Mt. Pleasant, SC - A promise unfulfilled, one of Mt. Pleasant’s newest communities is slow to develop because of an unfinished road project. The developer says the town failed to deliver.

The Watermark neighborhood, located near Bowman and Rifle Range, is filled with new homes, rental property, and commercial development. Much of the community is finished or in the works, but one major obstacle remains.

“They promised a road to Hungryneck, it should have been done by now. There are a lot of good reasons why it hasn’t,” said John Darby.

Darby is the president of the Beach Company, the firm in charge of this development. In 2005, Darby says town leaders assured him in two years a road would be built from Watermark Boulevard to Hungryneck.

“I’m frustrated and disappointed, the town should have been on top of this,” said Darby.

This is where Watermark Boulevard comes to an end and it poses big problems for the developer, as it stands there is only one way in and only one way out.

Darby says the connection to Hungryneck would make the area a better sell. During a public hearing, town leaders agreed this should have been done differently. A conflict with a 526 overpass project is one of the main reasons for the delay. Mt. Pleasant hired another firm to oversee the project and Councilman Bill Swails says the town needs to handle its own road work.

“In my vote, I voted against giving a developer $4 million to build a road. If we're going to be in the road building business, we need to do it,” said Swails.

Darby is asking the city to change its development agreement with the road project firm, to include a start and finish date, something Swails says is essential. A chance for the town to make good on a long overdue promise.

Mt. Pleasant will hold a second public hearing on this issue next Tuesday, March 10th.

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