The UNTRUTHS
Oceanfront Property Owners
Back in 2016, in an attempt to gain beachfront property easements, the Town of Edisto Beach sent out letters and easement contracts with offers of $5 to 159 beachfront property owners, for the precious strip of land between homes and the beach. They claim to have received half back, signed, but they weren't able to record most of them correctly (36 recorded prior to entering the PPA) and furthermore, these 2016 contracts do not coincide with the current USACE project, lacking "perpetual" and "public access" language. But, nevertheless, they have been recorded. From then until April 2019, no formal communication occurred between the town and the beachfront property owners. Update 5/9/19: It was decided in the May 9 council meeting that a total of 45 easements previously signed and recorded ( we were previously told this number was 36) don't meet the Corps' requirements. A motion was approved to rescind and cancel the contracts.
As of 2018, upon President Trump signing into law the 2018 Bipartisan Congressional Budget, $22.23 million became available to the town from the Federal Government. At that time the local town government aggressively accelerated and moved, full steam ahead on the proposal process. Eventually by mid February, after only two public meetings (one info session given by an Army Corps "river guy" project manager and another meeting with the Folly Beach city administrator), they pushed on to the survey and prep of easements phase, which costs roughly $900K (the town pays 100% of this). This was done without any direct notice to the beachfront owners and without any regard for objection and unanswered critical questions raised by the few who were aware of this. Two months later they finally sent out another round of letters and contract examples.
Oceanfront and Second Row Vacationers
The wall will block beach views and direct access, from beachfront houses to the beach, of vacationers, many of which have made the yearly trek to Edisto a family tradition and their place, more than a place to vacation but a second home, to make memories for decades now. Are they being warned of this drastic change coming as they make plans and reservations to spend their hard-earned cash?
"Which way to the beach?" "Where do we park? There's no more spaces." Put on your waterwings and walking shoes and head down Palmetto Blvd. to the nearest public humpback crossover bridge access.
Repeat business slashes marketing costs and is a major reason these rentals, as well as other rentals and campers, are our Golden Geese and have formed a barrier to bigger commercial development, such as hotels and condo buildings.
Local Businesses
How many of our local business owners and employees know of this project, its scope and its economic impact? With the exception of a few larger chain stores, most of our restaurants and shops hang by a thread in the offseason, most having limited hours of operation and operating on skeleton crews, looking forward to and depending on the hot season tourists and travelers to stay in business.
These businesses employ many, many local residents, full-time and part-time positions. Let's not cause them to commute, an hour longer, to Charleston.