Nondenominational Church in Johns Island, SC

Trident Medical Center has submitted a Certificate of Need to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to build a $277 million hospital on Johns Island. The application is for a 50-bed acute care hospital between Maybank Highway and Cane Slash Road, across from the Live Oak Square development.

Projections for Johns Island Hospital show that within the first three years it will create nearly 300 jobs, contribute $10 million in non-income taxes to support the community and pay $70 million in salaries, wages and benefits, the organization said in a release.

“We are excited to continue making medical care more accessible to residents in our historically underserved communities,” Trident Health President and CEO Christina Oh said in the news release. “Currently on Johns Island and neighboring communities, it can take residents 30 to 45 minutes to drive to their nearest hospital, and often longer in heavy traffic and inclement weather. Our goal is to increase access to timely, high quality and affordable health care services.”

Trident Medical Center’s chief of the medical staff and medical director of emergency services, Dr. Scott Hayes, said he sees firsthand the results of delayed care.

“For residents who live far from emergency medical care and who may be experiencing a medical emergency like a heart attack or a stroke, minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” he said in the news release. “Access to care close to home is critical, especially in areas like Johns Island and the surrounding communities, that have frequent traffic delays.”

Trident Health surgeon Dr. Thomas Litton, who lived on Johns Island for 20 years and recently moved from there largely due to increasing traffic congestion and limited access routes off the island, said, “The rapid population growth and development of Johns Island, as well as its role as the sole gateway to Kiawah, Seabrook and Wadmalaw Islands, has created a strong need for a full-service hospital in the area. Residents on those islands have never had a full-service hospital. Trident’s hospital on Johns Island and their freestanding ER on James Island will greatly improve residents’ access to much-needed medical care.”

Johns Island Hospital will be located seven miles from James Island Emergency, Trident’s new freestanding ER at 945 Folly Road, Charleston, that will open in the next few weeks.

Plans call for Johns Island Hospital to have 50 beds with space to expand to 150 beds, 40 medical/surgical/stepdown beds, 10 ICU beds, 20 ER rooms, four operating rooms, two endoscopy suites and a cardiac catheterization lab. The hospital also would have two CT scanners, an MRI, two diagnostic radiology suites and a fluoroscopy room.

In addition to the hospital, services would include medical offices for primary care and specialists as well as outpatient imaging and support such as breast imaging, rehabilitation and other outpatient therapy services.

“From our first discussions about building a hospital on Johns Island, we have been committed to creating a thoughtful plan that preserves the natural beauty of Johns Island,” Oh said in the release. “We will honor the strong Gullah Geechee cultures of the community; we will partner with the areas’ community and businesses; and will promote the important and unique contributions of Johns Island’s agricultural community.”

The proposed Johns Island Hospital is in addition to nearly $140M in capital investments currently underway at Trident Health’s hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Officials with the city of Charleston and Charleston County have announced a plan to address traffic concerns on Johns Island.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said the plan is the result of collaboration between the city of Charleston and Charleston County and will tackle traffic flow problems at the intersection of Maybank Highway and River Road, portions of Maybank Highway and the northern and southern Pitchforks, Tecklenburg said.

“Traffic congestion has been a huge issue coming and going on Johns Island,” he said. “And it was accentuated when that traffic light got added down the street. And everyone came to the realization that we needed to go back and rethink what got done six or seven years ago, what’s been done since then and what can we do collectively and collaboratively to make it better and make improvements.”

The city and county laid out the main points of the plan:

“Pitchforks” means two new roads that will branch off of Maybank towards River.

“The current cost estimate sits somewhere between $25 and $30 million to do all of this,” Charleston County Councilmember Joe Boykin said.

Tecklenburg said the money will come from future sales tax and Department of Transportation funding and once permitted, will apply for federal funding.

The full construction funding will have to be identified and approved by both city and county councils, according to Tecklenburg.

