUT OF PORT ROYAL THAT WILL COME UP AND TIE INTO REBO RIGHT THERE AT BENDER BROTHERS.
UH, NOW UNTIL THAT ROAD GOES IN AND WHAT THE FRIENDS OF THE TRAIL ARE NOT IN THE ROAD BUILDING BUSINESS.
SO IT'S REALLY A FUNCTION OF WHEN THE CITY TOWN AND THE COUNTY AND THE DEVELOPER AND ALL THE PLAYERS DECIDE THERE'S GOING TO DO THAT.
WHEN THAT ROAD GOES IN, THEN THE TRAIL CAN GO ACROSS.
IN THE MEANTIME, UH, WE DO WE WAIT, DO WE JUST SIMPLY SAY RIGHT NOW THE TRAIL TURNS AND MANEUVERS ITS WAY THROUGH PORT ROYAL, UH, ON THAT SIDE OF, OF REBO OVER AND COMES ACROSS, UH, AT PARIS AVENUE WHERE THE, WHERE THE STOPLIGHT NOW IS.
AND WE HAVE SIGNS THERE THAT TELL PEOPLE HOW TO GO.
UH, ULTIMATELY IT GETS YOU THERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EASY AND IT'S NOT FUN.
SO, UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE MEANTIME? THE SECOND OPTION IS TO PUT IN A SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THE ONE ON ONE SEVEN, WHICH IS A PEDESTRIAN CROW CONTROLLED CROSSING STOPLIGHTS, BLINKING LIGHTS, JUST LIKE WE HAVE AT ONE 70.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY GOT A OFFICIAL NAME.
YOU IT'S CALLED A HAWK, A HAWK SIGNAL.
AND I, IF YOU PUSH ME FOR WHAT THAT H A W K STANDS FOR, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I'VE GOT IT WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE.
UM, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT IT'S THAT, AND I'M NOT SURE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IF IT'S A PROBLEM OR NOT, BUT AGAIN, THE TRAFFIC'S MOVING VERY FAST.
AND SO SINCE IT'S NOT A CONVENTIONAL INTERSECTION, THE CONCERN IS THAT THE TRAFFIC IS NOT GOING TO PAY QUITE AS MUCH ATTENTION TO IT AS IT WOULD IF IT WERE TO MAKE.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE PROPOSED THAT IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO, THAT WE NEED TO, UM, PUT IN RUMBLE STRIPS, BLINKING LIGHTS, OTHER KINDS OF THINGS THAT WARN PEOPLE THAT, THAT CROSSING IS AHEAD OF THEM.
IF WE CAN DO THOSE THINGS, WE CAN DO THAT CROSSING NOW.
AND IF THE ROAD IS NOT THERE, WE WILL, WE'LL PUT IN A TEMPORARY ASPHALT TRAIL, THAT'LL GET US DOWN THAT RIGHT AWAY, ALIGNMENT TO RITTER CIRCLE, WHICH IS THE FIRST PLACE WHERE THE STREET GRID PORT ROYAL STREET GRID HITS THAT INTERSECTION.
UH, THE THIRD OPTION IS A BRIDGE, UH, AND, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN I SEE DOLLAR SIGNS, OH, IT'S BIG DOLLAR SIGNS.
AND IT'S TO, TO, TO CROSS THEIR DEITY.
UH, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WILL MAKE US PUT THE BRIDGE 18 FEET IN THE AIR.
UH, AND SO WHICH WE CAN DO, BUT, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A BRIDGE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY ARE GOING UPSTAIRS OTHERWISE, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME ACCESS TO IT.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU CREATE A BRIDGE FOR BIKES AND OTHER PEOPLE, UH, AND YOU WANT IT TO MEET THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT STANDARDS SO THAT PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS COULD USE IT, OR PEOPLE ON SKATEBOARDS COULD USE IT.
I MEAN, YOU THINK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT LAW 900 FEET NEEDED DIRECTION, A HUNDRED FEET.
