FOLLY BEACH — A recent change to a Folly Beach ordinance will make it tougher for property owners to remove trees from their lots.

Changes to an existing ordinance approved by City Council last year would require residents to pay a fee or submit replacement plans for most trees that would be cut within city limits. The goal is to help with stormwater management in the city.

In the past, property owners were required to pay a fee only if they wanted to remove protected trees from their lots, according to Katie Gerling, the city’s former environmental and land use planner. Ten species are considered protected, including maples, magnolias and oaks that are indigenous to Folly Beach.

But the rules have changed now that the city is mostly built out and only a handful of completely wooded lots remain. Historically, wooded lots provided drainage capacity for stormwater, Gerling said in an interview before her recent departure from her position with Folly Beach.

“With the development of our lots, people were going in and just clear-cutting pines and any non-protected trees,” Gerling said.

With the rule change, the city wanted to ensure homeowners and developers give more thought to tree removals.

“We need all the help we can get for stormwater drainage, being a marsh island beach community,” Gerling said. “So the more trees that we can preserve on the lot, that’s what our goal is.”

Land owners now have to apply for a tree alteration permit to remove both protected and non-protected trees. The application must be accompanied by a landscape plan that includes the location and size of the trees.

If an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture determines a tree is diseased, dying or hazardous, the removal fee would be waived.

Van’s Tree Service is just one company that has already been called to Folly Beach to identify hazardous trees and write reports to support the removal. The company’s owner, Van Atkins, said a resident called him last year because he had a dead tree in his yard. He needed an arborist to actually say it was dead before it could be removed.

While in the yard, Atkins discovered at least two other trees that were hazardous. He said the average homeowner won’t always recognize dying or hazardous trees.

“If it’s got a root rot where the roots around it are rotten and there’s rot down at the base of the tree, there’s some potential for falling over or getting blown over,” Atkins said. “So that’s when I’d write a letter asking for permission to remove the tree.”

The amended ordinance said non-protected trees may be removed from a lot without cause. But customers who want to remove a healthy one that is at least 12 inches in diameter at chest height will now be responsible for mitigation.

Healthy trees that are removed or destroyed must be replaced with an equivalent amount of trunk diameter, so one 12-inch tree could be replaced with a tree of the same size or two 6-inch trees, for example. Protected trees must be replaced with the same species or an accepted shade species identified by the S.C. Forestry Commission. Non-protected trees have to be replaced with species listed on the city’s protected tree list.

Property owners can also mitigate their tree removals by paying a fee equaling the average of two written quotes for the cost of replacement trees.

“So if they went and said ‘I want to mitigate these trees and replant them,’ they can either physically do that or they can get quotes from the nursery,” Gerling said. “And that’s what we base the fee on.”

Gerling said many people tend to mitigate with palm trees, as they are usually the cheapest option. She said a 14-inch palm tree costs about $200.

Mitigation fees pay into the city’s tree fund. This year, the city used mitigation funds generated over time for protected trees to start a $10,000 grant for people to replace palmettos cut down by Dominion Energy.

If the utility removed a palmetto tree from in front of a resident’s home, in the public right of way, the city will pay up to $100 or one-third of the cost of a replacement, said Aaron Pope, Folly Beach’s city administrator. The replacement tree can be planted anywhere on the property as long as it is visible from the public right-of-way.

“So that was kind of our attempt to help private folks come and mitigate the loss of all these public palmetto trees they cut down out here,” Pope said.

Across Charleston Harbor, Sullivan’s Island has a similar ordinance in place to protect trees and preserve the natural landscape.

Landowners on the island must pay $25 to apply for a permit to remove trees. The money goes to a Tree Fund and a Tree Commission determines if the plants can be removed. If approved, owners would have to submit a replacement plan or make an unspecified payment in lieu, according to the ordinance.

Owners can remove diseased, dying or hazardous trees if the commission agrees with the findings. No replacement would be required, and the application fee won’t be charged.

Palmettos can be relocated intact to another site on the same lot or to a public site in town, with the permission of the zoning administrator.

The Sullivan’s Island ordinance said these regulations are intended to preserve the natural beauty of the island, prevent erosion, minimize flooding, and improve surface drainage and air quality.

Follow Shamira McCray on Twitter @ShamiraTweets.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — The Army Corps of Engineers is working to replenish Folly Beach by using what is called a "nearshore placement" project.

"You would literally walk off the steps and the water would be underneath the steps. There's no beach at high tide at all, like down by the washout," says Folly Beach visitor Amy Heaton.

