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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 24

A Deep Dive into Contracts

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Building a Better Boardwalk

BARRIER ISLAND OCEAN RESCUE GIVEN A MONTH TO PRESENT COST BREAKDOWN

BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection

PHOTO: SSGT HARRISON WINCHELL/USAF 1ST COMBAT CAMERA SQUADRON

T

he Barrier Island Ocean Rescue team will have a month to gather data about how its services break down monetarily for a presentation in March before Kiawah Island’s Town Council concerning its current contract.

A representative of Barrier Island Ocean Rescue, Michael Sosnowski, presented to Council on February 6 a short synopsis of why its rates had increased in 2023 and how there wasn’t an intention to increase the rates again in 2024 during the three-year term they agreed to last year.

In February 2023, Sosnowski gave a detailed presentation about why its rates had to increase by $115,000 from years prior due to the changes that occurred since the pandemic.

Although there is not a rate increase planned for 2024, Sosnowski reiterated the increases from last year and how those rates would remain this year.

“From last year, we presented that we had an increase in payroll of $41,000; vehicle and fuel went up $24,000; training went up $15,000; retention and recruitment services were at $13,000 — which was not something we had ever budgeted for before the pandemic – insurance was $12,000; and tech was $10,000. So that is $115,000-ish of increased cost we saw over the course of the pandemic. We economized in other areas and found ways to make it work,” he said.

The current contract is close to $390,000 total.

Kiawah Island Town Council votes every year on continuing with the contract with Barrier Island Ocean Rescue, even though they present its rates on a three-year term. The current three-year term began in 2023, which (continued on page 5)

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KIAWAH TOWN COUNCIL DISCUSSES SAFETY AND FUTURE OF BEACH WALKOVERS

BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection

T

he almost five-hour-long Kiawah Island Town Council meeting on February 6 brought many issues to light, but probably one of the most pressing is the current state of the island’s various beach boardwalks.

Kiawah Island’s Biologist Jim Jordan took the liberty of educating the Town Council with a review of his assessment of the 189 walkovers, aka boardwalks, going out to the beach.

He started his presentation by reviewing the Town’s current boardwalk ordinance. “Boardwalks have to be constructed following the DHEC guidelines, and then we have additional restrictions,” Jordan explained. “It varies by boardwalk type—by private and community boardwalk. A community boardwalk is anything that serves a multifamily regime, obviously the community association boardwalks. Those would all be considered community boardwalks. Those are high-use, as opposed

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to private boardwalks, which are single-family residents’ boardwalks, only so for both of those categories. They cannot exist in a state of disrepair on the active beach, and if they do, owners have 30 days to fix that. They also cannot extend more than 10 feet under the active beach.

Again, the owner has 30 days to submit plans in this case and 60 days to complete the work. For private boardwalks, if they stop short of the beach, they are technically grandfathered in. They can travel through the dunes on a pre-existing path to the beach. That is specifically allowed

by Town ordinance. This differs for community high-use boardwalks. If they terminate more than 20 feet from the active beach and are causing the destruction of dune vegetation, they must be extended to the active beach.

Owners have 30 days to submit plans and 180 days to complete the work.”

Jordan also noted that walking on the dunes is, in fact, allowed in some cases. “If you are conducting (continued on page 2)

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Walkovers (continued from page 1) official business,” he said. “Golf play is specifically allowed. So if you're at the ocean course and hit your ball, you can play in it. Also, if a boardwalk stops 200 feet from the beach because we have such an extensive dune field, it is perfectly legal for you to walk on a pre-existing path to the beach.”

Of the 189 boardwalks, 47 are community walkovers and 142 are private walkovers.

As for whether all these walkovers are compliant with the ordinance, of the 47 community walkovers, Jordan and his team looked specifically at 13 of those for the sake of the presentation. Three extended beyond 10 feet, but are under redesign, two extended beyond 10 feet, one is in a state of disrepair and seven stop more than 20 feet from the active dune but are not destroying vegetation.

For private dunes, there are 142, and 14 were noted for the presentation.

Jordan said, “We have 11 in a state of disrepair and we have three that are currently under construction and do not meet the 24-inch clearance requirement.”

Council Member Russ Berner said, “I feel it's wrong to allow walkovers where you are walking with your feet over the first level of dunes and depressing them to a point where it puts the dune in danger of breaching because it's not just that one house that's being put at risk, it's the entire neighborhood actually.”

Council Member Michael Heidingsfelder asked Jordan, “How many of the 180 or 190 walkovers we have would not meet the requirement or the recommendation of the current ordinance? I think it was saying one or two feet above the ideal height of the dune, so how many of those boardwalks, private and community boardwalks, would not meet that recommendation?”

Jordan responded that very few would not meet that recommendation at this time.

Berner added, “I walk the beach every morning when it's not raining and there are large cuts, and I mean large cuts, in the front row or where there are private boardwalks. The next storm is what I am concerned about. The water is going to get back to that first row.”

Mayor John Labriola suggested that even though those areas are in compliance with the current ordinance, the answer might be to change the ordinance.

Heidingsfelder asked Jordan to provide more information about the issue at the Town Council Retreat on May 9 and 10.

“How many are really cutting deep into the dune, and then also what Russ is concerned about. How many of these private boardwalks are cutting into this, so that we have a little bit more data and a better understanding of what the situation is with our 180 to 190 walkovers. We need a better understanding of where they really are, and where these critical points really are.

We need to understand the magnitude of the problem, and then have exactly that discussion that the mayor was talking about: Do we need to change some of our ordinances, which way should we do it, and should we maybe bring in a consulting project that would help us?”

Kiawah Island last changed its boardwalk ordinance in 2017. Jordan said that he took a report of every boardwalk. “We took pictures of all of the boardwalks that were non-compliant or cut through the dunes. We also made notes on ones that cut through the dunes so we have all of that data. It's all in a GIS map, and we could go through it boardwalk by boardwalk, click on the boardwalk and see what it looks like.”