UM, AND THAT CREATES ALL KINDS OF OTHER PROBLEMS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, VENDORS ON ONE SIDE, UH, THE LANDSCAPE COMPANY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR ACCESSES ARE CONFUSED AND BLOCK.
THAT SEEMS LIKE THE LEAST DESIRABLE.
I THINK EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY, AT LEAST, AT LEAST ALL THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PRINCIPAL BENEFIT IS IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE SAFEST, YOU SEPARATE PEOPLE, THE BIKES FROM THE TRAFFIC, BUT THE COSTS IT'S, IT'S $3 MILLION FAST TO DO IT.
AND IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT WE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT ONE OF THE OTHER TWO OPTIONS.
YOU GOT TO TAKE A BREAK HERE, BUT JUST BEFORE THE BREAK, UH, HOW ABOUT, UH, A HYBRID OF THE HAWK SYSTEM, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF THE INTERSECTION TAKING AND THAT'S THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE PLAN.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GET THE HAWKIN AND, AND YOU'D PUT IN W WHEN YOU PUT IN THE POLES FOR THE LIGHTS, YOU LOCATE THOSE POLLS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY COULD BE WHEN THE INTERSECTION WAS CAME, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO MOVE THE POLES.
YOU'D BE STRUCTURED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU CONVERT THINGS OVER AND YOU HAVE IT ALL.
AND THEN AS YOU'RE COMING DOWN THE BRIDGE FROM PARIS ISLAND, YOU DO TAKE A LITTLE DIP AND THERE'S OAK TREES THERE.
PERHAPS YOU COULD HAVE LIKE A FLASHING LIGHT 500 FEET AHEAD SAYING, YEP.
OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BREAK.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK, FINISH UP TALKING ABOUT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAILS, SECOND PROJECT, WHICH WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED YET.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ELSE YOU GOT ROPED INTO VOLUNTEERING INTO.
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I'M SARAH ROCK CLERK TO COUNSEL FOR BEAVER COUNTY COUNCIL.DID, YOU KNOW, BUFORD COUNTY HAS 29 ACTIVE HOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN BUFORD COUNTY AND ALLOW CITIZENS LIKE YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADVISE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES.
MEMBERS SERVE IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES FROM ADVISING COUNCIL REGARDING THE SELLING AND PURCHASING OF LAND, HEARING APPEALS, ALLOCATING TAX MONIES, ADVOCATING FOR SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING ON STORMWATER RELATED ISSUES, ZONING ISSUES, DESIGN REVIEW, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, YOU NAME IT, VISIT WWW DOT BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV/COUNCIL/BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TODAY TO SEE A LIST OF OUR ACTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION SIGN UP TODAY.
SO YOU CAN HAVE A HAND IN MAKING OUR COMMUNITY EVEN GREATER THAN IT ALREADY IS.
AND WE'RE BACK IN THE STUDIO WITH THE DEAN MOSS, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
AND BEFORE THE BREAK DEAN, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, TWO MAJOR PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN AND THE ONE BEING THE CROSSING IN PORT ROYAL BY PENDER BROTHERS, BUT A SECOND PROJECT, WHICH YOU'VE ALREADY THIS FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL HAS ALREADY SUNK $60,000 INTO FOUR ENGINEERING STUDIES IS A, UH, CONNECTION FROM THE DEPOT ROAD AREA TO DOWNTOWN BUFORD, WHICH SOUNDS LOVELY.
WELL, THE, UH, THE W THE ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO CALLED FOR US COMING, UH, UP DEPOT ROAD DOWN BAY STREET AND ALL THE WAY DOWN, ESSENTIALLY RIGHT INTO DOWNTOWN, RIGHT TO CHARLES STREET, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE INVOLVED COMING ALONG THE BLUFF AND ELIMINATING THE PARKING, UM, THAT SPACES THAT LAY THERE ALONG THE BLUFF.
AND THERE WAS GREAT OUTCRY ABOUT THAT.
AND SO AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE TOWN, WITH THE CITY, UH, WE BACKED OFF AND ARE JUST BRINGING IT WITH THE PLAN WOULD BE TO BRING IT TO BLATANT STREET.
