Refrigerated Trailer for Rent in Isle of Palms, SC

ISLE OF PALMS — Prepare to pay more to park for trips to the beach this summer.

The city of Isle of Palms approved a fee increase for the city's two lots and on-street parking, bringing the cost to park on a peak-season weekend up to $25.

Daily rates for the municipal parking lots on Pavilion Drive will remain at $10 for March and April.

Memorial Day through Labor Day, which is considered peak season, rates will increase to $15 during the week and $25 on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

After Labor Day, rates will drop back to $10 for the rest of September and October. Parking will remain free in the offseason from November through February.

On-street parking will be more costly, too. Paid parking spots along Ocean Boulevard between 10th and 14th Avenue will rise from $2.50 per hour to $3 per hour.

The $60 seasonal parking passes, which allowed beachgoers to park in the municipal lots without daily payment, will now only be available to island employees. In its place, visitors can purchase a weekly pass for $100.

No fees or permits are required to park in the public rights-of-way, including the marked spaces along Palm Boulevard.

The city brought in over $1,300,000 in parking revenue in 2024, a roughly $47,000 increase from funds collected from paid lots and meters in 2023.

The rise in parking fees is meant to bring the city's rate to where the city "should have been in the first place," Councilman Jimmy Ward said during the meeting.

The fee increase is the first since 2020. City leaders voted to increase parking to its current rates of $2 an hour on-street, $10 during the week and $15 on weekends and holidays.

Before that, the lots cost $1 an hour and on-street parking spaces were $1.50 per hour.

The city also raised the prices of fines for parking violations to its current rates, which will not be impacted by the council's Jan. 28 decision.

Officials at the time said the fee increase was done to control the "unbridled growth" across the tri-county area.

"Our residents want us to do something about trying to control what's been happening to our island," Jimmy Carroll, then-mayor of the island, said at the time.

Mayor Phillip Pounds said the new rates model those of the Isle of Palms County Park, a Charleston County operated park with a 445-car capacity parking lot. Parking can cost up to $25 on holidays and weekends during the summer.

Visitors can purchase a Gold Pass from the county for $80 for Charleston County residents and $95 for non-residents, which allows visitors to bypass admission fees for several parks, including the Isle of Palms.

Raising funds for beach preservation, maintenance

The decision to increase parking fees comes at a time when coastal communities are working to find funding for beach maintenance and renourishment projects.

Rising costs of mobilization and sand have pushed beach communities get creative in order to fund preservation measures, which leaders discussed during a South Carolina Beach Advocates conference on the Isle of Palms in January.

An estimated $60 million in locally funded beach management projects are slated for the Palmetto State's coastal communities this year, including roughly $3 million on the Isle of Palms.

More fee increases could be on the way for the Isle of Palms to help fund its next large-scale beach renourishment project, based on recommendations from the city's Beach Preservation Ad Hoc Committee.

"To be as proactive as the community would like to be has an enormous price tag," Interim City Administrator Douglas Kerr said on Jan. 16. "We have to raise revenues to fund all of these initiatives, and that's going to be a very tough part of this project."

Some gated communities, like Seabrook and Kiawah Island, pull from homeowners' and property owners' fees, while Pawley's Island relies on accommodations taxes to fund beach renourishment projects.

Protecting the South Carolina coast is a priority for many, including coastal community leaders, environmental advocates, state and federal lawmakers, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This week, these stakeholders are gathering at Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms for the 11th annual South Carolina Beach Advocates meeting. (WCIV)

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — Protecting the South Carolina coast is a priority for many, including coastal community leaders, environmental advocates, state and federal lawmakers, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This week, these stakeholders are gathering at Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms for the 11th annual South Carolina Beach Advocates meeting.

IOP Mayor Phillip Pounds emphasized the importance of preserving the coastline, describing the area as "a slice of paradise" with its seven miles of beach, easy access, ample parking, and vibrant local businesses.

However, maintaining the beachfront is both challenging and costly. Mayor Pounds revealed that the city plans to participate in a $20 million renourishment project next year, with the city bearing a significant portion of the cost. He expressed a desire for the state to play a more active role in funding such initiatives.

"For us not to have an ongoing state-level funding mechanism for beach renourishment is something that needs to change," said Pounds. "That's one of the main focuses of this group."

Pounds noted that future renourishment spending could reach $200 million in the coming decades. While the city plans to fund most of the work for now, Pounds acknowledged the need for external assistance.

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"We can't tax our way out of that scenario. We can't bring enough short-term rentals. We can't bring enough tourists to the island to pay for that," he said.

