Best Jewelry Store in Nexton, SC

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – State and local agencies will conduct a full-scale hurricane evacuation lane reversal drill on Thursday.

While no lanes of traffic will actually be reversed during the drill, the goal is to help law enforcement and the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division test lane reversal plans for I-26 and other coastal roadways should an evacuation order be issued at any point during the hurricane season.

Law enforcement personnel and traffic control devices will be deployed along I-26 from the intersection of the 197 mm (Nexton Parkway) and I-26 in Charleston to I-77 and I-26 in Columbia.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation announced in 2020 an updated plan for reversing lanes on I-26, which includes beginning the reversal at a median crossover near the Nexton Parkway, exit 197, rather than I-526 like in past years.

While SCDOT understands this shortens the length of the reversal by 15 miles, they say it is designed to reduce traffic impacts for the Charleston area and be easier for motorists to access the reversed side of I-26.

The drill will begin at approximately 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m.

“This lane reversal exercise is a critically important tool along with planning, communication, and cooperation from our state and local partners,” said SC Department of Public Safety Director Robert G. Woods, IV. “Through this exercise and extensive planning, citizens and visitors to our state can be assured that we are prepared to safely and quickly move residents and visitors inland from the coast in the event an evacuation is ordered.”

“With the ever-increasing popularity of South Carolina’s beautiful coastal region, the number of residents and visitors continues to grow,” Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall said. “This makes it critical that we rehearse implementing lane reversals should they be needed during hurricane evacuations. Please watch for our employees and our partners as we conduct this drill.”

State leaders say the preparedness exercise will not interfere with the flow of traffic, intersections will not be blocked, and motorists will be allowed to move freely; however, you are encouraged to drive safely as law enforcement and state personnel will be staged along busy roads.

Those living in coastal communities should use this time to understand their hurricane evacuation zone and the route they would take should an order to leave be given during the season.

Lane reversal simulations will be held on U.S. 21, U.S. 278, U.S. 501 and S.C. 544 in addition to I-26.

COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the South Carolina Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and other state and local agencies, will conduct a full-scale hurricane evacuation exercise on Thursday, June 9, to test lane reversal plans for all three major coastal areas of the state. Hurricane season began June 1 and ends November 30. Please note that no traffic lanes will actually be reversed during this exercise.

This hurricane evacuation exercise is designed to test lane reversal plans for Interstate 26, U.S. 21, U.S. 278, U.S. 501 and S.C. 544 in the event of a coastal evacuation order. Personnel and equipment from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the South Carolina Department of Transportation as well as partners with the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Civil Air Patrol and the South Carolina Army National Guard will participate in the exercise, which will last from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This lane reversal exercise is a critically important tool along with planning, communication, and cooperation from our state and local partners,” said SC Department of Public Safety Director Robert G. Woods, IV. “Through this exercise and extensive planning, citizens and visitors to our state can be assured that we are prepared to safely and quickly move residents and visitors inland from the coast in the event an evacuation is ordered.”

The exercise will simulate reversal operations on U.S. 278 and U.S. 21. The deployment of equipment and personnel will be made on these roads leading out of Hilton Head and Beaufort. SCDOT equipment will be stationed on U.S. 278 from Almeda to Hampton in Hampton County. Law enforcement personnel and traffic control devices will be deployed along Interstate 26 from the intersection of the 197 mm (Nexton Parkway) and I-26 in Charleston to I-77 and I-26 in Columbia. Traffic control equipment and personnel will be stationed on U.S. 501 beginning at S.C. 544 and ending at U.S. 378 as well as between S.C. 22 and the Marion By-Pass. Aerial units from SLED, the Civil Air Patrol, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Forestry Commission will be flying assigned aerial surveillance routes.

“The South Carolina Emergency Response Team updates the state’s hurricane plan every year. Through training and exercises, we make sure our plans work in preparation for a real incident, like a hurricane evacuation,” said SC Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson. “We encourage all residents to do what we’re doing with the Department of Public Safety and the rest of our team: have a personal emergency plan that includes your entire family and then practice that plan to make sure everyone knows what to do.”

Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall points to the importance of evacuation planning:

“Lane reversals are potential life-saving aspects of hurricane evacuations in South Carolina. Our state is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Our beautiful coastal areas are attracting not only visitors but also many new residents, resulting in population numbers that are increasing at a rapid rate. The upcoming exercise will pay dividends should the need to implement the reversals arise during this season and in the future.”

The exercise will not interfere with the flow of traffic. Intersections will not be blocked, and motorists will be allowed to move freely. However, the Highway Patrol cautions motorists traveling I-26, U.S. 501, and S.C. 544 as well as U.S. 278 and U.S. 21 to exercise due caution and be aware that law enforcement officers and state personnel will be located on the shoulder of the highway and at exits.

For more information view the South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s 2022 Hurricane Guide.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – State and local leaders participated in an annual hurricane lane reversal drill on Thursday, working to ensure a smooth evacuation should one be issued this season.

