The Blue Heron - Sept./Oct., 2023

Publication of the DeBordieu Colony Community Association “DCCA” www.debordieucolony.org

DCCA Board Appoints Task Force to Review Short-Term Rentals Hank Strickland & Jay Nexsen (Co-Chairs of STR Task Force)

The Long Range Planning Committee (“LRP”) has been researching Short-Term Rentals (“STR”) for the last two years.

We have gathered information and focused on STR in the southeastern United States. Demographic information shows that Horry County has experienced an increase of over 100 percent in STR over the last three years, while Georgetown County experienced 30+ percent increase over the last two years.

The LRP Committee wanted to establish a Task Force that represents our entire community so we could address the most favorable approach for DeBordieu. The following DeBordieu owners agreed to serve:

• Don Irwin: Former DCCA Board member and Legal & Regulatory Chair, lives part-time in DeBordieu;

• Sara Karrer: Long time 2nd generation family home that rents;

• Jim Morgan: Serves on Finance Committee and DCI LRP;

• Perry Peace: Grew up in DeBordieu, lives here and is involved with rentals in DeBordieu;

• Jay Nexsen: DCCA Board Member and Chair of L&R, lives part-time in DeBordieu; and

• Hank Strickland: DCCA Board Member and Chair of LRP.

DeBordieu has experienced significant growth over the last four years, and the pandemic played a significant role. The increase in population has resulted in not only more people, but an impact on DeBordieu’s infrastructure and community harmony.

The LRP has been involved with improving community roads, enhancing safety with cart/bicycle paths, increasing beach parking at the 12 beach access points, evaluating trails and cart roads for surface materials that function well plus consider the aesthetic charm of DeBordieu, and recently commissioned a survey to get community input on topics of importance to our property owners.

High on the priority list is addressing policies related to short term rentals in the community. DeBordieu has 11 to 13 percent of property owners renting their property. We want to establish guidelines that can be incorporated into the Community Rules and Regulations recorded with Georgetown County.

The Task Force plans to meet bi-weekly and hopefully, complete this goal by mid-October 2023. This time frame will enable rental management companies and property owners to move forward in 2024 with the new DeBordieu Rules and Regulations. The Task Force will keep the DeBordieu Community updated over the next two months.

Photo credit: Kelly Floyd

DCCA Community Affairs Committee

Sunday, October 1 – Hosts Cars & Coffee

9 AM

Under the Oaks @ Clubhouse

Sports, antique and vintage vehicles will be displayed and their proud owners will be available to answer any questions. Coffee and pastries will also be available.

DeBordieu Recycling Guidelines

Community recycling…

Community residents and their guests can conveniently recycle glass, aluminum, steel cans, plastics, newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes. Simply place the items in the appropriate containers located on Firehouse Street.

Commingle Bin:

Aluminum & Steel

Accepted: Any aluminum beer, soft drink or food containers, any metal (steel) food cans

Not Accepted: Aluminum foil or pie plates and other such items

How to Recycle Aluminum & Steel: Empty and rinse all cans

Plastics

Accepted: All Plastic #1 thru #6 (check bottom of container for number)

Not Accepted: All other plastic containers. No toys and no bags of any kind

How to Recycle Plastic: Rinse all containers

Glass Bin

Glass

Accepted: Food & beverage containers; green, clear and brown

Not Accepted: Glass plates, ceramic materials or any glass that is not a food or beverage container

How to Recycle Glass: Remove metal tops. Rinse all containers

Get you Jawg on!! TURKEY TROT AND DAWG JAWG

November 23 @ 9 AM Pavilion Basketball Court

Registration Details to follow…

Benefiting DeBordieu Employees and their families

Contact burt.palmer@gmail.com with questions

S.C.U.T.E. LOOP

5k Run, Walk and/or Family with Strollers

October 28 @ 8 AM at the Pavilion

In 2006 DNA markers were developed to identify individual female turtles from egg shell samples. For example, with this research a female loggerhead Mom has been tracked to have laid 30 nests on our beaches between 2010 and 2022. The first nest from one of her daughters was identified in 2019!

The original funding for this project through NOAA Fisheries has been suspended. For this important project to continue the SCUTE group has decided to direct all funds collected from this year’s SCUTE LOOP to help in its continuation! Hope you all participate!

For more info:

Susan Davis: 843-325-1800, sndavis05@gmail.com

Carolyn Riley: 843-436-0088, carolyn433@gmail.com

Cardboard Bin

Paper

Accepted: Corrugated cardboard, newspapers, magazines, phone books, catalogs, paperboard (cereal and shoe) boxes

Not Accepted: Styrofoam, pizza boxes, wax cardboard

How to Recycle Boxes: Break down or flatten all boxes

THESE BINS ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR DISPOSAL OF HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE

Food Drive for Friendship Place of Georgetown

October 16 to 20

For more than 20 years, Friendship Place has been serving those in need in Georgetown County in a safe, secure, and friendly environment. We serve our neighbors suffering from food insecurity a nutritious meal Monday through Friday. Our Mobile Food Drive Trailer will be coming to DCCA Administration Bldg. parking lot October 16 to 20. With your support, we can continue serving hot meals and provide a takehome meal to be enjoyed later.

Residents may donate non-perishable food, such as canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned or dried beans and peas, canned soup, chili, stew hamburger helper macaroni, and cheese pasta (boxes or bags), rice (boxes or bags), low-sugar cereals, oatmeal, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon), and fruit juice.

Please direct any questions to Shawn Roper (843-450-8273)

AROUND THE COLONY

S.C.U.T.E.

