Surfrider Foundation, MAKING WAVES, June 2004

MAKING WAVES, June 2004 issue: Table of Contents

Charleston South Carolina Chapter

by Ed Mazzarella

In December of 2003, Making Waves reported that the Charleston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation was developing its Morris Island Campaign. In 2004, the chapter fully launched this campaign due to developer Harry Huffman’s plan to build 20 luxury homes on Morris Island, a pristine barrier island and historical Civil War battle site.

Charleston Chapter Chair, Peter Beck (NeoStick) & company

The chapter opposes all development on Morris Island because it is considered an ecologically fragile barrier island providing refuge for wildlife and migratory shorebirds. Runoff and increased boat traffic from the development would severely impact the water quality on Charleston beaches and the harbor. Any type of development would jeopardize the island’s historical and cultural character, as well as devastate the sensitive marine forest and beach ecosystem. “It’s a moving island, subject to tremendous erosion and exposure to storms. There’s a reason no man-made structures have survived,” explained chapter activist Bubber Hutto, a structural engineer for the Navy, in a recent Charlotte Observer article. “If you take away all the historical context, you still can’t justify building a bunch of mansions on an island like this.”

Morris Island’s historical roots can be traced back as the launching pad of the Civil War and the setting for the heroic charge of the all-black 54 Massachusetts Infantry. Joe McGill, an associate for the Charleston Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, stated, “The island needs to be preserved for its role in our nation’s history on several fronts.” The island was recently named the top of the nation’s 10 most endangered Civil War sites by the Washington-based Civil War Preservation Trust. John Tucker, superintendent of the Fort Sumter National Monument, stated that they are fully opposed to the development plan and added, “It would be the equivalent of building a mall beside the battlefield at Gettysburg.”

The proposed lots would cost from $2 million to $6 million. Homes would cost approximately $1.5 million and would be built on pilings 13.5 feet above high tide to supposedly keep them safe from storm surges that roll during hurricanes. Development would take place on about half of the 125 acres the developer has under option. Developer Huffman admits the island’s topography and geographic location present unique challenges. There is no bridge to Morris Island; construction crews, and later, homeowners, would travel by private boat. Electricity cables would have to go under the harbor. The island’s highest ground is about 10 feet above sea level. There would be no cars or roads on the island; residents travel by golf cart.

The Charleston Chapter is a member of the Coalition to Protect Morris Island, but even before the coalition was created, chapter activists implemented their campaign and opposed the project by challenging the permits at the Charleston OCRM office and submitting Freedom of Information requests.

To date, chapter activists have participated in coalition strategy meetings, published letters to the editors in local papers, and have been interviewed by local and national newspapers and television reporters. Chapter activists have telephoned and sent e-mails to area mayors, council members and municipalities urging them to officially oppose the development in the hopes that they can convince every municipality in Charleston County to pass a resolution opposing the development.

In a recent victory, the chapter, along with coalition partners, was successful in getting the James Island Town Council to pass the resolution opposing the development. Charleston Chapter Chair Peter Beck explained, “We had the Surfrider Foundation banner out for the James Island Town Council Meeting and voiced SF’s opposition to the development of Morris Island. Previous to the meeting, the mayor and certain council members indicated that they would not interfere with the developer’s plans to rezone the island, intending to vote against the resolution. When SF had the floor, we showed everyone the December, 2003, issue of Making Waves, and informed them that it is distributed to 37,000 Surfrider Foundation members around the globe. At the end of the evening, the council passed the resolution unanimously. Other municipalities are considering similar resolutions and will likely vote the same way because of our victory on James Island. Our Surfrider Foundation members have worked hard to fight this coastal development.”

The intermediate goals in the campaign will be to block the Charleston County zoning changes Harry Huffman needs to build the homes, as well as the state approval he’ll need to install septic tanks. The long-term goal calls for identifying and securing the millions of dollars needed to buy and preserve the island in its natural state. One newly-identified funding source could be funds generated from a proposed half-cent sales tax hike included on the November ballot. Huffman has also expressed interest in selling the property to a public agency for preservation.

This campaign is a great example of the grassroots movement and the power that we have as members when we mobilize into a unified voice. While this campaign is far from over, the chapter is making significant progress and can use your support to protect and preserve this important ecological and historic site. Thank you to chapter members Peter Beck, Bubber Hutto, Nancy Hussey, John Pharr, William Carter and Paul Smith, who are leading the campaign. For more information, please contact the chapter.

The chapter also wishes to thank Folly Beach artists, Kristina DiMattio and Jon Conant for their activism and donation of 1 percent of all sales to the chapter in support of this campaign, as well as the chapter’s many other outreach efforts.