Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

building one neighborhood doesn’t cause flooding in another.

Farrell was quick to point out that the developer

and not the town of Mount Pleasant pays to prepare the

necessary reports. And developers, both commercial and

residential, also are charged impact fees that help pay for

the services the residents of the new neighborhoods or

businesses will receive from the city, including fire, police,

recreation and road work.

Another way the town of Mount Pleasant can grow is

by annexation. Farrell pointed out that homeowners and

business owners whose property is taken into the town

might pay higher taxes, an increase that could be balanced

by other factors. For instance, they no longer would have

to pay for garbage collection, and, because they would be

protected by the Mount Pleasant fire and police depart-

ments, their homeowners insurance rates would fall.

According to DeMoura, the work Farrell and her em-

ployees do often goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

“Hers is a thankless job,” he commented. “There are

things she does every day to protect the community. I

believe Christiane is one of the finest planning directors in

South Carolina, and I feel that this community is fortu-

nate to have her.”