and will include two kayak/SUP launches, swings and benches. Other park amenities are to include public benches overlooking the waterfront, kayak storage and bike and golf cart parking. In May 2023, work was completed on a boardwalk on the intracoastal IslandVibesIOP.com 5 NEWS About the Cover By Laura Fogarty hat a glorious day to be near the sea! For this issue of Island Vibes, we turned to none other than Ryan Buckhannon to portray everyone’s favorite bunny on our favorite isle. A warm, sunlit morning provided the perfect backdrop for the Easter Bunny to take a break from surfing and relax and refuel with a cooler full of carrots beneath the shade of a beach umbrella provided by the Isle of Palms Beach Chair Company. IOP Beach Chair Company, owned by locals Burke and Katrina Limbach, strives to serve residents and guests by providing sustainable and accessible access to our beautiful beaches. IOP Beach Chair rents wooden beach chairs, umbrellas, bikes, surf and SUP boards and beach wheelchairs while proudly delivering exceptional customer satisfaction. We thought it was a wonderful way to kick off spring break, Easter and a family-owned island business on the island. Cheers to all who participate in warm weather and days by the water! IOP Waterfront Park expected to be ready by fall By Colin McCandless Conceptual plan for the IOP Waterfront Park, drafted by island resident and landscape architect Kelly Messier. Photo Provided. project initially conceived four years ago is expected to come to fruition later this year with the completion of the new Isle of Palms Waterfront Park. On Sept. 22, 2020, IOP City Council voted to approve the creation of a public dock and greenspace at the IOP Marina. City council sought feedback from the community on the Waterfront Park’s conceptual plan, the first draft of which was developed by island resident and landscape architect Kelly Messier, back in November 2020. The park will encompass a 300foot by 25-foot-wide area along the bulkhead of the marina facing the Intracoastal Waterway. It will feature a small greenspace leading to a public dock for residents and visitors to enjoy. City council approved the construction contract with Truluck Construction for the public dock and greenspace on Jan. 11. Construction is anticipated to begin on the new dock in March and is expected to be finished prior to Memorial Day. The greenspace area may take a little longer to complete. Mayor Phillip Pounds estimated that the park likely won’t be done until the fall due to a delay in finalizing a new parking layout with Islander 71 and the city. According to Pounds, the new dock will be 16-feet wide (much wider than the current one) side of the marina. Pounds said the boardwalk should tie the project together when everything is finished. “As significant improvements have been made to the entire 5 acres over the past few years, the new dock and greenspace will just add to the attractiveness of this area and continue to make it a destination for residents and visitors,” stated Pounds. The IOP Marina has decided to make parking and launch fees free for residents. Pounds added that there has been no discussion among city council to this point about charging for using the dock. “Also, as a result of our drainage project recently started on 41st Avenue we will be adding even more parking availability by piping the drainage ditch from 41st out to the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). We have been discussing this project for some time so it’s exciting to have our contractor starting on the dock in March. We look forward to bringing another venue to enjoy the great IOP sunsets!” A W Photos by Tonya McGue.
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