By Dennis Quick
Senior Staff Writer

The commission’s 10 county parks and recreational facilities enjoyed a “great” May, which makes expectations high for June, July and August, the county’s hottest months in terms of park attendance. The summer months account for half of total park attendance each year, O’Rourke said.

Park attendance over the years has been on the rise, from 1.5 million visitors during 2004 to 1.98 million in 2006. Attendance for 2007 is on track to top 2 million. Between 75% and 80% of park visitors are from the tri-county area, O’Rourke said.

Park revenues rose from $8 million in 2005 to $9.4 million in 2006 and are projected to exceed $10.2 million in 2007, he said.

To date, the commission has sold 8,000 season-long “splash” passes for the county’s three water parks—Splash Island in Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park, Splash Zone in James Island County Park and Whirlin’ Waters in North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, O’Rourke said.

The passes range in price from $54.99 to $84.99; the passes that include guests are priced higher.

O’Rourke attributes the commission’s sunny financial health to the tri-county area’s growing population and to an “enterprise system” in which the commission operates in the black under its own finances rather than from tax dollars.

In 1992, the commission, then operating only four parks—Palmetto Islands County Park, James Island County Park, Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island and Folly Beach County Park—was financially in the red. It asked for $34 million through a Charleston County referendum to acquire more land so more parks could be built and more attractions offered.

The money enabled the commission to open additional parks and attractions. Splash Island opened in 1994. The following year saw the opening of the Splash Zone water park, the Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier on Folly Beach and the Cooper River Marina near the former Charleston Navy base. The Isle of Palms County Park opened in 1996, Wannamaker County Park in North Charleston opened in 1998, the Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel opened in 2000 and the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on Johns Island opened in 2001.

These additions strengthened the commission’s recreational offerings, which in turn attracted more visitors and generated more revenue, O’Rourke explained.

The commission’s enterprise system is self-sustaining. Moneymaking attractions such as the water parks help compensate for less profitable attractions such as the Caw Caw Interpretative Center, where visitors learn the Lowcountry’s natural and cultural history, O’Rourke said.

“The Caw Caw Interpretive Center was not meant to be a cash cow,” O’Rourke said.

The county’s half-cent sales tax, which will raise $1.3 billion over 25 years, allots about $221.5 million for the creation of parks and recreational facilities and the preservation of green spaces. The commission will use its share of that allotment to buy land parcels for new parks, with West Ashley and Mount Pleasant being the choice locations, O’Rourke said.

The commission would like to expand its beach parks to accommodate more swimmers in the areas watched by lifeguards. Whether municipalities and residents allow the commission to do this remains to be seen, O’Rourke said.

Dennis Quick is senior staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail him at dquick@charlestonbusiness.com.

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