Beach replenishment projects are crucial in protecting beaches and buildings on Folly.

"This will help protect the infrastructure of the homes, the businesses behind the beach, as a protective structural measure," says Wes Wilson, project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers in Charleston.

One of the ways to replenish beaches is through a project that has worked before.

"The nearshore placement project is a really innovative approach that the Army Corps is taking to utilize sediment that is being dredged for navigation purposes and to keep the boating channels clear, and then take that sand and help to feed the beaches in a different way than traditional beach nourishment," says Nicole Elko, president of Elko Coastal Consulting.

The last nearshore placement project took place in 2021. The Army Corps of Engineers and City of Folly Beach dredged up 50,000 cubic yards of sand from the Folly River, took it to the northeast end of the beach and dumped it about 200 to 300 yards offshore.

It proved to be successful thanks to the tracer monitoring contract and some colorful markers.

"The contractor used orange and pink dye in some of their sand loads and disposed of it. They sampled it and determined where on the beach those particular deposits landed," says Wilson.

These placement projects come with a lot of benefits.

"It is known to be a lot more environmentally friendly, too. That's one of the things we look for. The three "E's" is engineering, economics and environmental. The economics- that's cheaper; environmentally more friendly; and the engineering is constructible," says Wilson.

Another project is already being designed due to the success of the first. It is projected to wrap up by late spring of 2023.

These projects are federally funded.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — The crashing waves off Folly's coastline is the perfect place to make that perfect connection.

"This is awesome man. Surfers Healing Folly Beach." The volunteers were definitely excited.

So, you can imagine how the families of Autistic children and the pros on the surfboards feel.

"They're healing me," says a surfer who goes by the name Sushi. Probably a good mix for the turf and surf environment.

The expression of joy on the faces of the kids who surfed with Sushi, and his own face after each ride, are tough to describe but amazing to see.

"Just being able to experience something that you think your kid on the spectrum will never experience."

That's Jessica Miler. She's a mom of two autistic kids taking part in the annual program. It's the family's third year.

Surfers Healing's Folly Beach event has been going on for more than a decade.

It gives children struggling with social abilities a chance to surf in a family-like atmosphere.

250 participants plus around another 250 volunteers, staff, family members and surfers from around the country- making it happen.

One of the organizers, Nancy Morris, tells us during her years working the event, "I've seen parents who've never seen their kids swim or do anything -- they don't have to be able to swim -- but never seen their kids come to the beach, because it's too hard to bring them. Get to experience a beach day for the first time."

It's emotional moments that the event brings out.

Morris says, "Like standing with parents and really having them, never gotten to see, I've had people just be like 'I didn't know he could do this.' And just tears streaming down their faces."

Morris hears the children's loved ones and strangers cheering them on.

Jessica Miler keeps discovering more moments that'll last for years as her kids, Brody and Izzy, are steadied on a surfboard while feeling the waves crash around them.

"To see my kid out there. It's just a locked memory."

Each of the kids not only got pictures taken and big hugs after surveying the surf- they also got special medals.

ASHEVILLE - The question of what will take over the former Zia Taqueria location in West Asheville has been answered.

South Carolina-based restaurant management company has announced it will make its Asheville debut with two Taco Boy restaurant locations slated for the mountain city.

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring Taco Boy to Asheville. Living in both cities has confirmed what I always believed as a visitor: that our values, as a family of neighborhood taquerias, align with the greater sense of purpose I feel within the community in Western North Carolina,” founder Karalee Nielsen Fallert said in a news release. She is also the founder and CEO of All Good Industries restaurant management group. “We believe that all good things are possible with the power of inclusivity, generosity, interconnectedness and tacos ... and always EXTRA guac!”

Taco Boy, a Mexican cuisine-inspired eatery, will open at 521 Haywood Road, tentatively by the end of 2022. It is the address of Zia Tacqueria, which closed in May.

Hiring for Taco Boy will begin in November.

The venue will be remodeled before opening day and the décor will be accented by work from local artisans. It will be designed to encourage community collaboration through food, drink, music, entertainment and art.

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By spring 2023, a second location is scheduled to open in Biltmore Park Town Square, 2 Town Square Blvd., #130. Hiring is expected to begin in late January.

In 2006, the first Taco Boy was opened in Folly Beach and now operates with a location in downtown Charleston and Summerville, South Carolina.

Taco Boy touts its fresh, scratch-made Mexican-inspired dishes and drinks. The menu features tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, rice and beans, chipotle slaw, Mexican street corn, guacamole and more.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options will be available.