“Hurricane season has just begun and will continue on through November 30, so we want to make sure we’re prepared and make sure the public is prepared as well,” said Lance Cpl. Nick Pye with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Employees with the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation were seen parked along I-26 during the day-long simulation.

Both sides of I-26 could be completely reversed, giving those living along the coast an easy and faster way of getting out of town if a hurricane threatens our area.

And more options will be offered this year for getting off the interstate than have been available to evacuees in the past.

“In the event that we have a full-scale hurricane reversal we have SLED, DNR protection, and parole, local agencies, throughout the state- it is an all-hands-on-deck. Pretty much everyone is focused on getting people to safety and getting people where they need to be.”

At the Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness office in Moncks Corner, leaders there are also preparing for a hurricane – making sure they are ready for impacts inland, not just along the coast.

“We still have a lot of threats due to the hurricane, especially straight-line winds, tornadoes, or even flooding from rainfall. Especially around the lakes and streams in the upper part of the county,” said Ben Almquist, Berkeley County Director of Emergency Management.

Berkeley County is working to install new weather stations in rural areas to gather accurate real-time data, and upgraded county facilities are going to help during the next emergency.

“The new Emergency Operations Center – now co-located with the 911 center – helps out with our communications tremendously. We’re centralized now in Berkeley County (with) the rest of the government agencies, so everybody is right here when we need them,” said Almquist.

If an evacuation order is issued by Governor Henry McMaster, emergency leaders say it’s best to heed the warning and head out of town.

“We think that this is the best scenario to get people out efficiently quickly and safely.”

The South Carolina Department of Transportation announced in 2020 an updated plan for reversing lanes on I-26, which includes beginning the reversal at a median crossover near the Nexton Parkway, exit 197, rather than I-526 like in past years.

While SCDOT understands this shortens the length of the reversal by 15 miles, they say it is designed to reduce traffic impacts for the Charleston area and be easier for motorists to access the reversed side of I-26.

Those living in coastal communities should use this time to understand their hurricane evacuation zone and the route they would take should an order to leave be given during the season.

If it seems like parts of Berkeley County are being invaded by new out-of-state residents, you’re only halfway wrong — or correct.

Almost half of new home buyers in Nexton and Carnes Crossroads — two of the most flocked-to master-planned communities in the Charleston region — are coming from places beyond South Carolina’s borders.

In 2021, this group represented 47 percent of purchasers in Nexton and Carnes Crossroads. The other 53 percent came from within the Palmetto State, with 70 percent of those originating from inside the Charleston area, according to data provided by the developers.

“It’s been that way from the beginning,” said Nexton spokeswoman Cassie Cataline. “Since we’ve opened, the percentage has been about the same – 50-to-60 percent of the buyers have come from South Carolina and the rest from out-of-state. I don’t know if it’s a price-point thing or what.”

The 5,000-acre Nexton property is expected to put about 7,000 homes on the ground with a population of about 17,500 at full buildout over the next decade. Over roughly the same period, the nearby 2,300-acre Carnes Crossroads development could have about 4,500 homes with more than 11,000 residents.

A common misconception among Lowcountry residents is that the majority of buyers are moving from either the Northeast corridor or Ohio.

“No, we are not being invaded by people from Ohio,” Cataline said with a chuckle.

Last year, the largest percentage of out-of-state buyers in Nexton moved in from North Carolina and Georgia, specifically from the Charlotte and Atlanta metropolitan areas.

The other top referring states were New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania as those buyers were made up primarily of retirees.

“It’s not just the home itself anymore that’s important,” said Roni Haskell, a realtor with Keller Williams, who has sold more than two dozen homes in the two mixed-use mega-developments. “Yes, the home and affordability are huge factors, but it’s also the neighborhoods now. More and more buyers are looking for the master-planned communities — what I’d call macro-communities — like Nexton and Carnes Crossroads.

“They don’t want to feel isolated; they want to feel like they are in the heart of things, but they don’t want have to go too far to get that lifestyle,” she added. “They want a community feel.”

Nearly 85 percent of buyers in Nexton were made up of either baby boomers or millennials, although there was a smaller percentage of younger buyers as well.

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• 49 percent are boomers.

• 36 percent are millennials.

• 15 percent are gen-Xers.

Caroline Ayres, 29, grew up in the Hilton Head Island area and had been living in an apartment in Summerville with husband, Lee, since 2018. The couple wanted more space and went in search of a home in early 2020, finally settling on a property in Nexton’s Brighton Park.

“Everything is super convenient and anything we need is about 10 minutes away,” she said. “Summerville is close by, and we can hop on the interstate and get to downtown Charleston pretty quickly. There’s a lot to do, some great restaurants, some great walking trails, there’s green space, we have a dog park near our house, so everything we need is right here. Those factors were huge for us when we were making our decision on where to buy.”

