At our February 10th Town Council meeting, we considered a proposed annexation of 1.24 acres adjacent to the Phillips Community.
Rather than rush to an immediate denial, I supported deferring the vote — not to delay protection, but to strengthen it.
Here is why.
If Mount Pleasant is serious about protecting historic communities like Phillips, then we must have both the authority and the tools to do so ourselves.
Right now, Phillips does not have a town historic overlay or zoning overlay in place. Ten Mile has both. Phillips and Hamlin do not — yet.
If we simply deny annexation outright, we lose the opportunity to bring that property into town jurisdiction, extend sewer service responsibly, and create our own locally accountable historic and zoning overlays. Once denied, that opportunity may not return.
My view is straightforward:
We should bring every property within the town limits into the town — under town standards, town protections, and town accountability.
If land is going to be influenced by Mount Pleasant, it should be governed by Mount Pleasant.
That allows us to:
• Establish town-led historic overlays
• Create zoning protections tailored to the community
• Ensure infrastructure decisions align with our long-term vision
• Be directly accountable to residents
We cannot rely indefinitely on Charleston County to oversee protections without guarantees. County voters approved protections for Ten Mile over time — but we’ve also seen that county decisions do not always align with Mount Pleasant’s priorities.
If we believe in preserving Phillips, then we must be willing to take ownership of that responsibility.
Equally important: Phillips residents must help shape the protections that affect them. Just as we would never deny the Old Village a voice in its future, we must ensure the Phillips Community has meaningful input into any overlay or zoning framework.
The 8–1 vote to defer gives us time — not to stall, but to build the right protection structure and bring it back to the community for review.
Protection should be deliberate.
It should be locally controlled.
And it should be done right.
I remain committed to preserving the character and legacy of our historic communities while ensuring the Town of Mount Pleasant has the authority to protect them properly.
