GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – Chicken Salad Chick is set to open its highly anticipated location in Goose Creek next week with a week full of special giveaways.

The new location off St. James Avenue is the third to open in the tri-county by co-owners Julie Beville and Michelle Singleton of Sing Bev Hospitality. The other locations include Summerville and Mount Pleasant.

Chicken Salad Chick will open its new location on the morning of Tuesday, February 21. The first 100 customers who line up beginning at 7:00 a.m. will win free chicken salad for a year when the restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m.

Other giveaways are planned Wednesday through Saturday and include special merch from the popular restaurant:

• Tuesday, Feb. 21 – Free Chicken Salad for a Year – The first 100 guests will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for an entire year, with one of those lucky guests randomly selected to win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week. Guests may arrive starting at 7 a.m. for grand opening day only.

• Wednesday, Feb. 22 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE Chick Special on their next visit.

• Thursday, Feb. 23 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE Chicken Salad Chick tote bag.

• Friday, Feb. 24 – All day long, Chick fans can enjoy buy two Quick Chicks and get one FREE!

• Saturday, Feb. 25 – The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a FREE commemorative Chicken Salad Chick cup and FREE drink with their meal.

“Michelle and I always say one of our favorite parts of bringing the Chick to new neighborhoods is the opportunity to positively impact the lives of our guests,” said Beville. “We’ve gotten to know our fans here in the Lowcountry over the past several years, and we know they rely on us for fresh, made-from-scratch meals they can enjoy with friends and family in our dining room or on the go. They also appreciate the warm hospitality of our restaurant teams and the way we support local organizations. We can’t wait to be their new go-to spot in Goose Creek.”

The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – Goose Creek could soon be home to… more chickens?

A new chicken ordinance in Goose Creek allows residents to have up to four chickens at their homes, but there are some rules you must follow.

“We’ve been trying to pass it for a while. It’s very contentious for reasonable reasons, and that is why our ordinance is so robust. It’s a four-page ordinance,” explained Goose Creek City Councilwoman Melissa Enos.

The ordinance allows homeowners to have up to four chickens, but no roosters, on their property. Renters can also have chickens with the landlord’s consent. Homeowners’ associations will still be allowed to ban chickens from neighborhoods. You must also have enough room in your yard for the chickens.

“You’re going to have to come down to the city and apply for a permit for $25, and the permit will have information on it that has the attached ordinance. You’ll have to have a coop, you have to have a chicken run- what the specifications of that is, your chicken food has to be in a rodent-proof container, all of those all of those sort of things. You can’t be able to see your chicken coop from your neighbor’s backyard, so you’ll either have to have a natural fence or a privacy fence. So, for all of those reasons you can’t have a rooster, you can’t have more than four chickens.”

The $25 permit will be an annual fee. Enos said that money will be used to help pay the code enforcement officers who will respond to complaints about chickens.

Some people have concerns about allowing chickens at all.

“One individual was saying he’s concerned about how it could increase rodents and snakes if your neighbor has one, what do you say to that,” we asked the city.

“Well, first of all, chickens are the closest thing to velociraptors- so they actually eat snakes. So, you’ll be okay with that. Responsible chicken owners have chicken mesh to keep them out of the coop and their food will be in rodent-proof containers,” Enos replied.

The ordinance is now in effect. Just head to city hall when they are open and apply.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCIV) — Tonight, the City of Goose Creek is expected finalize its plans for a new 300-unit apartment complex coming to Henry Brown Boulevard, as the city’s Board of Architectural Review will make its final recommendations to the developers for adjustments.

The complex will take up 24 acres adjacent to Henry Brown Blvd. With 10 three-story buildings surrounding a central pond. The complex will include amenities such as a dog park, pedestrian walkway and a five-story garage.

Read More: City of Goose Creek board to review plans for 300-unit apartment complex

However, it has been a long time coming to get to this point. The conceptual design was initially approved over a decade ago. The development is zoned under a “Pre-Existing Development” which outdates projects which were approved by the current city council and Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib.

But with the population in goose creek growing by over 25 percent over the past decade, the main concern for residents is making sure the infrastructure is in place to fit the current state of the city.

“I feel that we're kind of at the mercy of the builder at this point, because they were approved so long ago, before the vision of what it should be for Goose Creek. So, anything that the [Board of Architectural Review] recommends or anything like that, it's kind of limited what they can do,” Goose Creek Resident Eric Bennett said.

