Chimney Sweep in Mount Pleasant, SC

Officials with the Clemson University Department of Plant Industry (DPI) are asking residents, arborists, construction site contractors and debris management companies to refrain from moving certain hardwood tree debris, including maple, from Mount Pleasant after inspectors detected Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) on the grounds of a commercial shopping center in the town.

Clemson DPI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant and Animal Inspection Service are collaborating to determine the extent of the infestation. They will announce an official quarantine area in the coming weeks.

Officials are asking home and business owners to cooperate by giving the DPI and USDA inspectors property access as they conduct surveys to determine the extent of the infestation.

Private contractors working within Mount Pleasant should coordinate with the South Carolina Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program to determine how hardwoods can be properly deregulated and disposed of to ensure infested material doesn’t spread and eradication efforts remain effective.

The infestation was detected on August 24 by two off-duty DPI inspectors who saw suspicious insect damage on maple trees consistent with ALB and followed up.

The Mount Pleasant detection comes amid a five-year, multifront battle against the insect in Hollywood, S.C.

“It’s difficult to know how the insects ended up in Mount Pleasant,” said Steven Long, assistant director of Clemson Regulatory Services, who oversees DPI. “It’s frustrating that invasive insects can move in several ways, including on humans, vehicles, equipment, firewood, woody debris or on packing material from international goods.”

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, is a wood-boring beetle that threatens various hardwood trees, including maple, elm, willow, sycamore, poplar and birch. It is not a pest of the oak or pine species that are more abundant in South Carolina.

As the beetle bores into the tree, it interrupts the flow of life-giving sap and weakens it, ultimately killing it. Infested trees can also become safety hazards, since branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms.

South Carolina was the sixth state to detect an Asian longhorned beetle infestation. The pest has been eradicated from New Jersey and Illinois; eradication efforts are ongoing in New York, Massachusetts and Ohio with guidance from the APHIS Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program.

In addition to allowing state and federal inspectors access to property to survey for the pest, residents in the town of Mount Pleasant and in surrounding Charleston County communities are encouraged to also help by looking for the beetle and examining the trees on their property for damage that the beetles may cause.

“The number one thing we need is access to property in the inspection area,” Long said. “Survey crews will be operating in the area as we determine the extent of the infestation. Landowners’ cooperation ensures this pest doesn’t establish a foothold.

“The second thing we need is for people to help us look,” he said. “Our inspectors are experienced in examining the tree for signs of the beetles’ presence, but the more eyes we have looking for the insect and the more obvious damage it causes, the more likely we are to find it.”

The Asian longhorned beetle is shiny black with small, white spots on its body and abnormally long antennae. Adult beetles can grow an inch and a half long.

The beetle’s larvae feed by tunneling under the tree bark, where they live through the winter, forming feeding galleries in the trunk and branches. They chew their way out when mature, creating round holes about 3/8 inch in diameter.

Signs of infestation could include:

South Carolinians who believe they have found infested trees may report it online at https://clemson.edu/alb, by email at stopalb@clemson.edu or by calling DPI at 843-973-8329.

They may also make a report by calling the USDA’s Asian longhorned beetle hotline at 866-702-9938 or report online at www.AsianLonghornedBeetle.com.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - A major anchor of the Mount Pleasant Town Centre says a proposal to change what can be built there is unnecessary and speculative since the store has no plans to leave.

Belk is taking a strong stand, writing multiple letters to the town during the planning process ahead of the council meeting, opposing a rezone of parts of the Town Centre shopping complex.

In the proposed zone change, the landowner is asking for the ability to build mixed-use, including office space and housing, in the areas where the Belk department store and the Palmetto Grande movie theater currently operate.

Belk executives wrote to town leaders that they feel this proposal is an effort to push them out, since it applies to the space if the tenants leave unexpectedly. In their letters, Belk executives lay out how they have operated in the complex for 27 years and have a lease for the department store through 2053 and the corresponding men’s department store through 2043.

A senior vice president argues that the proposed uses in the plan are not even allowed under Belk’s lease, and that complicates the future of the land when the lease comes up, potentially pushing the retailer out in favor of other development.

