1 week Ago
Like many others, we were disappointed with the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling that allows WestEdge to destroy Gadsden Creek to increase the size of that commercial development. With this case, the court had the opportunity to right a historic wrong, stand up to developers and respond to the legacies of dispossession, environmental racism and extraction faced by Gadsden Green residents today. We wish the court had the courage to do what is right.
Friends of Gadsden Creek has always stood for more than a legal battle. Since 2018, we have united with the Gadsden Green community to protect Gadsden Creek. We focus on honoring overlooked histories, empowering tenant organizing and establishing vital mutual aid networks.
At our core, we’ve cultivated a vibrant and diverse community rooted in collaboration, all inspired by the waterway that binds us together. Amron Lee, Markelle Evans and Brian Walters are leaders of the Friends of Gadsden Creek. We are grateful that the court clearly stated this ruling will not have precedential value and therefore cannot be used to justify the destruction of other wetlands.
However, in the decision to restrict this ruling to Gadsden Creek, we see a troubling pattern of rationales that have long framed black lives and communities as exceptions to universal values. We stand by the commonsense arguments made by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project on our behalf: Regulators must follow their own policies, and critical wetlands cannot be destroyed for non-water-dependent structures when there are clear feasible alternatives. Importantly, this ruling does not require WestEdge, the city of Charleston or the Medical University of South Carolina to pave over Gadsden Creek.
Despite fear-mongering to the contrary, the water in Gadsden Creek is of similar quality to the Ashley River and does not need to be filled for community safety (just as Ansonborough Homes shouldn't have been torn down after Hurricane Hugo). These organizations have the power to revise this development, stop the ongoing cycle of takings and begin a process of repair in Gadsden Green. As Gadsden Green resident Roland Flowers says, "The wrong thing was done over 100 years ago, and we are trying to straighten it out.
" This is why we are encouraged by Mayor William Cogswell taking steps to do just this, by protecting and revitalizing Gadsden Creek. Our fight does not end here; the stakes are too high. As we continue to weather a devastating hurricane season driven by the ongoing climate crisis, the danger of replacing an absorbent wetland with gray infrastructure and commercial developments is obvious to most Charlestonians.
Not just a site of community history and recreation, Gadsden Creek also acts as a sponge and a heat sink, holding floodwater that would otherwise inundate homes, and helping keep Gadsden Green, a heat island, cooler on warm days. With revitalization, the creek would strengthen and expand these benefits to the surrounding community, while filling the creek would only benefit those who stand to profit from the development. While WestEdge continues to burn time, money and ink repeating shortsighted arguments for why nothing can be done to save Gadsden Creek, we have been putting our energy toward supporting residents and designing alternatives for Gadsden Creek and Gadsden Green.
Since this court case began in 2021, we have conducted seasonal mutual aid events, monthly tenant meetings and community engagement with our partners including the Charleston Area Justice Ministry, Charleston Climate Coalition and South Carolina Housing Justice Network. This month, we published the FOGC Counter Proposal , a report that compiles years of community engagement to promote resident demands for Gadsden Green and Gadsden Creek, and disproves WestEdge’s argument that there are no feasible alternatives by offering alternative community-driven visions that could be instituted if we find the political will. We see the counter proposal as a living document that complements the Robinson Design Engineers’ “Gadsden Creek Revitalization Project” report published in 2023.
Our call to action for all our “friends” is to read the report on the Research tab of our website , and join us in using it as a guiding star to advocate for any future development to center the needs of current Gadsden Green residents. Amron Lee, Markelle Evans and Brian Walters are leaders of the Friends of Gadsden Creek..