Council Member Bradley Belt added that he would like to know if there is one type of structure that is better for the health of the dune system. He added that they should look at the aesthetic as

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well. “There is one that is more visually obtrusive and another that is visually unobtrusive,” he noted.

Council Member Madeleine Kaye said, “In addition to the aesthetics and the safety of the dunes, I'd like to see safety for pedestrian traffic.”

Jordan added that currently private walkovers/boardwalks are not reviewed by the Town, they are only reviewed by the ARB. For example, the boardwalks at the new Cape development had to be cut back due to the erosion from the recent storm in December.

Heidingsfelder added, “That is why the boardwalks that were proposed and then also built by The Cape turned out to be different than usually allowed because they were clearly bigger and they were clearly longer, and they clearly didn’t obey the 10 feet rule.”

Jordan added that the Cape made its boardwalk ADA compliant, which is not a requirement.

Labriola interjected, “I would focus on the bigger issue and the fact that you know how the climate is changing and how it is affecting us, and then really start wrapping these things up inclusive of who is approving these things. Let’s face it: Since 2017, a lot has changed.”

Heidingsfelder concluded, “At the retreat, maybe have some recommendations that we can discuss, and then based on that, we can alter the ordinances on how to build a better boardwalk.”

TOWN OF SEABROOK

K iawah Island Town H all 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway Kiawah Island, S.C. 29455 Phone: 768-9166 Fax: 768-4764 Seabrook Island Town H all 2001 Seabrook Island Road Seabrook Island, S.C. 29455 Phone: 768-9121 Fax: 768-9830 lmanning@townofseabrookisland.org

Board of Zoning Appeals Monday, Feb 26, 1 p.m.

Kiawah Town Hall

Short-Term Rental Public Forum Feb. 25 , 1 p.m. & Mar 4, 6 p.m.

Seabrook Town Hall

Ways and Means Committee Tuesday, Mar. 5, 10 a.m.

Kiawah Town Hall

Town Council Regular Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2:30 p.m.

Seabrook Town Hall

Town Council Tuesday, Mar. 5, 1 p.m.

Kiawah Town Hall

Special Committee on Short-Term Rentals Wednesday, Mar. 13, 10 a.m.

Seabrook Town Hall

Charleston County Council 4045 Bridge View Drive N. Charleston, S.C. 29405 843-958-4700

Planning Commission Workshop Tuesday, Mar. 6, 12:30 p.m.

Kiawah Town Hall

Planning Commission Wednesday, Mar. 13, 1:30 p.m.

Seabrook Town Hall

City of Charleston 75 Calhoun St. Charleston, S.C. 29401 843-724-3745

Johns Island Council Meetings are held at the Berkeley Electric Co-op located at 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, S.C. 29455 Chairman Chris Cannon: 343-5113

3

February 23, 2024

Longtime Fire Chief Recognized FROM THE TOWN OF KIAWAH ISLAND For The Island Connection

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Call the Top Team and Agents on Seabrook Island to get ready.

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n February 5, the Kiawah Island Town Council recognized retired St. Johns Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Jackie Stanley for his 43 years of dedicated service to St. Johns Fire District and the Town of Kiawah Island. They proclaimed February 6, 2024 as Deputy Chief Jackie Stanley Day. Stanley began his career with St. Johns in 1980 and was promoted to

deputy fire chief in 2013. Stanley served as the first African American deputy fire chief for the St. Johns Fire Department.

Pictured left to right in the photo are: Town of Kiawah Island Mayor Pro Tempore Michael Heidingsfelder; Council Member Madeleine Kaye; Mayor John Labriola; Deputy Chief Jackie Stanley; Council Member Brad Belt; and Council Member Russell Berner.

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An Environmental Education Pioneer

February 23, 2024

E L I Z A B E T H V. B E L L R E C E I V E S 2 0 2 3 S O U T H C A R O L I N A E N V I R O N M E N TA L AWA R E N E S S AWA R D FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES For The Island Connection

S

.C. Sea Grant Consortium educator Elizabeth Vernon Bell is the recipient of the 2023 South Carolina Environmental Awareness Award. Bell received the award on February 2 at a reception organized by the award’s 2023 hosting agency, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

Bell had the distinction of being nominated by not one but two independent parties for her contributions to developing a statewide certification program for environmental educators.

“Ms. Bell is just one individual – but through creative partnerships, networking and training, she’s been able to amplify positive impacts through the thousands of people she has taught and mentored over the years,” said SCDNR’s chief of staff, Shannon Bobertz, who presented the award.

Elizabeth “E.V.” Bell has worked at South Carolina Sea Grant for over 15 years, where she serves as a marine education specialist, developing and coordinating marine environmental education programs for the field and the classroom.

Bell’s career began at SCDNR’s Marine Resources Center in Charleston, where she coordinated the creation of the agency’s original boat-based curriculum aboard the Education Vessel, Discovery. She was one

Elizabeth Vernon Bell.

of the agency’s first female Coast Guardcertified captains.

At South Carolina Sea Grant, she’s been responsible for the creation of numerous programs and tools designed to connect ocean and coastal research to educators. She developed From Seeds to Shoreline®, the first and only youth salt marsh restoration program in the state.

“Her programs impact not only educators, but students too — the experience E.V. gives students in the salt marshes is one they won't forget,” wrote one nominator.

As adjunct faculty at the College of Charleston, Bell has advised on graduate committees to nurture students in the development and execution of their internship or thesis. Bell currently serves

on the boards of the Environmental Education Association of SC (EEASC), the Southeastern Coastal and Ocean Observing Regional Association, and the South Carolina Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.

But above all, it has been Bell’s role in the development of the state's professional certification program for environmental educators—the PEEC Program—that nominators thought made her most deserving of this award. One said that this program only exists because of the vision, passion and dedication of E.V. Bell.