The first goal for short-term, interim improvements to Maybank Highway are expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2024, Tecklenburg said.

Robby Lingenfelter who works on Johns Island said he’s hopeful about the project but still frustrated.

“They say that the northern pitchfork will be completed by the first quarter of 2024, that’s good,” he said. “Southern pitchfork they said will take years, so we’re still five to ten years from alleviating the issues we have now.”

He said the city and county have been meeting since June to address the traffic issues on Johns Island.

“It’s going to happen. We are committed to making that happen,” Tecklenburg said.

Some locals question the mayor’s timing.

“Hearing this press conference that is happening five days before an election, can’t help but notice that a lot of this was conceptual and funding for a lot of this isn’t even secured,” Logan Mcvey said. “So, this seems like more talk and a lot more traffic just sitting and waiting on stuff to happen.”

Tecklenburg’s response was that they needed enough vetting through engineers and design teams before the plans could be presented.

Charleston County Council member Jenny Huneycutt, Charleston City Council member Karl Brady and the city’s planning and traffic directors also attended the news conference.

WATCH THE CHARLESTON LEADERS ANNOUNCE THE JOHNS ISLAND TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN BELOW

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The vast majority of Johns Island is rural. Expanses of farms, equestrian trails, hunting, wildlife and tree canopies draw visitors worldwide. This makes Johns Island one of a kind.

It is the reason I moved back here after 30 years of visiting yearly to restore my soul.

The urban growth on Maybank has drawn wonderful businesses and world-class restaurants, making Johns Island a destination.

Johns Islanders have worked to maintain this balance by coming together to collaborate with local government and other partners to create and implement tools, including the urban growth boundary and rural zoning districts.

These actions have helped Johns Island avoid the fate of becoming a cookie cutter community and keep its special natural rural beauty, culture and ecosystem intact.

This comes with a constant awareness of new developments and a vigilant effort to maintain and preserve the balance of this way of life for future generations.

If we are not intentional in future development, our beloved islands will soon be destroyed.

Some believe extending Interstate 526 will solve this. But I believe it will only bring more traffic that could destroy the wildlife, ecosystem and uniqueness of Johns Island.

Island residents still have the opportunity to maintain a balance of rural and urban areas. Extending I-526 would irreparably tip the scales.

ROBIN DYESS

Johns Island

The Dec. 16 commentary by Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, is about union Grinches.

But it might be titled, “There is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out,” from the poem, “Casey at the Bat,” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. The poem is about Casey’s overconfidence when he strikes out. He let two pitches fly by as strikes before missing the next pitch.

Right-to-work states are swinging and missing the ball. Labor unions were created in order to help workers with work-related difficulties such as low pay, unsafe or unsanitary working conditions, long hours and other situations.

Unions bring higher wages for the lowest-paid workers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual report on union membership published last January, “Workers who are members of labor unions in the U.S. make 18% more than their nonunion counterparts.”

Which group would you want to be part of?

NANCY ZETTLER

Mount Pleasant

Thank you for Mark Powell’s delightful New Year’s commentary, “Firsts on the First: A quiz for New Year’s Day.”

This reminded me of the power of mind over matter, especially the comments on cigarette commercials being banned when President Richard Nixon signed legislation.

It’s been 54 years, and I can still hear the jingle, “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.”

How pitiful for the child who heard that, believed it and stayed hooked on nicotine for 30 years.

I haven’t smoked in more than 30 years.

Now if we could just get legislation to ban beer commercials, we would have a less drugged America. No one wants to believe alcoholics start with a first taste of beer. I, for one, know better.

“This Bud’s for you.”

To a happy, healthier new year.

SUE GEORGE

Summerville

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JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — It started as an island paradise, but residents at a Johns Island apartment complex say their home now resembles the woods.

The residents of Sea Island Apartments, which houses about 48 people off Maybank Highway, are speaking out against what they describe as "deplorable" conditions.

