March comes in like a...... what?

Welcome to the 3rd Month of 2024

Entering March, we as a community have a lot happening, we will also see change in the surrounding areas of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. 

As for our community, just about two weeks or so ago, Big Bear Roofing just about finished our new roofs on buildings 1, 2, and 3. The project seemed to go well, with a few minor blips here and there. Being retired and somewhat living a semi-boring life...(hmmm actually I'm having the time of my life), I was able to watch the roofer in action. These workers were very capable, hard workers, that didn't seem to stop. At some points, I was worried for their safety, seeing them work well into the darkness. I am glad to see no one was hurt on the job. The company is finishing up this week (3/1-3/6 or so) with the final touches that were not accessible with ladders.

 
You will see them are using a tall platform crane to finish the eves.

 

How do you feel about this project?  

I truly believe this was an extremely wise and needed aspect for our community. 

Several reasons below for why I think (my opinions only) (from February blog) this could be beneficial. 

1. Building three had several areas that have developed roofing leaks. As a condo community, we all need to make sure our top floor neighbors are just as safe from the weather and damage as we on the first and second floors tend to be.  

2. With the elevating insurance costs hitting us, coastal region, condo communities are under severe financial assault. We need to find every spare penny to keep us afloat. New roofs help in these costs. The near future will tell us how much we can save if any.

3. If anyone in our community is looking to relocate to other areas and are thinking of selling, a new roof is quite a wonderful addition to your home. 

 

March 9th - Our yearly HOA Meeting - This morning (3/9/24), the HOA of Indigo Hall had its annual HOA meeting. The proxies and in person turnout allowed our meeting to happen. There were many things discussed at our meeting, but the 2 major issues surrounding our community are/were the the construction of lots 7400 and 7600, and the final assessment that will be levied upon the community. Due to the excellent work of Chris Arnold and the insurance committee, our insurance costs will be lower than last years budget, so, our assessment will be lower than what I expected. Also good news on the construction front. 7400 and 7600 will begin soon. Several, to mostly all of the requested actions asked by our board to the new construction company will be met. Some include; work on the parking lot, changes to the design of the new building, and others. One important request asked and received was a service road will be constructed and utilized by all construction equipment. This means no major construction traffic through our neighborhood. Please look for an email from the board to spell out the the latest updates.

Congratulations to Chris Arnold and Cynthia Morin for being elected to the board of directors.

On Betsy Kerrison Parkway

From Last Months Blog - The proposed development known as the Health and Wellness Village had a public hearing before the county council on December 12, 2023. The council was inundated with overwhelming objections to this project, and the developer has agreed to meet with the community prior to returning to the county council. A small informal poll was sent out by the Johns Island Advocate, and a 75% opposition to the rezoning was recorded. (The Johns Island Advocate) 

UPDATE... On February 13, Charleston County Council voted to deny the upzoning for the "Botox Village" on Betsy Kerrison Parkway.  Councilmembers Boykin, Darby, Honeycutt and Kobrovsky voted for denial.  Councilmembers Middleton, Pryor, and Wehrman voted for approval.  Councilmembers Moody and Sass recused themselves. 

 

Council also voted to waive the one-year waiting period for the developer to go back to the Planning Commission.  Councilmembers Darby, Middleton, Pryor, and Wehrman voted for this wavier.  Councilmembers Boykin, Honeycutt and Kobrovsky voted against the wavier.   

This is a win for Johns Island, but it may be temporary.  The developer can restart the rezoning request process immediately.  This is a months-long process which involves resubmitting the rezoning request to staff and going back before the Planning Commission before finally returning to Council.

Charleston County 

Esau Jenkins Village:  On February 23, there was a groundbreaking for this 72-unit affordable housing project for senior residents.  The development is located on Maybank Hwy, between Main Rd and the bridge to Wadmalaw.  You can read more about it here.

