Annexing about 18 acres of land adjacent to Bohicket Marina into the Town of Seabrook Island has advanced to the “next round” when the Town’s Planning Commission approved a recommendation to annex the site and zone it for mixed use at their July 12 meeting. The recommendation will now go to Seabrook Island Town Council for review on August 22.
Although the planning commission’s decision was just short of unanimous – the vote was 4 to 1 – the motion passed after nearly a two-hour meeting which included a presentation from the developer, Bohicket Creek Investors LLC of Charleston, and comments from many residents, most of which opposed the development.
The property, referred to as Andell, would be home to a private yacht club with a boat dock and private clubhouse, boathouse and pool house. There are also plans for other outdoor amenities and 10 rental cottages for members and the public. The entire developed portion would take up about four acres of the total 18 acres. The rest of the property would be open space with some vegetation buffers, pathways and a community crabbing dock.
The address is 4484 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, located across the street from the Kiawah Island Town Hall and next door to Bohicket Marina. This property would be connected to Bohicket Marina by a pedestrian boardwalk and road.
Bohicket Marina is annexed into the Town of Seabrook Island, which means it is connected to the Town’s utilities like sewage and water. Proponents for the Town of Seabrook Island approving the annexation say that doing so would give the Town more control of the site.
Currently, the property is zoned in unincorporated Charleston County for agricultural and residential use. According to Seabrook Island’s planning staff, this designation would actually allow for a variety of agricultural and light industrial uses, which they say would have a greater impact on the existing natural assets than the proposed development from Bohicket Creek Investors. The planning staff for Seabrook Island supports the planning commission’s recommendation for annexation.
It's important to note that since this property is located outside of the Seabrook Island gate, it would not be a part of the Seabrook Island Property Association or Seabrook Island Club.
Members of the community who showed up to express their opposition did so with concerns about how the environment would be impacted and how this development would increase boat traffic.
“We have concerns about the impact this will have on Bohicket Creek,” said Robby Maynor, the Coastal Conservation League’s communities and transportation program director. “Bohicket Creek is designated as an outstanding resource water by DHEC.” That means that Bohicket Creek is a body of water that provides an outstanding “national recreational or ecological resource.”
He went on to say that the development would destroy some of the natural habitat and increase boat traffic in that area.
“Marinas are a notorious source of pollution, including oil, gas and sewage spill,” Susan McLaughlin, a resident of Seabrook Island, said. “Chemicals to clean the boats go directly into the waterway. There is no mention of these environmental effects in the developer’s application.”
John Reock, a resident of Seabrook Island, spoke in favor of the annexation because he said the Town “needs to have control of the property.” He also said, “Mike and his team have lived up to their word with issues that have risen over the years with Bohicket Marina.”
Reock noted, “The property is currently zoned agriculture/residential, and that covers a great deal including single family dwellings, manufacturing dwellings, workforce housing, group homes, short-term rentals, etc.”
Mike Shuler, who is the principal and managing partner of Bohicket Creek Investors, LLC, as well as the owner of Bohicket Marina, appealed to the residents in attendance, as well as to the planning commission members, by assuring them of his deep personal connection to the area.
“I’m local to Charleston for many generations. I’ve been fortunate to have spent a substantial amount of my childhood and my life in this Sea Islands area from Camp St. Christopher, Bohicket and everything in between. And I think that matters because I have a true appreciation for this area. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to keep this place special. My vision for this Bohicket track is inspired by my overall vision for the future of Bohicket Marina. In the 40 years that it was built, I planned to invest substantially and make Bohicket the sustainable and world class marina that it deserves to be for the next 40 years. The integration of the Andell property is a vital part of making this vision a true reality,” said Shuler, who bought the Andell property in 2021.
This is not the first time this property has come up for development. State environmental authorities got involved in a plan 30 years ago for a development called Andell Harbor that would have required a man-made channel connecting to a large marina. The State eventually opposed the plan.
The August 22 meeting in front of the Town Council provides a chance to review the proposal. To approve the annexation, the Town must hold a public hearing and have two majority votes in separate meetings.