Efforts to develop the PEEC Program began in 2013 when the SC Sea Grant Consortium disseminated a state-wide survey and hosted focus groups to gauge the interest and need among educators for this type of professional training. Since that time, the Consortium, in partnership with 14 educators representing organizations across the state, developed the PEEC Program.

This is a pioneering effort in the field of environmental education for South Carolina. Less than 25% of the United States have a certification program like this. The inaugural class started in Fall 2018, and a fourth cohort is now working on certification. Bell’s passion for the environment, her commitment to bringing

awareness to South Carolina citizens and especially teachers, and her diligence in finding external sources of funding to supplement Sea Grant funding has led to the success and continuation of the efforts to build an environmental educators certification program for the state of South Carolina.

By creating the Palmetto Environmental Education Certification Program, Bell created a vehicle for ensuring South Carolina’s environmental educators have access to the best professional and leadership development opportunities available.

The S.C. Environmental Awareness Award was established by the legislature in 1992 to recognize outstanding contributions toward the conservation of South Carolina’s environment. This award is jointly hosted by members of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and the S.C. Forestry Commission.

The committee considers several factors when reviewing nominations, including excellence in innovation, leadership, and accomplishments that influence positive changes affecting the state’s natural air, land, water and coastal resources.

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February 23, 2024

5

Ocean Rescue (continued from page 1) means there would be no increase until 2026, if necessary.

Barrier Island Ocean Rescue has been providing the island’s beach patrol services since 2009. They are certified by South Carolina DHEC as an Advanced Life Support Rapid Response Agency and an Advanced United States Lifesaving Association Accredited Organization. They contract to provide beach patrol and open-water lifeguard services to various entities in the greater Charleston area, including Seabrook Island and Kiawah Island.

Council Member Michael Heidingsfelder made a motion to approve the contract with the Barrier Island Ocean Rescue for only one month at this time and for Sosnowski and his team to come back to them with more detailed data. He asked for a breakdown by person, by months of work and all the different elements from personal cost, training cost, equipment cost and vehicle cost.

“We need to have a better understanding of how much of this $390,000 is for a 12-month person or for a 9-month person – things like that. We need to have a better understanding of the math,” he said. “And please don’t wait until two days before to submit the data. We will need time to read it and ask questions if needed.”

Mayor John Labriola asked what the rate breaks down to per hour. Sosnowski said it is currently at $104 per hour. Before the pandemic, they were at $88 per hour.

Sosnowski said that they start EMTs at $21 per hour and paramedics at $24.50 per hour. There are no benefits.

Council Member Bradley Belt commented on how its rates contrast starkly with the police contract the Town recently agreed to, which will provide more law enforcement on the island. That contract is $55 per hour for trained law enforcement.

“I know this isn’t apples to apples, or even apples to oranges, but that is why we are coming to you and asking you to help us better understand this over $100 per hour rate,” he said.

Heidingsfelder added, “Give us more transparency. What is behind the $104 per hour? The community needs to understand that this is a superior service that we want, but that it costs money. We owe them an explanation. I would feel more comfortable with a breakdown, and then we can give you the other 10 or 11 months of the contract.”

Sosnowski replied, “Since I was coming here today to request a renewal without an increase, I didn’t come prepared to negotiate, but I’ll have that data for you. It will be very similar to what we presented last year.”

The next Town Council will be on March 5, where Barrier Islands Ocean Rescue will present the cost breakdown of its rates.

Historical Context: • In 2022, the Public Safety Committee noted that in 2017, there were 397 annual enforcement actions. In 2021, there were 1,933 – that’s a 386% increase.

• In 2017, there were 103 medical responses from beach patrol. In 2021, there were

become a

Shorebird Steward with the Seabrook Island Birders

PHOTO: MICHELLE BAKER, CITY OF CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

438, which equates to a 325% increase. Even stingray stings went up from 50 in 2017 to 271 in 2021 – a 442% increase.

• The Town entered into an agreement with Barrier Island Ocean Rescue in 2019 for a one-year contract with the option to renew for two one-year extensions for $288,580. When that agreement came up for renewal in 2021, the Town agreed to renew at $288,580 again from February 2022 to February 2023.

• In February 2023, Kiawah Island Town Council renewed the contract with Barrier Island Ocean Rescue for a one-year contract that commenced on February 14, 2023, with the option to renew for two one-year extensions for $389,376 with no changes to the current contract scope or schedule.

• Its contract had not increased since January of 2020.

• Barrier Island Ocean Rescue has been contracted with Kiawah Island to do beach patrol since 2009 and code enforcement since 2020. A large part of its code enforcement is short-term rental enforcement.

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Seabrook Island Artist Guild presents Christopher Leeper

February 23, 2024

BY BONNIE YOUNGINER

C

For The Island Connection

hris Leeper’s award-winning work has been shown in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the country. In 2021, he was a finalist in the Plein Air Magazine salon and was featured in the August/September 2021 issue of the magazine. Leeper is past president of the Ohio Watercolor Society and is a signature member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society. He has illustrated four children’s books and has written and illustrated the book Realism in Watermedia.

His work has also been featured in The Artist’s Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Watercolor Magic and Ohio Magazine and in the book Splash 14.

Leeper is a graduate of Youngstown State University with a BFA degree in graphic design.

The artist will be featured at the upcoming Seabrook Island Artist Guild meeting on Thursday, March 21 at the Lake House. Guild members and guests are welcome to view his live watercolor demonstration at 1:30 in the Live Oak Room.

On Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23, Leeper will lead an oil & acrylic workshop from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Oyster Catcher facility. The cost is $200 for Guild members, and non-members are welcome at $250. Contact Tina Mayland at tinamayland@mindspring.com to register.

More information is available at seabrookislandartistguild.com.

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February 23, 2024

7

ARTIST OF THE MONTH PAT T Y G O U L D R O S E N B E R G

P

atty Rosenberg majored in art history at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She holds a master’s in Christian education.

She and her husband, Eric, raised their family on the North River of Chesapeake Bay. Their second home was on Seabrook Island until moving to Johns Island in 2020.