Read more: One80 Place launches eviction prevention line to support Charleston renters

"We have seen grass grow almost knee and chest high," said Farley, a disabled military veteran who has been living in the complex for six years. "You see fallen trees in the area, people not receiving maintenance, and overloaded trash bin."

In addition to the overgrown vegetation, the residents are concerned about random visits from wildlife. They say it seems management has slacked off and there's been little to no communication.

"You're forced to pay rent on time, but still, your issues are going unaddressed," Farley said. "We'll reach out to management and they haven't meet with us. Every time, they change management or owners. Nobody has contact to it."

It started as an island paradise, but residents at a Johns Island apartment complex say their home now resembles the woods. (WCIV)

There is also only one trashcan in the entire community and a small number of parking spaces.

"You have disabled people having to walk all the way down to one trash bin," Farley said. "There are not enough handicap parking spots. (Management) told us we'd have to park on the side of the road if there are no parking spaces."

"It's time we be up to date, as we were before," said Charlotte Turner, who has been living in the complex for 10 years. "Management needs to show a serious concern about resident complaints, at least be willing to meet or communicate."

Read more: Mayor Tecklenburg to host ribbon cutting for six new affordable housing properties in Charleston

A councilman was reached for comment on this area, but he was unable to conduct an interview due to prior commitments. A representative from the Charleston Development Group was also reached for comment.

Johns Island conjures up visions of shady grand oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, offering a peek into a more rural side of Charleston. Several dining options have long existed for the residents of the island, but as its population grows, so grows the burgeoning food and beverage scene.

Since 2005, Hege’s Restaurant in Freshfields Village has served French cuisine in a bistro setting with classics like French onion soup, crab cakes and steak frites. Down on Maybank Highway, local favorite Wild Olive has led the way in sustainability and locally sourced items, boasting housemade pasta and a stunning Italian wine list.

But these popular staples are not the only game in town.

“We knew that Johns Island was growing faster than other parts of the area and also that we wouldn’t have to deal with some of the same logistic problems,” said John Williams, co-owner of Johns Island eatery The Royal Tern, echoing the sentiments of others who brought their businesses to the island for the community and space.

Bottom line: Johns Island’s developing food and beverage community is now a force to be reckoned with.

U.S. Navy veteran Jordan Hooker opened one of the island’s new additions in June, Somm Wine Bar, and he hopes it becomes a vital name on the island.

“Somm is a neighborhood-focused wine bar specializing in wine flights with special attention to detail, to incredible meat and cheese offerings,” Hooker said. “It’s kind of a Cheers bar, where everybody knows your name.”

Somm’s wine flights come with informational cards about each selection, which help guests discover something new.

“I like when people come in and are open to trying new things because the amount of flights that I have that turn into glass pours are astonishing,” Hooker said.

He said he likes to keep the menu fluid because there’s such a wide variety of wine and charcuterie available across the world. Somm’s charcuterie and cheeses are all vegetarian-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free. And since Somm strictly serves wine, beer and charcuterie, it’s currently the only true wine bar on the island, a fact Hooker is proud of.

“We’re the only ones here on Johns,” he said, adding he is happy about the island’s reception of the shop and the weekly regulars that Somm has already gained.

Another newcomer Periwinkle Kitchen aims to fill a gap on the island, offering healthy chef-made to-go options.

Periwinkle, which opened mid-June on Betsy Kerrison Parkway, has a diverse menu that changes weekly, with fun staples like the BLT tortellini pasta salad and three chicken salad options. Recently, it offered a beef stroganoff that captured flavors of home.

“I was missing my parents, so I wanted to make things that remind me of my mother,” said chef Haley Gunter of the beef stroganoff. For Gunter, Periwinkle Kitchen is a space that allows her ideas to flow. “I finally got to a spot that I was able to help create,” she said.

Periwinkle’s owner Kim Hayes wants to do more than just serve delicious food.

