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Reclaim Your Love of Life with Hormone Replacement Therapy in Mount Pleasant, SC
The impact of hormones on your physical, emotional, and psychological development is significant. In fact, hormones play a crucial role in various functions of your body, such as regulating sleep, managing stress, maintaining alertness, and promoting happiness. Having a healthy balance of hormones is important for feeling and looking great - especially for women. Unfortunately, when hormone levels fluctuate, several adverse effects can manifest that affect your health and well-being.
One day, you wake up in the morning and attack the day with a smile on your face and a goal in your mind.
The next day, it feels like your emotions are all over the place. Despite sticking to a healthy diet, your weight keeps going up. To make matters worse, hot flashes seem to pop up out of nowhere, making you irritable both at work and at home. The simple truth is that life is hard for ladies after their 50th birthday. That's especially true when it seems like your body is plotting against you every day of the week.
If you're a middle-aged woman and you notice your body going through changes, you should know this is a natural process of aging. It's called menopause - and according to the National Institutes of Health, over a million women experience this transition per year. During this time, it's common for your hormones to start depleting. When that happens, you'll probably notice symptoms that can be challenging to deal with and overcome.
Take a moment and see if any of these signs sound familiar:
- Low Sexual Desire
- Hot Flashes
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Vaginal Dryness
- Weight Fluctuation
- Mood Swings
- Problems Paying Attention
- Anxiety
Trying to deal with hormone deficiency can be a big ordeal for women and their partners. Thankfully, going through menopause and getting older doesn't mean you have to settle for an undesirable life. Hormone replacement therapy in Mount Pleasant addresses the hormonal imbalances in your body so you can get back to feeling normal. These clinically proven treatments are now available from Better Life Carolinas and can help women just like you reclaim the youthful vigor you're used to having.
Before we explore the many benefits of HRT for women, let's first look at two of the hormones that can fluctuate during menopause - progesterone and estrogen.
Progesterone and Estrogen: What Are They?
As a female, your reproductive health thrives on progesterone and estrogen. Made by your ovaries, these hormones play a major role in a range of functions, such as:
- Thickening of Your Uterus Lining
- Vaginal Health Regulation
- Blood Pressure Regulation
- Calcium Regulation
- Bone Loss Prevention
- Facilitating Sleep
- Mood Enhancement
During your childbearing years, estrogen is responsible for preparing the lining of your uterus for a fertilized egg, while progesterone helps prepare and sustain the pregnancy once the egg has implanted. However, as you age, both of these hormones begin to decline, leading to a stage known as perimenopause, which occurs before menopause.
This transition period is characterized by significant changes in your body as it prepares for the next stage of life, where you can no longer bear children. Unfortunately, the years leading up to menopause can be extremely uncomfortable due to these hormonal fluctuations. That's where female HRT starts to make a lot of sense.
Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy in Mount Pleasant
During menopause, many women opt for hormone replacement therapy. Menopause marks the end of the reproductive phase, and as you enter perimenopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels decline, and eventually, your body produces a fraction of the hormones it used to. This hormonal imbalance results in uncomfortable symptoms.
Hormone replacement therapy restores the depleted levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in your body, helping to alleviate the common symptoms of menopause and reducing the risk of long-term diseases. At Better Life Carolinas, our goal is to provide hormone replacement therapy that ensures healthy and balanced hormone levels for your overall wellness.
Call Us 843.737.2597
Are You a Good Candidate for HRT Therapy in Mount Pleasant?
Maintaining hormone stability is crucial for women to live a healthy life. This is where Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) comes into play, as it helps in balancing the hormones that would otherwise get altered due to menopause.
At Better Life Carolinas, we recognize that every woman is unique, and, by extension, every patient is different. Therefore, our team of specialists and doctors offer personalized treatment options by combining holistic treatment, nutrition, fitness plans, and more to supplement our HRT treatments for women.
Many women wonder if HRT is the solution to their exhaustion, weight gain, and mood swings. It's hard to say if you're a good candidate for treatment without a comprehensive examination by an HRT expert at our clinic. What we can say is that when a woman's hormones are better balanced, she has a much better chance of enjoying life without the debilitating symptoms that other women experience. At Better Life Carolinas, that's our primary goal - to help you live a healthy life that you love.