Since high school, Rosenberg has worked in many mediums —drawing, etching, pottery, pastels and painting. She was on the board of a community-based art school and continues to support their efforts.

The artist has studied with Helen Beacham of Summerville, with Joe Gyurcsak of New Jersey and Theodora Tilden of Alexandria, Virginia. In 2019, she took an art trip to France and stayed at Chateau Marouatte for a week of painting with Helen Beacham.

As a member of the Seabrook Island Art Guild, Rosenberg has taken a number of workshops and has attended plein air outings.

From 2004 to 2007 she was owner of Angelwing Stationers at Freshfields.

Currently, she is arranging flowers weekly

for St James Episcopal Church. She enjoys gardening, reading and walking her dog.

Please join the Seabrook Island Artist Guild for a reception to meet Patty Rosenberg and view her work on Tuesday, March 5 from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Lake House.

More information about the Seabrook Island Artist Guild can be found at seabrookislandguild.com.

Patty Rosenberg.

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February 23, 2024

44TH EDITION DESIGNER SHOWCASE RESTORES TRADITION, BRIMMING WITH NEW DESIGNERS, EVENTS AND MUSIC

BY CAROL CRONK

I

For The Island Connection

n 1803, John Rudolph Switzer, a King Street saddler, constructed a plantation-style home at 6 Montagu in the new Harleston Village suburb. Two centuries later, the house has undergone a historic restoration and current addition, all to be further enriched by 16 leading Lowcountry designers who will transform the house for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League Designer Showhouse.

The 44th edition of the Designer Showhouse from March 13 to April 13 promises to be bigger and better than ever – a historic architectural treasure, restored and enhanced with modern design elements to make the house a home and to celebrate life, Charleston-style. The Showhouse event also offers an enticing list of special additional events as well.

All proceeds benefit the Charleston Symphony and CSOL Music 6 Montagu by Mary Whyte.

Scholarships.

6 Montagu is considered a legacy project by the homeowner, Mr. Claron Robertson (aka Rob), who has renovated a number of homes in the neighborhood. This circa 1803 structure is being converted from its most recent configuration of six apartments to a reimagined single-family home. The vision combines an extensive historic renovation of the front of the original house with an artistically designed three-story

addition in the back. The renovation includes newly landscaped front and rear gardens as well as a pool.

The following events are scheduled at the house: February 4: Blue Jeans and Blueprints – the Bare Boards Party March 12: IMAGINE! Opening Night Party March 15: Chansons et Champagne featuring Charleston Opera Theater March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Garden Party March 26: A Taste of Gullah Culture Brunch April 7, 9: Historic Charleston Supper Club The designers each bring their own modern vision to a different sector of the distinguished house and garden. Participating designers include: • Sandy Ericksen - Sandra Ericksen Design • Linda Burnside – LGB Interiors • Michael Mitchell and Stephen Shutts - Mitchell Hill Design • Maria Schendzelos - Morton James • Heidi Huddleston, CKD -Delicious Kitchens and Interiors LLC • Patti Wilbourne - PWD Studio • Linda Frederick - Linda Frederick Interiors • Molly Basile, Lindsey Junger and Mary Anna Fricks - Molly Basile Interiors • Terry Stephenson - Juxtaposition Charleston • Aldous Bertram - Aldous Bertram LLC • Brittanya Tammearu - Brittanya Tammearu Interiors • Wendy Thrower and Wiggie Bitter - Everything Home Charleston with Sandy Ericksen All proceeds from the 2024 Designer Showhouse will benefit Charleston’s Symphony and music scholarships. The CSOL’s financial support allows the Symphony to offer free or low-cost educational opportunities, with a special emphasis on reaching Title I schools and underserved areas.

Follow the CSOL on Facebook at facebook.com/csolinc.

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September 22, 2023

Sullivan’s Council member ‘extremely concerned’ about possible zoning exemption

FREE

VOLUME 17 ISSUE 19

Taking Charge of a Modern Era

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Christmas Comes Early for Conservation

SEABROOK SETS A PRECEDENT WITH ELECTRIC CARS

BY THERESA STRATFORD

By Brian Sherman For The Island Eye News

For The Island Connection

The Sullivan’s Island Town Council and those who attended its Sept. 11 workshop heard all about the history of Jasper Hall and the Sand Dunes Club, while the company that wants to turn the historic property into a private club apparently has revised its proposal. And an outspoken member of the Council is still “extremely concerned about the precedence of granting a commercial zoning exemption in a residential district.”

Dr. Mike Walsh, referred to by Mayor Pat O’Neil as “our resident historian these days,” spoke in detail about the property on Atlantic Avenue, which made its first appearance on the island as a military beach recreation facility, burned to the ground six years later and was rebuilt and re-opened in 1933. Meanwhile, Sullivan’s Island Bathing Company will now be offering nonmembers of the proposed exclusive club the opportunity to use the pool on a limited basis.

“Most recently, we communicated the Ocean Club’s plan to offer a community membership to island residents, which offers use of the family pool and poolside food service two designated days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, excluding weekends and holidays,” Sullivan’s Island Bathing Club Manager Shep Davis said. “We look forward to sharing additional new details about the club and exciting amenities and programming via our newsletter.”

“Town Council has posed additional questions about the Ocean Club, and our team is diligently gathering this information to share with Council in the coming weeks,” he added.

Following the workshop, Bathing Club team members Brian Hellman and Jim Wanless said the community membership idea was part of the plan they originally presented to the town. They said membership would cost $500 per year and that they would be at the Council’s Sept. 19 meeting to address the questions posed by Council Member Scott Millimet. O’Neil said that as of Sept. 13, that item was not on the Council’s agenda.

Sullivan’s Island Bathing Company wants to spend $30 million to renovate the property and charge members $60,000 to join, plus $6,000 a year in dues.

Millimet called the proposed zoning change “a very bad precedent.”

