FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2000
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, (803) 896-8755

COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces that the Joint Bond Review Committee has approved the acquisition of land to construct a full-service Division of Motor Vehicles branch office in Mt. Pleasant. The purchase ultimately must be approved by the full State Budget and Control Board later this month.

The growing East Cooper area is now served by a DMV office that was originally established as a satellite office with services limited to driver and vehicle license renewals only. The increasing demand for services forced the office to expand to a full-service facility several years ago, but demand for services have exceeded the office’s capabilities. The plans are to construct a 6,000 to 8,000 square foot facility to replace the current 1,500 square foot East Cooper branch.

Sen. Ernie Passailaigue, D-Charleston, and Gov. Jim Hodges were instrumental in obtaining funding for the project.

"My constituents consistently complain that the DMV facilities in this area aren’t adequate to meet their needs," Passailaigue said. "The citizens of East Cooper deserve a facility that will allow them to conduct their business in a timely manner."

Population projections show that Charleston County will see an estimated growth of 12 percent from 1990 to 2003. The Mt. Pleasant area alone will experience a growth rate of about 52 percent.

"The effect of this rapid growth in these areas has resulted in a 30 percent increase in transactions at the East Cooper Office in the last three years alone,’’ said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "This plan embodies the forward-looking philosophy we have at DMV. We must ensure that proposals for new facilities meet the explosive growth forecast for areas of South Carolina. The citizens of the East Cooper could not continue to be served by a facility with only six service windows and ten employees."

In May, the Joint Bond Review Committee also approved funding for a new office in the Myrtle Beach area.

The Division of Motor Vehicles manages and administers driver and vehicle services for all South Carolina drivers and automobile owners and handles more than 400,000 transactions each day. DMV has 68 field offices in all 46 South Carolina counties and has more than 1,040 employees.

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