MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (WCSC) – A massive 60-acre industrial park is currently under construction in north Mount Pleasant, raising concerns about traffic and the safety of nearby residents.

Located at 425 Faison Road, Carolina Business Park is being developed by Cameron Property Company. The park will include three buildings totaling 484,000 square feet housing offices and warehouses inside.

Additionally, the Carolina Business Park will include more than 400 employee parking spaces and 67 trailer spaces.

Traffic is a major concern for residents, as Faison Road only has two lanes and is already congested by the nearby Costco and Oceanside Collegiate Academy high school. All traffic on Chemin Faison will flow onto Highway 17.

“You’ll have all this traffic coming into the area and then people coming and going all day on Faison Road,” said Mount Pleasant resident Michael Trotter. “In my opinion, no traffic investigation was carried out; no planning of any kind, which would generally prevent the construction of a building of this nature.

Safety is also a concern, as a large neighborhood of assisted living and senior living communities is right across the street. Patrick Faver is one of those residents who explained that construction hasn’t had a big impact yet, but is only just beginning.

“It’s been pretty quiet so far, but we’re worried and wondering what’s going to happen when people start moving in,” Faver said. “I’m not really sure what the big building is going to do here.”

“That’s the big concern; Restore was built there as a retirement community, and now you have an industrial complex the size of an airport crossing the street,” Trotter said.

Many neighbors or residents of Mount Pleasant said they didn’t know or were guessing what was happening on Faison Road for months.

“There’s not much known for sure, there’s a lot of rumors,” Faver said. “I was a little worried about a residential area, but this is an industrial complex, so I’m not sure what that means for future traffic and future home values.”

Trotter said no one knew about the Carolina Business Park and there was no communication with the public.

“I think regardless of the use of the property, I think traffic and growth in the area should be monitored by the city of Mount Pleasant,” Trotter said. “I don’t think the region could support what they’re proposing, and this would have prevented it.”

Regarding the City of Mount Pleasant’s involvement in approving this project, Mayor Will Haynie said Carolina Park is part of a decades-old planned development agreement.

“The city council doesn’t vote on their development plans. This existed before every house was built in Carolina Park,” Haynie said.

The mayor also referenced a car dealership located near Costco across the street from Park Bend.

“We had previously rejected it at a location outside of Carolina Park, but it is consistent with the pre-existing development agreement at that location,” Haynie said.

Essentially, the city’s hands are tied when it comes to deciding what can and cannot be built in the area.

The Town of Mount Pleasant also provided the following statement regarding traffic issues in the area:

The Carolina Park developer previously met required road improvement obligations with the widening of Faison Road from Highway 17 to Park Avenue Boulevard and related intersection improvements.

The Carolina Business Park is expected to be completed by December 2024 or early 2025. It is unclear who will operate from the park, as developers are currently seeking principles.

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