ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) – Wild Dunes Resort on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Isle of Palms (IOP) for enacting ordinances which limit the resort’s development.

Five ordinances were passed in November which proponents said protected the city’s greenspaces. The ordinances amend stipulations of a Planned Residential Development (PRD) zoning district contract created in 1975 when the development of the resort began. It was previously amended in 2016 to reduce the number of units permitted.

The most recent changes were brought about amid fears that Wild Dunes was planning to build additional condos/hotels where current golf courses and recreation spaces exist. However, in a statement to News 2, a representative for the developer said “the developer did not propose to build on existing golf courses/green spaces.”

In a series of public meetings, residents expressed concern about the overpopulation that the additional development could bring as well as the damage it could cause to the environment.

Despite initial worries about how long the process could take, councilmembers acted quickly to pass the amendments, which Wild Dunes claims violated the city’s own protocol.

“The City failed to comply with the requisite procedure. As detailed above, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended the Subject Ordinances on or around November 9, 2022, which was after the public hearings on the Subject Ordinances had already been held on October 18 and November 1, 2022. Thus, the City violated the procedural requirements of Section 5-4-39 of the City’s Code for amending PDD zoning districts.”

Likewise, Wild Dunes claims the city failed to meaningfully engage with stakeholders — despite a representative publicly appealing to council members at a November 15 meeting — and left them no option but to take legal action.

The lawsuit also argues that the city’s reasoning for passing the ordinances is misguided, stating that Wild Dunes has brought “measured and positive growth to the City for decades,” and would continue to do so with any new development.

It cites the many rehabilitation and renovation projects undertaken by Wild Dunes over the years — sometimes in partnership with the city — to improve the shoreline, golf courses, and other recreation facilities.

Regarding overpopulation, Wild Dunes noted that the existing PRD allowed for another 330 dwelling units and 53 inn units to be built, but Wild Dunes had no plans to build them all at once. Instead, developers said they would be “completed over time based upon real estate market conditions and other factors.” The lawsuit goes on to claim that individual rental properties bring far more traffic to the island, and that taking away property rights should not be used as a solution to regulate traffic.

Ultimately, the lawsuit claims that the ordinances prevent “economically viable and productive uses of [Wild Dunes’] property,” which effectively amounts to “the regulatory taking of [the] property.” Thus, according to the lawsuit, the city should compensate Wild Dunes for the land it took, or return the property rights to the owners.

News 2 has reached out to IOP for comment.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the developer.

The City of Isle of Palms is holding the first of two public hearings to discuss limiting future development and protecting the golf courses in the Wild Dunes p

Published: Tue Oct 18 2022

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of Isle of Palms is holding the first of two public hearings to discuss limiting future development and protecting the golf courses in the Wild Dunes planned development district on Tuesday.

The discussion stemmed from a 1975 agreement that would make it possible for there to be over 300 more rooms built in the Wild Dunes between hotels and condos.

According to Mayor Phillip Pounds, it all started back in February when a group of residents asked the council to take a look at the decades-old agreement to see if they could make some changes. Anthony Santiago says he was one of those residents.

“We thought we were developed already after The Sweetgrass Inn,” Santiago said. “We don’t even have parking for that. And then through the due diligence we discovered the capacity to expand this more than double.”

Santiago and others who are against future development in Wild Dunes say that more development would overwhelm public safety and public works resources, cause more drainage and sewage issues, and make traffic and parking on the island more of a nightmare.

“Every city municipality has the right to rezone as you develop,” Santiago said. “This is almost fifty years ago when we did this. Nobody thought we’d be as big as we are.”

The Isle of Palms City Council now has five ordinances up for discussion that would preserve public and private facilities and put a cap on density in the planned development district.

Beverly Miller is the executive director of the Barrier Island Preservation Alliance, a nonprofit formed to address challenges unique to the barrier islands. She said she wanted to show support for the ordinances through a petition. It now has over 750 signatures.

