Pressure Washing in Isle of Palms, SC

ISLE OF PALMS — City officials are considering using sand from an incoming shoal, or sandbar, to build up areas of Wild Dunes that have been plagued by erosion.

Shoals on the Isle of Palms are formed by sediment deposited from Dewees Inlet. The wave action pushes the sediment onto the shore, naturally building out the north end of the island, Steven Traynum of Coastal Science and Engineering said during a May 22 public information session about a proposed shoal management project.

In recent years, erosion has outpaced shoal attachments, Traynum said. This has resulted in the overall loss of beach on the northern part of the Isle of Palms. Some homeowners in Wild Dunes had sandbags placed behind their properties to serve as a barrier from the ocean.

The city submitted a permit for the shoal management project to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Ocean and Coastal Resource Management division in April. Up to 400,000 cubic yards of sand, or 40,000 dump trucks’ worth, would be used to restore critically eroded areas in the Wild Dunes area, including portions of Beachwood East and the Ocean Club.

This sand would come from an incoming shoal or from the area between 44th and 53rd Avenue. Work would take place during the winter, and a majority of the beach would remain open to the public during construction.

The project could cost an estimated $750,000, said Douglas Kerr, deputy city administrator. The city has budgeted $187,500, with the assumption that the Wild Dunes Community Association would cover the rest.

Dave Kynoski, COO of the association, said the community has been supportive of sharing the cost for this type of work in the past. However, because the project remains in its early stages, no funding agreements have been made.

“We have a dedicated beach reserve fund ... and the shoal management project is just one one of the city’s tools to address the management of the sand in front of Wild Dunes,” Kynoski said. “It hasn’t really been discussed in a lot of detail quite yet, but I’m sure there will be further discussions with respect to funding, who’s going to contribute and at what level in the near months.”

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The Isle of Palms is getting $1 million in state budget funding for beach renourishment that leaders say they plan to use to build up Breach Inlet and do shoal work from Dewees Island.

The city applied for $2.5 million estimating the restoration projects forecast for the next 10-15 years, including shoal management and large-scale offshore dredging, will exceed $30 million. The $2.5 million request would cover the construction costs of a shoal and inlet management project and engineering costs for long-term sand sources. The state earmarked $1 million for this year.

“We’re grateful for anything from the state budget standpoint,” Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds says. “The state doesn’t have a funding mechanism for beach renourishment, so that was part of our reason for asking for the number.”

The city is already anticipating an Army Corps of Engineers renourishment sand dump for Breach Inlet in September 2024.

“The Army Corps will dump that sand on our beach, and it’s about 500,000 cubic yards, or about $10 million of free sand, if you will. Great. Again, we’re grateful for that, and then we’ll spend a half million to shape it,” Pounds says.

Once the Army Corps drops the sand, it will be up to the town to use it to build the beach. Half a million of the incoming state funding will go to cover the beach and dune shaping. The other half a million, Mayor Pounds hopes will go toward some shoal work on the other end of the island. The town is waiting on permit approval for the shoal management project.

“So there’s a huge stand bar coming from Dewees south and moving into the Isle of Palms, so it’s not quite attached yet. It’s relatively close, so we will use that sand, probably another million or so dollar project on its own, once that attaches, we’ll help Mother Nature along and pull some of that sand onto the island and re-shape the dune and re-shape the beach,” Pounds says.

Pounds says the north-end shoal project does depend on permit approval. He hopes to get that project done in late 2024 or 2025. Pounds says these projects are the small versions that carry the island through between large off-shore dredging.

“We have a huge beach renourishment, anticipated project here in 2027 2028 that’s probably in the $20 million time frame. That’s the big ticket item,” Pounds says.

Pounds calls the funding for these projects the literal million-dollar question. He says as a town with an annual budget of $25 million it can be a challenge to manage the beach, and leaders are looking far and wide for funding solutions.

“You have different hot spots over the course of time as cycles ebb and flow, and it’s really about using the shoal management, using the Army Corps project, using the next big renourishment project. I mean it’s a log of pieces that go into managing a seven-mile beach. You really have to be creative in your funding and your timing,” Pounds says.

