BIPA Hot Topics

Beach Renourishment

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 third quarter 2026.

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Light Ordinance

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 will 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. 

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Grant Funding

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he 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 erosonal 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.

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