Unlike some women's health clinics, money isn't our main motivator. Our HRT options aren't meant to keep you coming back for years and years. They have been developed to help provide your body with the balance it deserves through a patient-focused approach.
The Better Life Carolinas Approach
The Better Life program by Dr. Barber empowers patients with information about their health and wellness and, most importantly, puts in place a plan for the future. Most of us have a financial plan, but very few have a health plan. Our greatest asset is our health, and setting goals to manage our health plan is vital.
Better Life wants to partner with you to make the right choices for optimal health. For women going through menopause, hormone replacement therapy is often the best choice to reclaim your quality of life. Most of us know we need to lose weight, exercise, eat better, and quit smoking. Unfortunately, very few of us understand how to get out of the rut we tend to fall into. Our experienced team will design custom programs to empower you to make this life change for years to come.
5 Big Benefits of HRT in Mount Pleasant
One of the first and most frequently asked questions that our women's health doctors get usually focuses on the benefits of hormone replacement therapy. If you're trying to ease your way into menopause, chances are you're wondering about that too. When combined with healthy life choices like diet and exercise, we're happy to say that the benefits of HRT are both numerous and significant.
1
Relief from Menopausal Symptoms
By now, this benefit probably sounds like a no-brainer, but it's one of the major advantages of HRT, so it's worth mentioning again. Menopause can often lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms can vary in intensity and can significantly impact your daily routine. Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment option that can help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels, thereby alleviating many of these symptoms.
2
Improved Bone Health
While the most obvious benefit of HRT for women is relief from menopause symptoms, there's good evidence that suggests this treatment helps improve bone health, too. One study conducted on over 25,000 women aged 50-79 found that HRT reduced the risk of fractures. This benefit is especially important for women who had their uterus and ovaries removed before the age of 45 and experienced "surgical menopause." Such women are at a higher risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.
3
Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Perimenopausal Women
Your brain's ability to get energy from glucose, your body's primary fuel source, decreases during menopause due to a drop in estrogen levels. As a result, your brain switches to using fats (lipids) for fuel, which unfortunately leads to the harvesting of fat from the brain's white matter. This process produces ketones - chemicals created in the liver - to provide energy. However, starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) before reaching menopause can reduce the risk of this fuel switch and cut a woman's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in half.
4
Healthy Sex Drive
As people age, their libido tends to decline, which is true for both men and women. For women, menopause can also cause vaginal dryness, which can make sexual intercourse less appealing. Hormone replacement therapy in Mount Pleasant can help boost your libido by restoring the levels of reproductive hormones in your body. When your reproductive hormones are balanced, you can get a boost in sex drive and alleviate problems like vaginal dryness.
5
Make it Easier to Manage Your Weight
As you approach menopause, you may notice that your weight tends to fluctuate more frequently. While this is a common occurrence as you age, it can make it difficult to shed extra pounds. Hormone replacement therapy isn't a magic solution for weight loss, but it can address the hormonal aspect of weight gain. Hormones can make it harder to maintain or lose weight, and hormone replacement therapy can help with that. By combining hormone replacement therapy with a healthy diet and regular exercise, you may be able to manage your weight more effectively and improve your overall health.
Additional Women's Health Treatments from Better Life Carolinas
The benefits listed above are only a snapshot of what HRT can help you deal with and overcome. Contact Better Life Carolinas to learn about other advantages of hormone replacement treatment. But our women's health services don't end with HRT. Our doctors also provide several pain-free, non-surgical solutions for female intimacy problems.
We're talking about Femiwave Therapy, O Shot, and the Emsella Kegel Chair.
Address the Root Cause with Femiwave Therapy
Are you ready to enjoy a normal sex life without having to rely on strange pills or invasive procedures? Femiwave therapy uses pulse waves to improve blood flow to the vaginal area without ever needing to go under the knife. This procedure enhances sensitivity, lubrication, tightens, strengthens, and improves the physical appearance of your vagina and the surrounding area. It has been shown to boost sexual satisfaction and function with no downtime, drugs, or lasers, and the results are long-lasting. The procedure is based on established shockwave therapy and has been backed by clinical studies for years to increase blood flow and restore healthy tissue.
Ideal candidates are women experiencing low libido, urinary incontinence, menopause symptoms such as painful intercourse and vaginal dryness, or women looking to improve their sex life. This procedure is quick and comfortable with no downtime, meaning you can swing by our office when it's best for your schedule and get treatment without disrupting your day.
