BIPA Hot Topics

The city of Isle of Palms is set to begin a large-scale beach renourishment project intended to rebuild the island’s most eroded sections near Breach Inlet and the Wild Dunes end.  Marinex Construction was selected to deliver a total of 2.5 million cubic yards to these areas, within the project dates of July - November 2026.

Since 1994, the Isle of Palms Planning Commission has been considering a lighting ordinance to help preserve the natural dark sky character of Isle of Palms while balancing public safety, neighborhood quality of life, and environmental stewardship. Excessive or poorly directed lighting can create glare, light trespass, and unnecessary sky glow that diminish residents’ enjoyment of the island, impact sea turtles and other wildlife, and alter the community’s coastal character. The Environmental Committee has joined the Planning Commission in advocating for a modern lighting ordinance that would encourage appropriately shielded, downward-directed lighting that improves visibility and safety while reducing wasted light and energy consumption. As development and redevelopment continue across the island, the ordinance is intended to establish clear, consistent standards that protect the unique nighttime environment of Isle of Palms for residents, visitors, and future generations. City council is expected to take up this issue at the June 23, 2026 city council meeting.

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To read more about methods and products to protect the night sky in our community, please go to www.darksky.org. 

The Nature Conservancy (with SCOR - SC Office of Resilience) has been awarded grant funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Transformational Habitat and Coastal Resilience grant program to increase the scale and accessibility of living shorelines and nature-based solutions across South Carolina.  As part of this grant, the Nature Conservancy is offering private landowners and communities the opportunity to protect their properties and community spaces from shoreline erosion (not beach erosion, but marsh and intertidal erosional areas) through the implementation of living shorelines.  This program is called the Community Assistance Program-CAP. Applications are open for consideration for this program and the goal is for the living shorelines to be permitted and installed by the Summer of 2027.

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Applicants who will be prioritized for assistance include:

• Private landowners on waterfront property (again, not ocean front, but marsh or intertidal areas) and require financial assistance to address it.

• Under-resourced communities and neighborhoods with waterfront public spaces experiencing shoreline erosion.

• Small businesses and organizations on waterfront property experiencing shoreline erosion.

• Culturally significant sites threatened by shoreline erosion.

Please feel free to contact Susanna Hopkins, who is managing this program (susanna.hopkins@tnc.org) with questions and specific help.

The Isle of Palms, with coordination from the IOP Environmental Advisory Committee, has partnered with the SC Aquarium's SeaRise Project.

The SeaRise Project is a citizen-science based initiative to document and collect real-time data on flooding. The goal is to promote community-driven collaboration to help the City plan for increased resilience to climate change and sea level rise.

The blue signs feature a QR code and yellow ruler.  If a person sees flooding in the area of the sign, they can scan the QR code with their smartphone camera to participate.  The QR code will direct you to the SeaRise Project, where you can make an account and upload the photos of how high the water level is indicated on the sign's ruler.  This data is not only shared with scientists at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), but also informs the City on implementing effective flood mitigation strategies for Isle of Palms - i.e. future drainage programs.

Currently, three (3) of the 5 signs purchased for the City have been installed - one on the West corner of 32nd Ave in the right-of-way; one at the West corner of 29th Ave in the right-of-way, and one on the 25th Ave beach access path.

The City of Isle of Palms, with direction from the Environmental Advisory Committee, is currently working on a tree bank grant program for residents, civic clubs, and other community groups who wish to beautify, enhance, and increase the tree canopy in the City through planting of native trees.

The City would set aside an annual amount from the current tree mitigation fund to go towards a community "cost share" grant for the project.  

This would be a  reimbursement model- the resident(s) or community group(s) would pay up-front for the cost of the tree (up to $1000) and the City would then reimburse a minimum of 50% of the cost.  There is a possibility of a sliding scale of reimbursement based on criteria - areas where the City would want to help fill in tree canopy loss or where power lines have been undergrounded, might be able to receive more than a 50% reimbursement.

Only native trees would be eligible to be planted, and a 4" caliper tree size would be the minimum size required.  "Right Tree/Right Place" philosophy would apply to the program.

There are still many details, including the application process and approval process that need to be completed.  IOP City Council will need to make the final approval on the program.

Stay tuned for more details next month!

Last Edited July 2026