Co-Working Space in Awendaw, SC

The town of Awendaw was incorporated more than three decades ago, not so much to provide municipal services but to let residents control their planning and zoning decisions rather than relying on county government. In recent years, however, that job has become increasingly challenging because Mount Pleasant is running out of large developable sites, our region’s continued growth is creating dramatic demand for more housing and Awendaw’s location helps it retain much of its rural charm, wedged as it is between two environmental treasures of national significance: the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the Francis Marion National Forest.

It’s more important than ever that town officials recognize the growing importance and intensity of their planning work — and rise to the occasion to protect the relaxed, rural ambiance that has defined this part of South Carolina’s coast.

There are some encouraging signs.

A year ago, we lamented proposals to develop two large subdivisions, with 249 and 204 homes respectively, to be served by individual septic tanks since there are no sewer lines in the town. Those are still in the permitting stages and we hope they will be scaled back if they’re built at all. They certainly underscore the need for state regulators to consider the cumulative impact of large subdivisions with dozens, even hundreds, of septic tanks that can compromise nearby waterways, as they have done along Shem and James Island creeks.

But the encouraging news is when yet another septic-tank subdivision was proposed recently, the Awendaw Planning Commission voted unanimously against Sewee Landing’s 72 homes on 50 acres. At the same meeting, the commission recommended an update of the town’s planned development ordinance that these subdivisions had relied on.

Awendaw Town Council could consider both the subdivision proposal and the ordinance rewrite as early as this week, and we urge council members to follow their planning commissioners’ advice.

Even when a septic system is well-maintained, it can face problems if the water table is too high, and rising groundwater can carry the resulting contaminants to rivers and marshes, a problem that’s expected to grow more acute as climate change pushes sea levels higher. Awendaw’s proximity to the pristine Cape Romain makes it a desirable place to live, but too many septic tanks too close to the refuge (and too close to each other) could taint the very thing that makes the area an attractive place to visit and to live.

These developments don’t pose a threat simply because they would rely on septic systems. They also would increase the amount of impervious surface and stormwater runoff, exacerbate habitat loss and degrade the community’s rural character.

Awendaw is a small town that seems to have been pushed around at times. Its deal for a new park to be created by then-Charleston County Councilman Elliott Summey in exchange for Mr. Summey’s right to mine dirt on the park site ended badly. The mining stopped in 2019, but the town had to sue to try to get an accounting of what was done there; the park itself is still a distant dream. In another part of town, the King Tract mine was allowed to expand even though it had been hit with more than a dozen water quality violations.

So we’re encouraged that there’s a proactive solution in the works. Awendaw is drafting a new comprehensive plan to replace one that’s 13 years old. This process will provide town leaders, residents and others a perfect chance to forge a shared vision of how the town should manage growth, and they should make sure they make the most of this chance.

After all, the pressures on their town are only expected to intensify in the years to come.

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A angular swath of timberland known as the Nebo Tract was an early poster child of the development pressures that were bleeding over into Awendaw and the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge some 15 years or more ago.

The debate hasn’t relented about growth in and around the rural town of about 1,500 residents, just up the road from Mount Pleasant.

But as for that particular piece of real estate — it’s off the table.

The Nature Conservancy now owns the 355-acre parcel along U.S. Highway 17, bounded by Mount Nebo AME Church and the 259,000-acre Francis Marion National Forest.

The land-protection group bought it from the previous longtime owner from the Chicago area earlier this month for $3.6 million. The property had been marketed for several years through NAI Charleston for $4.5 million.

“It was Christmas in March when we closed,” said Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of the Nature Conservancy in South Carolina.

She said her organization had been keeping its eye on the Nebo Tract for some time. It decided to step in after a deal with another would-be buyer fell through.

“We made an offer to purchase it, and the owners accepted,” Threatt-Taylor said. “So we were delighted and moved forward with it.”

For now, the nonprofit has no firm plans for its latest acquisition in the Sewee-to-Santee district, between Awendaw and lower Georgetown County. Typically, the group will quickly sell or transfer its land holdings to a like-minded owner, such as the U.S. Forest Service, but that’s not likely in this instance, Threatt-Taylor said. She also stressed the conservancy won’t “go off mission.”

“We’re actually going to look at this property to find the best path forward. We want to engage the community in the conversation. ... Also, we may do something totally new ... and innovative that we can lead from here in South Carolina and show our partners across the nation, ‘Hey, it’s a new day in conservation.’”

Charleston is better-positioned in the commercial real estate sector than much larger U.S. markets to stave off economic distress that could result from higher borrowing costs and the unsettled office sector after the pandemic.

That’s the assessment of industry experts who specialize in office, industrial and retail properties.

“There are more tailwinds than headwinds (for Charleston),” said Manus Clancy, senior managing director at Trepp, a New York City-based financial information service for the commercial real estate industry.

“Charleston is strong across all property types,” he said. “You are punching above your weight when it comes to the metrics.”

Clancy noted “a dramatic difference in geography” across the nation for areas affected by the fallout of the shift toward the hybrid model of in-person and remote office work policies.