County Public Works Tree Removal:  On February 27, County Council held the final reading for the reduced oversight for tree removals.  Unfortunately, Council seems intent on not including public hearings as part of this change.

Charleston County Historic Preservation Ordinance:  On February 27, County Council will hold a public hearing regarding proposed changes to this ordinance. You can read more about it here.

Johns Island Council:  On March 7, the featured speakers for the March meeting will be representatives from Trident Hospital.  They will present plans and answer questions regarding their proposed hospital to be located on Maybank Highway. 

(The Johns Island Advocate)

Kiawah Island / Seabrook Island

Beachwalker Park and Captain Sams Spit:  With the termination last year of the development agreement between the Town of Kiawah Island and the developer Kiawah Partners, there has been a lot of activity associated with the park and the spit.  This includes an offer from the Partners to sell the spit for $40M.  You can read more about it here and here.

(The Johns Island Advocate)

Kiawah River Estates

Kiawah River Estates has taken on a big project to clean out the major overgrowth next to their tennis/pickleball courts and swimming pool area.

Talking with one of the supervising workers on the location, he said he was amazed at all the hidden plants and trees they found. "You should see all the boxwoods and crepe myrtles we found mixed in with all this junk". 

This area is now cleaned out and they will be moving along the KRE borders. I have noticed there are border lines strung, perhaps to prevent work on the golf course grounds.

UPDATE - From the last blog posting, the pickleball and tennis courts have been completely resurfaced, and updated landscaping and overgrowth continues to be removed. I found out an interesting aspect of this new rejuvenation of this front area. This area is owned by the KRE homeowners and members, not a private owner, so no homes will be built on this newly cleaned out areas. I asked a volunteer day homeowner, who told me the KRE homeowners are against any live oak being removed in this area.

Now That's Interesting

As many of you know, I am, (at least what I want to be) an artist in my leisure time. I paint impressionist watercolor landscapes and acrylic abstract expressionism. I am also very much interested in the history and the representation of major artistic movements, from the early cave drawings in France to the newer digital creations on-line, and EVERYTHING in between. This month is an art lesson in finance (if you want to call it that.)

Did you know- The most expensive painting, (or actually piece of artwork) was auctioned off at a Christies auction in November 2017. The painting was finally gaveled at the incredible price of 450.3 million dollars. The artwork is "Salvator Mundi" a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Created around 1500, the painting depicts Jesus Christ in the Rennaissance style holding a crystal orb and giving blessings to the viewer of the artwork. As of right now, the whereabouts of the painting is somewhat a mystery, being rumored to be hidden from view by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. 

History of the Painting

Art historians have suggested several possibilities for when the work was executed and who the patron may have been. Auction house Christie's stated that it was probably commissioned around 1500, shortly after King Louis XII of France conquered the Duchy of Milan and took control of Genoa in the Second Italian War; Leonardo himself moved from Milan to Florence in 1500. The art historian Luke Syson agrees, dating the painting to c. 1499, though Martin Kemp and Frank Zöllner date the work to c. 1504–1510 and c. 1507 or later respectively. Based on their similarity in style and materials to the studies for The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, Carlo Pedretti dates the drapery studies in the Royal Collection, and thus the painting, to 1510–1515. 

The Salvator Mundi as an image type predates Leonardo. Thus, Martin Kemp argues that on one hand Leonardo was constrained in his composition by the expected iconography of the Salvator Mundi, but on the other hand, he was able to use the image as a vehicle for spiritual communication between the spectator and the likeness of Christ.

The original painting by Leonardo was thought to have been destroyed or lost around 1603. In 1978, Joanne Snow-Smith argued that the copy in the collection of the Marquis Jean-Louis de Ganay in Paris was the lost original, based on, among other things, its similarity to Leonardo's Saint John the Baptist. While Snow-Smith was thorough in her research in regard to the provenance of the painting and its relationship to Hollar, few art historians were convinced of her attribution.

