Junk Removal in Isle of Palms, SC

ISLE OF PALMS — As the new year approaches, the fight over public beach parking remains unsettled with a court case awaiting a decision by the state Supreme Court.

The Palm Republic group created by Isle of Palms’ former mayor and a current councilman has asked the court to hear a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state law that says free beach parking along state roads can’t be removed without the state’s permission.

It’s a law created by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, and signed by Gov. Henry McMaster in the spring of 2021, following the island’s attempt in 2020 to remove much of the beach parking on the island and charge for the parking that would remain.

The S.C. Department of Transportation had already rejected the island’s plan to eliminate hundreds of parking spaces, and later stepped in to increase the amount of free parking near the beach on the island — “unilaterally and illegally” according to the Palm Republic lawsuit.

Those actions prompted Councilman Blair Hahn and former Mayor Jimmy Carroll to declare the island “The Palm Republic” in an airing of grievances that included a declaration of independence, signed in costume at a local bar.

At the time, Hahn was declared to be The Palm Republic’s “attorney general, also known as His Beaudacious Highness, Admiral and Grand Ruler of All Seas Less than 1 Fathom.” But he says the legal issues in play are not joke.

Carroll and Hahn have said the state law is an affront to home rule and the power of municipalities.

“We want our home rule back,” said Carroll. “We just want them to hear the case.”

State Rep. Joe Bustos, R-Mount Pleasant, agrees.

“There’s either going to be home rule, or there’s not,” he said.

The issue now is whether the Supreme Court will take what’s known as “original jurisdiction” and agree to hear the case, as Palm Republic LLC has asked.

The state, through Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office, and the DOT have both urged the court to not take the case. Both said there’s no urgency to rule on a law that’s been in effect for more than 18 months, and the case should be heard in a lower court.

“If the Supreme Court does not take the case, we’ll file the case in Charleston County,” Hahn said. “The only issue is, is the statute constitutional or not?”

He said the case would end up before the Supreme Court one way or another.

Like many barrier islands, Isle of Palms has sought to manage the flood of beach-bound traffic that arrives during the warm months. Conflict over the parking issue flared up in 2020 when the island prohibited non-residents from using the hundreds of free parking spots near the beach, citing COVID-19 concerns.

The attempt to eliminate parking and charge for what remained came the following year, prompting the creation of a nonprofit group that sued the city, the new state law, and action by SCDOT.

The Palm Republic group has been urging residents to write to local and state lawmakers, and the Supreme Court, to ask that the high court take the case.

The City of Isle of Palms is holding the first of two public hearings to discuss limiting future development and protecting the golf courses in the Wild Dunes p

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Isle of Palms is holding the first of two public hearings to discuss limiting future development and protecting the golf courses in the Wild Dunes planned development district on Tuesday.

The discussion stemmed from a 1975 agreement that would make it possible for there to be over 300 more rooms built in the Wild Dunes between hotels and condos.

According to Mayor Phillip Pounds, it all started back in February when a group of residents asked the council to take a look at the decades-old agreement to see if they could make some changes. Anthony Santiago says he was one of those residents.

“We thought we were developed already after The Sweetgrass Inn,” Santiago said. “We don’t even have parking for that. And then through the due diligence we discovered the capacity to expand this more than double.”

Santiago and others who are against future development in Wild Dunes say that more development would overwhelm public safety and public works resources, cause more drainage and sewage issues, and make traffic and parking on the island more of a nightmare.

“Every city municipality has the right to rezone as you develop,” Santiago said. “This is almost fifty years ago when we did this. Nobody thought we’d be as big as we are.”

The Isle of Palms City Council now has five ordinances up for discussion that would preserve public and private facilities and put a cap on density in the planned development district.

Beverly Miller is the executive director of the Barrier Island Preservation Alliance, a nonprofit formed to address challenges unique to the barrier islands. She said she wanted to show support for the ordinances through a petition. It now has over 750 signatures.

“When that was written, this island was erratically different, and it’s so different now that we need to amend those zoning ordinances so that we are up to today and the demands that are on the island today that were not here in 1975,” Miller said.

Pounds said the Wild Dunes agreement was one of the first of its type in the country.

“Unusual maybe, but as areas get built out there’s certainly an opportunity for cities to revisit the zoning and the density and the future development,” Pounds said.

Pounds said the city has received many phone calls and emails from concerned residents worried how much the island could take. He says there’s confusion about the slow process, but he says with the public hearing, that will stop development even though they aren’t completely through the process.

“When you’re on an island where you have such little landmass to develop anything, the ability to put 300 plus units in Wild Dunes today, I don’t even know where they would put them because there’s not that kind of landmass,” Pounds said. “But some of the concern was, could they do something on the golf courses, could they do something on the tennis courts. That’s some of the ordinance that we’re looking at during this process is protecting those areas.”