“When that was written, this island was erratically different, and it’s so different now that we need to amend those zoning ordinances so that we are up to today and the demands that are on the island today that were not here in 1975,” Miller said.

Pounds said the Wild Dunes agreement was one of the first of its type in the country.

“Unusual maybe, but as areas get built out there’s certainly an opportunity for cities to revisit the zoning and the density and the future development,” Pounds said.

Pounds said the city has received many phone calls and emails from concerned residents worried how much the island could take. He says there’s confusion about the slow process, but he says with the public hearing, that will stop development even though they aren’t completely through the process.

“When you’re on an island where you have such little landmass to develop anything, the ability to put 300 plus units in Wild Dunes today, I don’t even know where they would put them because there’s not that kind of landmass,” Pounds said. “But some of the concern was, could they do something on the golf courses, could they do something on the tennis courts. That’s some of the ordinance that we’re looking at during this process is protecting those areas.”

Tuesday’s public hearing will take place at Isle of Palms city hall at 5 p.m. Another public hearing will take place Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at the city’s recreation center. The city’s planning commission will take a look at the ordinances and give feedback to city council. Then, it will be up to city council to schedule a second reading which would solidify the ordinances.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Tucked inside the Boardwalk Inn at Wild Dunes Resort is Coastal Provisions, a restaurant and bar that welcomes hungry diners with hospitality and crave-worthy dishes.

My husband and I are always excited to try local eateries, so we made a Friday reservation, booked a babysitter, and headed out for a much-needed date night.

Since Wild Dunes is a gated resort community on the Isle of Palms, having a reservation is helpful. It’s not very far from where we live in Mount Pleasant, but the atmosphere of the resort and the proximity to the beach feels like being on vacation.

The décor at the spacious restaurant feels upscale beachy and cozy with soft blues and beiges, turquoise accents and watercolor paintings. Our attentive server helped us order cocktails: Provisional Paloma with tequila, pamplemousse liquor, grapefruit and agave for my husband, and a Summer Sip made with Hendricks, St. Germain, cucumber and rose for me.

Chef de Cuisine Thalita Smith has created a menu based around fresh seafood and meat, crafted with seasonal ingredients. The current menu highlights fruits and vegetables such as peaches, heirloom tomatoes and corn, sustainably sourced from local purveyors. Tasty dishes include an Heirloom Tomato Salad; a Crudo appetizer with peaches, pomegranate and jalapeno emulsion; and a Half Chicken entrée featuring corn puree, vegetable giardiniera and heirloom tomato jam.

For starters, we sampled the beef tartar special with caviar that was phenomenal. We also had the octopus appetizer made with panisse, fava beans, pickled fresno chili and piquillo pepper emulsion. The presentation alone was show-stopping, but the octopus was grilled just right.

The scallop and pork belly entrée with a pea puree and maitake mushrooms was excellent as well, with each bite better than the next. The Catch of the Day varies depending on what’s in season locally and comes with summer succotash, squash and saffron beurre blanc. The restaurant focuses on local and sustainable seafood, and is a partner of the South Carolina Aquarium Good Catch Program.

The irresistible dessert menu boasts Cheesecake with Roasted Peaches, Guava Cake with mascarpone cream and lemon and lime curd, and a Bourbon Chocolate Verrine. Even though we were pretty full, my husband and I split the verrine, and it was delectable.

After dinner, we walked over a little bridge that goes over the adults-only pool, and down the adorable boardwalk to the lively beach bar. The spacious outdoor area has plenty of seating, live music, and gorgeous ocean views. We watched the waves for a while and enjoyed the evening breeze, and were reminded yet again why we live in such an amazing place – with all this beauty just 15 minutes from our house.

Delicious food, friendly and attentive staff, and a location that can’t be beat - Coastal Provisions checks all the boxes for a great date night out.