A photo of the painting after the
initial cleaning

In 2005, a Salvator Mundi was presented at an auction at the St. Charles Gallery auction house in New Orleans, consigned from the estate of the Baton Rouge businessman Basil Clovis Hendry Sr. It had been heavily overpainted, to the point where the painting resembled a copy, and was, before restoration, described as "a wreck, dark and gloomy". It was acquired by a consortium of art dealers that included Alexander Parish and Robert Simon, a specialist in Old Masters. The consortium paid $1,175 for the painting.

The painting was exhibited in Hong Kong, London, San Francisco, and New York. Finally, on November 15, 2017, the painting was sold at auction for 450,312,500. 400 million + 50.3 million in fees, a new record for a piece of artwork. 

The painting hung in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's yacht Serene until late 2020, when it was removed to a secret Saudi location while the yacht was in a Dutch shipyard for maintenance. 

The painting is being kept in storage until a new museum is built to house it; the museum and gallery will be in a complex called Wadi AlFann in Al-'Ula, expected to be completed in 2024. 

(wikipedia)

Final Image

An abstract expressionist painting I created in the style of Gerhart Reichter. 

Keep watching for the HOA meeting updates early next week or so. Thanks as always.....RT

 

February is for ....the candy?

Welcome to the 2nd Month of 2024

Entering February, we as a community have a lot happening, we will also see change in the surrounding areas of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. 

As for our community, just about a week ago, (last week of January) Big Bear Roofing began our new roofing project. As of this blog writing, building three is just about finished, and the roofers will be moving onto building two, then building one. I also believe the clubhouse will be getting a new roof too. 

 

How do you feel about this project?  

I truly believe this was an extremely wise and needed aspect for our community. 

Several reasons below for why I think (my opinions only) this could be beneficial. 

1. Building three had several areas that have developed roofing leaks. As a condo community, we all need to make sure our top floor neighbors are just as safe from the weather and damage as we on the first and second floors tend to be.  

2. With the elevating insurance costs hitting us, coastal region, condo communities are under severe financial assault. We need to find every spare penny to keep us afloat. New roofs help in these costs. The near future will tell us how much we can save if any.

3. If anyone in our community is looking to relocate to other areas and are thinking of selling, a new roof is quite a wonderful addition to your home. 

7400, 7600 Construction - At a recent community invited meeting, details were discussed pertaining to the development and construction of condos on the vacant lots 7400 and 7600. Those attending in person and by telephone call-in had many good questions about the development of these lots, the pricing, HOA involvement, construction hours, parking, community access to construction vehicles, insurance information, and so on. A recent email from our new management company rep Cheryl Bailey has an attached pdf with the important questions and answers, along with a reference site map showing the planned areas of buildings, the previously built condos, and the Indigo Hall boundaries. At this writing (2/1/24), the development company CK Development has NOT settled on the purchase of either building lot. If I hear any information that is not stepping on toes, I'll let you know.

On Betsy Kerrison Parkway

From Last Months Blog - The proposed development known as the Health and Wellness Village had a public hearing before the county council on December 12, 2023. The council was inundated with overwhelming objections to this project, and the developer has agreed to meet with the community prior to returning to the county council. A small informal poll was sent out by the Johns Island Advocate, and a 75% opposition to the rezoning was recorded. (The Johns Island Advocate) 

UPDATE... On January 25, the Charleston County Council Public Works Committee voted to defer the rezoning for the new Health and Wellness Village until their next meeting, on February 8, 2024

Charleston County 

From Last Months Blog - A new proposed 1/2 cent sales tax referendum meeting will be held in late January/early February. This new tax proposed would be a transportation sales tax.  (The Johns Island Advocate)

UPDATE... Charleston County Council is considering placing a sales tax and user referendum question on the November 5, 2024 ballot "to finance the extension of the Mark Clark Expressway, as well as the costs of highways, roads, streets, bridges bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, mass transit systems and preservation of green spaces." (roads.charlestoncounty.org)

Kiawah Island 

Madeleine Kaye is the projected winner of 1/30/24 special election for a seat on Kiawah Island’s town council. Unofficial results from the Charleston County Board of Elections show Kaye earned 489 votes over her opponent, Alex Fernandez, who received 273 votes. 