Leaders would have to revise the original development agreement from the 1990s to make the proposed changes. That includes raising the building height allowed from 35 feet to 55 feet, in addition to the usage changes.

Belk leaders wrote that proposing the changes now creates speculation about the long-term presence of the store for no reason. And, the letters say if the changes were ever to be made, housing and office space would change the fabric of the center for the worse, removing foot traffic, lowering visibility and reducing retail options.

Mount Pleasant’s Planning Commission recommended approval of the zone change, but the Planning Committee that also reviewed the proposal did not because not enough members were present to make a recommendation to the council.

Mount Pleasant leaders will meet at 6 p.m. for the regular meeting, where this proposal is on the agenda.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. —

An Asian longhorned beetle has been detected at a shopping center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, according to the Clemson University Department of Plant Industry (DPI).

The infestation was detected on Aug. 24 by two off-duty DPI inspectors who saw suspicious insect damage on maple trees consistent with ALB and followed up.

Clemson DPI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant and Animal Inspection Service are collaborating to determine the extent of the infestation. They will announce an official quarantine area in the coming weeks.

The department is now asking residents, arborists, construction site contractors and debris management companies in this area to refrain from moving certain hardwood tree debris, including maple, from Mount Pleasant.Officials are asking home and business owners to cooperate by giving the DPI and USDA inspectors property access as they conduct surveys to determine the extent of the infestation.

Private contractors working within Mount Pleasant should coordinate with the South Carolina Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program to determine how hardwoods can be properly deregulated and disposed of to ensure infested material doesn’t spread and eradication efforts remain effective.

The Mount Pleasant detection comes amid a five-year, multifront battle against the insect in Hollywood, S.C.

“It’s difficult to know how the insects ended up in Mt. Pleasant,” said Steven Long, assistant director of Clemson Regulatory Services, who oversees DPI. “It’s frustrating that invasive insects can move in several ways, including on humans, vehicles, equipment, firewood, woody debris or on packing material from international goods.”

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, is a wood-boring beetle that threatens various hardwood trees, including maple, elm, willow, sycamore, poplar and birch. It is not a pest of the oak or pine species that are more abundant in South Carolina.

As the beetle bores into the tree, it interrupts the flow of life-giving sap and weakens it, ultimately killing it. Infested trees can also become safety hazards, since branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms.

South Carolina was the sixth state to detect an Asian longhorned beetle infestation. The pest has been eradicated from New Jersey and Illinois; eradication efforts are ongoing in New York, Massachusetts and Ohio with guidance from the APHIS Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program.

In addition to allowing state and federal inspectors access to property to survey for the pest, residents in the town of Mount Pleasant and in surrounding Charleston County communities are encouraged to also help by looking for the beetle and examining the trees on their property for damage that the beetles may cause.

“The number one thing we need is access to property in the inspection area,” Long said. “Survey crews will be operating in the area as we determine the extent of the infestation. Landowners’ cooperation ensures this pest doesn’t establish a foothold.

“The second thing we need is for people to help us look,” he said. “Our inspectors are experienced in examining the tree for signs of the beetles’ presence, but the more eyes we have looking for the insect and the more obvious damage it causes, the more likely we are to find it.”

The Asian longhorned beetle is shiny black with small, white spots on its body and abnormally long antennae. Adult beetles can grow an inch and a half long.

The beetle’s larvae feed by tunneling under the tree bark, where they live through the winter, forming feeding galleries in the trunk and branches. They chew their way out when mature, creating round holes about 3/8 inch in diameter.

Signs of infestation could include:

South Carolinians who believe they have found infested trees may report it online at https://clemson.edu/alb, by email at stopalb@clemson.eduor by calling DPI at 843-973-8329.

MOUNT PLEASANT — A Missouri developer seeking to build its second Charleston-area lodging at the site of a former budget hotel earned a key approval this week from the Town of Mount Pleasant.

The boarded-up 131-room Days Inn at 261 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. near the base of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge will eventually be razed to make way for a 170-room, six-story Drury-branded hotel.

Charles Drury, director of development at Drury Development Corp., said the family-owned company has a “long-term outlook when we come into a community.”

