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Charleston County to Vote on CARTA Eminent Domain for Transit Project Land
• Charleston County's finance committee will vote Thursday on a resolution allowing CARTA to use eminent domain for six acres at Ladson's Exchange Fairgrounds.
• The land is deemed critical for the 21.3-mile Lowcountry Rapid Transit line connecting Ladson to downtown Charleston.
• The Exchange Club opposes the taking, citing operational disruption and lost charity revenue, and has filed an appeal in court.
• A judge blocked CARTA's initial attempt in June, ruling it lacked proper county approval to begin condemnation proceedings.
Charleston County officials are poised for a decisive vote this Thursday that could empower the regional transit authority to seize private land through eminent domain, marking a critical juncture for a major public infrastructure project. The county’s finance committee will consider a resolution granting the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) the authority to condemn six acres of the Exchange Park Fairgrounds in Ladson. This land is required for the northern terminus of the planned 21.3-mile Lowcountry Rapid Transit project, a bus rapid transit line designed to connect Ladson’s Commerce Center to downtown Charleston.
The protracted dispute centers on CARTA’s assertion that the parcel is indispensable for the $1 billion-plus transit corridor. Project officials, quoted under the single identifier "Mike," state that altering the alignment now would force a restart of the entire planning process, "seriously, if not completely, jeopardizing the project." They contend that after three public hearings and environmental studies, the matter appeared settled until the fairgrounds' owners, The Exchange Club, withdrew from negotiations. The club opposes the taking, arguing in court filings that it would disrupt fairground operations, patron access, and vital charity revenues derived from events.
This Thursday's committee meeting follows a significant legal setback for CARTA in June, when a judge blocked its initial condemnation effort. The ruling found that CARTA had not secured the necessary approval from the county council to proceed, sending the authority back to seek the formal resolution now under consideration. In response, The Exchange Club has filed an appeal seeking clarity on whether state law permits CARTA to acquire the land in this manner, with the club declining further comment due to the ongoing litigation.
The vote places county legislators at the center of a conflict pitting a landmark public transit initiative against private property rights and community concerns. CARTA officials maintain there is "no option other than to continue and condemn the six acres in a fair way," emphasizing the project's goal of reducing regional congestion. The outcome will either clear a final administrative hurdle for the transit line or deepen a legal and political stalemate with implications for the project's timeline and viability.