Dear Island Neighbors,

Hopefully you have been warm and healthy as we have been making our way through January and February. Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, so it may be too early to put up the winter clothes, but of course we will no doubt have some warm spells before St. Patrick’s Day.

And in that vein, remember to be aware that the first fairly warm and sunny “beach” weekend of the year, however early it occurs, always brings a deluge of beach traffic and likely traffic jams...just too many people at one time for us and the Isle of Palms and Mt. Pleasant.

We recently had a meeting of the mayors and police and administrative leadership of our three municipalities to discuss plans for the impending beach traffic season and brainstorm ways to manage it and coordinate our efforts. There is an inevitable limit to the resources available to manage beach traffic “events” (and in many ways they are our local, smaller equivalent of Clemson football game traffic events), an absolute limit to the amount of beaches we have, and NO apparent limit to the numbers of people who want to enjoy the beach.

So please incorporate beach traffic into your off-Island travel plans in the months ahead, and bring along a bit of patience. Check our traffic cams with either the Beach Reach app or the SCDOT 511 app for real time info on traffic on the Causeway, IOP Connector, and MP roads connecting to them.

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW BUILDING OFFICIAL!

At our last Council meeting I had the pleasure of swearing in Max Wurthmann as our new Building Official. Max succeeds Randy Robinson, who served so ably in that position for many years up to his recent retirement. Max has worked with Randy for the last three years, so he has definitely learned the ropes. Max’s family has deep Island roots, and he is a current Island resident. Please join me in welcoming Max!

MORE WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT OUR UNIQUE HISTORY

We are blessed to inhabit a place steeped in centuries of history that is still very apparent throughout the Island, from end to end. Perhaps you’ve wondered, “What exactly is that, and how did it get here?” when observing some Island structures or places.

Well, thanks to a partnership of the Town and the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center (BGCC), you may be getting some answers to those questions. A project is underway to produce and install interpretive signage at a number of locations on the Island. Some wayside markers are on the way to explain the history that happened here and that is often represented by our historic structures and locations.

The first three markers are ordered and nearing installation to tell you about the real history of “The Mound” at Stith Park (no, it wasn’t originally built so kids would have a place to slide down on cardboard boxes), the cannons at Middle Street at Station 18 and the Baptist Church, and the field at Middle and Station 17. We’ll get the word out on those installations once the dates are known.

Says Dr. Mike Walsh, BGCC President, “We think on an Island this historic, that additional historic markers are long overdue, and we are happy to see this come to fruition. We hope that these will be the first of many more to come.”

So do I, so we Island residents (kids and adults) and our visitors can acquire an enhanced appreciation of this great place!

AND SPEAKING OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES...

I am always struck by the degree to which many Island residents pay attention to changes to our great built environment, whether it involves new construction or modifications to our many important historic structures. It’s been about 20 years since we introduced our first historic preservation ordinance, and you might be surprised to learn that in addition to our Town-designated historic districts, we have 5 National Register of Historic Places Districts.

This period since our first historic preservation ordinance has seen very much building-related activity on the Island. We have all probably heard a great many comments from neighbors on their views of these changes, and how they affect the overall feel of the Island in general and the fate of the many structures on our historic preservation list.

To assess the sense of our community on these matters, including historic and new structures, Town Council, under the leadership of Councilmember Gary Visser, Chair of the Land Use and Natural Resources (LUNR) committee, has established a time-limited Historic Preservation and Design Study Group as a subcommittee of the LUNR Committee.

Here’s Gary’s description of this important effort:

“Sullivan’s Island has over 20 years of ordinances intended to preserve and protect the unique historic structures found on the island.  With several ordinances aimed at these goals they frequently lend themselves to conflicts with other building codes, leaving homeowners confused and delayed in construction projects.  John Winchester is chairing this subcommittee that will examine these ordinances and make recommendations for changes.  The subcommittee is composed of a variety of professionals, architects, builders, and historic preservation professionals as well as other residents.  The group will hold all meetings in public invited forums, recorded and available for review by anyone accessing the town’s website. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 3rd, at 4 PM at Town Hall, and all are invited to attend."

See you around the Island!

Pat O’Neil
Mayor
843 670 9266
Twitter: @oneilpm1
oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov