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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 9
JULY 28, 2023
Annexation of Andell heading to Seabrook Town Council BY THERESA STRATFORD
A
For The Island Connection
nnexing about 18 acres of land adjacent to Bohicket Marina into the Town of Seabrook Island has advanced to the “next round” when the Town’s Planning Commission approved a recommendation to annex the site and zone it for mixed use at their July 12 meeting. The recommendation will now go to Seabrook Island Town Council for review on August 22. Although the planning commission’s decision was just short of unanimous – the vote was 4 to 1 – the motion passed after nearly a two-hour meeting which included a presentation from the developer, Bohicket Creek Investors LLC of Charleston, and comments from many residents, most of which opposed the development. The property, referred to as Andell, would be home to a private yacht club with a boat dock and private clubhouse, boathouse and pool house. There are also plans for other outdoor amenities and 10 rental cottages for members and the public. The entire developed portion would take up about four acres of the total 18 acres. The rest of the property would be open space with some vegetation buffers, pathways and
a community crabbing dock. The address is 4484 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, located across the street from the Kiawah Island Town Hall and next door to Bohicket Marina. This property would be connected to Bohicket Marina by a pedestrian boardwalk and road. Bohicket Marina is annexed into the Town of Seabrook Island, which means it is connected to the Town’s utilities like sewage and water. Proponents for the Town of Seabrook Island approving the annexation say that doing so would give the Town more control of the site. Currently, the property is zoned in unincorporated Charleston County for agricultural and residential use. According to Seabrook Island’s planning staff, this designation would actually allow for a variety of agricultural and light industrial uses, which they say would have a greater impact on the existing natural assets than the proposed development from Bohicket Creek Investors. The planning staff for Seabrook Island supports the planning commission’s recommendation for annexation. (continued on page 2), It's important
Flights of Fancy
Blase Keegel.
UNIQUE GROUP OF MONARCHS F O U N D I N C O A S TA L S C BY ERIN WEEKS
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For The Island Connection
n our part of the world, monarch butterflies are best known for a few key traits: they depend entirely on milkweed plants to survive; they migrate each fall to Mexico; and their population is in trouble. Now, the findings of a five-year study by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources biologists suggest that coastal South Carolina is home to a unique group of monarchs that takes exception to some of these assumptions. The recently published research indicates that monarch butterflies live year-round in South Carolina, relying on swamps in spring, summer and fall and sea islands in the winter. While these monarchs rely heavily on aquatic
INSIDE THE CONNECTION
milkweed (Asclepias perennis) as a host plant for their eggs and caterpillars, they were also found to use swallow-wort (Pattalias palustre) – a viney relative of milkweed that grows near salt marshes and was previously unrecognized as an important host plant for monarchs. “This research adds another layer of nuance to the fascinating story of the monarch butterfly,” said SCDNR associate marine scientist and first author Dr. Michael Kendrick. The peer-reviewed paper, published recently in Scientific Reports, has its roots in the decades-long fascination one man has had for South Carolina’s butterflies. Longtime SCDNR biologist (continued on page 4) John “Billy”
ARTIST OF THE MONTH PAGE 3
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLUEBIRD NEST BOX PROGRAM
Feathering Their Nests
ISLAND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM ENSURES A HOME FOR EVERY BLUEBIRD BY ERIN POMRENKE For The Island Connection
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lase Keegel has served as a volunteer for the Bluebird Nest Box Program at Turtle Point for 20 years. Nicknamed “Mr. Bluebird Jr.,” Blase enjoys working alongside the tight-knit bluebird monitoring team. When asked how his involvement in the program began, Blase said, “Someone started telling me about bluebirds and then drafted and coached me into [the nesting program]. I worked with the team for a year, and then it was turned over to me.” The fascinating characteristics of the
bluebird piqued Blase’s interest. A few unique qualities about bluebirds includes that they are family-oriented, with the male and female taking turns finding food and feeding hatchlings. Unlike many other birds, bluebirds primarily eat insects and berries and won’t eat birdseed. Bluebirds are selective about where they nest; they are a “nesting cavity bird” and prefer to nest in boxes, but will also nest in natural cavities of trees, like woodpecker holes. The removal of old nests helps ensure that potential parasites and diseases (continued on page 3) are not transferred
LEARN MAH JONG
BACKPACK BUDDIES
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