Managed IT Servicesin Kiawah Island, SC

As The Post and Courier’s Toby Cox recently reported, Kiawah Partners, which owns the spit and has been trying to develop it without success, has offered to sell the property and the adjacent Beachwalker Park to the state for $40 million.

We do not underestimate the challenge in pulling off this purchase, not only because of the sizable price tag but also because any such sale should involve a lot of partners, as it would benefit not only the state but also Charleston County and the towns of Kiawah and Seabrook and all who value conservation and protecting wildlife habitat. Ideally, all those governments as well as private philanthropy would contribute toward the purchase price so no one entity bears too big a burden. Indeed, it would be inappropriate for the state to cover the entire cost of a purchase.

But the difficulty of putting together a consortium of purchasers should not provide an excuse for our leaders to reject the offer.

The owners long have argued that by enforcing its 1988 Beachfront Management Act, the state has rendered their property undevelopable and, under U.S. Supreme Court precedent from a 1992 S.C. case challenging that law, owes them compensation. That ignores the fact that the town of Kiawah Island has made substantial concessions to the partners, which own additional property in the town; some would argue these concessions, which have included zoning and land development changes to benefit the partners, effectively constitute compensation for the spit and would mean the state has not in fact taken the property without compensation.

That’s one of many reasons a court victory by the owners is no sure thing. What is a sure thing is that without a deal, the legal fighting will continue to waste state resources and our time. A deal would put an end to the costly legal wrangling, which benefits no one.

What would benefit everyone is for government leaders and the conservation community to engage in meaningful negotiations that put everything on the scale in search of a deal, recognizing that any such agreement is unlikely to satisfy either side.

One of the biggest challenges could be determining who ultimately would own and regulate the property. The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission still has 51 years left on its 99-year lease for Beachwalker Park, and it’s possible a discussion about that could become contentious in its own right, as government seeks to strike the right balance between public accessibility, which can involve boardwalks, restrooms and other structures, and protecting the landscape, which would involve leaving the land in as natural a state as possible.

The southern end of Kiawah is one of our state's few remaining pristine, publicly accessible sandy beaches (the others being Hunting Island and Huntington Beach state parks), and it should be in public hands. The environmental community has done important work in fighting misguided efforts to develop the spit, but it's time to take a new approach. We need more, not less, access to our limited beaches.

It will take leadership to bring all players to the table to secure the long-term future of Kiawah Island's southern end, but we should expect no less.

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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Multiple four-story condominium complexes could be coming to Kiawah Island and residents there want the proposed plans to change.

They have concerns about the potential project on Upper and Lower, or Ocean Pines, Beachwalker Drive and say development on the island should not be rushed.

“The impacts are far-reaching for everyone on Kiawah Island, Johns Island, and people wanting to go to the public beach,” Kiawah resident Lance Spencer said. “The infrastructure costs that the city is going to have to bear and that taxpayers are going to have to bear are significant.”

Homeowners said they aren’t against development, but it needs to be done responsibly and they say what’s been proposed is far from it.

“We’re not naïve, we know the developers have the right to develop, but we just want them to develop more responsibly, meaning less density,” Homeowners Association representative for Kiawah Island Lynda Leffler said. “These two areas that they are trying to develop are the most dense on Kiawah Island.”

Their concerns include an uptick in traffic, stormwater management, and that the complexes won’t fit in with the surrounding communities.

“The additional building and construction that the partners and developers want to do is all just for profit with no consideration to the environment and the sensitivity of the environment to what is best for this community,” Kiawah Island property owner James Caltabiano said. “No consideration, it’s all just for profit.”

The complexes would be in a similar fashion to “The Cape” being built now on the island.

“It’s a monstrosity on the beach next to the county park that people come from all over to enjoy,” Caltabiano said. “Now they have The Cape to look at, and it’s terrible.”

Residents say the process to get this development approved has felt rushed and left little time for community feedback.

“The partners have a development agreement which expires December 4th of this year, so certainly they are trying to get everything approved before then, because in that development agreement they can put four stories on these buildings,” Leffler said. “We know they can do that, we just object to that and we wish they would tone it down to two stories.”

They said a two-story building would fit in with surrounding communities as well as address their other concerns.

“It would have a more positive impact on the environment,” Kiawah Island Cottage Association Board Member Cynthia Hadley said. “The stormwater retention is a huge issue in the sense that we experience more and more flooding as the ocean levels rise and the king tides come in. So, a smaller development is definitely what we’d like to see.”

To view the full proposed plans, click here and scroll down.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - There’s been a back-and-forth battle over the potential development on a Kiawah Island sandy inlet for more than 15 years.

An agreement between the developer that owns the property, known as Captain Sam Spit, and the town recently expired, and the town is now taking action to keep the land untouched.

Two obligations were outlined in the contract that the developer did not fulfill, and this led to the town issuing a demand letter a few weeks back. The letter asks for those requirements to be carried out, according to the town.

The obligations in question are that the developer transfers ownership of some highlands on the spit to the community association, and that they protect the remaining highlands with deed restrictions.