The restaurant is open daily from 5-10 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 843-886-2200 or visit www.wilddunes.com.

Want a quick getaway practically in your own backyard? While Mount Pleasant and the surrounding beaches serve almost daily in that capacity, something else you might not have tried before, the brand-new Nest Rooftop Bar, is already proving hard to beat.

Opened April 1 atop the Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes Resort on the far east end of Isle of Palms, The Nest, as patrons call it, offers up an array of colorful island drinks and an atmosphere that will make you want to stay forever on the South Carolina coast— even if you already live here.

“There is no hotel in our area that has a space truly like this nestled six floors above the beach,” said Nico Scherman, general manager of Wild Dunes Resort. “The new hotel opened with ample rooftop space…and we imagined a casual rooftop bar that mimics our Lowcountry lifestyle.”

Even if you don’t drink alcoholic beverages, the rooftop view alone is worth the effort, thanks to the surrounding dunes, hotel and pools, harbor golf course, and of course, everyone’s favorite, the Atlantic Ocean and shoreline.

“We focused on developing a space that feels tropical, from the colorful uniforms to the space that is engulfed in tropical plants,” Scherman said. “And The Nest is a mix of bohemian style, complemented by a curated beachside cocktail list.”

For a drink or two, Nest bartenders are ready to serve up lots of intriguing goodies, such as the Cucumber Mule Cocktail, the Passion Fruit Margarita, Tall Skinny Houses Pilsner, and Poke the Bear APA – all from Charleston breweries.

“We only serve local beer of the Southeast,” Scherman said. “You won’t find mainstream light beers here.”

But you will find bartenders who get to showcase their talents, providing a sort of unplanned-for entertainment to go with your drinks.

“My favorite part of the job is the on-the-fly cocktail creation and the creative freedom our leadership gives us,” said Veteran Bartender Mike Sweatte. “And having a bar overlooking the beach is not a bad day at the office.”

Interesting dishes also pair well with the signature drinks and one-of-a-kind view. This is where Chef Austin Blake will step in to offer you his favorite dish of Mason Jar Pickled Shrimp.

“It’s our most popular patron dish,” Blake said. “It’s a classic Lowcountry item, but we put our own creative twist on it— and use local shrimp to represent a staple of the South.”

After a day poolside or on the beach, when you’re not quite ready for dinner but you don’t want to hang it up just yet, a stop at The Nest will do the trick. Don’t forget to check out the custom mural, which serves as a great backdrop along with the full ocean views. You may never leave.

To learn more, visit destinationhotels.com/wild-dunes/dining/the-nest, or call 843-886-6000.

By L. C. Leach III

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New hotel in Charleston’s Wild Dunes beach resort community offers picturesque destination for couples, families, groups and wedding parties

CHARLESTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lowe, a respected national real estate investor, developer and manager, and partner Dart Interests have completed development of The Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes Resort, a 153-room boutique hotel located on the Isle of Palms, just 30 minutes from historic downtown Charleston. The Sweetgrass Inn features a mix of comfortable and tastefully appointed guest rooms and suites, a premier spa, two dining options, an expansive pool deck and first-class meeting and event spaces, in addition to full access to Wild Dunes Resort’s award-winning golf courses, tennis club and white sand beaches.

“The Sweetgrass Inn adds a distinctive boutique option to the array of offerings at the 1,600 acre Wild Dunes Resort. Throughout the decades of our tenure as an owner and managing partner at Wild Dunes we have been committed to maintaining the quality of the Resort and enhancing this one-of-a-kind property to provide a welcoming environment and relaxing escape for all of our guests,” said Matt Walker, Executive Vice President of Lowe.

Developed by longtime Wild Dunes owner Lowe and partner Dart Interests, The Sweetgrass Inn offers spacious accommodations with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, Lowcountry marshes, Charleston city skyline and Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Guest rooms range from king, double queen and one-bedroom suites. Each guestroom embraces modern, contemporary design elements influenced by a coastal aesthetic, incorporating Charleston’s historic charm. The hotel was designed by the Charleston team of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, with interior design by Malcolm Berg of EoA.

