At Enough Pie, we work closely with our neighbors in the Upper Peninsula – from the Joseph Floyd Manor to Bridgeview Village, from St. Julian Devine Center to First African Child Development Center, from the Butterfly Book Nook to Vivian Moultrie Park – and we understand the creative opportunities and overwhelming challenges facing the residents in this part of the City. As a peninsula bounded by water on three sides, there is little room for urban growth and the vast majority of that growth is happening throughout the long-standing neighborhoods and communities of the Upper Peninsula.
Here’s something we all know – with growth comes gentrification. As much as we may want to, we can’t stop growth. Growth is controlled by permits and policies governed by the City and County of Charleston. But can we stop gentrification? We have yet to see any growing city get a handle on this issue, but we refuse to give up. We believe one way to slow the process of gentrification is to BE A BETTER NEIGHBOR! We can be a better neighbor as individuals, businesses and developers.
In our heart of hearts, we all know how to be better neighbors. It starts with listening and trust and above all, accountability. As an organization, we plan to work even harder on the accountability piece.
Here are some ideas:
Laurel Island
City Council granted approval for the Laurel Island PUD earlier this week. That means the zoning for this project is now set, but there will be many more reviews and processes along the way. Enough Pie has spoken with the developers, and we believe they are headed in the right direction on affordable housing and community amenities like public parks and fishing piers. But as a new neighbor, Laurel Island could go a few steps further by entering into a Community Benefit Agreement – that’s the accountability piece!
Charleston Tech Center and Digital Corridor
You’ve probably noticed the 92,000 square foot building casting a shadow over the Royal American. It will soon be an incubation hub for technology businesses. Besides looking like a building that is begging for a mural (wink, wink), maybe the DC could also become a community wifi hotspot for East Central and Bridgeview Village residents. In this “remote everything” world, that could really be a benefit to neighbors! And that’s accountability!
At Enough Pie, we have lots more ideas and WE KNOW YOU DO TOO! Please share them at info@enoughpie.org.
Let’s be better neighbors!
Kate Nevin, EP Founder + Chair Thetyka Robinson, Interim Executive Director
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