Pool Repair in Isle of Palms, SC

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Communities across the Lowcountry are kicking off the holiday season with festivals and parades, including the Isle of Palms.

The Isle of Palms celebrated Saturday afternoon with their Holiday Street Festival.

This annual event started with the Sullivan’s Island Elementary School choir spreading Christmas cheer and singing loud for all to hear.

Over the last decade, thousands of people have looked forward to this event every year.

The city’s recreation supervisor of special events Kelsey Marsh says they had to prepare extensively for all of the fun and games.

“You know, you don’t always think about what it’s going to be like, but being able to be here in the moment and see all the kids having fun, riding all the rides, seeing all the families out here, it’s just really is the best part about my job,” Marsh says.

Mark and Maria Gessey of Mount Pleasant say nothing compares to celebrating the Christmas season along the seaside.

“It’s a sense of community, warmth and that togetherness in the community is just what Christmas is about,” the Gesseys say.

Mark Gessey says they spend time at the beach every month, and December is no different.

“It’s very relaxing,” Gessey says. “There’s a lot of stress at Christmas—all the ‘hubub’ of shopping and all that, to get out to the beach and just relax for a little while, breathe the fresh air, just a peaceful environment it helps restore my sanity."

As Ocean Drive is lined with local vendors, food and other organizations, mom Jennifer Boccelli says this has become a beloved tradition among her daughter’s group of friends.

She says being able to show their kids how to give back is especially important around the holidays.

“That we’re giving back and able to support small businesses and help them thrive, especially after COVID-19,” Boccelli says.

She says the free activities for kids and families ultimately point to the kind of community Isle of Palms is.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The Isle of Palms could be saying goodbye to hundreds of namesake palmetto trees because of their proximity to overhead powerlines.

Unlike an oak tree, where crews can cleave or cut branches, palmetto trees cannot be trimmed for height in the same way. They eventually could grow to create hazards for power lines, linemen and arborists.

537 of them are now marked with red dots, facing removal from city properties, businesses and homes.

“The palmetto is really part of our identity and our namesake. It really is a loss for us at a time when we need to be adding back in more trees and living things, among other things, to help with drainage resiliency and quality of life,” Susan Hill Smith said.

Smith is a former city representative and a long-time homeowner. Two of her neighbors have palmettos that will eventually be gone.

“It’s not just trees in the public right of way that will be impacted,” Smith said. “Landscapers, property owners. Take time to consider when you’re planting new trees or palmettos, that you’re not planting them where they’ll come into contact with powerlines.”

292 of the historic trees fall into Category One, meaning they will be up for immediate removal in the next few months. The rest fall into Category Two, meaning they do not pose an immediate risk, but are being monitored.

Nearly one-third of the island has converted overhead powerlines to underground. The proposal to remove trees has ignited a push to bring the change to remaining parts of the city.

“When I became mayor three years ago, it was a high priority for me to start attacking it,” Pounds said. “Dominion Energy has a cautionary program where you can put lines underground. About four years ago, we identified five projects to take them underground.”

The Palmetto is considered one of the defining features of South Carolina. Its logs built the fort on Sullivan’s Island that protected soldiers against the British Royal Navy in 1776.

It also served as a symbol of resilience for the Lowcountry after Hurricane Hugo devastated homes and businesses. The Plant-a-Palm program hoisted a historic marker on Palm Boulevard to show the impact of replanting and preserving the iconic tree.

Several of those trees are also facing removal.

“It is resilient,” Smith said. “It is a native tree that is supposed to be here.”

City leaders plan to discuss the topic with Dominion Energy into the new year. This includes the consideration of a comprehensive plan that slows the removal of trees and lessens the impact. The group would also consider cost projections to move the powerlines underground.

“They’re obviously important, aesthetically and historically to our island. We’ll do everything we can to save as many as we can. But then again, what do you want? The beauty, or do you want the power to your house to make sure it stays on? You want the reliability of the service,” Pounds said.

Dominion Energy comes in five-year cycles to analyze the area and cut trees as needed.

The next Environmental Advisory Committees will be on Dec. 12 and Feb. 13. There will also be a City Council meeting on Jan. 28.

Dominion Energy spokesperson Paul Fischer said:

While we certainly understand and appreciate the passion surrounding palmetto trees across our coastal communities, safety remains our top priority. Trees that have grown too close to overhead lines and other facilities are a fire hazard and an issue of employee and public safety. Our goal is not to remove trees but to remove risk.

Dominion Energy is always willing to consider underground lines if the construction is technically feasible, system reliability is not compromised and there is a mechanism in place to cover the cost. Every project is unique, and each requires a thorough, detailed feasibility and engineering study to determine the true scope of work.

We will continue to work cooperatively with our municipal partners as they consider their next steps in the process.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — When beach season rolls back around on Isle of Palms, it'll cost more to park.

The town voted last night to increase parking fees.

Officials say the two increases voted on Tuesday night would generate nearly $400,000 in additional revenue for the town. They say this price hike puts them in line with what many other statewide beaches charge to park.

"If we would've been in line with the other beach communities, I don't know that we would've taken action to tell you the truth," said Isle Of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds. "We agreed to increase our hourly parking rate from $2.50 to $3 an hour. Our two lots, we increase to match what's going on at the county park. We don't charge for parking in January, February, November and December."

READ MORE | "Couple rescued after driving into water at Isle of Palms Marina Saturday."

The daily rate goes from $10 to $15 during the week, and $15 to $20 on the weekend.

"We were definitely on the low end of pricing, whether it's hourly or the daily charge that we have. If county's charging x, then we're gonna charge x," Pounds said. "And they have different schedules that they charge on weekends and seasons, they actually charge all year long. So we're gonna match 'em on rate, not necessarily on all year long at this point."

Other changes, like allowing businesses to validate up to two hours of parking for customers, and selling a weekly parking pass for $100, aimed toward tourists visiting from out of town, are some of the other ideas being discussed.

"We don't charge in the off-season for the most part for four months," Pounds said. "So that's an attempt to try to get residents and others to our front beach and to our restaurants for dining. Between you going to full-year parking or looking at the business validation process, I think those two need some more conversation before we go any further."

READ MORE | "Isle of Palms' new parking enforcement plan issues over 3K tickets in 4 months."

Officials are looking for several areas to use the increased revenue.

"They would certainly go for tourism-type activities, beach access paths," Pounds said. "We're in the middle of constructing four of those right now. Two of them are ADA-compliant. Beach renourishments are huge expense ticket items for the city. We're typically on our own footing those bills. Some of that increased revenue would go to things like that."

Officials say they will talk more about where any extra revenue will be used when they start the budgeting process at the first of the year.