Shem Creek Park
Mount Pleasant, SC
Thomas & Hutton provided design and construction oversight of Phase I of this project in 2010 including a pile-supported wooden boardwalk, public restroom facilities, fixed and floating dock systems, and covered shade structures. Phase II included the planning, permitting, design, and construction services for a new ADA accessible 1,200-linear foot concrete pile supported boardwalk along the edge of Shem Creek with a bridge, floating docks, and pierheads. Phase II included extensive interaction and coordination with the restaurants and owners of the properties adjacent to the proposed boardwalk, as well as regulatory agencies. Phase III included a pedestrian crossing of the creek and development of a park.
Read More
Thomas & Hutton was involved in the redevelopment of the OK Tire Store property at Shem Creek and the adjacent timber docks and accessways, known as the Bailey Docks into Shem Creek Park. Numerous interviews were conducted and multiple public hearings were held to gain input from citizens, existing businesses at Shem Creek, and Town Council members. Based on input, Thomas & Hutton crafted a master plan that included a greeting facility with restrooms and parking, a generous public walkway to experience the marsh and surrounding marine environment, a floating dock for recreational boaters and water taxis, and a commercial fishing dock to preserve and promote the fishing industry. In addition, a series of interpretive art was designed to tell the story of Shem Creek and educate the public on the sights and sounds of the surrounding marshes.
Thomas & Hutton used the master plan document to create a marina permit application and successfully permitted the facility through the USACE and SCDHEC. With major permit approvals in hand, Thomas & Hutton produced construction drawings and managed the construction process for the initial phase, which includes a greeting shelter with public restrooms, vehicular and bicycle parking, pedestrian pathways from Coleman Boulevard and Shrimp Boat Lane, new timber boardwalks, a portion of the fixed dock, a portion of the floating dock, and two shade structures. The new 2,100-foot timber boardwalk was designed to minimize its impact on the natural landscape and promote a fun and educational experience. It extends from the greeting shelter to the mouth of Shem Creek at Charleston Harbor.