Tucker Martinelli, 61, was stationed at the Navy base in the early 1980s and was familiar with the area. When his wife, Elizabeth, retired as a school teacher in the summer of 2020, the Charlotte coupled moved to Carnes Crossroads.

“South Carolina is a retirement-friendly state with some of its tax policies,” Martinelli said. “I knew the Summerville-Goose Creek area pretty well. We looked at some homes in the Del Webb section of Nexton, but we fell in love with Carnes Crossroads. We’re still pretty active, so we like to get out and do things. That’s very important for us.”

Ayers said the mix of families in her Brighton Park neighborhood offers a unique generational blend.

“We have young families with kids and without kids and also some retired folks,” Ayers said. “I think it’s an interesting mix because most neighborhoods are normally either young families or an older crowd. Nexton offers a little bit of everything to every generation and that gives it a real community feel.”

Nexton sold 576 homes during 2021, giving the community a total of 2,000 sales. At the end of 2021, Nexton had 1,675 occupied homes and another 250 sold and under construction, with 1,258 completed apartments and 602 under development, Cataline said.

Carnes Crossroads had 480 completed homes in 2021 with 57 under construction, 42 in the planning and approval stage and 823 apartments on the ground, said spokeswoman Julie Dombrowski of DI Development Co., the development manager for the project.

Cane Bay, another large housing development in that area of Berkeley County, did not respond to a request for comment.

By Barry Waldman

Your chance to own a piece of Summerville’s TV production history has finally arrived. The four homes built by local builder, Hunter Quinn Homes for season 3 of HGTV’s “Rock the Block” series will be on the market for sale in early April. You can own a one-of-a-kind home in the award-winning Nexton Community designed by Fixer to Fabulous hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs, sisters Lyndsay and Leslie from Unsellable Houses, Egypt and Mike from Married to Real Estate, or Keith and Evan from Bargain Block.

These 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath, 3,500 spacious square foot homes are well-appointed and unique. Each HGTV team started with the same base floor plan and added their own unique touch to the Charleston-inspired home they worked on. That might mean French doors in an unexpected place, a space-age shower in the master bath, a stand-out feature wall found in no other house, or some other element that makes each house one-of-a-kind.

“Not only will the future owners of these homes have a unique story to tell about who designed their homes, but they will forever be tied to a significant piece of cinematic history in Berkeley County,” said Hunter Quinn Homes marketing director Krista Mott. Each team of design professionals was given $225,000 to design and style their home in just six weeks—and the results are breathtaking.

Local homebuilder Hunter Quinn Homes was chosen by show producers to build the houses in Summerville’s Nexton community, the top master-planned community in the nation in 2020 and the best mixed-use community in 2022, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The producers researched the area before falling in love with the community and determining that Hunter Quinn was the best builder to handle the compressed building schedule and high show standards.

“Hunter Quinn has and continues to establish itself as the builder of choice for its customers, trade partners, team members, and the community,” said Hunter Quinn’s vice president of Sales and Marketing, Jason Harper, “We have put in a lot of work into our systems and processes to make the experience the best it can be, and I believe that is why we were selected to be the builder of these homes for the TV show.”

Each house includes luxury items inspired by architectural features of the historic Charleston single-style house like a Charleston-style veranda that opens to a spacious side yard, Lowcountry staples like sweetgrass and driftwood incorporated into the home designs, and designer finishes that mimic the historic ornamental ironwork found downtown Charleston.

Potential buyers with an interest in purchasing one of these homes can visit the Hunter Quinn website for information on how to submit an offer once the homes are released for sale on April 9. Four lucky families will have the opportunity to purchase and live in homes designed before the eyes of millions of people by designers they know and love.

Situated in Berkeley County, in the heart of the Lowcountry, Nexton offers all the benefits of Lowcountry living—weather, culture, beaches, history—along with delightful livable neighborhoods that are seamlessly integrated with retail and commercial. The show highlights the beauty and charm of Nexton and Berkeley County.

“Rock the Block has been an opportunity to show the world an award-winning master-planned community sited right here in Berkeley County and share some of the many things we love about where we are so fortunate to live,” said Ashley M. Powell, deputy county supervisor. “Our outdoor recreation via attractions like Cypress Gardens, direct access to the Cooper River, Lakes Marion and Moultrie, and the Francis Marion National Forest is unmatched. In addition, we boast ample opportunities for quality places to work and live.

As Hollywood met South Carolina, the project presented many challenges to Hunter Quinn, like lining up subcontractors and materials quickly despite a labor shortage and supply-chain disruptions. In addition, builders had to work with the shooting schedule, occasionally having to re-enact work for the cameras. But the result is four homes that everyone is talking about—and four lucky families will own.

“We normally build houses in about 150 days. Then these guys show up and ask if we can build them in 60 and do it a little differently,” said Will Herring, founder and CEO of Hunter Quinn. “It was a challenge, but we like challenges. If we could do it all again we would—and without hesitation.”

For additional information about South Carolinas Builder of Choice, visit their website www.hunterquinnhomes.com.