Pawleys Island – Coastal Observer
LOG IN

COASTAL OBSERVER

South end lot will be paved after two month closure

South end lot will be paved after two month closure

The largest free beach access in Georgetown County will have paved parking under a $417,113 improvement project due to start next week. The county is using federal disaster funds and a portion of its road user fees to upgrade the beach access on the south end of Pawleys Island. County Council awarded the contract to […]

Read More

Sandbags placed at Prince George as inlet migration erodes dune

Sandbags now line the beach at Prince George where Pawleys Inlet has continued its southern migration as property owners and the town of Pawleys Island continue negotiations to relocate the inlet. “Emergency conditions have occurred along the oceanfront of the Prince George community,” state regulators found in issuing an emergency order allowing placement of sandbags […]

Read More

ARB turns down design for house in preservation agreement

The design for a beach house that would replace a house from the 1940s in the Pawleys Island historic district was denied by the town’s Architectural Review Board after members said it wasn’t compatible with the 19th century home on the property. And town officials questioned whether the spirit of a deal that allowed the […]

Read More

Talks over inlet’s future raise ‘some optimism’

Negotiations are continuing between the town of Pawleys Island, state agencies and property owners at Prince George who say that a 2020 beach renourishment project on the island caused erosion along their shoreline. “There’s some optimism that both sides are getting closer to a solution,” Mayor Brian Henry told Pawleys Island Civic Association members at […]

Read More

Town’s ‘50 percent rule’ seen as incentive for teardowns

Any homeowner will tell you the cost of renovations adds up fast. But in the town of Pawleys Island, those numbers also count down until they reach 50 percent of a home’s fair market value. At that point, the owner must bring the property into compliance with all the town’s regulations. “Right now it’s a […]

Read More

Solar bins have an appetite for trash

Rommie Presley put his foot on the pedal and placed a handful of soda cans and water bottles in the mouth of the trash can. He waited. A green light flashed. He hoped there would be the sound of the trash compacting, but it was still early and the cans and bottles were the first […]

Read More

First steps toward rebuilding pier damaged by Ian begin after Debby passes

Two years after one of Pawleys Island’s most iconic landmarks was cut in half by Hurricane Ian, the first signs that rebuilding is on the horizon will appear next week. Soil testing will take place on the beachfront at the remaing section of Pawleys Island Pier. Half of the 820-foot pier broke off when Ian […]

Read More

Town rules take their licks during July Fourth parade

The Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade was headed north along Myrtle Avenue. The crowd was headed south, drawn not by the lights, sirens and stirrings of patriotic tunes, but by the music-box tinkling of the ice cream truck. “That’s just something I remember as a kid, hearing the ice cream truck and trying to […]

Read More

Celebration provides an XXL fundraising opportunity

If you wear a youth-sized T-shirt, you’re in luck. If not, you’re out of luck.  Record sales of Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade shirts have left the shelves empty at the Old Town Hall the day before the parade. The town has sold over $54,000 in T-shirts this year, said Corey Higdon, the town […]

Read More

Town raises steaks, er, stakes, for July 4th parade decorations

To feed the creativity of participants in this year’s Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade, the town has laid out a banquet of prizes for the best decorated floats, docks and beach houses. Six area restaurants have donated meals and gift certificates for the winners.  Mayor Brian Henry has donated a shrimp boil from his […]

Read More

Town looks for options that will let good dogs off leash

Town officials are looking for a way to relax their grip over people who take their dogs to the beach on Pawleys Island in the summer, provided those dogs don’t pose a threat to public safety. Council  Member Guerry Green, who has received warnings and a ticket in the past for leash law violations, raised […]

Read More

Commission reviews way to expand 52-year-old historic district

The Pawleys Island Historic District was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, a year after the listing of the historic district in Georgetown.  “Pawleys Island area is currently undergoing massive economic development and needs the protection,” the state’s historic preservation coordinator wrote to the head of the National Register. While the […]