How a new 300-unit apartment complex will shake up the Goose Creek area in the future. (WCIV)

“I really think that the city council, I think that the mayor is working with these builders and talking to them, and seeing how they can come to some middle ground and anytime that you're able to communicate, anytime that people are willing to meet in the middle, then everybody wins," Bennett continued.

Since the project was approved already the BAR can’t stop or reject the apartment complex from being built. The board of architectural review will make recommendations including lighting, signage and elevation at tonight’s meeting.

But the question for a lot of residents remains how those in charge will handle the project which was approved in a very different Goose Creek than we are seeing today.

There are already some changes in the works as the city has is nearly two years into their project to expand a portion of Henry Brown Blvd. from a two lane road to a four lane road.

Read More: Does Goose Creek need more apartments? Leaders, community members weigh in

The bigger concern for residents is the infrastructure around the building, with one of the key elements being storm water management. This has been a problem for the city and greater Berkeley County area for a while, especially after we saw flooding impacts from Hurricane Ian and Tropical storm Nicole hit those areas.

While some say the complex isn’t a negative for the city, residents do say they want to see the right steps made in the implementation of this new building to fit into the city’s current structure.

“The challenge that you have, though is where does the money come to get that infrastructure put in place? And the answer to that is to the growth, right? Putting these projects and the impact fees that come from these projects towards that infrastructure, the tax revenue, and everything else from the property taxes and stuff is what's going to drive the ability to improve that infrastructure,” Bennett said.

Read More: Proposed plans for downtown Charleston apartment complex causes controversy

In a statement provided to us from the City of goose creek officials says in part quote:

All stormwater requirements required by the county will be in place for these or any developments.

But there was no statement on whether the city or county as a whole would plan to change any of those with the new building in place. It is important to note most of the Stormwater Management or external infrastructure management comes from Berkley County and not the city of Goose Creek.

City officials also said developers now need to have any new apartment complex approved by the current mayor and council for full approval. Something which was not in place when this complex was approved.

The city's Board of Architectural Review meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m.

GOOSE CREEK — Lydia Wright squealed and giggled uncontrollably as her brother Michael pushed her on a swing at Central Creek Park in Goose Creek.

The 4-year-old, who has epilepsy, was belted securely in the swing by a plastic harness designed to hold children in place as they fly through the air.

Lydia’s family was one of the first families to use the city’s new 13-acre Central Creek Park, a barrier-free park and playground designed to accommodate everyone, including children and adults with disabilities. That was important for her parents, Rob and Bethany Wright, who say it’s extremely hard to find activities that accommodate their 22-year-old daughter Lissy, who has autism.

“We have been driving all the way to downtown Charleston” from their home in Cane Bay to participate in the city’s inclusive parks and rec activities, said Bethany Wright. “And when COVID came on, they stopped all their programming.”

The new Goose Creek park’s playground includes wheelchair-accessible swings, equipment designed to aid people with sensory processing issues and other features that appeal to “kids of all abilities,” said Mayor Greg Habib.

The park officially opened to the public on Dec. 16 after nine months of construction. Habib said it was a community effort — more than $1.3 million of the total $9.5 million cost came from private donations.

Hannah Miller, the city’s therapeutic recreation coordinator, and Nicole Herrera Murray, assistant recreation director, both advocated strongly for inclusive playground equipment.

“A lot of the pieces are intentional,” Miller said. “Like, we have a seesaw that you can put a wheelchair in. You can wheel somebody up so that they can experience the motion that you wouldn’t typically find at another park.”

While still not widespread, inclusive parks are becoming more common throughout the Lowcountry. Both North Charleston and Summerville opened playgrounds for children with disabilities in the spring, and North Charleston is working on a $5 million, 50,000-square-foot recreational space accessible for both children and adults.

Last month, Moncks Corner opened its long-awaited Home Telecom Miracle League baseball field, an inclusive, wheelchair-accessible field for the town’s Miracle League team to play sports. The field’s grand opening was attended by baseball fans throughout the Lowcountry. Like Central Creek Park, the $1.5 million project was funded partially by donations.

“We are excited about having our first season this spring,” said Moncks Corner Recreation Director Becky Ellison in an email to The Post and Courier.

