FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - A date has been set for Folly Beach residents to vote on whether or not the city will limit investment short term rental licenses.

This comes after a citizen petition to cap short term rental licenses at 800 units, which represents about one third of the island.

After verifying the signatures, the city decided not to outright adopt the petition, but to put it to an island-wide vote.

Now residents are preparing to cast their ballots. The special election will be Feb. 7, 2023. The election is at-large and by majority. Permanent residents, or people whose primary address is on Folly Beach can vote. Voters must be registered by Jan. 8th to participate.

Ann Peets, a nearly decade long Folly resident, has been actively following the petition.

“Basically it’s every single-family homeowner with 4% tax status. Any condominium owner or any long-term renter whose primary residence is Folly Beach can vote,” Peets says.

The following precincts will be able to participate: Folly Beach 1, Folly Beach 2, James Island 1A, and James Island 1B. Polling will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Baptist Fellowship Hall (61 West Indian Folly Beach) on the day of the election.

Peets signed the original petition for a cap and plans to vote in favor of the cap. She says it’s important that every resident is prepared to vote and knows how the petition will affect them and Folly as a whole.

“For any information or answers or frequently asked questions as you’re getting ready to vote, we encourage you to check the Folly Beach Residents Facebook page, where we post all the facts and frequently asked questions,” Peets says.

If you cannot vote in person on Feb. 7 in the special election, you can vote early or absentee. Early voting is from Jan. 23 – Feb. 3 of 2023. Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Charleston County Board of Elections office (4367 Headquarters Rd. North Charleston, SC 29405). To learn how to absentee vote you can reach out to the Charleston County Board of Elections at 843-744-8683.

On behalf of those who signed the original petition, Peets says she is looking forward to the vote.

“We feel like we had a really good, high number of people turn out for the petition to really share their views. And we just hope that everybody remembers that to take it all the way through. They’ve got to go to this referendum and cast their ballot. But we are feeling very positive. We feel like there’s a lot of groundswell around making sure that Folly stays Folly and stays funky and family and livable, and basically that we can strike a balance with the investors on the island so that everybody can kind of keep things in a nice balance between us,” Peets says.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Now comes Travado, a travel website, with a new moniker — hippie hangout.

Folly Beach was included on a list of 25 hippie hideouts in the U.S. Not surprisingly perhaps, the company said Asheville was the No. 1 hippie spot.

Travado went so far as to say, “This place is so far out that you might not even realize you’re still in South Carolina!”

Charleston is about 12 miles to the north.

While people lived on Folly Island since the late 1600s, it has officially been a township for almost 50 years. It’s celebrating its 50th birthday Sept. 22 to 30, 2023. They’re planning to close streets, shag into the night on the pier, show off classic cars and stage a prom-themed gala.

The island name is from the Old English word Folly, meaning a place wild with trees and undergrowth. It is a barrier island, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Folly River, some 18 square miles with 6 miles of coastline. It bills itself as one of the last true beach towns in America, home to about 2,400 permanent residents.

King William III gave the first land grant to William Rivers on Sept. 9, 1696, then the island passed to a series of owners, none of whom lived there. Members of the Bohicket tribe did.

As was the way, the Europeans arrived and the Bohickets were forced from their homes.

Shipwreck survivors in the early years and thousands of federal soldiers during the Civil War lived on the island. One of the stranger stories is that 14 bodies were unearthed during construction in May 1987, believed to be soldiers from the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. Twelve of them were missing skulls and other body parts and showed no signs of war casualties. The mystery ensues.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that the makings of an island resort showed through. Ocean Plaza was built with amusement rides, shops and a pier.

“The Folly Pier was a musical hub for the greater community with all the big bands playing the Folly Pier from Glenn Miller to Maurice Williams,” Gretchen Stringer Robinson wrote in her history of the island. “People from all over the country developed a love for the community that is, more than most, a people’s beach.”

Travado says, “Folly Beach is prime real estate for surfing, so the town attracts all sorts of laid-back, beach bum types — perfect for any hippie at heart!”

Folly is also known for spectacular sunsets and sea turtles that nest on the island from May 1 to Oct. 31. Downtown includes locally owned stores, seafood restaurants and nightlife in what town officials call “one-of-a-kind bars.”

Travado again: “After a day of surfing, you might even find that a drum circle has spontaneously coalesced on the shore. And don’t forget to give Bert’s 24-hour market when the munchies hit at strange times!”