“All tortillas will be made in-house using heirloom corn and a traditional nixtamalization process,” according to the news release.

The beverage menu features margaritas and Latin-infused craft cocktails.

The restaurant will offer brunch services, too.

The Asheville team will be headed by culinary director Francisco Alvarez. The chef offers his training and experience gained at Las Vegas restaurants and through his Mexican family and heritage.

Maty Hollingsworth will be the beverage director, described as a long-time Ashevillian and restaurant industry veteran who’s managed beverage programs at many local restaurants including Jargon and Limones.

View Taco Boy’s menu at tacoboy.net.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

We hope you’ve packed your appetite. This month, we’re finishing our Hit the Road series with a flavorful foray into Charleston, SC.

Whether you’re interested in taking a walking food tour, putting your cooking skills to the test at a Zero George class, or trying the award-winning steamed oysters at Bowen’s Island, this driving-distance destination is every foodie’s dream.

Before you start packing your bags, here’s everything you need to know about the area, along with our insider recommendations.

Hang out and eat around Folly Beach

The “tattooed bohemian” energy that you know and love in Asheville is palpable at this laid-back beach community. If you deign to leave your perch at the beach, consider visiting Chico Feos for tacos, Cuban sandwiches, and a generous selection of craft beer (and while you’re there, see how many Asheville stickers you can spot behind the bar — we saw about 20).

Two other gems: Bert’s Market, with its 24/7 selection of ice cream, burritos, burgers, paninis, and other casual eats — and the globally-inspired comfort food at Jack of Cups Saloon.

Take a cooking class with Zero George

Gather round this hotel’s professional demo kitchen for an intimate class led by Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo and Sous Chef’s Tyler Chavis. The result? A multi-course meal with wine pairings, plus heaping servings of professional expertise. Book a class.

The Historic Supper Club

This four-course, family-style meal — situated in a lavish French Quarter dining room — offers a rich + historical experience of Charleston’s culinary scene. Make a reservation.

RAW LAB | 99 South Market St.

This three-hour omakase (which translates “to entrust” or “I leave it to you” in Japanese) raw bar dining experience is curated by the world’s first master mermmelier: Chef Kevin Joseph. This 11-course, mind-bending meal of marine cuisine is available by reservation only.

Want an unfussy, heaping pile of oysters, fried shrimp, hushpuppies, and the like? This walk-up, deceptively gourmet sea shack (and the winner of a 2006 James Beard Award) is chock full of character, humility, and life-changing seafood, so long as you’re okay with waiting in line.

Kwei Fei | 1977 Maybank Hwy.

Lamb dumplings, dan dan noodles noodles, and mapo tofu can be yours at this lively, peppery, and exquisitely authentic Sichuan eatery. Pssst, if you’re feeling dare devilish, try your hand at the Sichuan Negroni, made with peppercorn-infused Campari, vermouth, and Beefeater gin.

Sullivan’s Fish Camp | 2019 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island

New to the scene, this chic seaside restaurant is modeled after a 1970s sailboat and offers classic seafood hits like peel-and-eat shrimp + fried seafood baskets — plus sophisticated and higher-end offerings like lobster rolls and tuna tartare with bone marrow.

This playful eatery, housed inside a converted auto shop, knows how to play the hits. Come for the oysters, fried chicken, and shrimp rolls — stay for the soft serve, frozen gin and tonics, and rosé on tap.

A meal at Frannie & The Fox, a wood-fired, Italian-inspired eatery, is reason enough to stay at this boutique hotel. A few other perks: complimentary strong punch cocktails (or house lemonade) upon check-in, Lowcountry curios sprinkled throughout the space, and an impressive collection of 500+ vinyl records.

The Ryder Hotel | 237 Meeting St.

This stylish, boutique hotel — which takes inspiration from the semi-fictional character Japhy Ryder in Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums” — is centered in the heart of downtown Charleston, which means you’re only a stone’s throw away from two of the Palm City’s most famous restaurants, F.I.G. and Lenoir.

Bonus: If you stay here, you also have an excuse to linger in the sunshine at Little Palm, the hotel’s breezy poolside cafe + cocktail bar.

The Grand Bohemian | 55 Wentworth St.

Come for the funky + eclectic aesthetic (read: crushed velvet headboards and a synthetic turf-covered rooftop bar), stay for the spectacular meals offered at the coastal-inspired Élevé that blends Southern heritage with the finest French culinary techniques.

Hungry for more? Catch up on the last two months’ Hit the Road features: Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Black Mountain.