Kaye served as a member of the Planning Commission for three years, where she was involved in key decisions related to the island’s future like the development of the Comprehensive Marsh Management Plan, rezoning key island parcels, and work on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. 

Congratulations on your victory.

“My track record during both my professional career and my volunteer activities on Kiawah is defined by teamwork and consensus building,” Kaye said in a profile on the town’s website. “A successful Town Council will be dependent upon the ability of its members to cooperate, collaborate, and reach sensible solutions.”

Kiawah River Estates

Kiawah River Estates has taken on a big project to clean out the major overgrowth next to their tennis/pickleball courts and swimming pool area.

Talking with one of the supervising workers on the location, he said he was amazed at all the hidden plants and trees they found. "You should see all the boxwoods and crepe myrtles we found mixed in with all this junk". 

This area is now cleaned out and they will be moving along the KRE borders. I have noticed there are border lines strung, perhaps to prevent work on the golf course grounds.

Now That's Interesting

The recorded oldest tree in South Carolina is the Angel Oak, a southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) that’s an estimated 400-500 years old.

This old tree stands 66.5 feet tall with a 28 feet circumference trunk. Its longest branch is 187 feet, and it casts shade for 17,000 square feet.

If the Angel Oak is 500 years old, it was a young sapling when Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. No doubt this tree has seen a lot of change. It’s certainly survived earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which damaged its branches but not enough to topple the trunk.

However, there is debate surrounding Angel Oak and its oldest tree in South Carolina title. There are claims that bald cypress trees among South Carolina’s forests are much older with some estimates suggesting they are 1,000 years old.

These claims are not proven, but sometime in the future, the Angel Oak may lose its crown.

Where is South Carolina’s Oldest Tree?

The City of Charleston owns Angel Oak. It’s located on John’s Island (right down Bohicket, if you didn't know), and it’s the main attraction of the city park. 400,000 people discover the oldest tree in South Carolina each year. The park is open seven days a week, and although you are discouraged from touching it, you can stand beneath its canopy and soak up its history.

Why is it called the Angel Oak?

The Angel Oak is named after plantation owners Justus Angel and his wife Martha Waight Tucker Angel, who owned the land it stood on in the early 1800s. 

Emily Nelson’s The Heart of a Child novel features the Angel Oak. It’s enjoyed by many people attending social events, and it’s the backdrop of many wedding photographs too. 

South Carolina is home to many live oaks, and they are an iconic species of the deep South. They survive drought through their long taproot, which also serves as an anchor against strong winds and is the reason why so many remain standing after hurricanes pass through.

Native Americans would bend live oak tree branches and sapling trees to grow at sharp angles. This created trail markers to help find pathways, but it didn’t give the secret trail away because live oaks tend to naturally grow at angles. The Angel Oak has branches that swerve down, enter the soil, and grow back out again.

The oldest and largest live oak in the deep south is the Seven Sisters Oak in Mandeville, Louisiana. It’s 500-1000 years old and only 57 feet tall, but it has a limb spread of 153 feet. (Discover the Oldest Tree in South Carolina - A-Z Animals (a-z-animals.com)

The Final Image

I am sad to report that Kathryn and I had to put our great dog Chloe down in January. You met Chloe back as our first Pet of the Month. Chloe was our 17 year old English Pointer, who along with her brother Ray were adopted by us when they were about 8-12 months old. Ray passed away when he was 12, and Chloe survived him by 5 years. She was always a fantastic dog, although very sporty, and very much a hunter, she soon found out snapping turtles in South Carolina will take crap off of no one.   Always trying to grab the closest squirrel, rabbit or mole, she was getting frustrated as she knew her legs were not cooperating like they used too. We will miss her very much.