Betsy Brabson

The 2023 season was the lowest number of nests since 2018. Oddly, most nesting for the state occurred south of Winyah Bay and has a total, to date, of a respectable 6500+. To date, DeBordieu SCUTE has 50 nests (PRG & Arcadia 11/DEB 14/HOB 25). We are excited to have one green nest laid on Prince George. Loggerheads nest on a 2-to-3-year cycle, so 2024 could be a good year! This did not discourage volunteers as they went about their daily surveys searching for nests, locating and protecting them, checking for hatching activity and conducting inventories. We are proud of Judy Moody who worked hard to earn her SC DNR certification.

We are well into the hatching phase of the season. Many nests are emerging at less than 50 days, which is very early, producing smaller, dehydrated hatchlings. The extremely high temperatures we have been recently experiencing may have caused this. Nesting habitat, particularly on the north and south ends has been compromised. At Prince George, in response to their eroding beach (due to the southern migration of Pawleys Inlet) the oceanfront property owners have wisely chosen to help fortify their dunes. In August, they hired Coastal Transplants to install sand fencing and vegetation to help “grow” their dunes. This stabilization, along with Arcadia’s and DeBordieu’s now extends from Pawleys Inlet to Ocean Green.

Hobcaw Beach is basically flat from storms, hurricanes and King tides. This erodes nesting habitat which typically has dunes, leaving few suitable areas for turtles to lay their nests and volunteers to relocate. These nests are open to the creeks and any lighting that would attract hatchlings. Boats in Debidue Creek at night with bright lights may have caused the recent mis-orientation of hatchlings that headed to the creek instead of the ocean. Volunteers have made efforts to shield vulnerable nests with black landscape material around the backside of nests heading the turtles seaward. We have had great cooperation from DeBordieu Security regarding oceanfront lights. Those left on all night had officers instructed to knock on doors of to inform them about the effects of lighting on hatchlings. Graciously, Security has erected a “Lights Out” sign at the front gate as a constant reminder to turn off oceanfront lights May-October. This seems to be effective. Large deep holes continue to be a problem. These are dangerous to nesting and hatching sea turtles as well as beach walkers, bikers and emergency vehicles. All holes need to be filled in before leaving the beach.

Coyotes have been prevalent and bold this season, witnessed during early daylight hours by volunteers and residents, and depredating at least 4 nests. Hobcaw trapped three and the sightings have been less frequent since then.

COMMUNITY BOARD BRIEFS

The following are highlights from the DCCA August 19, 2023 Board Meetings:

Reported:

• The 2023 Road Rehabilitation Project is expected to be complete by yearend. The roads to be paved are Colony Pointe Drive, Nautica Way, Sea Island Drive, Cheraw Way, Inlet Creek Lane, Sabal Court, and Eastland Way.

• The Executive Committee approved a path from Blue Heron to Bonnyneck as a test site to evaluate surface materials with a limestone base. The cost is $9,632 and includes the excavation of a path 8-ft. wide and 290-ft. long.

• A recent fish kill in Teal Pond was a natural occurrence most likely caused by hot weather and cloudy skies, which depletes oxygen levels in ponds. The DCCA and DCI are working together to keep community ponds healthy.

Approved:

• Establishing a task force to review and submit new rules and regulations for Short-Term Rentals that can be included in DCCA Rules & Regulations. The STR Task Force members are Jay Nexsen, Hank Strickland, Sara Karrer, Jim Morgan, Don Irwin, and Perry Peace.

Approved Board minutes are available online at www.debordieucolony.org.

Save the date DeBordieu Beach Sweep

9.16.23 @ 2 pm – meet @ Pavilion

Contact Geoff Groat: 843.240.9530

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of taking care of Mother Earth (or at least, her beaches). Meet at the Pavilion to organize teams and supplies. Everyone is welcome -- kids, too! Bring your gloves and wear your walking shoes. Refreshments will be provided.

DEBORDIEU COLONY

181 Luvan Boulevard

Georgetown, SC 29440

www.debordieucolony.org

DCCA ADMINISTRATION DIRECTORY

Phone: 843.527.4436 Fax: 843.546.8704 dcaadmin@debordieucolony.org

Blanche Brown bbrown@debordieucolony.org LSM, PCAM General Manager

Kelly Floyd ..........................kfloyd@debordieucolony.org

Executive Administrator

Sue Asbaty ....................... dcaadmin@debordieucolony.org

Member & Commercial Services

Architectural Review Board 843.527.5033

Meg Wilcox ....................... mwilcox@debordieucolony.org

ARB Administrator

Grounds Maintenance 843.436.0066

Hans Sapochak .............HSapochak@debordieucolony.org

Grounds Maintenance Manager

Community Safety “Safety & Security” ........843.527.4931

Mike Grabarz ...................mgrabarz@debordieucolony.org

Director of Community Safety

Amanda Edwards ............. aedwards@debordieucolony.org

Administrative Assistant

GATEHOUSE

Phone: 843-546-8520 Fax: 843-546-8532

2023-2024 DEBORDIEU COLONY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Karen Licciardello karendebordieu@gmail.com President

Wilson Lowery ...................... woodfather354@gmail.com Vice President

Dan Roach ............................. dan.m.roach@outlook.com Treasurer

Jody Bennett ..................................... oscarbenn@aol.com Secretary

Ken Davis ................................... 1.ken.davis@gmail.com Ad Hoc Executive Committee

Jane Cooper coojane@gmail.com Director

Dan Ellzey ...................................... danellzey@gmail.com Director

Geoff Groat geoff.groat@peacsir.com Director

Wayne Hinman ..............................hinmanvt@gmail.com Director

Jay Nexsen ..................................... jnexsen54@gmail.com Director

Hank Strickland hhs4447@aol.com Director

Sassy Tugwell ............................. sassy.tugwell@gmail.com Director