Make sure rest of us don't pay
By Brian Hicks
Folks in South Carolina have long held the opinion that people can do pretty much whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone -- or cost the rest of us any money.
Don't want to wear a helmet while riding your motorcycle? Go ahead.
Don't want to evacuate during a Category 4 hurricane? It's your life.
Want to build a multi-million dollar home on a sandbar?
Well, wait a minute.
For a while now, Kiawah developers have wanted to develop some land south of the county's Beachwalker Park and put up about 50 houses. By land, they mean a spit of sand that has been relatively stable long enough that scrub has grown on it.
That spit is part of the Coastal Barrier Resources System, which includes about 3 million acres of coastal land between Maine and Texas that is ineligible for federal money or subsidies. In other words, the government doesn't really want you building there. To prove it, nothing built in this zone is eligible for federally subsidized flood insurance.
Last year, developers got 1st District Rep. Henry Brown to try to have this particular plot removed from the zone. It didn't work, but they still are not discouraged.
Most people say that's fine, as long as it doesn't cost us any money.
One little barrier
Dana Beach, executive director of the Coastal Conservation League, says there is no way for taxpayers to avoid footing the bill for this thing at some point.
Previous story
Appeal under way to allow revetment, published 08/25/09
Right now, the Conservation League and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control are in court with Kiawah Development Partners over an erosion barrier. The developers want a revetment about a half-mile long to stop erosion. The state said they could have a tenth of that. An administrative law judge is hearing arguments this week.
Beach says when a storm hits -- and one will, eventually -- the government will be on the hook for cleanup if these houses end up in the marsh, and maybe even rebuilding infrastructure to the island. FEMA has done so for other places in the Coastal Barrier Resources zone.
"Disaster response isn't limited to those who have the regular public flood insurance," Beach says.
A storm is coming
The biggest problem is a few moves down the chessboard. That spit of land near Capt. Sam's Inlet renourishes the beach at Seabrook. Every few decades, the river cuts all the way through the spit and flushes sand toward Seabrook. The revetment Kiawah wants would stop that process.
Now, folks on Seabrook wouldn't like it if their beach started looking like the north end of Folly, and taxpayers wouldn't like it if Seabrook asked the state for a multi-million dollar renourishment project every few decades.
So, environmental concerns aside -- and there are some -- most folks will say go ahead and build on a sandbar, if you like throwing money in the ocean.
Just so it doesn't cost the rest of us anything.
Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com. To read previous columns by Brian Hicks , go to postandcourier.com/hicks/.
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Comments
martin (anonymous) says...
We need to let the sea do what the sea wants to do. We need to stop interfering.
We are such a poor state, but there seems to be a race to help the rich do things the rest of us will have to pay for in the end.
The First Congressional District needs to do some real soul searching. You brought us Mark Sanford and Henry Brown. You know there are enough real middle class and working class people to take back the district from the rich and wannabes and elect someone who will serve you and your communities, not just the few rich you allow to control your lives and pocketbooks.
August 26, 2009 at 7:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nimuetre (anonymous) says...
Excellent article. Unfortunately, the greedy, dishonest politicians in the First Congressional District, and State regulatory agencies will cave in to the legal pressures (and dare I say it.... bribes ? ).. from the developers, and the property will be developed. And the taxpayers (those who actually pay taxes) will again be on the hook to bail out the rich when a major storm hits. And one will hit.
August 26, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldglory (anonymous) says...
Well said.
Daggone, SC must have a herd of lap dogs for these wealthy residents. I think the one thing that gets to us on the outside of these people is that usually they bend the law to suit their wants. It amuses me that the lap dogs think they really will reap something for facilitating.
August 26, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
I can't believe it. Something I agree with the CCL on.
Anything built that impedes the natural processes of those inlets is going to affect the processes some place else.
Look what the jetties did to Morris Island.
August 26, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
martin,
"not just the few rich you allow to control your lives and pocketbooks."