The blog will be short this month. I will be attempting to gathering important, new article information and checking into some specific aspects of our community, such as the final aspect of the 7400, 7600 construction details, some info pertaining to the surrounding communities of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. Keep checking. If I find out anything new during this month pertaining to the next phase construction, roofing, etc, Ill cut in with an update, so keep a watch.

RT

 

2024 - Have A Fantastic New Year

Let's Hope for a Fantastic New Year

As we bring in the new year in our small little part of heaven called Indigo Hall at Kiawah River Estates, let's hope we can be thankful for what we have as a community and family. 

The new year should bring in some new changes to our community, we will also see change in the surrounding areas of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. 

As for our community, we are changing management companies. Property Management Services was awarded the new contract. Our contact will be Cheryl Baily. Let's wish our new management company much success. 

On Betsy Kerrison Parkway, the proposed development known as the Health and Wellness Village had a public hearing before the county council on December 12, 2023. The council was inundated with overwhelming objections to this project, and the developer has agreed to meet with the community prior to returning to the county council. A small informal poll was sent out by the Johns Island Advocate, and a 75% opposition to the rezoning was recorded. (The Johns Island Advocate)

Charleston County - A new proposed 1/2 cent sales tax referendum meeting will be held in late January/early February. This new tax proposed would be a transportation sales tax.  (The Johns Island Advocate)

Beachwalker Park - The park is located on Kiawah Island and is run by the Charleston County Parks Commission, but the land on which it is located is leased by Charleston County from its owners, Kiawah Partners.  The lease was signed in 1976 and has a 99 year term.  Since the Development Agreement between Kiawah Partners and Town of Kiawah Island expired late last year, the Town is going through a rezoning process that includes Beachwalker Park.  There was some concern on social media that this would adversely impact the park.  There will be no impact, at least not through 2075.

(The Johns Island Advocate)

Now That's Interesting

Did you know?

The earliest recorded New Year's celebration is thought to be in Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C., according to Earth Sky. While the celebrations actually occurred during the vernal equinox in mid-March — as this was considered the start of the new year by the calendar at the time — an eleven-day festival was held that would probably put our current parties to shame. According to History.com, the Ancient Mesopotamian people performed rituals, celebrated the religious victory of the sky god Marduk over the sea goddess Tiamat and either crowned a new king or allowed their old king to continue his reign. 

The new year wasn't always celebrated in January, The Ancient Roman calendar used to follow the lunar cycle, and had the new year beginning in March. Sosigenes, an astronomer, convinced Julius Caesar to follow the solar year, instead. From 46 B.C. on, the new year began in January.

Starting the new year in January was partially done to honor the god Janus, for whom the month was named. Since Janus had two faces, he was able to look back into the past and forward into the future simultaneously, making him a great spokesperson for the holiday we celebrate today. 

Most of us are familiar with the traditional ball drop in New York City's Times Square; even if we haven't sojourned to the city to see it, we have likely watched it on TV. But why does New York drop a giant, lit-up ball on New Year's Eve anyway? According to PBS, the festivities of New Year's Eve moved to the New York Times building in 1904 after previously taking place at Trinity Church in Manhattan, where spectators were able to hear the chiming of the bells signaling midnight. However, when the fireworks began, it quickly became obvious that the usual spectacle wouldn't do: Hot ashes fell down on the streets after the display, causing problems and leading the New York Police Department to put a ban on fireworks. New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs went to Walter Palmer, the Times' chief electrician, to create something different to draw in crowds and avoid the rains of fiery doom. Palmer, inspired by the maritime tradition of dropping the ball so sailors could adjust their chronometers while at sea, devised the idea of dropping a lit-up ball on New Year's Eve.

The tradition of dropping the ball in Times Square has been a tradition ever since 1907. 

Hope all have a very Happy New Year.