“Let’s just say, hypothetically, they were granted a zoning exemption. In two years, they decided to sell the club. We don’t have any control over what goes in next because we already granted the exemption,” he said. “What is critical is the request to operate a for-profit business in an area currently zoned as residential.

To me it opens a big old can of worms.”

Millimet said he wants to know how many similar (continued on page 2)

Four spots are open on the IOP Council The ballot has been set for the Nov. 7 Isle of Palms election. Eight candidates will be vying for four seats on the City Council, including incumbents Scott Pierce, Kevin Popson, Rusty Streetman and Jimmy Ward.

Also on the ballot are Tim Ahmuty, Elizabeth Campsen, Ashley Carroll and Brian Duffy.

The Island Eye News has posed some questions to the candidates that are important to the residents of the Isle of Palms. The answers provided

by Ahmuty, Campsen, Carroll, Duffy and Pierce begin on page 7. Popson, Streetman and Ward were given the opportunity to let their constituents know how they feel about these critical issues, but declined to do so. There will be a second set of questions in our October 8 issue, and a candidate forum Sept 28.

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T VFW Post 3137 on the Isle of Palms held a commemoration ceremony Sept. 11 to mark the 22nd anniversary of the terror attacks in New York City and the Pentagon. The ceremony started at 8 a.m., and a bell sounded at 8:46 a.m., the time the first tower of the World Trade Center in New York was hit. The bell was rung again at the time each plane struck its intended target. In addition, candles were lit in remembrance of the approximately 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attack on the United States. Left to right: Isle of Palms Councilman Rusty Streetman, IOP Mayor Phillip Pounds, State Rep. Joe Bustos, State VFW Commander Jim Fox and VFW Post 3137 Commander Bo Stallings.

Photo courtesy of Pamela Marsh.

Chief reports on coyotes trapped on Sullivan’s Island

By Brian Sherman For The Island Eye News

At least three coyotes were caught in traps after an especially active six-month period for the canine predators on Sullivan’s Island.

Police Chief Chris Griffin told members of the Town Council at their Sept. 11 workshop that the animals had been captured between Station 25 and Station 28. He said coyotes had bitten or otherwise threatened dogs once each in April and June and three times each in July and August. In addition, the Police Department reported 12 sightings of or confrontations with coyotes between Aug. 12 and Aug. 27, including an Aug. 26 incident where a coyote attacked and dragged a small dog into the Maritime Forest.

“I’ve been here 26 years plus, and this is the most we’ve caught since we’ve been trapping them,” Griffin said. “Three in two weeks. I’m really happy with that. It’s not enough, but I’m happy with that. It’s a good start.”

He said eight traps have been set and that the trappers, who must be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources, have advised him that setting additional traps would be a bad idea.

“Too many traps is bad,” the chief said in response to a question from the audience. “I was the same way. Put out traps everywhere. But they said no; don’t do that. With too many traps, the scents are too much and it overwhelms them.”

Mayor Pat O’Neil cautioned local residents not to disturb the traps.

“Please don’t go out looking for the traps,” he said. “You’ll get your human smell all around them, and the coyotes will stay away when we want them to be enticed by whatever it is we’re using to entice them to the traps.”

Griffin added that “they’ll climb a 6-foot fence like it’s nothing.

They’re very smart. If you go back there looking, you can put your scent down.”

O’Neil said residents who encounter a coyote should call the nonemergency dispatch number at 843-743-7200. “If your dog Canva stock image. has been attacked, call 9-1-1 for that,” he added.

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he first step was taken to establish the first electric vehicle charging stations on Seabrook Island when the Mayor and Town Council members approved the installations at the November 28 Seabrook Island Town Council Meeting.

These would actually be the first and only EV charging stations on both Seabrook Island and Kiawah Island at the current time. The four Level-2 Universal EV Chargers will be installed in the parking lot of Seabrook Island Town Hall.

A Berkeley Electric Cooperative grant for $25,000 is mostly funding the charging stations.

Seabrook Island Town Administrator Joe Cronin explained, “I had some additional conversations with Berkeley Electric Cooperative, and they agreed to allow us to be the second recipient for a grant program they established a couple years ago. The first project was up in Goose Creek.

They provide up to $25,000 in funding for vehicle charging infrastructure. As of right now, there is no electric car charging infrastructure on Seabrook or Kiawah.”

He added, “We don’t want that grant money to go to waste, so we have continued to work with them.”

The charging stations would go at the end of the Town Hall parking lot. Cronin said that this (continued on page 7) has been a long time

NEW PROPERTIES ON KIAWAH ACQUIRED FOR PROTECTION

BY JENNIFER WILSON WOODY For The Island Connection

T

he Kiawah Conservancy announced the receipt of conservation easements on four new properties this year. On December 5, the Kiawah Conservancy and the Limehouse family signed a conservation easement to protect 253 acres of marshland and four large hummock islands. This property was one of the last unprotected stretches of marshland along the Kiawah River and is the only remaining parcel of the former Mullet Hall

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Plantation.

Like all marshes, this land plays a critical role in the ecological health of the area by protecting against the effects of sea level rise and natural hazards. It is home to some of the most biodiverse wildlife habitats in the Lowcountry and holds historical and cultural significance, as the hummock islands contained within it were (continued on page 2) responsible for the production of sea

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February 23, 2024

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February 23, 2024

REDDY OR NOT

Beach jurisdiction and property rights

W S

M

OPINION

BY ROM REDDY

F

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or many of you, there are a multitude of beach erosion and jurisdiction issues that are playing out at the same time, and this has led to confusion for some and anger for others. Social media postings, often with false or faulty information, have fueled this flame.

Without promoting any point of view, I will attempt to give you information so you can reach your own conclusions.

First: government jurisdiction over private land. The U.S. Constitution takes a dim view of government taking private land without compensation other than for public safety or health reasons that are clearly and narrowly defined. As George Washington said, “Freedom and property rights are inseparable. You cannot have one without the other.” The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says in summary: “Without just compensation, government regulations cannot limit the use of private property to such a degree that the landowner is deprived of all reasonable use or value.”