The city is exploring partnerships with the state and other entities, including early discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Several other coastal communities have already partnered with the Army Corps.

Jeff Livasy of the Army Corps of Engineers highlighted the significance of their work in the region. "It means everything to us. Although we're a part of the federal government, we live, work and play here in the Lowcountry," Livasy said.

The Army Corps' Charleston division recently completed a renourishment project on Folly Beach. Livasy emphasized their long-term commitment to coastal projects, stating, "We partner with them for the long term. Not just annual projects. But some of our projects have a fifty-year life."

Published: Feb. 7, 2025 at 1:45 PM PST|

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Isle of Palms leaders have applied for permits to dredge parts of the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway and the city marina to deepen the water access.

The permits, filed in January, note that parts of the marina measure only eight feet deep and the plans are to make the intercoastal entrance 12 feet deep and the Morgan Creek inlet where the marina is located ten feet deep.

The project is part of regular upkeep and the last time the marina was dredged was in 2011. Mayor Phillip Pounds says it’s an important way to preserve waterway access.

“We spend so much time and effort on the beach side of our island. This marina, this dock, the dredging, you know, it’s the focus on the intercoastal side or the creek area that sometimes doesn’t get as much attention as you like, but again, the purpose of the marina was to provide access to the water for those that didn’t have it,” Pounds says.

In 2023, the State Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism earmarked $1.5 million for the city to spend on dredging. That source will be the main fund for the work, which does not have a final price tag as it is in the early application stage.

“It just naturally silts back in. So it’s time to do that again. So hopefully we’ll get the permit this year, and at some point, line up a contractor and get the project done, maybe late this year, more likely first half of next year,” Pounds says.

The project plans to remove up to 20,000 cubic yards of soil, sand and silt material from the bottom of the channel. There are a few proposals for what to do with those materials.

Ideas include putting the materials under the Isle of Palms connector, onto Goat Island, at Inlet Creek or Swinton Creek on the opposite side of the intercoastal waterway. Another proposal is to put the sediment material on parts of the Wild Dunes Harbor Course, building up the land.

The routine dredging applications come around the same time the city celebrated the opening of its first public dock on the intercoastal waterway.

The mayor and city leaders hope to continue improving the plot of land at 40 51st Avenue making it an asset for visitors and residents alike.

“They’ve added a boat club with our new tenant over here at the marina. So it’s just been a lot of amenities added to this area and improvements made. We’ve invested a lot of time and energy and money, obviously, out here,” Pounds says.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Charleston and Isle of Palms agreed to settle a lawsuit against a number of short-term rental companies, including Airbnb and VRBO, in an attempt to recoup some taxes and fees that the businesses owe.

Both city and town councils approved a settlement agreement at their respective meetings on Jan. 28. But neither government publicly disclosed how money they will receive from the businesses that have been operating for years without paying local accommodation taxes or business license fees, according to the complaint.

Attorney Jesse Kirchner, who along with two other lawyers, represents 14 South Carolina cities, towns and counties that joined the suit. He told The Post and Courier after Charleston's vote that the deal isn't final until all municipalities sign off. Once all agree, Kirchner said details of the settlement will be released.

Earlier this month, Mount Pleasant Town Council accepted a payout of nearly $500,000 in the same suit. Mayor Will Haynie, the lone vote against the settlement, disclosed the figure that Mount Pleasant would get saying it was not enough to "make up for what it's going to do to this town."

Haynie said he's worried about state legislation that could remove the town's cap on short-term rental permits and essentially open the floodgates to these companies that collect from tourists taxes and fees that never make it to the localities they're visiting.

The municipalities that initiated the lawsuit are some of South Carolina's biggest tourism destinations, including Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, North Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island. Mount Pleasant later joined the suit, as did Beaufort County, Edisto Beach, Port Royal and Greenville.

The complaint alleges the companies failed to pay local accommodations taxes and, in some cases, business license fees despite collecting payment from rental operators and vacationers who use their sites.

Annual license fees are based on a businesses' gross income, according to the city of Charleston's website. This year, the city expects to collect $52 million from the licenses — the city's second-highest revenue generator behind property taxes, according to figures from a November budget workshop. The money flows into the city's general fund, which covers its day-to-day operation.

Municipalities across the state levy accommodations taxes of up to 3 percent on hotels and other rented lodgings. In Charleston, the tax is set at 2 percent. The fee is paid by the renter, collected by the hotel or business renting the space, and paid to the municipality.