The blog will be short this month. I am busy gathering important, new article information and checking into some specific aspects of our community, the surrounding communities of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Kiawah River Estates. Keep checking. February should be a full blog with new information coming.

 

While the Merry Bells keep ringing

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Are Hopefully Done

Now that we are into December, I will be removing the Hurricane and Tropical Storm information. Seem like we were very lucky this year, and let's hope our luck continues throughout the following years to come. Remember, if the coastal/hurricane area can avoid expensive damage and keep insurance claims low to zero, our insurance rates will hopefully drop to match our HOA budget. The hurricane information will return later this year, when the season returns.

Now That's Interesting

Did you know?

Between 25-30 million real, natural trees are sold each year. A growing awareness of environmental sustainability among the millennials compared to artificial variants increased the demand for natural Christmas trees, which has augmented the sales of fresh-cut real Christmas trees in the region in recent years.

The North America Christmas Tree Market size is expected to grow from USD 1.33 billion in 2023 to USD 1.64 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.28% during the forecast period (2023-2028).

Growing Consciousness Toward Environmental Sustainability

• Artificial trees are manufactured from several types of plastic and metal. Processing these components takes significant energy and causes significant pollution. sustainability and eco-friendliness are becoming increasingly important factors in consumer purchase decisions, particularly among younger generations.
• As such, the demand for environmentally-friendly products, including real Christmas trees, will continue to rise in the coming years. This factor further corroborates a shortage in the domestic supply in the region, as trees, once planted, need 7-10 years to grow. Although a sizeable portion of trees planted in eastern Canada is shipped to the United States every year, demand in the destined market still outpaces the exports.
• Real Christmas trees can also be recycled for a considerable amount of time without any underlying environmental threat and can be turned into mulch or biofuel. With a declining number of farms amid a shortage in operations by senior farmers, a new wave of young farmers is expected to fill the documented gap in the country, thus stabilizing the domestic supply in response to the growing demand in the coming years.

So, just to be upfront.... I have an artificial tree.

Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/north-america-christmas-tree-market

Seeing Our Community Flourish

Indigo Hall Community celebrate the holidays with the addition of holiday wreaths. I want to thank Brian and Sara Yuncker for their generosity in purchasing the beautiful wreaths.

Just A Reminder

Many people are decorating their homes for the holidays, but pet owners should be aware that some plants used for holiday decorating can be dangerous to cats and dogs. Understanding which plants are toxic, and which are not, can help bring home the festive spirit and avoid danger for pets.

One of the most popular holiday plants often considered poisonous are poinsettias. But in fact, they are “non” to “mildly” toxic and do not deserve their bad reputation. Pets that ingest poinsettias generally have no clinical signs or mild gastrointestinal discomfort. A mild rash may develop if rubbed on the skin, but they are considered safe to keep in the home. Dr. Dorothy Black, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVM), explained, “Poinsettias are usually referred to as highly toxic, but they really aren’t. Feel free to display them at Christmas.” 

Mistletoe, on the other hand, can be quite poisonous to pets. If ingested, pets may experience gastrointestinal upset, or show clinical signs of poisoning such as a change in mental function, difficulty breathing, or a low heart rate. "If you see these symptoms in your pet and suspect or know they ingested mistletoe, you should seek veterinary assistance as soon as possible,” Black said. “Mistletoe shouldn’t be used where pets could possibly reach it.”

Another holiday decorative plant, holly, can be dangerous for pets and is considered poisonous. Clinical symptoms may be displayed as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased energy, and general upset stomach. Owners should seek veterinary assistance if they suspect their pets of ingesting holly.

Amaryllis and Daffodils are also considered poisonous for pets. If ingested, pets may vomit, appear depressed, or show signs of a painful abdomen and a loss of appetite.

“Some pets who consume amaryllis or daffodils will show symptoms of tremors,” Black said. “This can be a sign of severe toxicity.”

