Four candidates – Ned Higgins, Carl Hubbard, Jody Latham and Summer Eudy – are running for three open seats on the Sullivan’s Island Town Council. Three current Council members – Bachman Smith, Greg Hammond and Kaye Smith, have chosen not to run. The election is May 2, and the last day to register to vote is April 2. The winners will serve four-year terms on the Council.
Jody Latham
My family has been on Sullivan’s Island for more than 30 years. The island is my home. I am running for Town Council to preserve its assets, secure our quality of life and ensure it continues to be a close-knit community for future generations.
We have such unique and beautiful resources, specifically our unspoiled beaches and the Maritime Forest. The value of the forest cannot be overstated. Not only is it one of the largest maritime forests in the country, but it also provides critical protection for the island from storm surge and flooding. I am committed to protecting this important gem. Our beaches are pristine. There are vast stretches of sand where you cannot see a man-made structure, except for the lighthouse. We cannot let short-run thinking put these assets at risk.
We also need to examine development on the island. Building densities are increasing, reducing green spaces and creating problems with stormwater runoff and flooding across our community. As a Town Council member, I will vote to ensure the long-term health of the island is not compromised for short-term profits.
Throughout the island’s history, Council members have made choices to limit the commercialization of the island, be it the decision to ban hotels in the mid-20th century or the decision to strictly limit short-term rentals in this century. Faced with the onslaught of the likes of VRBO, Airbnb and Pacaso, we must remain vigilant in keeping the island a community and not a resort.
In conclusion, I love Sullivan’s Island and want to continue serving my community. I have been on the Board of Zoning Appeals for eight years and voted to protect the residential character that makes our island so special. I feel I can make a positive contribution to the Town Council.
I ask for your vote on May 2.
Carl Hubbard
Sullivan’s Island is a singular community that needs to be preserved and protected as we move toward what is always an unpredictable future. As a resident for 25 years, a former officer of the Park Foundation and SIES PTA and member of the Planning Commission for over 10 years, I have been able to meet and know many islanders and observe firsthand issues the island has faced.
Fortunately, a lot of heavy lifting has been done by this and previous Town Councils in the last several years that has the island somewhat settled for the moment. The fire station and garage are completed and occupied, and the water and sewer service updates have been upgraded and are operational. Some of us would like landscaping around the five lift stations – perhaps in due time. The Maritime Forest was a defining issue in the last election, and, with the litigation currently in a holding pattern, it will likely stay an issue going forward. Parking on the island, along with flooding and stormwater containment, are additional issues.
As a member of the Planning Commission, our playbook is the Comprehensive Plan. It contains guiding principles that bind all islanders when considering any decisions facing the island. These include maintaining a low-density single-family community with a small-town feel; promoting historic districts and maintaining a small and unique business district; continuing to preserve and maintain the natural environment; promoting open space; and ensuring architecture is compatible with existing island character, neighborhoods and historic fabric.
These are a few of our mandates as stewards of the island. I am running to ensure we maintain, protect and, when necessary, enforce those principles as the island moves forward.
Ned Higgins
I first purchased property on Sullivan’s Island in the spring of 1989, just a few months before Hurricane Hugo devastated the island. Apparently, I can’t predict the future.
In the months of cleanup and rebuilding, I got to know my neighbor Tom Smith. One time he was dragging a large magnet through his soil to retrieve discarded nails, and he told me about early efforts to maintain the charm of the island. He said in the 1970s, a group organized to preserve the island’s natural habitat and limit business development (1). He went on to say, “That’s why there’s not a Holiday Inn on Sullivan’s Island.”
We all have benefited from the work of Tom and his neighbors to save and prepare the island for the future. The current mayor and Town Council seem to be following a similar path. I’m running for SI Town Council because I believe that it’s my turn to help move the town forward while preserving the island lifestyle we all love.
The biggest problem we’re facing is the rising sea level. Although I’m still no better at predicting the future, if current trends hold true, residents could face prohibitive home insurance costs and dropping property values. We need to prepare.
Doubrava D. Beach Protection Law OK’d by Sullivan’s Is. News and Courier. Dec 17, 1975.