The state of South Carolina in Section 48-39-30 of its beach management laws says: “In the implementation of the chapter, no government agency shall adopt a rule or regulation or issue any order that is unduly restrictive, so as to constitute a taking of property without the payment of just compensation in violation of the Constitution of this state or of the United States.”

With this as background, the General Assembly has been very clear about its jurisdiction over private land on beaches by defining a beach critical area in Section 48-39-10. There is a baseline (toe of the primary dune) and a setback line (40-year erosion estimate of baseline) that are set every seven to 10 years and approved by the General Assembly. These lines are fixed until reset, and, for the Isle of Palms, were set in 2018 and are due to be reset in 2026. Based on these lines, beach critical areas are defined, setting the limit of state jurisdiction over private property.

Beach critical areas consist of two components – the Beach/Dune system, defined as seaward of the setback line, and Beaches, defined as those lands subject to periodic or routine tidal and wave action so that no nonlittoral vegetation is established. While active beach is a defined term in the overall tideland and wetlands act, that term is never used anywhere in state jurisdictional law defined in section 48-39-10. Active beach recently became a weapon the Office of Ocean and Resource Management uses to claim that if any waterfront property owner lost any land, even from one storm, that land became state jurisdiction. Once it becomes state jurisdiction, you can only use beach compatible sand to repair the property – no replacing shrubs, fences or even dirt. This is clearly illegal and would make state jurisdiction constantly variable and different for every owner

and be impossible to track.

It will be at the discretion of the state to tell you on an individual basis where their jurisdiction is. Baselines and setback lines will be obsolete. For homeowners, with one storm, your backyard can be annexed by the state and essentially become part of a public beach. I would hope that any waterfront owner would stand up and fight this jurisdictional grab that has never been voted on by the General Assembly.

Adding to this, IOP is the only municipality that has restrictions on property owners protecting their property that are more stringent than those of the state. The IOP ordinance states that homeowners cannot protect their property in any way for 250 feet landward from the high tide line, which is to the back porch of most homes.

In addition to being inconsistent with constitutional law, this ordinance exposes every taxpayer in IOP to unlimited liability and puts them at the mercy of unpredictable juries. The first homeowner whose home falls into the ocean will claim the city ordinance prevented him from any protection whatsoever, and the city is therefore liable for his losses and could be held negligent for not taking more aggressive action to protect the homeowner after prohibiting him from protecting himself.

This unlimited liability is why no other municipality exposes its citizens to this risk.

Finally, in 2018, the state changed its policy from a retreat policy, where no protection was allowed, to a replenish, renourish and “hold the line” policy.

Anyone who has watched the ocean rise and beach levels drop as much as 10 feet on the southern side of the island due to insufficient replenishment and excessive scraping will quickly realize that it is impossible to hold the line using only sand. The best compromise is a protective structure that is always covered in sand and landscaped, with sand dunes on the ocean side that support the eco structure we are all in favor of.

The structure is only exposed in the event of a catastrophic storm that washes out the dunes and sand. The structure is immediately covered back with sand, having accomplished its goal of property protection. The state and city get out of trying to repair private yards and focus on building a nonexistent dune system and replenishing the public beach. We all have the same goals, but all the rhetoric and false accusations and pitting us against each other gets in the way of coming up with solutions that work for all.

“Reddy or Not” is a periodic column representing the opinion of Lucky Dog Publishing owner Rom Reddy but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper.

In keeping with the paper’s philosophy of publishing all opinions, the publisher welcomes responses, which must be limited to 300 words and will be published on a space-available basis.

11

February 23, 2024

THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY PRESENTS

AN HD ODYSSEY

BUY TICKETS TODAY! March 1 & 2, 7:30pm | Gaillard Center

Take the ultimate trip through our solar system to experience the symphony like never before. Don’t miss this breathtaking multimedia event featuring Gustav Holst’s epic celestial masterpiece with awe-inspiring NASA images and footage projected onto a giant screen on stage.

charlestonsymphony.org 843.723.7528

12

ONGOING

February 23, 2024

around the islands...

Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues styles, injecting vitality into the Blues community.

WHAT: Cool Cats WHEN: Feb. 2 - Mar. 16 WHERE: Redux Contemporary Art Center MORE INFO: Join us for the opening reception of a Redux Studio Artist collection featuring recent works on paper. The exhibition will be on view an run through March 16. Participating artists include Hale Horstman, Karen Vournakis, Kris Hanson, Daisy McClellan, Rebecca Hopkins, Susan Altman, Nancy Perry, Taylor Faulkner, Lauren Sloan, Carson Carroll, Jenifer Padilla, Jillian Thorvaldson, Kirsten Hoving, George Read, Shannon Mayo McBride, Nick Kawcynski, Susan Vitali, Liz Lantz, Rebecca Dew, Christine Patterson, and Kate Ritchie.

WHAT: Textile Gallery WHEN: Jan. 20 - Sept. 15 WHERE: Charleston Museum MORE INFO: Quilting, a timeless form of creative expression, melds colors and patterns into purposeful objects. Like paint on canvas, fabric pieces serve as artistic boundaries, challenging individual visual acuity and imagination. We're excited to announce a collaborative exhibition with the Gibbes Museum of Art, featuring abstract artwork alongside the Museum's quilts. This showcase highlights the artistic splendor of both mediums.

WHAT: Ming Smith: Feeling the Future WHEN: Jan. 31 - April 28 WHERE: International African American Museum MORE INFO: The International African American Museum (IAAM) presents "Ming Smith: Feeling the Future" from January 31 to April 28. This special exhibition showcases the groundbreaking career of Ming Smith from the 1970s to the present, exploring her vibrant and multi-layered artistic practice. Featuring works from her five-decade career, the exhibition delves into themes of Afrofuturism, Black cultural expression, representation, and social examination, offering insight into the unseen moments of life captured by this profoundly gifted artist.