Women in South Carolina use Femiwave therapy alongside hormone replacement therapy in Mount Pleasant because it is:
- Recommended by Doctors
- Backed by Clinical Research and Studies
- Personalized for Your Body and Female Health Conditions
- Guaranteed to Provide Results Long-Term
Putting the "O" in Orgasm
While our male patients have enjoyed many benefits from our P-Shot (or Priapus Shot), we know that women deserve to enjoy some fun, too. Better Life Carolinas now provides a powerful treatment called the O-Shot (Orgasm shot) that can deliver incredible results for women. This simple procedure utilizes platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to stimulate new tissue growth, and as a woman's own PRP is used, the O-Shot is completely safe and free of side effects. The health benefits of the O-Shot are numerous, and a revitalized sex life is just one of them.
The O-Shot earned its name by increasing a woman's intensity during orgasm, but it is also a natural approach to treating the following:
- Depleted Sex Drive and Libido
- Urge or Stress-Related Urinary Incontinence
- White Spot Disease (Lichen Sclerosus)
- Postpartum Fecal Incontinence
- Inflammatory Conditions (Lichen Planus)
- Long-Term Pain from Childbirth Mesh or Trauma
Emsella Chair for Women
The Emsella Chair is a breakthrough innovation for women experiencing urinary incontinence. This common issue affects over 15 million women in the US and can cause embarrassing leakages, loss of sleep, and poor work performance. The Emsella Chair offers a non-invasive solution to this problem without the need for surgery or medication.
The Emsella Chair is an FDA-approved device designed for patients who want to improve their quality of life by addressing the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Sometimes referred to as the "Kegel Throne," this comfortable chair is an excellent option for those who have tried other solutions like medication and surgery but found that they negatively impact their daily lives.
The Emsella Chair uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFEM) to stimulate contractions in your pelvic floor muscles. These contractions can help you regain control of your bladder and improve the strength of your pelvic floor muscles, much like kegel exercises but with greater efficiency. The Emsella Chair is unique in that it targets the entire pelvic floor with thousands of contractions per session, making it a highly effective treatment option for women.
While using the Emsella Chair, you may feel your pelvic floor muscles contracting. This is a normal reaction and indicates that the machine is functioning correctly. You might also experience a mild tingling sensation during the treatment, but it is not painful. After your session, you're free to resume regular daily activities without any downtime required. The best part is that, unlike surgery, there is no need for any medications to manage the pain or grogginess that usually comes after an invasive procedure.
The Emsella Chair is an excellent solution for women of all ages, but it is more commonly used by older women who tend to experience urinary incontinence. There are various symptoms related to urinary incontinence which can be effectively treated with the Emsella Chair.
Some of those symptoms include the following:
- Increased Urination Frequency
- Unmanageable Urges to Urinate
- Unexpected Urinary Leaks
- Smaller Leaks During Periods of Physical Activity
- Urinary Leaks During Menopause
- Urinary Leaks After Childbirth
As thousands of women across the United States have said, our doctors can help you say "NO!" to urinary incontinence with Emsella Chair treatments.
Your Partner for Better Health and Wellness
At Better Life Carolinas, we're proud to be a partner on your path toward better wellness and healthy aging. Our team of women's health specialists and doctors provides constant encouragement, status checks, and recommendations to ensure that you receive personalized and ongoing medical management. We believe that receiving plenty of face-time and individual care from your personal physician is crucial to making a profound difference in your life - both now and in the future.
Whether you're approaching middle age or have already started menopause, our hormone replacement treatments could be an answer to your age management challenges. Contact our office today to learn more about the Better Life Carolinas difference and how our team provides the guidance you need to achieve a healthy life.
Call Us 843.737.2597Request an appointment
Latest News in Mount Pleasant, SC
Next steps voted on for Patriots Annex development project in Mount Pleasant
Carlie Bakerhttps://www.live5news.com/2025/02/12/next-steps-voted-patriots-annex-development-project-mount-pleasant/
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - A multi-million-dollar development project at Patriots Point that is planned to bring in hotels, residences, restaurants, office and retail space received initial approval for a specific zoning district and a five-year development agreement renewal.The Charleston-based real estate developer Bennett Hospitality leases about 30 acres of property from the Patriots Point Development Authority. That leasing money goes towards maintaining the ships and aircraft located on Patriots Point.Town officials sa...