“We hope to be there for a lifetime, so it's very important for us to take into consideration what's important to the community,” Drury said, thanking the town's design review board for their feedback throughout the process. “It gave us a moment to pause and allow us to create a drastic shift in the way we do the project with some significant concessions in the building and site.”

Plans for the site show a lobby bar, indoor and outdoor dining areas, pool, spa, fitness center and meeting space.

The board acknowledged the developer’s willingness to make changes to preserve a 54-inch live oak on the property. In past reviews, it was the biggest sticking point. In the end, the St. Louis-based developer reconfigured the pool area to keep the tree.

Other architectural elements were also changed to opt for a “Lowcountry feel.”

The project now move on to a technical review process.

Board member Timothy Kief said during the meeting Wednesday that the hotel is "going to be a very nice entrance way into Mount Pleasant for the town.”

The Days Inn near Magrath Darby Boulevard closed earlier this year after selling for the second time in four years.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - After more than a year of construction and a $4.8 million investment, one of Mount Pleasant’s most historic and scenic public landmarks is back open.

Alhambra Hall, located on Middle Street in the heart of the Old Village, reopens to the public Tuesday morning following a complete renovation project that closed the site for over a year.

The waterfront venue has long been a centerpiece of Mount Pleasant’s community spaces.

Though it now serves primarily as a wedding and event venue, the building has a deep local history.

It was originally constructed as a ferry terminal but was moved to its current location in 1937 by Mount Pleasant residents who wanted to create a dance hall.

Over the years, it became a central gathering space and even served as the original location for the town’s Blessing of the Fleet Festival, which honors Mount Pleasant’s fishing and shrimping industries.

During a town-wide assessment of public facilities, officials determined that Alhambra Hall needed significant repairs. The decision was made to close the entire facility for the duration of the work. The project included structural upgrades, interior and exterior refurbishments as well as safety and accessibility improvements.

All of it was part of the town’s larger renovation project, which aimed to update aging infrastructure, preserve historical features and make the area more accessible for all residents and visitors.

Now, the building and its grounds offer far more than just event space.

The site features a large waterfront park with panoramic views of the Charleston Harbor, wide green lawns, walking trails and a playground located across the street.

“When people walk up… they see the detail that we went into making this building brighter, again… highlighting all the existing features that are part of it,” Frankie Pettit, the asset manager for the Town of Mount Pleasant Public Services, said. “But when you walk in, you see it’s brand-new wood floors all throughout. You come upstairs; there’s a brand-new air conditioning unit. And the biggest thing is that, if you’re in the hall, especially on a warmer day, with all of our improvements that we did to the building envelope itself, it feels better. It’s quieter.”

The updated Alhambra Hall now features new hardwood flooring throughout, refinished trim and siding, insulated energy-efficient windows, a new HVAC system, patios and porch rails, a modern fire sprinkler system and ADA-compliant improvements including expanded handicapped parking and accessible building entryways.

Across the street, the playground was entirely rebuilt with inclusivity in mind.

The town constructed it from the ground up with a smooth pour-in surface for mobility devices, ramps and handlebars at varying heights to accommodate children with disabilities. Though the playground opened ahead of schedule in June, Tuesday marks the first time the full grounds are open again for public use.

“It’s kind of opening up in phases, but [now] everything will be accessible to everyone. The playground was ahead of schedule, so we saw an opportunity to go ahead and open it up and let people start using it. But, this site, we were putting the final touches even [Tuesday] on it,” Pettit said.

He said what stands out most about Alhambra are the scenic views surrounding it.

“This site, we’re lucky that it just has so much natural beauty and great features already… the only thing we did was enhance what was already there,” Pettit said. “So, it’s going to be familiar to them, but when they start looking closer, they’re going to see these improvements.”

He added that the project is part of a larger town effort to keep public properties functional, sustainable and aligned with current standards.

“We need to do these types of projects every now and again to keep up with how we’re evolving, how we’re trying to be more efficient and lower the cost of maintenance, which helps out everyone in the long run.”

While Alhambra Hall is still primarily used for private events, members of the public are welcome to visit after the ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The town plans to set official public visitation hours in the future, but for now, visitors are welcome at any time. Leashed pets are also allowed on the property.