“[Our staff] wants to build their careers, and we want to help them build them,” Hayes said. For her, Periwinkle Kitchen is an opportunity to give back on a personal level.

“I blew my back out in active duty [in the Army] and had a massive spine injury,” she said. “I didn’t know if I would ever stand or walk again, and now that I can, it’s a big thing to come in and see people smiling when they come into the cafe.”

Periwinkle Kitchen values the community and is proud to give back to it. A portion of the proceeds from its Heartfelt Cinnamon Rolls goes to the GreenHeart Charity.

“When you think of us, I hope what people always think of is a company that gives back to the community,” Hayes said. “It starts in your own backyard.”

Periwinkle also has Johns Island’s only juice bar where cold-pressed juices are served. It soon may turn into a smoothie bar, too.

For Johns Island locals, this next one is no secret, but for everyone else, it might be. Seanachai Whiskey & Cocktail Bar opened in 2011 and recently turned over ownership in 2019 to chef and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jason Myers and his wife, former figure skater Marissa Myers.

“The pub has been around since 2011, and it’s just become a landmark and staple of Johns Island,” Jason Myers said. “We’ve been running it more or less the same as the founder intended.”

But, that’s not to say the establishment hasn’t grown.

“We just offer a really strong food program. Nothing crazy inventive, but super, super solid,” Myers said. “We’re a bar with a kitchen, not a restaurant.”

With the island’s increasing growth and the bar’s popularity, Seanachai will soon open for lunch and on Sunday evening’s after brunch.

“[Brunch] has easily become our second-busiest day of the week,” Myers said, highlighting brunch cocktails, like the Irish coffee cocktail, which he said is “second to none.”

He has also grown the whiskey list from about 100 to 350 whiskeys, adding that several times a year, he hosts a whiskey dinner.

“I typically try to do four to six of them a year, and they’re private, ticketed events. The whole pub closes down, the vibe changes to lowlight, candles and jazz, and I do a five- or six-course tasting menu with whiskey and cocktails.”

Myers and his wife also opened Flyin’ High Frozen Yogurt next door, offering frozen yogurt, coffee, pastries, CBD, Delta-8 and Delta-9 products.

Mexican eatery Minero shuttered its doors downtown in 2020 after six years on East Bay Street, but in June 2022, it found a new home on Johns Island — with much more space.

“The downtown location and kitchen were very small. We didn’t have room to have an expansive menu,” said Kenny Lyons, vice president of operations at the Neighborhood Dining Group.

In the new space, Minero added a back deck with games, as well as a live-fire charcoal grill used to make fajitas and items featuring charcoal-grilled chicken, like chimichangas and enchiladas, paired with housemade tortillas.

Lyons said the Johns Island community has welcomed the move with overwhelming support.

Brothers John and Ben Williams fulfilled their dream of opening a restaurant in 2019 when they moved to the Lowcountry and started The Royal Tern.

“The ability to design a space and building based on the way we wanted it as well as the ability to provide parking for patrons and employees was a huge deciding factor,” John Williams said.“Our initial goal was to offer the local Johns Island community a new restaurant where they could feel at home. With their loyalty and praise, we have been able to continue to grow as word gets out to people in the surrounding areas of Charleston.”

The Royal Tern offers globally inspired preparations of seafood and beef created by chef Kyle Kryske. Fan favorites include blackened swordfish, whole grilled fish and grilled shrimp, with gluten-free crème brÛleé and carrot cake as desserts.

Williams added that The Royal Tern’s manager and resident sommelier, Garth Herr, is always looking for wines to complement the menu. It also offers a phenomenal bar and cocktail program led by Jimmy Shea, making The Royal Tern a well-rounded place for a night out.

With so many possibilities, new and old, it’s pretty clear that no matter what you’re in the mood for, the Johns Island restaurant community has a fix for it, and they are excited to see you when you arrive.

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