Charleston County Council voted 5-3 with one abstention to allow the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority to use eminent domain to acquire six acres of Coastal Carolina Fair property for a bus service expansion, according to WCIV. The disputed land sits at the front gate of the fairgrounds and has stalled the Lowcountry Rapid Transit system amid ongoing pushback from fair organizers.
Eminent Domain Vote and Council Division
The narrow 5-3 vote follows months of negotiations and public meetings regarding the footprint of the planned CARTA transit hub, as reported by WCIV. District 5 Councilmember Teddie Pryor voiced financial and timeline concerns during the proceedings, stating, according to WCIV, “I’m just worried about the federal government. They’ve backed out on us so many times. And we started this back in 2016, and we still haven’t put the first shovel in the ground.”
Opposition From Fair Officials and Legal Challenges
Exchange Club members and fair representatives opposed the acquisition, arguing that losing the front-gate parking lot will directly damage community outreach funding, according to WCIV. Save the Fair Committee co-chair Mike Jernigan told WCIV, “We’ve been trying that for three years to no avail, because they seem to be dead set on taking our front gate, and it’s not for sale.” Jernigan added that the loss of parking revenue reduces support for public service grants and scholarship programs. Following the decision, fair organizers indicated they intend to pursue further legal remedies, with Jernigan telling WCIV, “We believe that we have a good legal position. We have great lawyers, and we’ll see what the Court of Appeals has to say.”
Governance and Ethical Concerns Raised at Meeting
During the public comment session, local stakeholders raised questions regarding dual representation on local governing boards, according to WCIV. Exchange Club member Duncan Townsend told WCIV, “This gets even more interesting when you consider that Mr. Darby and even Chairman Boykin can sit on the County Council as well as the CARTA board.” Representatives for CARTA declined to comment on the vote, telling WCIV that no public statement was necessary.
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