Charleston, South Carolina has been making 'best of' travel headlines for years now with no signs of losing steam. This charming historic city packs an unbelievable punch for its small size. From the meticulously preserved antebellum architecture to world-class culinary offerings, a thriving arts scene, historical significance, and its array of beautiful beaches, there is no shortage of amazing things to do in Charleston.

Charleston is a thriving year-round destination, but with its oppressive heat during the summer, now is an excellent time to think about a Charleston getaway. The off-season enjoys much lighter crowds while temperatures remain fairly mild, and prices and availability are more favorable to visitors as well. Whether a seasoned vet or a Charleston first-timer, here are some great activities to enjoy in the Holy City.

Attend An Oyster Roast

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Oyster season in Charleston opens annually on October 1st (when shellfish harvesting is permitted) and runs until the spring. The steadfast rule has always been that oysters are best enjoyed during the 'r' months, so winter is the best time to sample the local oysters that Charleston is famous for.

While there is certainly no shortage of options for oyster consumption in Charleston, head to an oyster roast for an authentically-Charleston experience. Fresh oysters are steamed over hot coals and served family-style at large, communal tables where guests then shuck their own oysters and eat them with saltines, lemon, and hot sauce.

Charleston's Boone Hall Plantation holds the largest oyster festival in the world every January, but small-scale roasts pop up constantly and almost everywhere, from breweries to parks to bars and backyards.

Catch A Wave At Folly Beach

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Charleston is surrounded by a series of barrier islands and each of these nearby beach communities has its own unique vibe. Folly Beach has the most eclectic personality of all the Charleston beaches thanks to its vibrant local community and unpretentious atmosphere.

Located only a few miles from downtown Charleston, it is easy to incorporate into the daily itinerary, although one could easily choose to base themselves in Folly Beach instead.

With some of the best waves in the southeast, surfers have long flocked to Folly Beach. Advanced surfers will find the most optimal conditions at the area known as the Washout, but novices can take a surfing lesson with one of the island's reputable schools.

Wetsuits are provided with the cost of lessons during the cooler months conditions are often better than in the summer, too.

Shop 'Til You Drop

Historic downtown Charleston has a longstanding reputation as a retail shopping hub. The peninsula's most iconic shopping area is the picturesque and palmetto-lined King Street. Here shoppers will find popular international brands, unique local boutiques, furniture and home decor stores, a slew of art galleries, and many antiques and collectibles shops too.

Also found on King Street is The Shops at Charleston Place, home to high-end retailers like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

The historic Charleston City Market is another must-visit downtown shopping attraction (open daily from 9:30 am - 6 pm). On Friday and Saturday nights, it comes to life as a night market too. All the night market artists are selected via an application process for their local and handmade works.

Watch The Sunset From A Sailboat

With so much water surrounding Charleston, a sailboat is a great way to explore the city from a different perspective.

Hourly and daily yacht charters are available at any of the area marinas, and sailing courses are also available through Charleston Sailing School for anyone wishing to acquire their own set of skills on the water.

The colorful homes along the Charleston Battery make for excellent sightseeing from within the Charleston Harbor. Check out some of the uninhabited barrier islands, such as Capers Island, that are only accessible by boat.

Another fun sailing option is to 'dock and dine'; sail over to Isle of Palms or Sullivan's Island and drop anchor at one of the lively waterfront establishments.

Take A Horse-Drawn Carriage History Tour

Head over to Anson Street (next to the historic City Market) to be greeted by a slew of friendly faces of the equine variety. Learn the history of Charleston while perched atop a horse-drawn carriage and enjoy the sights of the city.

The tour guides are certified by the city and are extremely knowledgeable. Visitors will learn new facts with every tour they go on, and explore different areas of downtown as well. The barns are open to the public and patrons and welcome to visit with the gentle giants.

An important note for animal lovers: the carriage companies have large farms outside the city and rotate different horses in and out of pasture each week (they do not live downtown, or work every day). The industry is closely regulated (number of daily tours, cooling times, body temps, etc.), and draft horses and bred and built for this sort of work.

The carriage horses are all former Amish plow horses. Not only is their new job far more humane, but it also saves them from an otherwise unspeakable fate.

Wine And Dine

It's no secret that Charleston's food and beverage scene is world-class. The city has long been a food haven, with drinking and dining a staple of any Charleston vacation.

There is an incredible array of options to suit all tastes and budgets, boasting everything from Michelin-star and James Beard award chefs and restaurants to humble soul food and gritty dive bars. Be sure to come hungry (and thirsty)!

