IslandVibesIOP.com 3 NEWS New Beach Preservation Committee born from erosion control efforts By L. C. Leach III REQUEST YOUR PERSONALIZED CONSULTATION IN A SERENE ENVIRONMENT. 843.894.0955 YoungerYoustudio.com 1022 Carolina Blvd. Isle of Palms, SC Wellness by the Sea Regenerative Medicine & Aesthetics Where It’s ALL ABOUT YOU Board-certified medical professionals that offer personalized state-ofthe-art treatments for face & body. WE DESIGN A PLAN FOR YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS. TRUST THE EXPERTS. Lasers, toxins, facials, weight loss and more. 2025 ® Sean Sheppard,Owner voted THE BEST TRAINER/COACH in Mount Pleasant! VETERAN OWNED AND OPERATED Follow for more @rugd_training_and_fitness • PERSONAL TRAINING • MASSAGE • PARTNER TRAINING 843-606-2047 1985 RIVIERA DR. SUITE 101 MOUNT PLEASANT, SC Since 2020, Isle of Palms’ city leaders have faced several ongoing issues such as short-term rentals, noise levels, coyote activity, community enrichment and the management of traffic and parking. Heading into the new year though, beach preservation is not only expected to remain the island’s top priority by a wide margin but will likely carry more importance for the long-term than all other concerns of the past decade combined. “Beach preservation is the most important issue facing the island,” said longtime resident John Shilling, speaking before the city’s Administration Committee on Nov. 13. “Since moving here in 2000, I’ve walked our beach regularly – from Dewees Inlet down to the pier – and I’ve never seen the shoreline in worse condition than it is today.” City leaders have become concerned to the point of forming what Mayor Philip Pounds termed “the first inaugural Beach Preservation Committee,” created on recommendation from the Beach Ad Hoc Preservation Committee to have an ongoing group of residents dedicated to just IOP beaches. On Dec. 9 at a special city council meeting, Shilling and fellow residents Alice Bova, Dan Slotchiver, Dietmar Ostermann and Wendi Pasterik were nominated to serve on this committee along with newly elected Councilman David Cohen. All five had expressed previous interest to the Administration Committee in desiring to become involved in the island’s three major beach renourishment projects in progress, which include: • The shoal reattachment effort on the north end in front of Beachwood East. • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sand placement work on the south end up to Breach Inlet. Recent work has entailed rebuilding dunes with 550,000 cubic yards of sand – enough to fill approximately 170 Olympic-sized pools. • The coming 2026 renourishment on the north and south ends. This estimated $25 million project will consist of placing up to 2.5 million cubic yards of beach-quality sediment along up to 19,200 linear feet of shoreline on the two ends of the island. “For the shoal effort just completed and the Corps effort scheduled to complete in March 2026, the committee will be monitoring the effectiveness of these efforts which could impact the scope and timeline of the 2026 island-wide effort and other future plans,” Cohen said. When asked what she thought could be done to further beach preservation efforts, Pasterik said she supports having a proactive beach management plan. “On the south end, we have spent significant dollars on emergency measures, but not renourishment,” she said. “I would like to see IOP rely on coastal engineers with a proven success record to ensure we maintain healthy levels of dry sand beach, and we manage the dollars wisely so it’s sustainable.” Ostermann suggested these two items: accelerating the 2026 project and a short-term emergency plan to save the homes on Beachwood East and the Ocean Club apartment building. “Beach renourishment is a marathon, not a short-term sprint,” Ostermann said. “It requires long-term planning, multi-jurisdiction funding, preparedness, situational adjustments and relentless execution. We are nowhere near that level of preparedness.” Both Bova and Shilling pointed out that along with efforts to control Mother Nature is the increasing resident concern over property values. “We have a dilemma with options that are challenging – such as how are we going to deal with the houses that are in the way of the island’s natural erosion,” Bova said. “We really to need Continued on Page 8. Army Corps of Engineers remove shoal sand to place in critically eroded areas, as beach preservation is to remain a critical issue for decades.
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