June 19, 2018: With our club in the process of changing venues once again with concerns about parking and accessibility, how appropriate that our message this week was from Steve Dudash of Thomas & Hutton on sprawl versus density and how community design affects transportation and 
livability. Dudash is a graduate of both Clemson and LSU and has well over thirty years of experience in land use planning. He serves as chair of the LowCountry Rapid Transit Advocacy Committee.
Our metropolitan area has well over 800,000 people and will see this number exceed one million within just a few years. Traffic issues naturally arise in an area with so large a population and balancing density and sprawl becomes increasingly difficult. The land use planner is tasked with having to place emphasis on either people or cars. Given such a choice Dudash suggested it is time our community “grows up” – meaning that there must be greater density in housing to overcome the traffic troubles inherent with sprawl.
Dudash compared our situation to the quote from the old comic strip, Pogo, that we have met the enemy and he is us, but Dudash is heartened by the fact that, in his words, we have met the solution and it is us. We can change the traffic trials we all face by embracing a more livable – a more walkable – design for development in our region in the future. Growth can occur, but smart growth with regional coordination reduces the negative impact of growth.
The reason sprawl exists is that there are benefits to it. Land costs are less for property farther from city centers and there are opportunities for greater greenspace and privacy. Unfortunately, those benefits are only gained at the cost of increased traffic and transportation expenses and reduced fitness and health. Often there is a sense that density is unsightly, but Dudash gave examples of denser communities, such as downtown Charleston, which are far more visually pleasing and diverse than less-dense sprawling communities, such as vast suburban neighborhoods with row upon row of cookie-cutter homes. The US Environmental Protection Agency has determined that smart growth is healthy growth – better for the environment and better for us as denizens of that environment. Smart growth reduces the dependency on automobiles by creating walkable communities, which in turn increases health. Dudash mentioned so-called “blue” zones, which are communities which have been identified across the globe as having statistically-measurable increased life-span expectancies for those who live there. In addition to other attributes which these zones have in common, these areas are by-and-large walkable – residents need not resort to cars to travel between home, work and entertainment.
There is no way our community can avoid growth for as Dudash noted around 45 people move into our region daily. One in five jobs in South Carolina is located in the lowcountry. Thus it is imperative that our region practice smart growth. This means creating higher density centers of work and residences, planning neighborhoods with mixed uses where living spaces, work places and dining and entertainment venues all lie within walkable distances. Dudash cited Daniel Island as an example of how smart growth can truly make a city walkable and thus more livable. The popularity of Daniel Island and communities being developed with a similar model show that smart growth is possible, but it requires regional coordination. With a patch work of municipalities spread across three counties, the task of coordinating development is certainly daunting, but local leaders have recognized the need for just such a coordinated approach. In 2007 the Urban Land Institute in South Carolina sponsored a reality check symposium for our region. This event brought together lay people and professionals from a broad spectrum of disciplines and produced a plan for quality growth in our area.
The consensus of the 2007 Reality Check for Charleston was that there must be balance with jobs being located near housing and mixed uses such that there is less dependence on vehicles. Transportation must be oriented toward enhanced pedestrian use within mixed use developments and attractive public transit available to carry residents from one mixed use center to others. With higher density, it is essential that green spaces be preserved and enhanced. These green spaces will provide a buffer around such mixed use centers and green space in the public transit corridors between such centers will ensure that denser spaces will truly be livable spaces.
In summation, Dudash noted that smart growth makes sense. Not only does it enhance livability, but it reduces the impact of our communities on our environment. Through denser development with green space buffers and corridors, communities can actually experience increased tax revenues while seeing a reduction in infrastructure construction and maintenance expenses. Let us hope that our community leaders will recognize the principles Dudash expressed to us so that the growth we know is coming will enhance our region and preserve the quality of life we all enjoy and makes our city the place so many want to visit and come to call home.
–Alex Dallis, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
• Kay Minson gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
• Virginia Lee introduced our Visiting Rotarians and guests.
• President David Burt presented Health and Happiness.
• Tom Leonard introduced our speaker Steve Dudash of Thomas and Hutton, who discussed “Density vs. Sprawl”.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
June 26, 2018 | Issue 4894 | President: David Burt
COMING EVENTS
• June 26 – Chief Luther Reynolds, Charleston Police Chief
• July 3 – No meeting Happy 4th of July!