While this entire article could be devoted to the culinary offerings in Charleston, here are a few tried-and-true favorites broken down into four categories.

See Live Music

Charleston has a wonderful music scene, with numerous venues that consistently welcome both emerging artists and famous headliners. Many of the downtown venues are small, allowing for intimate shows where attendees can get up close and personal with the musicians and sometimes even share a drink with them at the bar.

Check out the Music Farm and Charleston Pour House for laid-back vibes and music spanning a variety of genres. The Galliard Center and Charleston Music Hall are elegant venues with incredible acoustics.

For large-scale concerts, there is also the North Charleston Coliseum and Credit One Stadium, which can each host over 10,000 patrons.

Additionally, Charleston is home to some excellent outdoor venues including the Windjammer, Charleston Harbor Resort at Patriot's Point, The Refinery, and Riverfront Park that host many fun shows and festivals in the warmer months.

Go To A Charleston RiverDogs Baseball Game

Anyone visiting Charleston during baseball season (April - October) should be sure to catch a Charleston RiverDogs game. Recently named the Minor League Baseball Team of the Year, the team is co-owned by local celebrity Bill Murray who often pops up at home games.

The stadium is conveniently located downtown and the games offer cheap beer and tons of fun in a family-friendly atmosphere. The games are loved by locals and tourists alike, and everyone is sure to have a great time.

The Charleston RiverDogs also host frequent special events to contribute to the community, from litter clean-ups to animal fundraisers, as well as cultural heritage celebrations, golf events, food festivals, and more.

Brewery Hop

Charleston is home to over 30 breweries, where locals and tourists mingle side by side. The beer scene has grown rapidly over the last decade, with only three breweries in Charleston 10 years ago.

Beer enthusiasts will find a diverse range of offerings, encompassing lagers to stouts to IPAs and everything in between. Some of the Charleston breweries offer full-service dining, while others just have food trucks on-site during certain hours.

With so many breweries to choose from, below are a handful of the favorites to visit, according to locals. Remember not to drink and drive; if no designated driver is available opt for a guided tour with transportation instead.

Walk, Run, Or Bike The Ravenel Bridge

The Ravenel Bridge is becoming to Charleston what the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco. Besides connecting the Charleston peninsula with neighboring Mount Pleasant, crossing the Ravenel Bridge is also a popular recreational activity for locals and tourists alike.

Don't forget to take a few snaps because the views of Charleston Harbor are out of this world!

The Ravenel Bridge features a designated pedestrian lane with a safety barrier from traffic, and it is wide enough to comfortably accommodate both walkers and bikers. The bridge spans 2.5 miles from one end to the other, so keep in mind it is a 5-mile roundtrip journey.

Rather than going back and forth, another great option is to head over to the waterfront bars on Shem Creek and then use Uber or Lyft to return to the peninsula.

Climate change has become a constant threat to the households of the coastal Carolinas, especially the half that relies on septic tanks.

And in the Palmetto State, permits for these tanks are not kept long term, so the data to assess potential issues might not be available when needed.

Folly Beach is one municipality that has been proactive in finding solutions to looming threats like sea level rise and intense rainfall from stronger storms.

The city was included in a yearslong study conducted by researchers in North Carolina to evaluate on-site wastewater technology under different climate conditions in the coastal Carolinas.

They concluded that sea level rise in southeastern South Carolina may increase by more than 3 feet by the end of the century. More extreme precipitation from stronger storms could likely be problematic for on-site wastewater treatment and reduce the treatment capacity, according to a presentation from Jared Bowden, a researcher at North Carolina State University.

Bowden and other researchers from N.C. State, East Carolina University and the North Carolina Sea Grant presented findings from their research this week at Fort Johnson on James Island.

Septic tanks rely on dry soil for proper wastewater treatment. But when the soil becomes saturated, the untreated wastewater might sit in the drain field or run off and potentially get into bodies of water, according to the research.

In many cases, there might not be a lot of buffer for groundwater levels to rise. North Carolina has a requirement of 1.5 feet of soil between the groundwater level and the drain field. In South Carolina, that requirement is 6 inches.

There are several steps municipalities can take before the potential climate change threats become a reality.

One of the largest steps is to maintain the systems for proper functionality, said Jane Harrison, a coastal economics specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant.

“Incentivize routine inspection and put outs (pumps),” Harrison said on Dec. 14. “Whether that’s at the municipal level or the state level, that is a real action step we need.”

Other steps include identifying poorly performing systems, incorporating weather and climate risks in septic tank site approvals, assessing feasibility of reusing wastewater and creating digital long-term inventories.