“That means, since nothing has been developed, all of Sam Spit will be prohibited from being developed,” Kiawah resident Alex Fernandez said.

Kiawah Resort Associates said they formally responded to the town, but it is unclear what was said.

At a special-called town council meeting Wednesday afternoon, a motion was passed for the town’s legal counsel to pursue the town’s rights in enforcing what was laid out in the demand letter.

“The community is whole-heartedly behind this, there’s no doubt about it,” Fernandez said. “It’s a beautiful place and we want it to remain in the present state.”

Amy Armstrong, Executive Director of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Project, has played a large role in fighting to keep the spit untouched.

“Between the birds and the dolphins and the turtles, it’s just a very ecologically rich piece of land and once an area like this is developed, it’s gone forever,” Armstrong said.

The debacle has faced the South Carolina Supreme Court a handful of times.

Armstrong and Fernandez are passionate about protecting the land and the wildlife of Captain Sam Spit.

“We want to save these last remaining natural places from permanent destruction and loss,” Armstrong said.

“The Town of Kiawah Island has a duty to ensure the developer honors its obligations under the development agreement. This includes the conveyance and deed restriction obligations for Captain Sam’s Spit,” town officials said in a statement.

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, it was said that after 15 years, maybe some kind of resolution is close.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Neighbors on Kiawah Island said they’re opposed to the plans for the Island Park Place Health and Wellness Village.

“We just don't want it,” said Johns Island resident Tesha Nelson. “We wanna continue with the beauty of Johns Island to stay the beauty of Johns Island.”

Collie Farah, the land preservation specialist with Kiawah Conservancy, said they are "talking about a development that is just under 130,000 square feet. That is a lot of impervious surface.”

“The infrastructure that's here now on Betsy Kerrison just simply can't support a development of that size," he added.

Read more: "Opposition rises against controversial Kiawah Island Park Medical Village."

They’re concerned not only about the size but the environmental impact.

“Not only is it disrupting wildlife habitat, but it's also filling in two acres of freshwater wetlands that are critically important for wildlife, but also stormwater mitigation,” Farah said.

Nelson adds: “It's going to affect the environment where, like I said, if we give one person to build, they'll build more. So they're going to take away from the beauty, the beautiful trees, the island that we all love.”

According to a press release from the Kiawah Conservancy, the developer has listened to concerns and made some changes since the initial presentation of the plan.

Read more: "Kiawah Island health center proposal faces steep opposition amidst rising concerns."

News 4 spoke with Councilmember Jenny Honeycutt, who represents this area and reminds people—right now, this is just a proposal.

“This is a plan development,” she said. “And so this would come to council and committee and then have to go through the three readings process at three council meetings. They still have not brought this to the county council for an actual vote in committee.”

Honeycutt admits she shares the environmental concern.

“This is a very high intense use, right next to a residential area on the border of the urban growth boundary. And I'm not so sure that that is the best use,” she said. “Again, I try to keep an open mind, but clearly, the folks in this area do not want to see something of this scale in this area.”

Read more: "Charleston board deliberates on new developments amidst tree preservation concerns."

And though the Kiawah Conservancy has been very vocal about this development, they say they aren’t against the idea of the project, but rather the size.

“We have to learn to live with the environment and grow with the environment and not against it,” said Farah.

Honeycutt said unless the developer asks for another deferral, the revised plans will be presented in front of the Charleston County Public Works Committee on Thursday.

Based on the Charleston County Public Works recommendation, the plans will then be seen by the Charleston County Council.

One of South Carolina’s most enchanting locales, Johns Island boasts miles of shoreline with gorgeous coastal architecture. Only 20 miles from historic Charleston, the Kiawah River area is the region’s sole “agrihood” community, offering everything from a 100-acre working farm and goat dairy to active beehives and nature trails. Today, we’re touring the interior of one of the area’s custom homes, filled with luxe-modern details.

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Built by Charleston-based JacksonBuilt Custom Homes with interiors by Motif, this three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home was designed to reflect the area’s natural elements, such as driftwood, feather grass, and water. Moving to Kiawah to escape the Pennsylvania winters, the homeowners have created a retreat highlighting vaulted ceilings and a tranquil aesthetic.

“The front part of the home is the main living space with a beautiful, vaulted ceiling, plaster fireplace, and iron ‘turnbuckles,’ which add to the design goal of making this part of the house feel like the original homestead,” says Kimberly Jackson of JacksonBuilt Custom Homes.

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Though the home sits on an irregularly shaped corner lot, the 2,950-square-foot abode blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. The exterior wows with its coastal farmhouse feel. A stunning live oak tree in the front yard offers a prominent natural feature for the homeowners and the surrounding community. The home is so beautiful, in fact, that it received a “Best in American Living Award” from the National Association of Home Builders! “The home is very natural and organic to the community’s 20 miles of shoreline, acres of maritime forest, and working farms. The large live oak tree in the front is the star of the landscape,” says Kimberly.

Working with architect Collin Cope to accomplish the design and aesthetic, the home offers materials and furniture that complement the outdoors.

All images courtesy of Keen Eye Marketing.

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Check out more inspiration from home interiors across the South!