So far, they are using the Army Corps project, the shoal, and the state funding to their advantage using planning and timing. But without a set state department or bank of funds designated for the beaches, it can be hard to secure.

“We’ve had an ad-hoc committee going, it’s some residents, some council members, for looking at beach preservation specifically, and part of that is coming up with renewable, ongoing funding. And that’s still a work in progress,” Pounds says.

He says the town will continue to ask for what they need from the state, rely on FEMA when it comes to impact from named storms, and pursue grants. They are also looking at a variety of at-home options, like a tax district on the island that could funnel directly into beach returns.

“So we are going to be as aggressive as we can. You know, whether it’s state, federal or other grant funding that’s out there available,” Pounds says.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Rushing to the beachfront this summer? Triple-check the parking tab gets paid before you step away.

Reports from the Isle of Palms and Folly Beach confirm a spike in the number of parking tickets given out in 2024 compared to 2023.

In June of this year, ParkIOP dished out 1,639 citations compared to 1321 in 2023, a 318 difference.

In May, the group sent out 1,940 compared to 609 the previous year, meaning 1,331 more vehicles received the paper slip.

Folly Beach is also seeing a jump in numbers. In June, 1,282 Right-of-Way and non-payment violations were file compared to 81 in 2023.

In May, fines saw a 683 increase, with 756 citations compared to 73 in 2023.

“People are being ticketed all day long, left and right, here,” Mount Pleasant local Patrick McCleary says.

McCleary claims he parked in a parallel spot near Ocean Boulevard and the Isle of Palms County Park. The parking group fined him for not being four feet from the pavement.

“These excessive fines aren’t fair and they need to do something about it. Three times the state average, I think I looked and it’s $30 for the state average for all the counties besides IOP and Folly Beach,” McCleary says. “I was shocked. I thought maybe, a 30-something dollar ticket probably, because I didn’t even know what I did wrong. I was sufficiently parked off the side of the road like I always do. And I saw it was for $100.”

On the Isle of Palms, parking in a loading zone is $200 and nonpayment is $50. The following other offenses fall into the $100 price range:

This would not be the first time parking on the shoreline has created contention.

In 2021, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sent out a statement letter. In the document, State Senator Larry Grooms says both city’s existing fines are between 204% and 341% higher than the standard fine, which is around $29.31.

Wilson at the time referenced the Eighth Amendment excessive fines clause as applying to the issue. Wilson was unavailable for an updated comment.

The Charleston Beach Foundation sued the Isle of Palms in March of 2023 for “excessive fines” and violation of the Freedom of Information Act.

The second subject is in reference to an emergency ordinance prohibiting parking and limiting occupancy on the Isle of Palms because of COVID-19 protocols.

The court dismissed the case because the plaintiff “must have suffered an injury-in-fact” and a causal connection “must exist between the injury and challenged conduct.” The court also dismissed this because the foundation was not formed until after the emergency meeting was held.

ParkIOP offers the ability to pay or appeal citations through a website link if they were received on or after March 1. Any tickets beforehand would need to be submitted through mail.

Park Folly Beach offers a similar service. Each beach explains parking rules through their web page. Tickets unpaid after 90 days could be overturned to an outside agency with an additional fee.

Some beachgoers, like McCleary, are contesting their charges through court.

Folly Beach and Isle of Palms have not responded to requests for comment.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — Beach erosion is an issue for many beach communities across the East Coast and a pressing matter on the Isle of Palms.

The Isle of Palms, like other low country beaches, is working to combat erosion.

"We're one storm away from losing a lot of homes," saysDan Slotchiver, a member of the Isle of Palms Beach Preservation Committee.

READ MORE | "Isle of Palms to use shoal management for beach upkeep, project starts this winter."

"We're coming up with a very potentially dangerous hurricane season, and we've already got homes that are much closer to the sand than our studies and our findings on this committee show to be safe," adds Slotchiver.

A plan is in place to add 500 thousand cubic yards of sand this summer, during the height of hurricane season. The committee is looking for stop-gap measures between renourishment projects.

