See the full design plans here. 

  Cooks Crossroads, at the intersection of Bacon's Bridge (SC 165) and Ashley River Road (SC 61), presents an opportunity for the Lowcountry to welcome visitors to our region and share our unique cultural and environmental history. Sitting just south of the Ashley River, a State scenic river, the Crossroads serves as a gateway to the Ashely River Historic corridor where scenic ecosystems and 300 years of history come together to create a distinctive sense of place. At the Crossroads itself, there is Rosebrock Park with trails for recreational activities owned by Dorchester Trust Foundation. To the north, Ashley River Park provides residents and visitors with better access to the natural resources available for recreation, ultimately increasing ecotourism.

   With such significance comes a responsibility to create a destination that fits in the context of our history and natural resources. Much of the Ashly River Region is designated as historic districts, with a plethora of plantations and historic gardens that draw tourism; the intent of the design plan for the Cook's Crossroads is to represent the region to residents and tourists and give them an idea of our special heritage in the context of the existing environment of the Corridor. The County envisions a distinct design that is attractive to residents and visitors, inviting them to shop and dine and present a preview of things to see and do within the district. Through good design, we can step away from the "cookie-cutter" development seen in much of suburban South Carolina and create "a common design language that reflects the unique sense of place."

In this plan, the County has laid out 6 design principles to guide development in and around the Crossroads:

1.  Preserve and protect the cultural landscape along SC 165 and SC 61

2.  Access development through connected shared drives and consolidated parcels

3.  Focus on low impact strategies and accommodate water

4.  Organize buildings around shared spaces to create a sense of place

5.  Design using recognizable Lowcountry building types and architectural forms

6.  Design landscape and site elements to fit the Crossroads character

These principles provide an outline and elicit key strategies to accomplish the County's goal of creating development that fits within the context of the Ashely River Region.