Large cities, such as San Francisco, Baltimore and Seattle, where the quality-of-life quotient is offset by long commutes, are not faring well after the global health crisis.

“This puts cities like Charleston, Greenville, Austin and Salt Lake City in the driver’s seat to attract more industries,” Clancy said.

He pointed out housing costs are higher in Charleston than most of the rest of South Carolina, but compared to many large metro areas it’s more affordable and the quality of life is attractive in the Lowcountry.

He also noted the area’s labor force is strong and increasingly better educated.

“People want to flock to places where their students can be educated,” Clancy said. “In Charleston, you have the ability to make that case.”

Clancy added the financial industry has not fully recovered from the spring scare instigated by several high-profile bank failures, and credit, especially for the office sector, is going to be harder to come by.

Still, he noted borrowing continues in the commercial real estate market, but at roughly half the pace as last year.

Cubicle command

The office market is showing the most stress, with delinquencies of commercial mortgage-backed securities more than doubling from less than 2 percent in December to about 5.5 percent nine months later.

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In the Charleston area, vacancy rates for office space average just under 12 percent, based on composite local market reports for the July-September period from the commercial real estate firms of Avison Young, Colliers and Lee & Associates.

The latter firm said it sees an uptick in office occupancy in 2024 as more employers require staffers to show up in person more often. Avison Young echoed the move next year to the hybrid arrangement.

Colliers cited the updated working environments and ease of access as the drivers of the office market, and the firm projected a flattening of vacancies by the first quarter of next year.

Lee Allen, executive managing director for commercial real estate firm JLL in Charleston, said the local office sector never got overbuilt and the risk is lower for newer, more creative offerings.

“What we have seen in the market is a flight to quality,” Allen said.

Business and other employers that are set on bringing workers back to the office two to three days a week want to elevate their experience with a top-notch working environment to keep top talent from jumping ship.

A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is currently made up of 22 miles of barrier islands. Sarah Dawsey, the refuge manager, has been working with nature preservation since she was in high school and joined the Youth Conservation Corps.

“This has been a lifelong goal for me. I mean, I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to get this money. We have barrier islands, the refuge is barrier islands, and they’re only accessible by boat,” Dawsey says.

Coastal Expeditions does run a ferry to Bulls Island for a fee so those interested can visit for the day. There is a public dock on the island for those with boats to use as well.

“This money will allow us to have a tract on the mainland, where we can have trails, we can have hunting, fishing, environmental education, everything that we do on the islands, but to a greater extent and you don’t have to have a boat so it’s really exciting,” Dawsey says.

She also notes that a mainland tract is a step toward a future corridor connecting the refuge to the Francis Marion National Forest.

Durwin Carter is the project leader for Cape Romain, Ace Basin, Santee and Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuges. He says any addition of land is a huge win for conservation efforts, wildlife and the people nearby who can enjoy it.

“It ties directly into what our mission is. Our mission is essentially working with other partners to conserve these lands and habitats and the critters that use it, for the public to enjoy,” Carter says.

Dawsey and Carter pointed out how erosion from storms and sea level rise are threatening the barrier islands and, in their time at the refuge, they have seen the saltwater breach into ponds on Bulls Island and encroach further into the land each year.

“With the threats happening with development and habitat fragmentation and sea level rise, any additional lands that we can conserve are going to be beneficial. We do what we do for the wildlife, for the habitats and for people to enjoy. But we also do it for future generations to enjoy,” Carter says.

The funding comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The fund is made up from the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, and import taxes.

The refuge has a visitors center located off Highway 17 where people can learn more about the conservation work and migratory bird protection the islands offer. Dawsey says people are always welcome to visit Bulls Island as long as they come with respect for the wildlife and leave it as they found it.

“If you see birds flying around or acting unusual or dive bombing you, that’s a signal that you’re close to their nest and they’re just trying to protect their babies,” Dawsey says.

Cape Romain is home to more than 290 bird species that migrate through the area as well as other animals like alligators, deer and sea turtles.

“We are just winding up our field season, so we have a really big loggerhead sea turtle project, it’s seven days a week. We do a lot of posting for birds and stewarding to keep people out of the bird areas and educating people on why it’s important,” Dawsey says.

Carter says his staff and volunteers are grateful for the land the refuge currently gets to take care of. They are looking forward to the expansion once the sale is finalized and eventually to hosting wildlife and visitors on the new mainland tracts.

“We’re really lucky to have the jobs that we have because they really enjoy their time out on the water of Cape Romain; really enjoy their times out on the trails, enjoy their times out appreciating the refuge, doing birdwatching, fishing, hunting, whatever it is, we’re constantly reminded of how great our jobs are because we get a chance to see this every day,” Carter says.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - The coastal waterways are home to activities like fishing, shrimping and hold many of the Lowcountry’s famous oysters. However, a nonprofit environmental law firm and the people of Awendaw say these waterways could be in jeopardy.

Charleston Waterkeeper and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, two environmental organizations of the Lowcountry, want the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to have more of an oversight of septic systems that are being installed by the entire coastline. Because of this, they filed a complaint in November that is now moving its way through the circuit court.