"One of the things we try to come up with, and we're still fine-tuning, is what is the optimal beach? What level do we want to have sand up to safely, where if it gets below that level, we have to step in"

READ MORE | "Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew plans beach litter sweeps for busy Fourth of July week."

Triggers for sand recycling projects when displacement reaches a certain level during the year are one suggestion, along with beach monitoring surveys twice a year.

"The idea of the committee is to figure out a way to be more proactive, to create triggers so that when things happen, we can respond quicker, and we can have patches we can put into place until we can have a new reimbursement," adds Slotchiver.

But new plans inevitably come at a cost. For example, a renourishment every ten years saves almost 15 million dollars compared to every eight years but offers less protection.

"Ideally we would get community funds from other counties. We'd get community funds or state funds contributing, because a large part of the beach generates tourism, and tourism brings a lot of money to the community and brings a lot of money to the state. But at this point, it doesn't exist. There are no funds to be coming in to support, so we're on our own," adds Slotchiver.

ISLE OF PALMS — Since handing over parking enforcement to PCI Municipal Services in March, more than 5,000 parking citations have been issued on the island.

Knowing how Isle of Palms' parking rules are enforced can help visitors avoid the dreaded white slip pinned to the windshield by the wiper.

The city owns two paid parking lots on Pavilion Drive and offers paid on-street parking near Front Beach. Free parking in the public right-of-way exists as well, but be mindful of the myriad of rules so a nice day on the beach doesn't end with a $100 ticket.

Pay to play it safe

According to city ordinance, paid parking is enforced on the Isle of Palms between March 1 and Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Parking at Lot A and Lot B on Pavilion Drive near Front Beach costs $10 during the week and $15 on the weekend and holidays. After 4 p.m., rates for the lots drops from $10-$15 to an hourly rate of $2.

On Ocean Boulevard between 10th and 14th Avenue, visitors can find on-street parking for $2.50 an hour.

But forgetting or failing to pay can result in a $50 ticket for non-payment, which is the most common ticket recorded on the Isle of Palms.

Free parking exists but mind the rules

The Isle of Palms' beach parking district encompasses parts of Ocean and Palm boulevards. These areas are where visitors can park for free in the public right-of-way and still be only a short walk away from an access path to the beach.

Right-of-way parking is available on 3rd through 9th Avenues between Ocean and Carolina Boulevards. More parking is available on Palm Boulevard from 21st Avenue to 40th Avenue, and 42nd Avenue to 57th Avenue.

Before throwing your car in park and heading for the ocean, be mindful that these areas come with more rules and regulations — and heftier fines of $100.

The big green bus is what captures people's attention.

Decorated with cartoonish art of carrots, mushrooms and greens, with the label "Big Green" in all-caps block letters on both sides of the bus, kids and adults alike are drawn to it. The bus is a conversation starter, sharing a message on how growing your own food supports a sustainable lifestyle.

Big Green, a Colorado-based nonprofit, will be spending some time in Charleston in an effort to bring people together over the power of growing food. It started off Aug. 20 by handing out home garden kits at some Charleston County public libraries.

The group stopped at four Charleston-area libraries over two days as a "kickoff" event, a welcome to the Charleston area. At each library, Big Green passed out 50 home garden kits, complete with a cloth pot, two bags of soil, zucchini plant seeds and a children’s book about zucchini.

While they’ve been in town, Madeleine Nelson, vice president of advancement at Big Green, said the group has been meeting with several local Charleston nonprofits over the last several days to identify the partners they will work with in the coming months to deploy thousands of gardens to homes, schools and community spaces.

Nelson said what brought the group to Charleston was a donation from Beeple Studios, an art gallery in the area, to promote food sustainability.

Mike Winkelmann, also known as digital artist Beeple, said he has known Kimbal Musk, co-founder and executive chairman of Big Green, for a few years. He said he and Musk worked together on a piece of art they sold, and then Winkelmann donated the proceeds to Big Green and Art into Acres, a nonprofit that transform the proceeds from the sale of donated artwork into acres of conserved land.