The Spa at Sweetgrass is a stunning 10,000-square-foot sanctuary featuring 14 treatment rooms and indoor and outdoor relaxation spaces, including a 3,000-square-foot private outdoor spa garden with plunge pools and cabanas.

Visitors to the Sweetgrass Inn will find two culinary experiences: The Laughing Gull, a casual poolside bar and restaurant, and The Oystercatcher Restaurant & Bar, a full-service restaurant featuring local fresh seafood delivered daily and a lively gathering place inside the hotel lobby.

One of the most captivating features is the hotel’s new, expansive pool deck with a zero-entry pool, hot tub and kid’s splash pad. Poolside programming will be offered for children and families.

The Sweetgrass Inn elevates Wild Dunes Resort as a premier destination for groups and events in Charleston with the addition of 30,000 square feet of event space. The Sweetgrass Inn’s Indigo Room & Rooftop, the Lowcountry’s only rooftop ballroom and terrace, offers a 3,000-square-foot ballroom and 6,000-square-foot terrace with stunning ocean views for formal events and weddings. The 8,000-square-foot Osprey Ballroom & Terrace is perfect for multi-function events of up to 800. Adjacent to the Osprey Ballroom, the 570-square-foot Avocet Boardroom provides a more intimate space for meetings or private events.

Christopher Kelsey, President of Dart Interests, commented, “The Sweetgrass Inn is a spectacular new hotel that significantly exceeds our expectations. Combined with other major improvements to the resort including major upgrades to the retail shops and the Boardwalk Inn, the opening of the Sweetgrass Inn is transformative to Wild Dunes, creating an entirely new and much higher quality guest experience.”

Wild Dunes Resort offers 2.5 miles of coastline, two Tom Fazio designed Championship golf courses, world-ranked tennis courts, the Boardwalk Inn hotel, vacation rental condominiums and luxury vacation homes. It currently features nine restaurants and cafes, indoor and outdoor meeting and function space including the signature Grand Pavilion, fitness center and retail shops at The Shoppes at Sweetgrass.

Wild Dunes Resort is jointly owned by Lowe and Dart Interests. Lowe acquired Wild Dunes Resort in 1990 following Hurricane Hugo, restored the Resort and has continued to expand and improve Wild Dunes over the past 30 years. Most recently, Lowe completed a three-year, $10 million renovation of the Boardwalk Inn, Links golf course and clubhouse, Grand Pavilion and Sweetgrass Pavilion event space. In 2018, Dart Interests joined Lowe as partner in the Resort and the venture initiated continued improvements and expansion of the property.

About Lowe

Lowe, formerly known as Lowe Enterprises, is a leading national real estate investment, development and management firm. Over the past 48 years, it has developed, acquired or managed more than $32 billion of real estate assets nationwide as it pursued its mission to build value in real estate by creating innovative, lasting environments and meaningful experiences that connect people and place. Lowe currently has more than $2 billion in commercial real estate projects in the pipeline or under development. In addition to its Los Angeles headquarters, Lowe maintains regional offices in Southern California, Northern California, Charleston, Denver, Seattle, and Washington, DC. For more information visit www.Lowe-RE.com.

About Dart Interests

Dart Interests is a U.S. real estate development and investment firm solely owned by the Dart Family. Dart Interests has a growing portfolio of more than $1 billion currently invested in real estate projects across seven states. With an emphasis on long term value creation, our structure enables the firm to be flexible as well as purposeful in developing leading-edge properties in both urban and resort settings. Our combination of available capital and industry expertise gives the organization the freedom to take calculated risks and produce meaningful results. Based in Dallas, Dart Interests also has regional offices in Orlando, Charlotte and Houston. For more information, visit: dartinterests.com.