WHAT: Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature WHEN: Jan. 26 - April 28 WHERE: Gibbes Museum of Art MORE INFO: Presenting the vibrant and varied career of the renowned Scottish artist, Rory McEwen (1932 –1982), this exhibition reveals McEwen’s lifelong enquiry into light and color through his remarkable paintings of plants. Bringing a modern sensibility to botanical art, McEwen developed a distinctive style, painting on vellum and using large empty backgrounds on which his plant portraits seem to float.

McEwen’s work, shown alongside the works of master botanical artists from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, “has had a lasting impact on the botanical art world.

MONDAY, MAR. 18 WHAT: Queens of Rock and Soul: A Tribute to Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin WHERE: West Beach Conference Center WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

MORE INFO: Immerse yourself in the electrifying blend of rock and soul with Queens of Rock & Soul, a tribute honoring the legendary Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. Prepare to be mesmerized as Nadia Rochelle delivers a sensational portrayal of Tina Turner, igniting the stage with her dynamic performance. Joining her is Christian "Black Diamond" Smalls, paying homage to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, with a soulful tribute that spans the realms of R&B and Soul.

SUNDAY, APR. 7 WHAT: College of Charleston Young Artists: Clara Camacho, Pianist WHERE: Church of Our Savior WHEN: 4 p.m.

MORE INFO: The Kiawah Island Arts Council and the College of Charleston Department of Music are thrilled to introduce Clara Camacho, a talented pianist with Franco-Venezuelan roots, hailing from a family of musicians. Clara's musical journey began at the age of 3 at the Mozarteum School in Caracas under the tutelage of Carlos Urbaneja. By the age of 10, her exceptional talent led her to be admitted to the CRR of Paris. In 2019, she earned her DEM diploma from the Regional Conservatory of Paris under the guidance of David Saudubray. Throughout her years of dedicated study, Clara achieved remarkable success, winning the prestigious National Piano Competition of Chatou for two consecutive years.

Residential Cleaning Services Janina Karluk 843.270.6688

SUNDAY, MAR. 12 WHAT: Quentin E. Baxter Presents Jontavious Willis WHERE: Turtle Point Club House WHEN: 4 p.m.

MORE INFO: The third concert in the series features GRAMMY®-Nominated, Award-winning vocalist/ guitarist Jontavious Willis. He's on a mission to revive traditional Blues with his unique blend of Georgia heritage and reverence for the genre's roots. With dynamic vocals and technical prowess, Jontavious delivers original toe-tapping tunes in the Delta,

www.KiawahHouseCare.com

mylolowcountry . com

February 23, 2024

A Garden Club Tradition

35TH ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE A SUCCESS

BY SUSAN MCLAUGHLIN

T

For The Island Connection

he Seabrook Island Garden Club hosted its annual Open House on Sunday, February 4 at the Lake House’s Live Oak Hall. This year’s theme was “Our 35th Anniversary—See how we’ve grown!” The Open House is a Garden Club tradition and one of the events that make Seabrook a special place to live.

Guests enjoyed a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, mini cupcakes and drinks. In honor of the 35th anniversary celebration, Paula Murphy baked a tiered limoncello cake, decorated with fresh flowers. The evening was topped off with a successful raffle of items secured by raffle chairperson Dianne Cain and donated by local businesses and Garden Club members.

Proceeds from the raffle and other Garden Club activities support local community charitable initiatives.

With creative direction from member Deb Duerr, Live Oak hall was transformed into a magical woodlands garden.

And past president, Karen Nuttall, created and displayed a visual timeline of garden club photos taken through the years.

A much deserved thank you goes to Open House Committee chair, Victoria Fehr, her members and all of the Garden Club members for helping make this event a success.

Not Just Another Purdy Place

13

B R O O K G R E E N G A R D E N S E X PA N D S W I T H NEW CENTER FOR FUTURE

BY MEG LEWIS

For The Island Connection

B

rookgreen Gardens, a National Historic Landmark on the Lowcountry coast, has broken ground on its new Welcome Center and Conservatory Gardens, The Purdy Center.

The Purdy Center is the capstone project within Brookgreen's broader initiative, the Campaign for the Next Generation, aimed at expanding its art, nature and history programs for future generations. This initiative includes new and renovated facilities as well as supporting endowments.

"As we break ground on The Purdy Center, Brookgreen Gardens welcomes a new era of education, cultural enrichment and horticultural exploration," says Page Kiniry, president and CEO of Brookgreen Gardens. "This new Welcome Center and Conservatory will dramatically enhance the experiences and educational opportunities we provide to members."

Brookgreen is home to the largest and most significant collection of American figurative sculpture in the country. It is a leader in sculpture conservation, environmental conservation and the protection of the plants, animals and history of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Campaign for the Next Generation, funded entirely by gifts and grants, will expand Brookgreen in four key areas – this new Contemporary Conservatory and Welcome Center, new art facilities, expanded Lowcountry history exhibits and a new exhibit in the Lowcountry Zoo. The Purdy Center, the largest of these capital projects, will serve as the Welcome Center for

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Brookgreen Gardens, provide additional event and educational program space and include a new Contemporary Conservatory. The Purdy Center will transform the campus, welcoming guests from around the world and enabling Brookgreen to expand horticulture programs. Guests will enjoy an accessible, year-round garden to explore tropical biomes, including a butterfly garden to educate children and families.

The Conservatory Great Hall will be the public centerpiece of the project and will feature skylights, clear story windows and accordion doors opening onto an expansive courtyard. With ever-changing botanical displays, a floor-to-ceiling Green Wall showcasing tropical plants and an array of hanging baskets and planters, this space will be a seamless extension of the Gardens.

Outside, the Conservatory Veranda, an elevated terrace featuring a Kalwall shade in the shape of butterfly wings, pays tribute to Anna Hyatt Huntington's original design of the formal Gardens in the 1930s. A landscaped Courtyard will serve as a gathering space for Brookgreen's programs and tours, doubling as a private event space for special occasions.