Lilies are particularly toxic to cats. The ingestion of any part of any type of lily can lead to kidney failure. The clinical signs can include vomiting, depression, or loss of appetite. If you suspect your cat of ingesting lilies, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. There is no antidote, and intense supportive care is needed for cats to recover.

“The more toxic the plant, the more careful you should be with displaying them in your home. While Poinsettias and Christmas trees are generally safe for pets, holly, mistletoe, amaryllis, daffodils, and lilies should be considered quite toxic,” Black said. “Pets should not be allowed to come in contact with poisonous holiday plants, and if they are displayed in the home they should be kept out of reach, and pet’s behavior should be monitored to make sure they do not show symptoms of poisoning.”

Which Holiday Plants are Toxic to Dogs? | Modern Dog magazine

Our Next-Door Communities

AN UPDATE TO THIS PREVIOUS ARTICLE 

At a public hearing before Charleston County Council about thirty residents spoke out against proposed zoning changes requested by Charleston County's Public Works Department.  No one spoke in favor of the changes.

The Charleston County Planning Commission voted to disapprove the proposed "Health and Wellness Village" on Betsy Kerrison Parkway.  It now goes to County Council. 

I will continue to monitor any information pertaining to this new development. I will keep this article up for December to allow anyone who have not reviewed it to do so.

A high density planned development is proposed for Betsy Kerrison Parkway near Kiawah Town Hall.  The development ... which would allow professional and medical offices, general services, retail, restaurants, and multi-family housing ... goes by the name "Island Park Place Health & Wellness Village".  

Under current zoning, no more than 53 houses could be built.  Due to the location of the wetlands, it is likely that the actual number of houses would be less than that.

Although some of the occupants of the development could be medical in nature, this is not an actual medical facility such as the Trident Medical Center to be built on Maybank Highway or the MUSC medical facility to be built near Freshfields.

As is abundantly clear in the site plan graphic above, this would be a very high-density development.  It would consist of 14 two- and three-story buildings, a parking garage, a private wastewater treatment plant, roadways and parking for 557 vehicles.  To accomplish this the developer proposes to fill in up to 2.5 acres of wetlands and cut down 12 grand trees.

The remaining parcel would primarily consist of the required buffers, stormwater ponds and what remains of the wetlands.  This does not remotely resemble the bucolic wellness campus the developer had described in the past.

It would be a 159,846 sq-ft mixed use development, which would include 18 multi-family units (e.g. apartments).  In comparison, Freshfields is 192,000 sq-ft, which would make this development about 83% the size of Freshfields.

If the developer cannot make a go at it, it would revert to General Office (GO) zoning.  This zoning would allow even more by-right uses, including hotels and motels.  It appears that it is solely up to the developer to decide that they cannot make a go of it.  We asked you to give us your views on the proposed "Health and Wellness Village" proposed for Betsy Kerrison Parkway.  This proposed development would be located just north of Kiawah Town Hall. 

Note that this is NOT the Trident Medical Center proposed for Maybank Highway or the MUSC medical facility proposed for near Freshfields. The survey showed overwhelming opposition to the rezoning.  This was the case for both those from Johns Island as well as those from Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. This rezoning will come before the Charleston County Planning Commission on Monday, November 13, at 2:00 pm. A notice from the Johns Island Advocate will be send out an action alert once the application package becomes available. This should be at least a week before the meeting.  The action alert will include where to send your comments and the location of the meeting. 

We continue to be encouraged by the number of residents of Kiawah and Seabrook Islands who are in solidarity with Johns Islanders.  (The Johns Island Advocate)

Final Image of the Month

Rick, Allison, Kathy and Erin

Wanted to wish my family and everyone here a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year. 

The blog will be short this month. I have been busy with various activities that have taken away from my writing time. With the holiday seasons approaching, Decembers blogs will be short, but will return to full, hard hitting, kicking butt and taking names blog in January... hmmmmm or maybe just some dog photos and fun stuff......