Creating a database of septic tank systems might be a potential next step for Folly Beach. The city is mostly on septic and only a handful of properties utilize sewer.

“That’s a tangible product that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world,” Folly Beach City Administrator Aaron Pope said. “So that’ll probably be our first implementation ... but that’s all in the future.”

The idea hasn’t gone to the City Council because the report is fairly new. But there are reasons why such a database might be necessary.

“We found it’s a common occurrence out here that if the house is old, there’s no record of the septic tank, where it is, how big it is,” Pope said.

For the last few years, people have been required to give the city a copy of their septic tank permits. So bits and pieces of info have been scanned into the city’s files.

In theory, a more enhanced database might include details on the capacity of the tank and where the drain field is.

Septic tanks are not supposed to be parked on. But when the city doesn’t know where they are, and the state doesn’t have paperwork on where they should be, it becomes sort of a guessing game in Folly Beach, Pope said.

The town has been fortunate, though. Sea level rise has not caused an impact to septic tanks yet. And Pope said he does not believe the groundwater has risen enough to make the septic tanks fail there.

High tidal flooding and storm surge are more of an immediate concern. Septic tanks get wet every time the back of the island goes under. This can result in reduced septic tank capacity. But the city hasn’t seen a rash of failures.

“But if it gets to the point where someone’s septic tank has flooded four times a month, it’s going to fail,” Pope said.

Folly Beach hasn’t been stagnant in its work with septic tanks. Pope said the city made changes in 2019 to septic tank setbacks and how they define whether a tank is a failed system.

Septic tanks are now required to be at least 40 feet from the baseline of the beach because of concerns for erosion and sea level rise, Pope said.

Long-term solutions to climate change’s impacts on these on-site wastewater treatment systems could include switching from conventional tanks to elevated engineered systems.

And it’s possible that one day, no septic tanks could work in places like Folly Beach. Sewer could be the solution, among other options.

A year long project and vision to improve the Folly Road corridor has wrapped up another year of research and plans.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A year long project and vision to improve the Folly Road corridor has wrapped up another year of research and plans.

The Rethink Folly Road Complete Streets Initiative has a goal to improve congestion and connectivity with pedestrian and bike lanes. Officials hope the work will also improve the value and quality of life along the thoroughfare.

The idea behind the project began in 2015 and Charleston County, Charleston City, Folly Beach and the Town of James Island approved the initiative in 2016. It’s a collaborative effort to study the area, design improvements and secure funding for work.

For the past three years, Toole Design has been working with the county and cities along the corridor to do research and community studies on how to best implement the biking and walking paths.

Lakeesha Dunbar, Office Manager for Tool Design, says the design phase and securing property is often longer than actual construction.

“The last two years is getting the design of the Phase One project done in coordination with the state. And so that’s a big piece in itself. And then since I’ve been on board, um, in the last year, we’ve done quite a few little things to keep it trying to keep the momentum going with the community,” Dunbar says.

Tool design worked with the county on designs and also collaborated with business owners along the road.

“We have to get buy in one because we’re having to get easements and property from property owners along the corridor,” Dunbar explains.

The Tool firm’s contract with the Rethink Folly Road project ends and the end of 2022.

“We’ve been expansion of staff to coordinate the steering committee and the BI monthly meetings. I think just that continued coordination and communication between all of the jurisdictions because there are the multiple jurisdictions along the corridor - that’s key,” Dunbar says.

Going forward, the jurisdictions hope to see phase one completed in the next two years. Phase 1 is the initial phase of the bicycle and pedestrian accommodation project stretching from Lowe’s to Walmart.

Charleston Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt says in the coming year, people will notice disjointed parts of the paths going in.

“There’s been several improvements within that area already and as different areas like the Chick-fil-A that’s being remodeled as they get improved, you will see isolated, you know, paths and all built in those areas, but along for the long term is going to take a little bit longer to acquire all the property we need,” she says.

Honeycutt compared the goal for Folly Road to how Coleman Boulevard functions in Mount Pleasant – a main road but with bike lanes and sidewalks that connect the nearby community. She says it’s a grand vision of a safe community road that will take a while to accomplish and asks people to be patient as the county and involved cities continue designing and construction.

“So, you’ve got the county who’s sort of the applicant that’s sort of running the operation, you might call, but you have all of those stakeholders involved in at the table and as we progress, we want you know, the community’s input, particularly business owners along the corridor to make sure that it reflects what the community wants,” Honeycutt says.

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