UM, THERE'S BEEN STILL MORE DISCUSSION, UH, IN, IN THE CITY ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT, BUT THE COMMON POINT FOR EVERYONE IS THAT IT NEEDS TO COME UP DEPOT ROAD.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A DESIGN THAT WAS DONE FOR US BY THE SAME FOLKS THAT HAVE DONE THE TRAIL, THE PATH FOUNDATION, UH, AND DURING THE, UH, PENNY SALES TAX, UM, VOTE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THERE WAS $375,000 IDENTIFIED IN THAT, UH, AS FOR THE DEPOT ROAD AREA AND THE CITY THEN APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A $200,000 GRANT FROM THE STATE TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
UH, WE ARE IN THE FINAL DESIGN PHASE OF THE PROJECT ENGINEERING IS BEING DONE, UM, AND THE PERMITTING IS BEING WORKED THROUGH WITH GOT SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, WE WILL HAVE A PERMIT.
AND I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO START CONSTRUCTION ON THIS BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT YOU COULDN'T CONVINCE THE FOLKS TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CHARLES STREET, BECAUSE IT DOES ACTUALLY NARROW QUITE A BIT.
THE BAY COMES IN JUST PASS BLADEN, AND IT WOULD SURE BE NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE SAFER WALKWAY.
YEAH, WELL, NOBODY'S GIVEN UP ON EVERYTHING YET, BUT, BUT IT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT WE FIGURED WE'D TAKE, TAKE THE VICTORY WE COULD GET AND WORRY ABOUT THE REST OF IT LATER.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE CITY LIKES THAT CONCEPT.
AND I THINK THE CITY, THE CITY IS GOING TO CREATE AT SOME POINT A, A CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO KIND OF LOOK OVERALL AT BIKING AND BIKE ROUTES IN BUFORD, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO ACQUIRE ANYTHING BY EMINENT DOMAIN? NO.
I DON'T BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT OF WAY ALONG BLADE OUT ALONG DEPOT ROAD.
OF WAY TO THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT AND THE PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ACQUIRE IT.
DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ANYBODY'S PROPERTY.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ALONG THAT EDGE, GOING TO BE 10 FEET WIDE CONCRETE PATH, A, WHICH WILL TAKE YOU RIGHT UP TO THE INTERSECTION, UH, BETWEEN DEPOT AND, AND, UH, REBUILT, UH, THAT RE THAT CROSSING, UH, IS TRICKY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE TRAFFIC MOVES AT THAT INTERSECTION.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME CARE IN TERMS OF HOW THAT IS, UH, THAT'S MARKED HOW IT'S CONTROLLED AND REGULATED, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S BEING WORKED OUT WITH THESE, BUT AT LEAST YOU'VE ALREADY GOT AN INTERSECTION WITH A LIGHT THERE,
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AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE IDEA WOULD BE TO PUSH IT'S ALREADY A PEDESTRIAN BUTTON THERE.SO, UM, THE, UH, AGAIN, WE HOPE TO GET THIS THING UNDERWAY SOMETIME LATE THIS SUMMER, UH, AND THE CITY, AGAIN, WE'LL BE PUSHING FORWARD ON KIND OF THE GENERAL PLANNING PIECE HERE SOMETIME, PROBABLY LATER THIS YEAR TO LOOK AT HOW WE GET THE REST OF THE WAY.
UM, SO IT IT'S, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S, SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WELL, I MENTIONED THAT YOU'VE SUNK $60,000 IN THE ENGINEERING STUDIES.
AND YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A VERY NICE FRIEND AND THE, UH, UH, RETIRED OWNER OR MANAGER OF COX CABLE FROM ATLANTA.
AND, UM, UH, BUT, UH, YOUR NAME IS FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOHS TRAIL.
