Residents establish community identity
Its huge welcoming veranda, calming brown tones and uninterrupted view of the Atlantic Ocean invite people to linger. The structure fits well within the natural environment of sea myrtle, large chunks of granite rock and steady ocean breezes.
It's a building designed to be shared.
It's the Seabrook Island Club House, and it's very different from the 40-year-old stucco and steel conference center islanders once had and rented out. At the heart of the difference is a decision by Seabrook residents to establish a new identity for themselves and build three structures to support it.
The grand opening of the clubhouse Saturday will mark the final phase of the community's $31 million Horizon Plan for establishing that identity. Seabrook is now a residential oceanfront island community and will not have any hotels, shops or other commercial enterprises amid its 2,000 residences.
Those things make it different from many islands in the area.
"We don't use the word resort," says Joe Salvo, the island's real estate manager. "We call that the "R" word here. Now, Seabrook has an identity. It's private. If you buy a home here, you have to join the club."
Community life for Seabrook residents will revolve around the clubhouse and two other centers on the island, the Lake House and Beach Club. About two-thirds of those who own houses and condos on Seabrook live on the island year-round.
Residents have two restaurants, the Palmetto Room and Bohicket's at the 34,000-square-foot clubhouse, which also features a 6,000-square-foot ballroom for large parties and a professional golf shop. The Lake House on Palmetto Lake offers residents a menu of wellness services that include therapies and physical exercise in its fitness center. It also has indoor and outdoor pools, event rooms and a community library. The oceanfront Beach Club has an outdoor lounge and restaurant, the Pelican's Nest, two beachside pools and a patio pavilion rented out for weddings on the beach. All three buildings were designed by Glick/Boehm & Associates and built by Trident Construction.
"I just think it's going to totally transform the island," says John Feldman, taking a break from his workout at the new fitness center in the Lake House. The semi-retired banker from Atlanta and his wife, Jean, an educational consultant, operate Dr. Jean & Friends. They have owned property on Seabrook for 10 years and lived there full time for seven, and welcome the changes.
"It was something that was very much needed for our island," he says. "The facilities on the island lacked a certain ambience, and the maintenance was costly. Everything was so out of date and needed maintenance."
Decorative elements used repeatedly in the buildings, which share architectural design, include wormy maple floors and beadboard ceilings with exposed trusses that are stained to complement the floors. Other shared elements include a medium shade of green called grassland on walls and various styles of bronze chandeliers and sconces.
"It's fabulous," says Taunya White, a 10-year Seabrook resident who lives with her husband, Tim, an avid golfer, and their son, Max, a second-grader. "Seabrook is just a wonderful community for families. It's a great place for kids. It's like a '50s neighborhood," says White of the Hideaway, a medi-spa downtown.
Parents can take their children swimming, eat lunch at the beach house and always find a table, White says. If the children get too hot, there's a game room where they can cool off. And a new indoor lap pool has prompted talk of a possible children's swim team.
"The old fitness center was always crowded," White says. "The new facilities are bigger, and there are more of them. I was on the club board that helped with the planning. It just turned out far grander and nicer than even I imagined."
Reach Wevonneda Minis at 937-5705.