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - A multi-million-dollar development project at Patriots Point that is planned to bring in hotels, residences, restaurants, office and retail space received initial approval for a specific zoning district and a five-year development agreement renewal.
The Charleston-based real estate developer Bennett Hospitality leases about 30 acres of property from the Patriots Point Development Authority. That leasing money goes towards maintaining the ships and aircraft located on Patriots Point.
Town officials say that the original zoning of the 30-acre section of land at Patriots Point is known as a waterfront gateway district, but on Tuesday night they approved the first reading for it to be changed to the Patriots Annex Planned Development District.
“We had an opportunity because that is the last piece of waterfront gateway in the town to convert to a planned development. The thing with the planned development is that it is a negotiated agreement with the developer and so there is an opportunity there to ensure that certain things the town wants to happen on this 30 acres, do indeed happen on the 30 acres,” Mount Pleasant Town Council Member Guang Ming Whitley says.
With the planned development district, the town is requesting some specific conditions for the project. These conditions were approved by the planning committee earlier this month before being brought to the council.
Some of the requested conditions include increasing the required amount of open or green space from 10 percent to 14 percent, capping the total number of residences at 80, restricting flat roofs, reducing the tree requirement from 160 trees per acre to 120 per acre, as well as reducing the building elevation closest to the waterfront from 50 feet to 35 feet.
James Wilson, a representative from Bennett’s Hospitality, spoke to the town council at Tuesday’s meeting expressing their willingness to collaborate with the town. However, Wilson requested some flexibility on the open space percentage in case an event required additional space but believed they could still meet the 14 percent goal, as well as some reconsideration of the residential unit number.
“This is a 30-acre project that will take time to develop. We’re eager to get busy on the first part and get busy on the waterfront and the first hotel as you know, but it will take time and so the current conceptual plan that we have, we need to preserve some flexibility in that. Everything is not going to be built you know later this year, so what we’ve shown you is a current plan, but there has got to be some flexibility,” Wilson says
During the meeting, it was said that the town council couldn’t make amendments during the first reading. However, when the ordinance is brought up again for its second and final reading next month, council members will have the opportunity to propose any changes.
“I think the town’s perspective is what we want to ensure is if this goes to a planned development is that we preserve what is important to the citizens of Mount Pleasant which is greenspace and trees,” Whitley says.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
$24 million Mount Pleasant project finally getting off the ground
Autumn Kleinhttps://www.live5news.com/2025/02/10/mount-pleasant-roadway-project-soon-going-out-bid/
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - One major Mount Pleasant road project is finally going to see some progress after several complications put it on hold.Leaders say the $24 million Billy Swails Boulevard Phase 4B project, which has been years in the making, will soon become a reality.Because of the scale of this project, as well as the woodsy area they will be working in, leaders had to take a lot of steps to get to this point in the ...
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - One major Mount Pleasant road project is finally going to see some progress after several complications put it on hold.
Leaders say the $24 million Billy Swails Boulevard Phase 4B project, which has been years in the making, will soon become a reality.
Because of the scale of this project, as well as the woodsy area they will be working in, leaders had to take a lot of steps to get to this point in the project’s timeline. They had to worry about wetlands and wildlife, such as endangered Rafinesque bats and yellow-spotted turtles, in the area.
James Aton is the deputy director of capital projects and the transportation department for the Town of Mount Pleasant. He said that they have been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Natural Resources to get everything approved, and because there is federal funding involved in this project, they also had to follow the National Environmental Policy Act.
This project will make up over a mile and a half of roadway and will completely shift the traffic patterns in the north side of Mount Pleasant. The project in its entirety will essentially connect I-526 to the area of Porcher’s Bluff Road, running parallel to US-17 and Rifle Range Road, migrating the traffic that builds up in that frequently traveled area of the town.
This project will also alleviate a lot of the school traffic in the intersections near Jennie Moore Elementary and Laing Middle Schools in areas near Six Mile Road, Sweetgrass Basket Parkway and Hamlin Road.
Aton shared why there was such a need for this.