AND IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO COME ALONGSIDE AND HELP OUT EITHER BY VOLUNTEERING SOME TIME OR SOME FINANCES, HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? UH, WE HAVE A WEBSITE, UH, SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.ORG, AND, UH, THE, AND ALL OF OUR TRAIL HEADS HAVE LITTLE SIGNS THAT SAY WHAT YOU CAN DO, BUT YOU CAN GO ON THAT WEBSITE AND FIND IT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE EIGHT AN APP THAT, WHICH YOU CAN GET ON THE, ON THE GOOGLE APPS AND ON, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER APP PROVIDERS, UH, FOR FREE, WHICH GIVES YOU ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRAIL.
AND ALL YOU NEED TO DO REALLY FOR US IS TO CONNECT TO US WITH, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU JUST LOOK US UP WHERE THEY'RE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL, UM, UH, DOT ORG CONNECT WITH US, AND WE GET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, WE'LL SEND YOU ALL KINDS OF NOTICES AND INFORMATION AND NEWSLETTERS AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WITH THAT APP, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO JUST SEE LANDMARKS AS YOU'RE GOING UP AND DOWN THE, AND IT, IT, IT TELLS YOU ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND IT ALSO ENABLES US INTERESTINGLY TO TRACK, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO RESEARCH IT AND LAST YEAR, UM, AND ACTUALLY IN 2019 WAS, UH, A BIGGER YEAR FOR THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE TRAVELING.
WE HAD, WE HAD FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ABOUT 10 OR 15 FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHO RESEARCHED THAT APP TO SEE WHAT IT WAS COOL.
WE WERE ALSO DESIGNATED BY OUTSIDE MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE 10 TOP PEDESTRIAN TRAILS IN THE COUNTRY, RIGHT UP THERE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE HIGHLINE IN NEW YORK AND THE, THE WATERSIDE TRAIL IN CHICAGO AND OTHERS.
SO, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE RECEIVED SOME NOTORIETY, YOU KNOW, AND THIS, THIS LITTLE TOWN AND IT'S, UH, IT IS A, IT IS INCREASINGLY, UH, THE KIND OF THING THAT PEOPLE, AT LEAST IN 2019, WE'RE TRAVELING TO DO.
PEOPLE WOULD, YOU KNOW, COME TO RIDE TRAILS LIKE THIS, AND THEY GO ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND I CAN SEE THE ACTIVITY THAT'S GOING ON THERE, AND IT'S SPECTACULAR.
I MEAN, UH, AND YOU'VE NOW GOT PEOPLE COUNTERING, WE HAVE COUNTERS, THAT'LL TELL US BIKES AND PEOPLE, AND, YOU KNOW, SO I MENTIONED THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE, UH, INTERVIEW THAT, UH, YOU RETIRED FROM THE VIEW FOR JASPER WATER, SEWER AUTHORITY AS GENERAL MANAGER, 10 YEARS AGO.
AND IT PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE THE TYPE THAT ARE JUST NEVER HAPPY SETTLING DOWN.
AND USUALLY ONE VOLUNTEER JOB IS SUFFICIENT, BUT NOT FOR YOU.
YOU ARE NOW ALSO THE, UH, INVOLVED WITH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.
AND, UH, UNTIL YOU TOLD ME WHAT THAT WAS, I HADN'T MADE THE CONNECTION, BUT AS YOU'RE CROSSING THE LEMON ISLAND BRIDGE OFF TO THE RIGHT, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF NEAT, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
TELL US ALL ABOUT THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM AND WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
THANKS FOR I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.
AND THE FOUNDATION WAS CREATED, UM, ACTUALLY KIND OF AS A, AS AN OUTGROWTH OR SPINOFF OF FRIENDS OF THE RIVER, WHICH RIVERS, WHICH WAS CREATED, UH, BACK IN THE, IN THE, IN THE LATE 1990S.
UM, UH, AND OUR MISSION IS THE PRESERVATION OF PORT ROYAL SOUND FOR THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HEALTH OF THIS COMMUNITY.
THE PORT ROYAL SOUND IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING AND UNIQUE, UH, AND, AND PRISTINE BODIES OF WATER LEFT ON THE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.
UH, IT IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT GETS VIRTUALLY NO FRESHWATER INFLOW, UH, SO THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT THAN SAY CHARLESTON HARBOR OR, OR W NORTH INLAND IN GEORGETOWN, NO FRESH WATER INFLOW.
