Summerville neighborhood completely blocked off by hit gas line
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) — A gas leak has caused some concern in a Dorchester County neighborhood after residents realized there was no way of getting in or out for several hours.
Although Dorchester County added temporary access roads during the process, neighbors like Jeff Palmie say they don’t want this to happen again.
“I smelled gas and saw gas leaking over the construction fence,” Palmie said.
Dorchester County Fire Chief Tres Atkinson says a contractor with an excavator hit a 6-inch gas line around 9:30 Monday morning while working on the neighborhood’s new amenity center.
This caused residents like Julie Wallace to be unable to enter or leave the neighborhood for several hours, as the entrance and exit where Clay Field Trail meets Summers Drive is the only one they have.
“We need another way in and out of our neighborhood,” Wallace said. “Especially when the weather is like it is right now with the wildfires and everything. If there was a wildfire or something else, or God forbid an explosion, how would we get in and out of our neighborhood?”
Other Heron’s Walk resident Patrick Manwiller says this was bound to happen.
“It’s been an ongoing issue,” Manwiller said. “It’s something my wife and I have talked about at nauseum where we kind of live on an island… Saying what happens if there’s a major event, whether it’s medical or fire or anything, and obviously today has kind of proved that.”
Dorchester County administrator Jason Ward says there’s been plans with the developer, Lennar Homes, and the South Carolina Department of Transportation to add another permanent access point. He adds they just had a pre-construction meeting this past Friday.
“The county entered into an agreement with Lennar and Lennar had 270 days to get Clay Field Trail connection made,” Ward said. “That connection has not been made. It has been more than 270 days.”
Palmie says neighbors have also been waiting for this amenity center to be finished. Manwiller says they don’t know that timeline either.
“This is definitely an amenity everyone wants to see,” Palmie said. “But we sure want it built safely and not to cause any harm to residents or workers.”
“Inconvenience people can deal with, but when it comes to the safety and security of your neighborhood, it’s kind of concerning,” Manwiller said.
Clay Field Trail at Summers Drive has now reopened and the gas line has been officially repaired, according to Dorchester County. The temporary access road from Delemar Highway will remain open until 7 p.m.
As far as the other permanent access point, Ward says they’re hoping to finish it by the end of the month.
“It has our full attention, their full attention to try and get the project done,” Ward said. “But at the end of the day, this is a project Lennar has to complete. Right now, they’re being cooperative with their contractor, Thee Oaks Construction, but we need the permanent fix to be done and they understand that. We’ve talked all the way to the top of their management about getting this done as soon as possible.”
The South Carolina Department of Transportation media relations manager Hannah Robinson says “the new entrance is being built under an encroachment permit through SCDOT. The work being performed is not being performed by SCDOT.” Therefore, she says any other information has to come from Lennar.
Lennar Homes has not responded to a request for comment on the timeline of the second permanent access road.
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