“So, this project was outlined in the long-range transportation plan decades ago and, again, is that last piece of the Hungry Neck, Sweetgrass and Billy Swails corridor. So, four other sections have already been built, and this is that last piece to finalize that that north-south corridor that will parallel US-17,” Aton said.
Aton said that the completion of this project will bring great benefits to the community and those who frequently travel the area.
“I think it’s going to improve traffic flow. I think you’re going to see a reduction in delay on 17. It’s also going to incorporate portions of the Mount Pleasant Way, which is a great initiative for those nonmotorized users. It will tie to the Vaughn Ed Kee project, which has existing sections of that trail as well as obviously the roadway. So, I think you’re going to see a big improvement in traffic and a lot of new opportunities to recreate through the town,” he said.
Aton said that they plan to finally put the project out to bid in March and contractors will have 45 days to put their bids in, so they will hopefully be able to begin construction by the summer.
Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.
Town Planning okays Patriots Annex with conditions
Ralph Mancini editor@moultrienews.comhttps://www.postandcourier.com/moultrie-news/news/town-planning-okays-patriots-annex-with-conditions/article_2fbdbdce-e406-11ef-9ba3-1324035b3b17.html
Bennett Hospitality's designs to add hotels, residences, offices and retail space along Charleston Harbor moved one step closer to being realized during the Feb. 4 Mount Pleasant Planning Committee meeting. The discussed — and later recommended — requests included extending a 5-year development agreement and rezoning 31 acres of land from Waterfront Gateway to Planned Development (PD).The committee's recommendation materialized as a result of negotiating with Bennett Hospitality on a construction project that assures desig...
Bennett Hospitality's designs to add hotels, residences, offices and retail space along Charleston Harbor moved one step closer to being realized during the Feb. 4 Mount Pleasant Planning Committee meeting. The discussed — and later recommended — requests included extending a 5-year development agreement and rezoning 31 acres of land from Waterfront Gateway to Planned Development (PD).
The committee's recommendation materialized as a result of negotiating with Bennett Hospitality on a construction project that assures design character, ushers in quality developments and preserves open space features.
The main issue at stake involved memorializing (i.e. certifying) multiple aspects of property usage and design through the PD zoning that aren't featured in the Waterfront Gateway District.
The conditions of approval as stated by Councilmember Jake Rambo while motioning for a committee vote were:
• Memorializing 14 percent of the property as open space
• A maximum of 80 residences
• No flat roofs that don't at least include a false gable
• The authorized tree requirement to be reduced to 120 inches per acre
The motion carried by a 3-1 vote with full council's subsequent review of planning commission and planning committee recommendations pending.
Councilmember GM Whitley presented the analysis of the PD proposal for the $500 million undertaking as an opportunity to set the stage for the last piece of waterfront gateway in town.
The negotiation with the developer, per Whitley — the planning committee chair — entailed making concessions in exchange for her team's demands. This give-and-take came into play with the committee scaling down its original 160 inches per acre requirement to 120 inches. The trade-off, she said, would help the builder maintain 14 percent open space.
"If we're going to make concessions, we want to make sure that this plan doesn't get completely changed to something we're not comfortable with — which happens quite frequently," advised Rambo.
Memorializing the committee's requests, he added, would allow the Town to limit a portion of the grand lawn area to edifices in the form of cottages to no more than 35 feet.
One of the stipulations of that agreement was to sign off on Bennett Hospitality's decision to shift the grand lawn back from the waterfront. Initially, the idea didn't sit with some members of the planning commission who thought the original layout would promote public access to the great lawn area.
On the subject of height restrictions, Whitley underscored the importance of memorializing the building elevation map to a maximum of 50 feet at the waterfront, a maximum of 65 feet in the middle and a maximum of 80 feet at the rear. By coming to terms to these parameters in a PD, she offered, the Town would be able to codify those height restrictions.
However, in the event that the developer didn't agree to those specs, Whitley continued, the Bennett contingent would revert to the Waterfront Gateway plan that could exclude assurances relative to height.
In addressing trees in the soon-to-named Patriots Annex, Town Senior Planner Peter Stone reported that trees are a requirement in the PD carried over from Gateway Waterfront. The current trees on site aren't faring well, he said, as they've proven not to be saltwater tolerant. The "purpose and intent" of the trees would to serve as avian habitats.