The movement goes beyond the Lowcountry to other parts of the state. Greenville has several parks accessible for those with disabilities. The newest, Unity Park, opened in May with features like smooth, wheelchair-friendly turf, supportive swings with extra straps and interactive elements to the toddler playground, said Loren Thomas, the city’s multimedia communications specialist.

“Unity Park was really about bringing everyone together and giving everyone a place to play, a place to fellowship, a place to just enjoy the city of Greenville,” Thomas said. “Part of that was making sure the playgrounds, which are going to be a feature of the park, were accessible to all and inclusive to all.”

Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb, who attended the openings of both the Miracle League field and Central Creek Park, said it’s exciting to see places that everyone, regardless of age or ability, can enjoy.

“I look at this park, it’s like cradle to grave,” he said. “It’s (for the) really, really young, all the way up to old, and everyone in between.”

Goose Creek Parks Director Crystal Reed said the city worked closely with the special needs community and the rest of the public when designing Central Creek Park. The parks and recreation department already has a therapeutics program in which children and adults with disabilities participate in bowling, dance, music, art and fishing. Lissy Wright and her family has participated in the program for several years.

“When we started those programs, we started getting connected with a lot of the day programs in the area that serve a lot of the adults, and we started working closer with the schools, you know, their special education programs,” Reed said. “It’s really this close-knit community ... We feel like we got a lot of feedback from these groups as we started planning and we have sessions where we kind of were able to hear what the public wanted, what our community needed.”

The park also fits into a larger push by Goose Creek to expand its recreation and entertainment options as the city’s population and surrounding area grows. Last year, John McCants Veterans Memorial Park opened on Anita Drive, and the city has plans to break ground on a $4 million amphitheater behind the municipal center in April.

“I want to create as many opportunities for people to leave their home, go where other people are and have fellowship with one another,” Habib said. “I believe that’s how you build community. That’s how a hometown is built.”

Deborah Grace is a newcomer to the city, having recently moved from West Ashley, and said she thinks the park as a whole will be a great place for the city to hold events that she can take her family to.

“It’s just unique,” said Grace. “And I don’t think there’s any other park around the area like it that I have seen even in the tri-county area.”

In addition to the two playgrounds, Central Creek Park includes eight pickleball courts, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a food truck court, a splash pad that will open late next spring, a field and stage, and half-mile walking trail around the perimeter. The park also has the Casey Pavilion, where the city expects to hold events like farmers markets, craft fairs, movie nights and concerts if the weather is too rainy to hold them on the stage.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Goose Creek unveiled an amphitheater in honor of S.C. Rep. Joe Daning in a surprise presentation Tuesday during his retirement celebration in Goose Creek.

Joseph Daning is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 92. He also was a Goose Creek City Council member for over 20 years and previous Goose Creek Mayor Pro Tempore.

Daning will retire from the S.C. House of Representatives in January 2023. Multiple former S.C. representatives, Mayor Gregory Habib, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace and Daning’s family and friends attended the celebration.

All the speakers who gathered at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church spoke about Daning’s long-lasting legacy in the city, Statehouse and House of Representatives.

“He was such a great friend and a mentor and very loyal to the Lowcountry,” Nancy Mace, U.S. House of Representative, said. “It was an honor to see that the Joseph Daning amphitheater was unveiled today in Goose Creek and that’s exciting for the residents of Goose Creek too and I want to thank Mayor Habib for that effort.”

The Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater will be located at the Municipal Center Campus near the Recreation Complex and the lake behind City Hall. It plans to include an outside basketball court, a food truck area, restrooms and additional parking.

Crystal Reed, the recreation director for the City of Goose Creek, says some examples of events that will be held at the amphitheater are slam poetry, improv, concerts and movie nights.

“I think the goal of the amphitheater and the projects that we’re doing in the city of Goose Creek is to bring entertainment into our city so that residents don’t have to travel and create more traffic,” Reed said. “They can get good dining options and good entertainment here in the city of Goose Creek.”

Reed says this project will break ground in April 2023 and it should take about 18 months to complete.

When Mayor Habib introduced the new amphitheater, Daning began to cry in shock.

“I didn’t expect any of this and then the new that,” Daning said, pointing to the picture of the proposed amphitheater. “You know, my father came from the Philippines. I am first generation. I mean this is just unbelievable. You know, I never expected any of this.”

The total cost of the amphitheater will be about $4 million. Daning secured $1.5 million in state funding and the remainder will be paid by ARPA funds.

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