This year, Charleston expects to bring in nearly $12 million through the local Accommodations Tax, or "A-tax" as its commonly called. The money helps pay for upkeep of popular tourism spots. At the city’s historic Battery, the tax funded a six-year and nearly $75 million restoration of the crumbling century-old sea wall.

Short-term rentals, and how to manage them, have been a sticking point for many communities. Charleston and Folly Beach are among a handful of municipalities that have instituted regulations or caps on short-term rentals. North Charleston recently considered the same.

Editor's note: The headline has been updated to reflect that the pending settlement only involves Airbnb. No other defendant has settled, according to attorney Jesse Kirchner.

Reach Ali Rockett at 843-901-1708. Follow her on Twitter @AliRockettPC.

Published: Jan. 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM PST|

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - Federal, state and local beach advocates are workshopping how to prioritize the protection of beachfront access along some of the Southeast’s most beloved waterfronts.

The 11th annual South Carolina Beach Advocates conference opened its panel on Thursday. The conference began more than a decade ago with the intention of consolidating funding and beach management along the state’s coastline, something Administrator Nicole Elko said did not exist when she took on the role.

“We’re all looking for funds, we’re all battling the same issue. Permitting takes a long time, projects take a long time and projects cost a lot more than they used to. It’s hard in these small communities and we need the state’s help,” Incoming Chair and Mayor of Isle of Palms Phillip Pounds said.

Several of the local communities have set up projects involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who attended the conference. In a keynote speech, the group announced its most recent effort to renourish and preserve the shoreline in Myrtle Beach.

The $72 million project will cover 26 miles of the beachfront.

“Our beach projects, a lot of people go there to recreate and play, we know it’s a big economic driver for the state of South Carolina and the nation, but really the reason we build beaches is not just to recreate, it’s to protect the infrastructure behind the dunes,” Chief of Civil Works Jeff Livasy said.

This year, the group is hoping to implement long term, state commitment and create proactive initiatives rather than banking on emergency funding or projects. Elko said Governor Henry McMaster appropriated $5 million into the efforts this year, and previously, up to $50 million.

Eleven Lowcountry communities, including Georgetown, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah Island, Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, Edisto Beach, Pawleys Island, Sullivans Island and the DeBordieu Colony Community Association, presented their findings from the past year.

Many of the beach access points faced detrimental challenges after the longterm impacts of inclement weather, including Hurricane Ian, a Nor’Easter in 2023 and Tropical Storm Debby in 2024.

Kiawah Island Mayor Brad Belt claimed its strongest struggles come from how to manage natural resources both on the marsh side and beach shoreline. The area suffered from inundation along the one major roadway which provides a single entry and exit point to islanders. Uniquely, the area is also mostly private owned spaces, with only an exception of Beachwalker Park, and the town’s 3 miles of roadway and 21 acres of land. This complicates efforts to use public sector funding to preserve the area.

Isle of Palms Administrator Douglas Kerr reported a continued concern for beach erosion along the Wild Dunes resort and Breech Inlet. The group has attempted improvements with a beach preservation ad hoc committee. Despite this, Kerr believes there needs to be money and permits in place to create strategies before a storm passes through and causes detrimental damage.

Folly Beach Administrator Aaron Pope mentioned a continuous cycle of efforts to renew and manage the beach, however political will and a lack of staff creates challenges for submitting grant applications or educating the community on efforts.

Sullivans Island Administrator Joe Henderson claimed similar issues with erosion on the eastern and western ends of town, plus stormwater management concerns. The town will move forward on plans to construct native stormwater infrastructure within the next two or three years.

The other seven panelists reference similar issues crowding their ability to preserve shorelines.

“You’re trying to outguess Mother Nature, you’re trying to anticipate a storm ‚and save as much money as you can while spending money on other projects as well. It’s a constant story to have to tell, the economic impact beach communities have,” Pounds said.

South Carolina beaches attract more than 140 million visitors every year, according to Elko’s findings. This generates $23.8 billion in economic impact for the state.

Elko also claimed beach tourism contributes $1.2 billion in state tax revenue, representing two-thirds of the state’s total tourism revenue. Tourists generate more than $1200 in economic development for every $1 invested into beaches, and more than $250 in state taxes for every $1.

The goal, Elko said, of the conference is to create resilience funding to protect the state’s most valuable asset for future generations.

The conference will continue into Friday. The group will hear from legislators and Governor Henry McMaster.

The next annual conference will be held Jan. 2026 in Hilton Head.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.