The Center is named for Verl and Sandra Purdy of Charlotte, North Carolina and the Peninsula at Inlet Point South at Litchfield, South Carolina, in honor of their leadership support of the Campaign and love of the Gardens as Honorary Trustees.

For more information on this new expansion and to donate to the campaign for the next generation, please visit brookgreen.org/campaign-next-generation.

14

February 23, 2024

MYSTERY PLANT

In the Kitchen, Not the Garden

BY JOHN NELSON

For The Island Connection

It's so Fly-Day, Fly-Day Chinatown… ~Yasuha, 1981

T

PHOTO BY JOHN NELSON

States, which brings me back to those little aerial tubers. Because of them, the plants have escaped from gardens into natural settings, and this species is now an awful weed—yet another invasive, alien species capable of covering up the native plants.

Give it a try in your kitchen…but not in your garden, please.

John Nelson is the retired curator of the Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, call 803-777-8175 or email johnbnelson@sc.rr.com.

[Answer: “Chinese yam,” Dioscorea polystachya]

his song came out 40 years ago or so, and of course I wasn’t “hip” enough then to quite understand what it was all about. It was a rather popular song, though, in a good many circles. And, indeed, it’s got a catchy bounce-along rhythm and accompanying melody line.

But this song involves Chinatown, as in New York City, which is one of my favorite places to visit. Last time was a couple of years ago, and we were able to satisfy not only a magnificent dim-sum lunch requirement but a need to see lots of really interesting things. If you happen to be a botanist, as am I, you will find Chinatown a supremely intriguing place. Take the little markets, for example.

In these, you will find all kinds of food items that you don’t usually run into at your local MegaLoMart. Some of the items hanging from the shelves are rather easily identifiable: the ducks and chickens, bereft of feathers. Then there is the seafood — strange things renderable into gourmet fare such as a cooked octopus, a box holding live crabs. Bins with baubles and those little cat toys with the raised paw and mysterious smiles. Vegetables and fruits from unknown parts of the planet, both fresh and dried or in cans or jars, along with piles of spices and pastes full of exotic flavors and aromas which you may never have even imagined.

Here's something I found, offered in a plastic bin, along with a crypto-Latin sign indicating what it held: I had to do a bit of research on this one to figure it out.

The white, elongated wafers are the dried shavings of a plant native to China. The shavings come from an extensive rhizome (not a root, and not a tuber) which takes several years to develop below ground. A twining vine sprouts from the rhizome, high-climbing in a garden, with attractive, heart-shaped leaves. The individual plants are either male or female, and, of course it’s only the female vines which make seeds.

And, the vines commonly produce small, gray-brown aerial tubers, only an inch or so long. These are easily capable of starting new plants once they fall from the vines.

The rhizomes have been used in China as a common food source for thousands of years. Rhizomes must be variously cooked in order to make them edible, but once cooked, are full of carbs and those other things. Additionally, these rhizomes are an important part of traditional folk medicine in eastern Asia, and of course, are easily available these days in Asian markets or specialty stores online.

This species has been imported widely around the world, including the United

Tide Char t

We also offer FREE deconstruction services.

Date

High Tide

Low Tide

Feb 24 Feb 25 Feb 26 Feb 27 Feb 28 Feb 29 Mar 1 Mar 2 Mar 3 Mar 4 Mar 5 Mar 6 Mar 7 Mar 8

8:05am/8:26pm 8:39am/9:02pm 9:11am/9:35pm 9:42am/10:07pm 10:13am/10:38pm 10:46am/11:13pm 11:24am/11:56pm 12:10pm 12:50am/1:06pm 1:56am/2:12pm 3:09am/3:22pm 4:20am/4:30pm 5:23am/5:33pm 6:20am/6:31pm

1:43am/2:12pm 2:21am/2:44pm 2:58am/3:14pm 3:35am/3:43pm 4:11am/4:13pm 4:50am/4:47pm 5:34am/5:27pm 6:24am/6:14pm 7:23am/7:13pm 8:29am/8:22pm 9:36am/9:34pm 10:38am/10:41pm 11:35am/11:43pm 12:27pm

Hurricanes, storms, etc., are NOT included in tide time predictions and can be very different. Tide predictions are PREDICTIONS; they can be wrong so use common sense.

Source: saltwatertides.com mylolowcountry . com

15

February 23, 2024

Kiawah Wines Coming Soon – March 2024!

Rendering by Camens Architectural Group

We are pleased to announce the opening of a brand new store in Freshfields Village!

Your One-Stop Shop for All of Your Wine and Beer Retail Needs

From the same team that brought you FortyEight – Wine Bar & Kitchen and Kiawah Spirits And featuring Kiawah Island’s only Champagne Bar for private events any night of the week! www.kiawahwines.com

info@kiawahwines.com

843.573.7175

16

February 23, 2024

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Golf View | 2 BR | 2 BA | 1,175 SF

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2114 LANDFALL WAY

177 HIGH HAMMOCK RD.

2865 SEABROOK ISLAND RD.

$449,000

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Marsh View | 1 BR | 1 BA | 708 SF

Golf View | 1 BR | 1.5 BA | 876 SF

Lagoon View | Block 40, Lot 33 | 0.24 Acres

WE SELL MORE PROPERTIES ON SEABROOK ISLAND THAN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED.

Standing: Tom Peck, John Halter, Amanda Benepe, Ryan Straup, Patsy Zanetti, Ingrid Phillips, Mary Ann Lloyd, Stuart Spisak, Joy Dellapina, Michelle Almeyda-Wiedemuth Seated: Pat Polychron, Chip Olsen, Stuart Rumph, Kathleen McCormack, Marc Chafe

seabrookisland.com | 843.768.2560 1002 Landfall Way, Seabrook Island, SC 29455 | realestate@seabrookisland.com Seabrook Island Club membership is required for ownership. Club amenity use is for Members and guests.

Lake House use is for Members, property owners, and their guests.