After the City Council voted last week to buy right-of-way on Fourth Street and begin the design of Fourth Street improvements, the Charleston Neighborhood Council said that they believe the council breached their trust.

“It was our belief that the city agreed not to move unilaterally on the project,” said Duke Bagger, spokesperson for the Charleston Neighborhood Council.

Bagger said that he fears the 2 1/2 by 50 foot strips of land by the Town Branch Bridge would be used for more construction that may be distracting to people trying to live on the street, Bagger said.

“The question is, how intrusive is this project going to be?” Bagger asked.

At the April 17 City Council meeting where the purchase of right-of-way was approved, Mayor Dan Cougill said the city did not yet have any plans for what to do with the land. Cougill said the land could be used for a variety of purposes.

As an act of courtesy, the city should have contacted the Charleston Neighborhood Council before putting the purchase of right-of-way on the City Council agenda, Bagger said.

Bagger said that the Charleston Neighborhood Council agrees with the City Council that Fourth Street needs to be resurfaced and the sidewalks repaired, but they still do not want the street to be widened. While the city is drawing up design plans for what will happen with the street, the Charleston Neighborhood Council hopes that the city will inform them of what changes are being planned.

Whenever members of the Charleston Neighborhood Council go to City Council meetings, they believe that not much discussion goes on between the council members on any of the issues, Bagger said. Bagger said he finds it unusual that the council members rarely discuss items on the agenda and most items are passed unanimously.

Cougill said that the City Council members do not discuss any items on the agenda as a group before the meetings, and all discussion is saved for when the council commences. Members of the council get information on agenda items weeks before the meeting and therefore they have plenty of time to consider any propositions and make a decision.