Chimney Sweep in Isle of Palms, SC

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.

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In suburban Philadelphia where I grew up, going to the beach meant driving east across New Jersey, paying per-person fees for access and pinning "beach tags" to bathing suits to prove the fees had been paid.

I've long appreciated South Carolina's free public beaches, first as a child visiting most summers, then as an adult living here more than 20 years.

But while the beaches are free, parking can be costly.

Just days ago Anna Sharpe reported that the Isle of Palms has increased its parking lot rate to $25 on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parking meters must be fed $3 per hour.

The $25 cost for parking lots matches the rate at the 445-parking-space Isle of Palms County Park, which is adjacent to the city's metered parking and lots near Front Beach (Ocean Boulevard) businesses.

That's expensive, but the important thing to know is that paying for parking on the Isle of Palms is almost entirely a matter of personal choice. I mean, you can't avoid paying if you park in a lot or at a meter, but you don't have to park there.

IOP, like neighboring Sullivan's Island, has many hundreds of free parking spots in the public right-of-way. On the Isle of Palms most of them are along Palm Boulevard on the east side of the business district, from 21st to 40th avenues and from 42nd to 53rd avenues.

There are limited spots on the west side of the island, along 3rd through 9th avenues between Ocean and Carolina boulevards.

Those who park in the free spots should know that parking enforcement is quite strict, and vehicles must be at least 4 feet off the pavement, which isn't always easy.

Last year the city's contracted parking enforcers — a company that got to keep 24 percent of the money from fines — issued more than 5,600 tickets for between $50 and $100 each.

One option to avoid fees and parking tickets on weekends is to take the free Beach Reach shuttle bus from Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, at Market Center Boulevard, where parking is free. If you're driving, it's of course inconvenient to stop just minutes from the beach and wait for a bus to take you there, but it does solve the parking dilemma.

When my family was living in Mount Pleasant with a young child, the Isle of Palms was our closest beach. We usually parked in the county park lot, or in a free space not far away, for two reasons: the availability of lifeguards and bathrooms.

People can use the county park and its services without paying to park there, and county residents can park there for far less than the advertised rate.

For regular beach-goers and, I would think, most families with children, a Charleston County parks Gold Pass is a great option. For $80 — $65 for those age 60 or older and $95 for non-residents — that covers parking and park entrance fees for a year, for up to 15 people per vehicle.

A Gold Pass includes festival admissions, too, and comes with discounts on things such as equipment rentals.

So, for those who live here, it doesn't have to cost money to park at the beach. And regular visitors to the Isle of Palms who want amenities and lifeguards should consider buying a Gold Pass.