Would you be so kind as to give a list of "POOR" democrat Leaders? Please mark the ones who don't want to control our lives and pocketbooks. Wait, that won't be possible since the list will have Zero (0) entries so just list the democrats who don't want to control our lives and pocketbooks. Wait, that list will have Zero (0) entries also.
August 26, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
"Folks in South Carolina have long held the opinion that people can do pretty much whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone -- or cost the rest of us any money"
Any logical and sane person knows this to be false.
How it should've been written:
"Folks in South Carolina have long held the opinion that people can do pretty much whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone -- or cost the rest of us any money UNLESS IT GOES AGAINST THEIR CHURCH or DEEP ROOTED RACIAL IDENTITY IDEOLOGY I.E. BLUE LAWS, ABORTION, GAY MARRIAGE, DRINKING BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-21, DIVORCE LAWS, MISCEGNATION, INTEGRATION”
And yes I’m a native and proud of it.
But RELIGIOUS morality & race relations, are the overarching barometers in which legislation is measured here in this state; by Liberals and Republicans (not conservatives), Blacks and Whites.
August 26, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joldham (anonymous) says...
THEY NEED TO NIP THIS ONE IN THE BUD BEFORE IT GOES ANY FURTHER!!
August 26, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bkeelin (anonymous) says...
ey,
I'm trying to figure out why it's a bad thing to have a strong moral compass. Please enlighten me with you amoral, ungodly words.
August 26, 2009 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
bkeelin, apparently you either cannot read or have problems with reading comprehension.
you are unworthy of further comment from me until you either figure out what I wrote or have a fourth grader explain it to you.
August 26, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
It's the rich peoples fault! This will be over most of the readers heads as they have never looked for or had a job, but when was the last time you were hired by a poor person? We need to bring down the rich so we can all go to work for the poor. South Carolina logic!
By the way what is with the poliferation of "native" stickers on autos recently? Are these the cars of Native Americans? Are they people who played spear carrying Africans in a Hollywood movie? The only thing I see that most of them have in common is they drive gas guzzlers and the drivers are grossly overweight and on a cell phone. I know there has to be a doozie of an answer to this but it escapes me.
August 26, 2009 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
" when was the last time you were hired by a poor person?"
Right On!
August 26, 2009 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sareda (anonymous) says...
I tend to agree with part of Crankyankee's comment. These "rich, greedy developers" have provided more than 400 jobs annually on Johns Island for the last decade or more. Those are highly skilled and professional jobs as well as service jobs. And they have been in business out there for 20 yrs. Someone needs to calculate the positive impact that has had on the local economy and tax base. And they are serious about responsible development, so if you are going to slam them for 'irresponsible development' then you need to do your homework and do some basic research - this is publicly available info. - and acquaint yourself with their real history of environmentally sensitive development. Look at facts, not fiction or the mistruths that can be spread by some other entities. Kiawah Development has won 'green' award after green award for land setbacks, consideration of local animal populations, home density, and more. On another count, if people didn't want their homes, they wouldn't be in business! But i do agree that the 'buck' stops with being able to get Federally funded flood ins.
August 26, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
combahee (anonymous) says...
The problem is all of these developments do end up costing us money. But that aside...
My understanding is this spit of land is nothing more than a built up sand bar next to an inlet. What was there before this land built up? Who owned and had jurisdiction of this land and the water before it. I thought all land/water up to the high water mark was state owned. If this is the case then how did Kiawah get this land?
August 26, 2009 at 10:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sareda (anonymous) says...
Kiawah Development has owned this piece of land for years, along with all of the other land nearby they bought 20+ years ago. Prior to that it was also privately owned, and also had a private owner before prior to that earlier ownership. As private land, it is theirs to do with as they want, but the Fed. classification of it means that it isn't eligible for federally backed flood ins. ...that is, until the classification - or the law - changes.
August 27, 2009 at 6:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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