• July 10 – Presidential/Board Transition
• July 17 – Stuart Williams, In Place Impact / CofC Entrepreneurship
NEWS BRIEFS
New Meeting Venue
A decision has been made on our new meeting location! After carefully considering all feedback on visited venues, weighing all pros and cons, and also looking at a couple of other options, the Board has determined that 5 Faber is the best fit for our membership. We will start meeting there on a permanent basis in August. During July, we will meet at Riley Park on July 10 and July 24 and at 5 Faber on July 17 and July 31. We are excited about our new meeting location and hope you will support us in this venue change.
RCCF Grants Awarded
On behalf of our club and the RCCF Advisory Committee, Past President Mark Smith presented RCCF grants to two local organizations. These were the final two grant presentations of the Spring 2018 grant cycle.
Austin Stone accepted a grant on behalf of YEScarolina. Our club’s donation will be used to fund two entrepreneurship classes and business plan competitions where students are awarded seed money for their ideas. Rotarians will be able to be involved as judges.
Joy Campbell attended on behalf of I Serve With Joy. Our funds will be used to provide essential hygiene products to underpriviledged teenagers at Burke High School and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School. Fresh Start Kids containing basic hygiene products will be distributed to 1,000 students.
We are pleased to support both YEScarolina and I Serve With Joy and thank them for all they do for the youth in our community!
Rotary District Alzheimer’s Gala
Rotary District Alzheimer’s Gala to raise money for Alzheimer’s research is scheduled for Saturday, July 28, 2018 at the Charleston Marriott in Charleston, South Carolina. It is a black tie optional event and designed to provide you with a great experience, as well as an opportunity to contribute to the funding of research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Save the date – more information to come.
MEMBER NEWS
Welcome New Members
We welcomed two new members into our club this past Tuesday – Meredith Mixson and Nick Galizia. Meredith was introduced by Tom Leonard and will hold the classification of Relationship Manager/Community Banking. President-Elect-Elect Sandy Morckel introduced Nick. Nick joins us under the classification of Architecture/General. We are excited to have both Meredith and Nick in our Rotary Club. Congratulations to both!
Paul Harris Fellow Recognized
Congratulations to Karl Riner, who was presented a Paul Harris Fellow + 3 this past Tuesday.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1000 to The Rotary Foundation. Multiple Paul Harris Fellows can be earned as members contribute an additional $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. With each additional $1,000, members are presented with a pin with multiple stones, either a sapphire or ruby, indicating the total level of their contributions
Membership Changes
With much regret, the Board accepted the resignations of the following members this past Tuesday – Tom Brown, David McCormack, Mary Peters, Beth Stuckey and Peter Wertimer. We will miss these members and appreciate their years of service to our club.
Rotary International Convention
As our club’s representative, President-Elect Alex Dallis and his wife, Robin, will be traveling to Toronto, Canada over the next week to attend the Rotary International. The convention is an incredible opportunity that all of our Presidents get to experience. They meet fellow Rotarians from around the world, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. We wish them safe travels and look forward to hearing about their experiences in Toronto!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: John Channell
• Joined: 2013
• Sponsor: Patterson Smith
• Membership Involvement: Current Board Member, Community Service Director
• Classification: Finance
• Profession: Commercial Portfolio Manager, South Atlantic Bank
• Something Unique About Yourself: I was born in Frankfurt, Germany and lived in Brussels, Belgium for 4 years.
Birthdays
• June 27– Rudy Thomas & Tommy Taylor
• July 2 – Sandy Morckel
By the numbers
Attendance on June 19, 2018: 81
Not in attendance: Baggs, Barry, Baus, Beam, Berlin, Brack, Bullard, Buzon, Carico, Channell, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Crouch, Deavenport, DeGraff, Donnellon, Dopp, Drafts, Dukes, Dymek, Echols, Embry, Fink, Gill, Hart, Hudnall, Husser, Jenkins, Jones, Kaynard, Kerrigan, Krumwiede, Livingston, Marty, McGhee, Pate, Plotner, Rust, Smith, H., Stokes, Strickland, Taylor, E., Tecklenburg, John, Wachter, Welborn, Willey, Williams, Williams, Woodell
Out of Town Make-ups: Owen Clary, England
WELLNESS TIP
Vacation Time!
Improve your heart health: take advantage of summer’s slower schedule by using your vacation time to unwind.
Vacations have multiple benefits: They can help lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones such as cortisol, which contributes to a widening waist and an increased risk of heart disease
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, The Riley Park Club, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday, Harbour Club, 35 Prioleau St., Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: David Burt
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved.