After a very successful year in 2006, Pawleys Island Mayor Bill Otis and members of Town Council are looking forward to making this coming year even better for the Town of Pawleys Island. In addition to three ongoing projects, Town Council has worked on eradicating beach vitex from its beaches, addressing county zoning issues to minimize density, helping to reform the property tax code for South Carolina and beautifying the island.

“It is gratifying to be able to look back and believe you have made a positive difference in some folks’ lives,” Otis said. “It is even better to look at Pawleys Island and believe you have led and participated in many things that have and will continue to protect that unique heritage of gentleness and tranquility, as well as the ‘look’ that we all know as Pawleys Island.”

Last year, Town Council members Mike Adams, Glennie Tarbox, Sarah Zimmerman and Mary McAllister each expressed hopes to complete their “big three” ongoing projects: The underground wire project, the creek renewal project and the beach nourishment project. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, each of these projects are still ongoing.

Underground wires

After many requests from property owners, Town Council appointed a large committee of island property owners to explore the possibility of a program to bury all power and cable lines underground on the entire island, Otis says. Property owners were given an opportunity this year to vote on the project.

When the votes were returned and counted, about 60 percent of them were for proceeding with the project and 40 percent were against it.

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“Council decided that was not a large enough majority for such a big project and chose to table the project for the present time,” Otis said. “Meanwhile, we have received a $40,000 grant from the S.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) to assist in placing wires underground in the Historic District of Pawleys.”

They are now waiting to receive a request from 16 or 17 property owners in a row in the historic district who have agreed to pay their share of the costs for underground wires.

Creek restoration

According to Otis and Adams, who have been spearheading efforts for the project, a permit modification was prepared and submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other controlling agencies to revise the permit for the four spot-dredging areas. This permit will hopefully reduce the cost of the project.

“That permit is in the final stages and should be received in the next few months,” Otis said. “The project will be re-bid in the early fall and, if the cost is within projections, the project should be completed around or after the 2007 Town elections.”

Adams adds that if the permit modification is approved, there will be another public comment period to give everyone the opportunity to offer their concerns or suggestions.

Beach nourishment

Town Council has been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and U.S. Congressman Henry Brown to satisfactorily complete the study phase of the South End beach nourishment project, Otis says. This project will bring a major level of hurricane and storm damage protection to the South End, which includes the largest free public beach access area in Georgetown County, as well as two other beach access areas.

“We received the Chief’s Report in late December, which is the final authorization by the Corps and recommendation to the U.S. Congress that the project be funded,” Otis said. “We will now work with our senators and representatives to ensure our project continues to remain in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and that the bill is passed by Congress. If that occurs in 2007 the project should be underway in 2008.”

Other projects (summarized by Mayor Otis)

• Town Council worked with Clemson University and the Baruch Institute to remove all beach vitex from the beach and frontal dunes of Pawleys this year. The town will fund a matching grant with those agencies to complete the project and remove all beach vitex from Pawleys over the next year or two. All native grasses will be re-planted with no cost to property owners.

• Council, along with the Pawleys Island Planning Commission, continued to address zoning ordinances to reduce the possibility of increased density of structures on the island. Other areas of the zoning and building codes were adjusted to continue to protect the architectural ambiance of Pawleys Island.

• Additional work continues to be done, with the assistance of Clemson University and the Baruch Institute, to help control storm water runoff into Pawleys Creek. As one of the first steps, an ordinance has been passed to prohibit impervious surfaces for parking areas and driveways.

• Council members worked very hard together, as well as individually, to reform the property tax code for the State of South Carolina. They continued to retain Wayne Beam to lobby in the legislature and encouraged property owners and friends to contact their state senators and representatives and appeared at public hearings and committee meetings in the State House to support reform.

This effort gained momentum and backing from other groups which led to a bill being passed which caps reassessments at 15 percent over five years for everybody and rolls back residential property taxes for school purposes over the next two years.

They also raised money for the publicity effort that helped the necessary public referendum gain almost a two-thirds affirmative majority vote across South Carolina. Unsuccessfully, council lobbied Georgetown County Council to delay reassessment until the results of the referendum were known. That effort was lost by a 4-3 vote.

• Council worked with the Pawleys Island Beautification Foundation, the Pawleys Accommodations Tax Committee and a Pawleys family to fund and complete projects to beautify the entrance to the South End parking lot, and to beautify the South Causeway “triangle.”