The thing about the shops/restaurants in Summerville is that they always seem to be closed with the chairs and tables chained up at the times that people are actually home from work...nights, weekends. We ALWAYS go to Charleston on the weekend because there is nothing to do in downtown Summerville on the weekend except the Farmer's Market. We have a young child and would love live music or to be able to have a drink and sit at Short Central outside with her (not in a bar) and maybe bring the dog. Not possible. Must go to Mt. Pleasant for that.

Les, has the shops being open til 8pm on Thursdays helped? Or is it not enough to be open one day a week?

Joyce Zandri on Facebook writes: "I know of businesses which have closed and one that is in the process of closing because taxes are too high in Dorchester Co. Now with Summerville raising the franchise fees and the school's looming bond issue, there will be more businesses leaving. Instead of using our tax money to pay another salary it might be better to lower taxes and keep the businesses which are already here."

And Councilman Bill Heard on Facebook wrote, while sharing Summerville Patch's status:

"One of our focuses in the economic development strategic plan is retail growth. Currently, we leak too much economic activity to the other counties. This will supplement our already aggressive manufacturing and corporate recruitment."

I've heard folks who use to own businesses Short Central tell me that the biggest problem they have is the rent that the prominent property owner there charges. She doesn't charge much if any to her son, who has a business there, they say, but puts the others out of business with her demands. (those businesses also complained about how she lets her son's business do things that negatively affect their own businesses there)

@Lindsay Street
re: '...businesses which have closed and one that is in the process of closing because taxes are too high in Dorchester Co...'

opine: a smart businesses would take advantage of businesses leaving (increased consumers)...open/operate a consumer/worker orientated business...restaurant (whatever)...eg;

building respect for and from employees and providing top service for customers is orders of magnitude more important than tax rates...

opine: such a business would get customers from surrounding counties...could be the place to go.

Short Central (and sville) seems ideal for such a business...maybe comparable to some unique locations in monterey bay-etal...much potential for the right entrepreneur.

opine: business show profits due to effective/smart owners/operators...not tax rates..

Stanley, just want to clarify, that wasn't my comment but a reader's on Facebook.

Here's another comment from Facebook:

Wanda Prince writes: "I think we need to layout retail, where it should be not where it is...... Enough clutter already..."