By Shannon Cavanaugh
Contributing Writer

Joanne Sabel remembers the days she walked hand in hand with her husband Arnold along the beach, birdsongs wafting across the sea oats. It is for those memories that Sabel is donating 78 acres of marshland to the Folly Beach Nature Conservancy.

With the stroke of a pen, she turned over the deed in an effort to keep the marshland in its natural state and prevent development of Long Island. Developers call Long Island profitable and a homeowner’s paradise. Conservationists call its 143 acres of pristine land and one of wildlife’s last great escapes from the urbanization of Charleston.

“I had read about a developer wanting to build a bridge to Long Island, and I couldn’t do anything with the marshland,” said Sabel. “Development of that island would just be harmful. It’s so beautiful over there. I felt like I needed to do something to help. I want the marsh left as is. Folly Beach has a big tug on my heart. Arnold sold a lot by Morris Island to buy my engagement ring.”

The Sabel family’s ties to Folly Beach and Charleston run deep. Joseph and Sophie Sabel immigrated to the United States in the 1920s from Russia to escape the Russian civil war. Joseph “made a living by carving furniture, a trade he learned in Russia,” and together they reared eight children.

As their family and income grew, the Sabel family purchased land on Folly Beach and James Island. They opened the Sabel Iron Works that operated across the street from Sol Legare Road until 1977.

The Charleston County Assessor’s Office values the 78 acres of marshland at $800 with a yearly tax due of $10.41. However, Folly Beach attorney Ben Peeples and City Councilman Eddie Ellis, who secured the donation, say Sabel’s donation is priceless when it comes to protecting the marshland and preventing the building of a bridge to Long Island. The land lies within the city limits of Charleston but is deeded to Folly Beach.

“The partnership between Joanne Sabel and myself is a good example of how private land owners and elected officials can work together to protect the environment and stop overdevelopment,” said Ellis. “The intrinsic value of Long Island is that it is one of the last undeveloped islands and is … an environmental jewel. It’s in Folly Beach’s best interest that it should remain in its natural state.”

Asheville millionaire and businessman Joe Kimmel and K&A Acquisition Group want to develop Long Island. Kimmel recently invited local conservationists, preservationists and Folly Beach officials to the table for a discussion of the “what ifs.”

To access Long Island, developers would have to build a bridge. How and where is up for debate, but Peas Island is one consideration with its proximity to Long Island.

Now, with a gift of 78 acres of marshland from Sabel, Peas Island is surrounded, not unlike the days of the Civil War when soldiers fought and died on Long Island, James Island and Folly Beach, standing their ground in a thicket of mosquitoes and mud.

“This is a very generous gift to nature,” said Nancy Vinson, director of the water quality program with the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and an opponent of the Long Island development.

“She is playing a critical role in blocking a bridge that could open up a remote island to development and with her donation also protecting all kinds of wildlife habitat from migratory birds to bobcats. This is amazing. We so much appreciate her love of the Lowcountry.”

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