Delemar Highway Widening Project

04/26/2026

Eminent domain isn't just a legal term buried in policy. It IS a force that can quietly, permanently reshape the soul of a community.

It's the front porch where generations gathered. The live oak trees planted long before the founding of our country. The fields that fed families and hold memories from a time before any road was ever drawn on a map.
These places are more than property lines, they are identity, history, and belonging.

When eminent domain is used, it doesn't just take land. It takes roots. It takes stories.

In a world that moves faster every day, where change feels constant and unavoidable, there is something deeply valuable in choosing to keep some things the same.

Today is the final day to submit public comment on the Delemar Highway Expansion and Continuation Project. This isn't just about a road. It's about the future of our community and what we're willing to protect.

Progress should never come at the cost of losing what makes a place meaningful. Once these landscapes, homes, and land are gone, they are gone forever.

If you care about preserving the character, heritage, and heart of this community, now is the time to speak.
Join us in telling Dorchester County: NO to the scale of this

https://bit.ly/4cjwnnl

04/13/2026

Some visuals on what the proposed expansion would look like.

Tell Dorchester County no to eminent domain.

https://bit.ly/4cjwnnl

04/13/2026

👏🏼👏🏼Editorial: Widening Delemar Highway underscores tension in planning for growth

Widening Delemar Highway in Dorchester County highlights the challenge facing governments as they try to plan for growth but also respond to those who don't want to see growth to begin with.

04/12/2026

Public comment period will end on April 26, 11:59pm. It’s important that everyone submits their comments.

https://bit.ly/4cjwnnl

Here’s a list of my concerns, feel free to copy.

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The proposed Delemar Highway expansion raises serious concerns for families, property owners, and the future of our community and of Dorchester County.

This isn’t just a road project; it’s a permanent change to the character and livability of the area many of us call home.

Here’s why this matters:

⚠️ Property Rights & Eminent Domain
For some families, this project could mean loss of land, uncertainty, and disruption to property held for generations.

🏡 Homes Impacted
Some residences could sit just feet from the expanded roadway, bringing increased noise, headlights, vibration, and loss of privacy right to front doors.

🌳 Loss of Rural Character
Mature trees, historic landscapes, and the scenic nature of Delemar Highway could be permanently altered or lost. Once these legacy features are gone, they cannot be replaced.

📍 Conflicts with the County’s Own Vision
The expansion is inconsistent with planning goals meant to preserve rural character and thoughtfully guide growth in this area.

🌿 Environmental Concerns
Impacts to wetlands, drainage, wildlife habitat, and increased storm water runoff.

🚧 Safety Questions
Wider, faster roads often increase speeds, encourage cut-through traffic, and create new safety concerns for residents.

⚖️ Transparency and Fairness
Not all residents appear to have received the same level of communication or access to studies and project information.

💰 Taxpayer Burden
Construction, maintenance, and future upgrades all come at a cost, one that ALL Dorchester County residents will ultimately bear.

I do not support this expansion.

Dorchester County held a public meeting on Wednesday, March 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Ashley Ridge High School. The meeting was a drop-in format, and no formal presentation was given. The purpose of this meeting was to provide information about the project, share preliminary plans, and soli...

03/25/2026

What is eminent domain?

Eminent domain is the power of government to take private property for public use, even when the owner does not want to sell.

At its core, eminent domain represents one of the most significant powers government holds over individuals: the ability to force the transfer of generational land, homes, and livelihoods in the name of public benefit.

03/18/2026

Looks like Homecoming will get a wall to deter highway noise.

02/20/2026

Also concerning development is the proposed Parker's Kitchen at Highway 61/Delemar Highway.

See my remarks below:

As a resident of the Historic Highway 61 corridor to express my strong opposition to the proposed Parker’s Kitchen development at Highway 61 and Cook Crossroads.

Highway 61 is not a typical commercial corridor. It is a designated scenic and historic gateway defined by its iconic tree canopy, rural character, watershed to the Ashley River basin and its surrounding wetlands, ecological systems, and deeply rooted cultural landscape. Those of us who live along this corridor understand that its significance lies not only in individual historic properties, but in the continuity of the landscape itself. The spatial rhythm of open land, historic structures, agricultural uses, and protected viewsheds collectively defines its identity.

The proposed scale, intensity, and operational model of a high-traffic, 24-hour mega convenience store and gas station are fundamentally incompatible with this context. The introduction of extensive lighting, fuel infrastructure, expanded impervious surfaces, increased turning movements, and continuous vehicular activity would permanently alter the character of this intersection and erode the historic integrity of the corridor.

Beyond the aesthetic and historic concerns, there are substantial practical impacts that warrant careful scrutiny:

• Increased traffic volume and turning conflicts at an already sensitive intersection
• Light pollution affecting nearby residences and the scenic tree canopy
• Noise from idling vehicles and late-night operations
• Environmental risks associated with underground fuel storage near wetlands and waterways within the Ashley River basin
• Precedent-setting commercial intensity within a protected historic district

Additionally, this proposed development directly conflicts with Dorchester County’s adopted Comprehensive Plan and its specific design framework for Cooks Crossroads. In that planning effort, the County clearly articulated its intention to move away from “cookie-cutter” suburban development and instead establish “a common design language that reflects the unique sense of place” of this historic crossroads.

The adopted design principles for Cooks Crossroads explicitly call for development that:

1. Preserve and protect the cultural landscape along SC 165 and SC 61;
2. Organize buildings to create shared civic space rather than auto-dominated frontage;
3. Employs low-impact strategies that respect water, wetlands, and natural systems.

A large-format, auto-oriented fuel station operating 24 hours a day is inconsistent with these principles and undermines the planning vision established for this gateway location.

The Highway 61 corridor has long been recognized as a cultural and environmental resource deserving careful stewardship. Approving a project of this nature would disregard years of preservation planning and community investment aimed at maintaining the corridor’s rural, scenic, and historic character.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that this proposal be denied in order to protect the integrity of this nationally significant landscape and the quality of life of its residents.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely,
Patty Bivens Sailer
Resident, Historic Highway 61 Corridor

02/20/2026

Still waiting on a date for the BIG meeting.

12/10/2025

📣📣Just in, public design meeting is set for March 2026.