On that note, Councilmember Laura Hyatt communicated her wish to see oaks and other shade species planted there in addition to palmettos.
Bennett Hospitality's attorney James Wilson referenced elevations prior to the committee vote, affirming that that main hotel (SeaFair Village) would remain under 50 feet, with smaller cottages in front of the primary structure. Details of those buildings insofar as precise shape and architecture haven't been decided yet, he added.
In a previous meeting, it was noted that Patriots Point would pour revenues from its leased land to help preserve its historic warships.
Once completed, as previously reported by the Post and Courier, the hotel and cottages will replicate the look and appeal of Mount Pleasant's Old Village, as described by Bennett Hospitality Founder Mike Bennett.
Mount Pleasant's 7-year ban on new apartments and townhomes has expired. How did it impact growth?
Anna Sharpe asharpe@postandcourier.comhttps://www.postandcourier.com/news/apartment-ban-expired-mount-pleasant-housing-costs/article_22e15918-df19-11ef-9163-5fefbccf7579.html
MOUNT PLEASANT – The ban on condos, apartments and townhomes that was in place for more than seven years has expired. Now, developers will have access, albeit limited, to a finite number of building permits for the first time since 2017.Originally proposed as a temporary 180-day halt to any new multifamily developments to update infrastructure, town leaders moved to extend the life of the morat...
MOUNT PLEASANT – The ban on condos, apartments and townhomes that was in place for more than seven years has expired. Now, developers will have access, albeit limited, to a finite number of building permits for the first time since 2017.
Originally proposed as a temporary 180-day halt to any new multifamily developments to update infrastructure, town leaders moved to extend the life of the moratorium four times, with the final extension approved in March last year.
"The moratorium … was initially intended as a short-term measure, aimed at allowing time for necessary infrastructure improvements and updates to the zoning code. Though it was supposed to last only a few months, it extended far beyond that, reaching over seven years," Councilman John Iacofano said.
According to the Municipal Association of South Carolina, moratoriums are generally temporary measures to implement changes to zoning codes or slow development for a short period of time.
Mount Pleasant’s moratorium sought to do both.
Growth rates slowed, road improvements made
The language of the moratorium ordinance stated that "significant growth negatively impacts the overall character of the Town, causes undue traffic congestion, causes urban sprawl and leads to inadequate public services."
The moratorium would give the town time to get ahead of these issues, as well as complete an update to the town's comprehensive plan and zoning code rewrite.
"It was not just reactionary," Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie said. "There was a method to it, which involved the new comprehensive plan and the new zoning code. That's why I voted that once we had those two in place, we could lift that moratorium."
In some areas, they were successful.
A handful of transportation projects that sought to calm traffic were completed in the span of the seven-year moratorium.
The town spent roughly $9.6 million to widen Park West Boulevard from two lanes to four, another $18 million on Coleman Boulevard improvements, and last year completed intersection upgrades at U.S. Highway 17 and Mathis Ferry Road.
The $10.6 million Vaughn Ed Kee Parkway, a connector road between Highway 17 and Billy Swails Boulevard, was completed in 2023.
Minor progress at U.S. Highway 41 has been made. Charleston County reconfigured intersections and changed signal timing at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and 41.
Mount Pleasant's growth rates have slowed down, too.
From 2012 to 2017, the population grew by nearly 20 percent. In the first five years of the moratorium, from 2017 to 2023, that growth rate declined to just under nine percent.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the town's population grew by roughly 8,000 between 2017 and 2023, compared to the 15,202 jump from 2012 to 2017.
The comprehensive plan update was completed in 2019, and the zoning code rewrite, which was the reason for extending the moratorium in 2021, was completed in January 2025.
The zoning code update took more than three years. It was the first time the ordinance that regulates construction and building guidelines was overhauled since 1979.
When it came time to consider extending the ban again or letting it expire, leaders chose to let it expire at the end of 2024.
"It was really to try to put some more long-term measures in place to manage the growth," said Mount Pleasant Planning Director Michele Reed. "I think it definitely served its purpose."
Moratorium impact on housing prices
Critics of the stop-growth measure say the moratorium actually added to the issues it was designed to solve.
Though growth rates slowed in town and some large-scale road projects were completed, the measure likely drove up the cost of housing and put a strain on the markets of surrounding communities, Josh Dix, the vice president of advocacy for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.