SO THAT MEANS THAT YOU WILL FIND SALTWATER SPECIES, UH, 20, 25 MILES INLAND, UM, RIGHT ON UP TO 95.
UH, AND, AND IT, IT IS, IT IS PRISTINE IF YOU, IF YOU RIDE TO GET IN A BOAT AND
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HEAD OUT AND GO ON UP THAT DIRECTION, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANYTHING.IT'S JUST TREES AND MARSH AND PEOPLE, AND NO PEOPLE, ANIMALS, IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.
AND IT IS, IT IS ONE OF THE PREMIER NURSERIES, UH, FOR AQUATIC SPECIES, GAME FISH, ET CETERA, ON THE EAST COAST.
AND WE'RE FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT IT.
SO OUR MISSION, WE HAVE TWO MISSION, THREE MISSIONS, THREE PIECES TO OUR MISSION.
ONE IS RESEARCH, AND ONE, ONE IS CONSERVATION, UH, FOR OUR EDUCATION MISSION, WE HAVE THE PORT ROYAL SOUND MARITIME CENTER, WHICH IS A MUSEUM, UH, AND AQUARIUM, UH, FREE TO VISIT.
UH, IT IS ONE OF THOSE REMARKABLE LITTLE SPOTS.
YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THEM BUFORD COUNTY.
AND WE HAVE, UH, I WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY AND TH THEY, THEY WERE 25 OR 30 PEOPLE THERE WHEN I WAS THERE.
AND MY STAFF TOLD ME THAT WE'D HAD 80 PEOPLE THERE.
UM, IT IS, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE BEGINNING, WE'VE REALLY WORKED SO FAR ON CONSERVATION.
WE'RE NOW BEGINNING OUR WORK PUSHING TOWARD RESEARCH.
WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP, A STRONG RELATIONSHIP.
THAT'S GROWING ALL THE TIME WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BUFORD AND THEIR MARINE SCIENCES DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEY ARE, WE HAVE A GRANT, UH, TO ONE OF THEIR PROFESSORS RIGHT NOW IS WORKING ON A WATER QUALITY MONITORING FOR US IN THE SOUND.
AND I'VE SEEN OTHER ACTIVITIES THERE AS WELL, THAT DO YOU HAVE A FISH MARKET THERE? THERE'S A LITTLE, THERE'S A LITTLE SEAFOOD MARKET THAT SITS RIGHT THERE AT OUR GATE ON OUR PROPERTY, OR WE DON'T OWN THAT.
WE LEASE THAT TO, TO A GREAT, GREAT WOMAN DOES THAT.
AND THEN I'VE SEEN OPPORTUNITIES WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT OUTSIDE TENTS THAT POP UP PERIODICALLY.
AND INTO, UNTIL COVID, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD AN ANNUAL EVENT THERE EVERY NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER CALLED A NIGHT ON THE SOUND WITH SPEAKERS, WE'VE HAD, UM, A NUMBER OF REALLY INTERESTING, INTERESTING PEOPLE COME AND TALK A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED OCEAN EXPERTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UH, AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR, GOD WILLING, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING TO SAY, GOD WILLING, WE'RE NEARING THE END OF THIS PANDEMIC.
UH, I KNOW 40, AS WE SPEAK, 40% OF BUFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN IMMUNIZED AND VACCINATED.
AND SO JUST, UH, WELL PRAY THAT IT KEEPS FLOWING IN THAT DIRECTION.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, NOT ONLY JOINING US, BUT, UH, YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL, AS WELL AS THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.
UH, CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN.
I APPRECIATE, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY THAT'S WATCHING.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE TRAIL GO.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO THE MARITIME CENTER TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, DO THAT TO, SORRY.
DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, THE MARITIME CENTER WEBSITE, UH, PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.ORG.
THAT'S ANOTHER EDITION OF COASTLINE.
WE HOPE YOU'LL COME BACK NEXT MONTH WHEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER GREAT GUEST