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Long Island’s developers go back to the drawing board
By Shannon Cavanaugh
Contributing Writer
Developers wanting to build 190 units on the remote 143-acre Long Island located off Folly Beach have withdrawn their original plans from the city of Folly Beach, and are now meeting privately with select conservation and preservation groups.
“We’re responding with a totally different look to the island,” said John Hagerty with Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough in Charleston, outside counsel for developers K+A Acquisition Group LLC. “It’s now set up to address new conservation ordinances, grouping more houses together and providing for more green space.”
Architect Gerry Smith rolled out the new plans on a long sheet of color-coded paper for representatives from Folly Beach, the Lowcountry Land Trust, the Coastal Conservation League, the Trust for Public Land and the Battleground Preservation Trust with instructions to look it over and give feedback.
“This plan is not set in stone. What we want to do is make a unique and special place that has an overarching sustainable design,” Smith explained. “We want to show sensitivity to the habitat with our neighbors in mind. We want to get away from the typical USA look. Our ideas include seven fishing villages and camps with a wideness and wildness and larger expanses creating a rhythm in housing.”
Businessman and developer Joseph Kimmel of Asheville, N.C., purchased Long Island for $7.5 million, but along with that hefty price tag came a public outcry. At odds—nature and history versus man’s need to develop.
Kimmel wants to develop a large portion of the island with set asides for public access to nature and Civil War sites. Ideas include: public piers with no boating slips, raised walking trails connected with access to the marshes, an amphitheatre, the conservation of trees and protection of Civil War sites and relics.
Smith spoke of a winding crushed oyster shell road through the island that would give drivers a sight of green at every turn and one-acre lots that would give homes a spacious feel. Those lots would include 100 homes, about half of the developers’ original proposal.
Developers also seek a zoning change. The island is currently zoned residential-1, but developers would like to open a 65-room boutique hotel, retail shops and a possible market on the west end of the island. They would build a dock for boats to tie off and provide public parking for visitors with the idea they might make the island golf-cart accessible.
Another thought is to build a pedestrian and bike bridge from Oak Island to Long Island. The missing link would be if and where they could connect a main bridge to access Long Island.
Reaction to this new plan for an upscale community built on one of the last remaining undeveloped islands drew mixed reactions but an overwhelming “thank you for including us.”
“Wow, we were hoping to not have development spread all over the island, more in a cluster and leave some areas for habitat for wildlife and not connect all the islands,” said Nancy Vinson, water quality program director with the Coastal Conservation League.
“This is an incredibly special island you’re talking about, and wildlife is getting shoved to islands like this because they have no where else to go. Of course, the very best outcome is that you don’t develop any of it and leave it in its natural state. But if you are intent on developing, we could work with you on 10 to 20 homes, and there are a lot of tax advantages and options for purchasing a part of the island for conservancy. This island is an ecological jewel.”
For 2 1/2 hours, the group discussed options and issues ranging from the advantages and disadvantages of public vs. private use, donation of the land, selling the island and the public’s impact on wildlife and Civil War artifacts.
“Anything on a scale of 20 houses or more takes this out of the realm of conservation property,” said Lewis Hay with the Lowcountry Open Land Trust. “The human impact, lights, traffic, trips, this won’t be a conservation property anymore. However, you could make it the second best, protecting nature, history and a place to live. What you’ve presented here, half of this would not work on a land trust project. Let’s not fool ourselves: This is a development project, not a conservation project.”
“Our concern is the Civil War sites on the island. We were satisfied very much with their preservation-minded plans,” said Mike Taylor, executive director with the Battleground Preservation Trust. “These sites are eligible for the National Register of the Historic Trust. These sites have sat there a couple hundred years undisturbed, but in the face of development of what is planned, it’s acceptable to us.”
While the Battleground Preservation Trust was pleased with what they saw, other preservationists were not, including Blake Hallman, who won a major victory in saving Morris Island from development. Hallman was not invited to the meeting but was quick to say Long Island is worth fighting for until the bitter end.
The reason for this reaction is the historic value of the island. Soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War sought safety on Long Island. Union soldiers built two forts there. Hallman said the cloverleaf outline of one fort and a trench is still visible some 140 years later. In the middle of the island, the soldiers built a prison and hospital with a two-gun position wall still standing. It is not unusual to find pieces of cannon balls on the island.
Kimmel, the man responsible for bringing all this attention to Long Island, said he walked the entire island.
“It just happened by the grace of God I would end up with the last island. I feel I have a responsibility there and want people to embrace the island and as many people as can enjoy it. Yes, I’m open to selling it, but I have other partners. I don’t have a number worked out now, but I will. Of course, this is all a difficult equation,” Kimmel said.
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