He called the moratorium a "short-sighted" solution unable to successfully address the core of Mount Pleasant's growth issues.
The lack of new apartments, townhomes and condos have driven up the price of existing housing stock. This trend can mostly be seen in single-family homes, Dix said.
"When you limit townhomes, condos, apartments, that puts pressure on all the other housing sectors. In Mount Pleasant, in particular, you've seen housing prices for single families more than double because you're limiting options," Dix said.
Since 2017, median sales prices for single-family have doubled in both upper and lower Mount Pleasant, according to market reports compiled by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.
In upper Mount Pleasant, the median sales price in 2017 was $485,000. By the end of 2024, median sales prices grew by 101 percent, to $975,000.
Sales in lower Mount Pleasant surpassed the million-dollar mark last year at $1,125,000 — a 118 percent jump from 2017's $516,000.
High prices can limit residents' abilities to stay in Mount Pleasant, with young homebuyers unable to afford their first home and seniors unable to age in place, Dix said.
"We are cutting off future generations of Mount Pleasant folks living in Mount Pleasant, and that's kind of sad, because that's how you lose cultures and the dynamics that make our community so great," Dix said.
Limits still in place
The building permit allocation system was put in place in 2019, and extended for another five years in 2024. Permits for residential buildings are capped, another method of controlling growth in town.
"These measures are designed to carefully manage our town’s growth, ensuring that development is sustainable and aligns with our community’s capacity and needs," Iacofano said.
With a ban on apartments, townhomes and condos no longer active, developers will now have access to the 500 building permits allocated for multifamily developments until 2029.
Attainable and workforce housing developments were exempt from the moratorium and the permit allocation system, as were a handful of planned developments like Carolina Park.
Only one attainable housing development came online during the span of the ban. Gregorie Ferry Towns was completed in 2022. The development featured townhomes that were listed for under $300,000 off of Highway 41 and quickly sold out.
It's unlikely the town will see any more large apartment or townhome developments, Reed said. There's been little interest in the available permits, too.
"There's really no multifamily zoning available. Everything's developed," Reed said.
Mixed-use developments, properties that are zoned for commercial uses but have a mix of retail and residential units, are more likely to take advantage of the permits now available, she said.
"With something like that, we're talking about 10 units, 15 units, if even that," Reed said. "Nothing really big is out there that we've heard of or that we're aware of."
Photos: Sleds and skis on a snowy Mount Pleasant
Post and Courierhttps://www.postandcourier.com/photo_galleries/photos-sleds-and-skis-on-a-snowy-mount-pleasant/collection_43615ba2-d8e8-11ef-8442-570c882f56ab.html
Buy NowBuy NowBuy NowThe intersection of the I-526 interchange and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard was filled with cars and sledding Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.Buy NowJonathan Bennett, 16, uses a boogie board as a sled Wednesday, Jan. 22, ...
The intersection of the I-526 interchange and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard was filled with cars and sledding Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Jonathan Bennett, 16, uses a boogie board as a sled Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Ice drips from tree branches Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Kevin Holler pushes his daughters Harper Holler,12, and Hayden Holler,10,down the snow covered hill at Johnny Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 interchange Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Ethan Willis treks up the hill at Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 interchange with his cardboard box to try sledding for the first time Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Few cars drive Highway 17 as snow covers the roadway Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard is covered by snow early Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 morning in Mount Pleasant.
Sledders speed down the hills on the Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 interchange Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Will Silcox skis down the hill at I-526 interchange near Johnnie Dodds Boulevard Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 interchange Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 interchange Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Michael Spellman plays in the snow with his grandson Wells Spellman,6, at the I-526 interchange at Highway 17 Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant. Michael Spellman, born and raised in Charleston, said he was just as excited as his grandson to be sledding on the hill.
The hill at the intersection of Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and the I-526 was full of sledding on boogie boards Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Austin Yokeum relaxes at the top of the Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and I-526 interchange after early morning ski trips down the slope Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Snow covers Highway 17 seen from the 526 overpass in Mount Pleasant on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
A tiny bird jumps on top of snow Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Charleston native Sarah Simmonite bundles for warmth to venture out in the snow Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
Boogie boards, surf boards and cardboard boxes were used as sleds for the snow Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
TJ Harris and his mom Shanna Harris sled Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Mount Pleasant.
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