“DHEC has, no one has, any idea how many septic systems exist in South Carolina because no one’s keeping track of it,” Emily Nellermoe, staff attorney at the South Carolina Environmental Law Firm and one of the lead attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said.

One of the many areas of concern is in the Town of Awendaw. Back in the spring, the town’s planning commission approved two large residential subdivisions, resulting in more than 400 septic tanks coming right next to the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Susan Cox lives in Awendaw and says she is passionate about saving these waterways.

“The mission statement of the Town of Awendaw says they want to maintain the rural character of the town, but there is nothing about a dense housing development that says rural,” Cox said.

Cox says her and her neighbors believe this area was improperly rezoned years ago. She says these septic tanks are going to do irreversible harm to the wildlife.

Andrew Wunderley, director of Charleston Waterkeeper, says his organization tests the water quality of areas like these.

“There’s evidence that septic tanks, especially clustered at high densities, can discharge pollution by creeks and rivers,” Wunderley said. “So, it’s a huge concern... Any of those activities that make the Lowcountry lifestyle and living here in the Lowcountry so special are put at risk.”

Nellermoe says she doesn’t know why the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is not asking these important questions.

“What are the impacts of 200 septic systems on the watershed overall?” Nellermoe said. “What are the impacts to oyster beds and shellfish harvesting? They’re not asking any of those questions and they should be and that’s a problem.”

The Department of Health and Environmental Control says they do not comment on pending litigation. However, Nellermoe says she heard from them recently and they say they do not have to use their specialized agency to review these permits and they are not breaking any laws.

“This is the largest undeveloped piece of coastline on the East coast in the United States of America and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Cox said. “You can’t get it back.”

The Town of Awendaw has not responded for a comment. Nellermoe says the timeline on this complaint depends on court scheduling, so there is not a set date of when further action will be taken.

The filed complaint for South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and Charleston Waterkeeper v. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is below.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

AWENDAW — One of two controversial housing developments is moving forward after a public meeting in which several residents of this rural town made clear the construction is not welcome.

Awendaw’s Planning Commission on April 18 approved the plats for a development by national homebuilder PulteGroup on a piece of land known as the White Tract. The development includes 204 homes at build-out on 148 acres near the intersection of Seewee and Bulls Island roads.

All of the homes would use septic tanks to handle sewage.

The tanks are a major component to environmentalists’ objections of the project, contending the tanks could fail and send untreated sewage leaching into the pristine waters of nearby Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge. Neighbors are concerned by the construction for additional reasons, including added traffic and already minimal fire services for the area being stretched further.

The panel approved the development with several conditions attached. The vote was 5-1, with only Commissioner James Gardner voting against. Lewis White Jr., chair of the planning commission, was not present at the meeting and has not weighed in on the project because he owns the land where it will be built.

Will Waterhouse, a representative of Pulte, said during the meeting that developers had worked to meet with the community and address concerns first raised in a raucous March meeting where angry members of the public argued they had not been properly briefed on the plans.

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“What was evident was that folks in this room had something to say about it, and in the time between the meetings we’ve been listening,” Waterhouse said to the commission.

Residents of the town argued the project should be thrown out entirely because of several changes in the proposal from the conceptual development plan, which was approved in 2006.

“This is dramatically different from what Pulte has proposed to you (16 years ago),” resident Susan Cox said.

She pointed out the original plan called for a new road that will no longer be built, more space between house lots and the edge of the development area, and more distance between homes and a saltwater impoundment that drains directly into the Intracoastal Waterway.

Some concerns that were first raised in the March meeting were addressed in the list of 17 conditions that commissioners added to the project. Among them is that covenants future homebuyers will agree to will include an easement for smoke. Smoke often drifts over the area from nearby prescribed burns by the U.S. Forest Service in Francis Marion National Forest, which are necessary to maintain the ecosystems there.

Waterhouse acknowledged that for some things, like an annual septic tank inspection Pulte will require, may not last.

Asked by Gardner how builders could ensure their conditions will hold after the project is done, Waterhouse said Pulte will retain control of the future homeowners association board only until all the houses are built.

Whether there is a way to ensure septic inspections stayed mandatory after that point, Waterhouse said, “I just don’t know (how) off the top of my head.”

After the meeting, Grace Gasper of conservation group Friends of Coastal SC, said she was “disappointed but not surprised” by the commission’s decision.

She said Pulte had made strides in talking to interest groups and neighbors about their plans, but there are still concerns about the effect on the Francis Marion forest and the nearby Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Developers will still have to get approval from several other public agencies before they start construction, including the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, which will review plans for septic tanks.

The town will have another meeting next month on the second development proposal that stirred up animosity in March. That plan will eventually put 249 houses on 184 acres near the intersection of Doar Road and U.S. Highway 17.

Taken together, the two projects could eventually increase the population of the town, now at about 1,400, by 50 percent.

Each Friday, the Rising Waters newsletter offers insight into the latest environmental issues impacting the Lowcountry and the rest of the South.