Tuesday’s public hearing will take place at Isle of Palms city hall at 5 p.m. Another public hearing will take place Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at the city’s recreation center. The city’s planning commission will take a look at the ordinances and give feedback to city council. Then, it will be up to city council to schedule a second reading which would solidify the ordinances.

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Ever since the Isle of Palms incorporated in the 1950s, voters have elected eight at-large council members and a mayor. In the coming month, these city voters will decide if that’s two council members too many.

We don’t think it is. More specifically, we don’t see any big advantage that shrinking City Council would provide to residents, and we see a few disadvantages.

The idea of reducing council’s size has been batted around quietly for several years, Mayor Phillip Pounds tells us, partly because the city does seem to have a rather large council for its size, about 4,400 residents. Only about 4% of South Carolina municipalities have more than seven council seats, and most of them are much larger. For instance, Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant have 12, 10 and 8 council seats, respectively.

The debate has remained fairly quiet, even as the council added it to the Nov. 8 ballot, and with less than three weeks remaining before early voting starts, no one has offered a compelling reason to vote “yes.” The conservative approach to any referendum question is to maintain the status quo unless there’s a compelling reason to make a change.

The primary upside of shrinking the Isle of Palms council apparently is saving a little time for council members and staff. Not to knock efforts to improve efficiency, but that strikes us as pretty thin gruel. It’s true that voters still would have six council members representing them (all seats are at-large), but who’s to say that the seventh or eighth council member wouldn’t be the one who listens to particular voters’ concerns most closely — and does the best job representing them?

Because of the way the reduction is planned, if voters approve it in the referendum, the City Council would be a mess for two years. The slim-down would be phased in with voters electing just three rather than four seats in the 2023 city election and then doing the same thing in the 2025 election. That would leave the council with an even number of votes (including the mayor’s) for two years. That might make a big difference, delaying important action on an important issue. Or not. But why take the risk?

This issue seems to be important mainly inside City Hall. While Mayor Pounds tells us he supports the idea, he acknowledges that the average Isle of Palms resident seems to have little skin in this game: “I can’t imagine they would notice a blip if we have five council members or seven or nine.”

If City Council members believe the current city governance is inefficient, then perhaps they should come up with changes that don’t affect the voters’ ability to elect council members. And if council members believe the job requires too much work — about 10 hours of work a week, on average — for too little pay (council members make $1,500 a year, but do qualify for health insurance benefits), perhaps they should either reexamine their work schedule or step aside for someone else to serve.

The council’s relative size might make the job of its members more time-consuming, but that also might work to ensure that their consensus, once they arrive at one, will better stand the test of time.

The city is grappling with big decisions, from the future of its marina to possible adjustments in its short-term rental rules to the logistical headaches involved in managing summertime crowds. We’re unconvinced City Council would make better decisions with fewer council members.

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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) – Residents on the Isle of Palms spoke concerned about a possible threat to the island’s golf courses, green spaces, and recreation spaces.

Some of the green spaces in the Wild Dunes Resort could be bulldozed if action isn’t taken to prevent development. Neighbors say they’re concerned Wild Dunes Resort owners are looking to build hotels and homes over the spaces.

The overwhelming message from residents during a special called city council meeting Monday was working to protect the green spaces. City council approved the first reading for five ordinances they say will do just that. Some council members warn it could be a lengthy process.

“Who wins when we give away accommodations tax money,” says Randy Bell, a former Isle of Palms City Councilman and concerned resident. “The entities that don’t benefit the community, that is not a benefit to this community.”

Dozens of residents voiced concerns about potential plans to build over Wild Dunes golf courses and recreational spaces saying the development could bring severe consequences.

“Not only to preserve the greenspaces and open spaces that are critical for stormwater management but also to limit the density in Wild Dunes to mitigate the impact on the city’s resources,” says Bev Miller, a concerned resident.

Plans for development within the resort could bring hundreds of homes, hotels, or condos in place of the current green spaces. Residents at the meeting say it would also bring traffic, noise, and parking issues with it.

“And it’s for the purpose of allowing this audience and this community a voice in the affairs of the community,” says Bell.

Council took up five ordinances meant to protect green space and prevent the building. All five ordinances passed with 8 to 1 votes.

“We need to make sure we protect all the interests, protect as much greenspace as we can,” says Councilman Rusty Streetman. “Conservation and all of that is top of mind.”

Councilman Kevin Popson was the only no vote on the ordinances. The ordinances will likely move to second reading in the coming weeks. Council warns the process could be a lengthy one with potential negotiations with Wild Dunes or legal action looming.

“I fully support what we are doing,” says Councilman Blair Hahn. “But this is the beginning of what could be a six-month process.”

During the special called meeting, residents say it’s important to keep fighting to protect the land and recreational spaces.

“We can not back down from these people,” says Tony Santiago, a concerned resident. “They will just keep coming and coming and coming.”

Isle of Palms City Council will hold a public hearing on the topic and five ordinances Tuesday, October 18th at City Hall to allow people to give feedback before they get a second reading. The hearing will start at 5 pm.

A lot has been written about the port city of Charleston, South Carolina, with its southern charm, cobblestone streets and colorful pre-war architecture.

However, little might be known of the region’s coastal offerings. Just a half hour’s drive northeast of the city sits the Isle of Palms, Charleston’s resort island and home to the Wild Dunes Resort, encompassing 1,600 acres of Lowcountry charm and vacation leisure.

This beachside vacation getaway includes hotels, condos and waterfront homes offering short stays or longer-term seasonal rentals.

With so many options, it is the perfect choice for weddings, corporate events and family getaways. Recreational opportunities include a 36-hole golf course, designed by Tom Fazio, tennis, pickelball, bicycling and seven miles of beaches on which to play or chill. Walking and jogging paths wind throughout the island and you might even run into a family of deer on your jaunt.

Within Wild Dunes, located beachside on the north end of the Isle of Palms, two adjacent hotels include the Boardwalk Inn and the, newly-constructed, Sweetgrass Inn. Just one year old, the Sweetgrass is a Destination by Hyatt hotel offering 153 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, spa and rooftop bar.

The Nest, with its colorful Andy Davis mural, offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic and surrounding property, while sipping signature cocktails. The Shoppes of Sweetgrass are located on an adjacent walkway, comprised of restaurants, market, shops, and even an art gallery. The Gallery at Sweetgrass features regional, as well as nationally recognized artists, some in residence.

Restaurants include the full-service Coastal Provisions, located at the Boardwalk Inn, as well as the more casual pool-side Laughing Gull at Sweetgrass. Both restaurants feature their signature 7 Mile Burger and Lager, named after the Isle of Palms 7-mile stretch of beach. The Oystercatcher, in the Sweetgrass lobby, offers smaller plates and shareable dishes along with signature cocktails.

For even more casual fare, Hudson’s Café and Market provides food and drink to enjoy in your room, taking advantage of the views from your balcony. Next to Hudson’s you’ll find Coastal Crust for pizza and other Italian cuisine. Additional eateries are dotted throughout the resort, so no chance you’ll be hungry on this trip.

Nothing beats a relaxing massage while on vacation and The Spa at Sweetgrass is the perfect choice to complement the laid-back vibe of this resort. With two plunge pools, beach yoga and even an optional meditation and sound bath experience on the sand, you can indulge and immerse yourself in a calm, yet energized, state of mind. Private spa cabanas are also available for a retreat with family and friends, and the gift shop provides beautiful examples of the region as a reminder of your stay.

The opportunities for exploration are abundant. Barrier Island Eco Tours offers your choice of boat junket to Capers Island Preserve, home of bone-yard beach. The natural erosion of the shoreline has created an eerie spectacle of trees with roots exposed in bizarre shapes. You’ll glide through salt marshes with views of dolphins playing in the surf and stop to check the occasional blue crab trap, while Captain Shane describes the wondrous ecosystem.

And don’t forget downtown Charleston, where you can stroll historic King Street with its boutiques and restaurants, loaded with Southern charm and housed in architecturally diverse buildings.

A local dining favorite, Hall’s Chophouse, offers USDA Prime steaks from Allen Brothers of Chicago, as well as fresh seafood and signature cocktails. Family-owned, this gathering spot serves everything from wet-aged filet mignon to a 34-ounce Tomahawk ribeye. Of course, shrimp and grits are on the menu along with other options from the sea. A must-try is their signature Pepper Jack Creamed Corn Skillet, not to mention Whiskey Bread Pudding for dessert. Hall’s is the place to see and be seen so get your reservation early.

Shopping options are diverse, and horse-drawn carriage tours and nighttime graveyard walks are a must. The iconic Pineapple Fountain on the waterfront park is Charleston’s symbol of hospitality and an Instagram-worthy sight. Photo ops abound at every turn but don’t forget to take in the ambiance and gentile essence of the city.

It’s all about the Lowcountry culture in Charleston, Southern charm mixed with shrimp and grits and Virgil Kaine whiskey. The Gullah sweetgrass basket weavers throughout the city, the colorful houses on Rainbow Row and a hearty Lowcountry boil, all round out the vibe one gets when visiting this part of the south. The Wild Dunes Resort conveniently includes all of this laid-back charm in one sprawling location.

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