Read More

Historic home preservation made condition of variance to tear down old house

A house from the 1940s that the owners say is beyond repair will be replaced in exchange for an agreement to preserve one of the oldest houses on Pawleys Island. The town Board of Zoning Appeals last week gave Brian and Staci Inskeep a variance to the unified development code that limits each lot to […]

Read More

Town shifts historic home protection to fast track

Owners of nine structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places are being polled by Pawleys Island officials to gauge support for restrictions that would prevent the demolition of those buildings. The town Planning Commission wants to present Town Council with a draft ordinance next month. “We’ve just got to preserve our history,” said […]

Read More

Town lays groundwork for acquiring last 3 beach easements

Pawleys Island Town Council this week took the first step toward acquiring three easements it needs to be eligible for federal funds to renourish 1.3 miles of beach on the island’s south end. Mayor Brian Henry said he hopes the town, the Army Corps of Engineers and three property owners who challenged the easements in […]

Read More

Town gets options for repairs to north end jetty

Worn timbers cling to the southern edge of the inlet between Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach like gnarled fingers. More than seven decades of daily tides, seasonal storms and landmark hurricanes have tried to pry them loose. They are held in place by habit as well as rock, concrete and pieces of construction debris added […]

Read More

Town considers solar-power compactors for beach accesses

Two things that Pawleys Island has in abundance during the summer: sunshine and trash. The town is looking at a way to harness the former to help reduce the latter. Administrator Dan Newquist proposed to Town Council last week that they install solar powered compacting trash bins at beach accesses.  “It’s a good strategy for […]

Read More

Prince George group seeks permit to move Pawleys Inlet

Property owners at Prince George are seeking federal and state approval to move Pawleys Inlet nearly half a mile north in order to restore the beach they say has been lost because of a renourishment project on Pawleys Island. The beach that now stretches 2,500 feet south of the public parking lot on the island […]

Read More

Town gets its first seat on sales tax panel

The town of Pawleys Island will have a seat at the table as Georgetown County prepares a package of capital improvements to fund through a 1-cent sales tax. It took 15 minutes this week for the two members of the ad hoc Capital Projects Sales Tax Commission who represent the city of Georgetown to select […]

Read More

Ruling sets stage for removal of house that’s beyond shabby

A house that is dilapidated far beyond the “arrogantly shabby” level that was once a source of pride on Pawleys Island will be torn down – as soon as it has a new owner. The Tyson house sits on a curve overlooking the marsh on Myrtle Avenue just south of Town Hall. The electric meter […]

Read More

After years of waiting, a paving delay is welcome

Work began this week to repave the main road on Pawleys Island, but the work won’t be completed until spring. And that’s fine by town officials who have waited two years for the project to start. They hope the extra time can be used to make improvements to drainage on the island. “This could be […]

Read More

Low-key council race takes nothing for granted

Contested elections are rare in the town of Pawleys Island, so having five candidates for four seats on Town Council might have raised the profile of this year’s race. But if that’s so, the candidates haven’t seen it, and their campaigns have been low-key heading toward Election Day next week. “I feel like the town […]

Read More

Town resolution banishes any doubts over Corps project

In the face of lawsuits and accusations of “secret” arrangements, Pawleys Island Town Council is considering a resolution that details the town’s partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers on beach renourishment projects. “The purpose of this resolution is to document previous Town Council approvals of these Corps documents associated with this partnership and to […]

Read More

Town rolls out new type of walkway

It took just 30 minutes to install a plastic mat over the dune at the First Street beach access on Pawleys Island. It replaced a wooden walkway that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian nearly a year ago. Raymond Kobermann of Columbus, Ohio, arrived from a house across Atlantic Avenue with a beach chair and a […]

Read More

Rising waters at the forefront in town meeting

The top prize in the door prize drawing that wraps up the Pawleys Island Civic Association’s annual meeting is always a kayak. This year, the winner could have paddled home. A series of high tides that coincided with the passage of Tropical Storm Idalia last week also arrived to greet island residents and property owners […]

Read More

Corps looks at 2025 for repairing south end beach

Sand eroded from the beach on the south end of Pawleys Island in a hurricane last September may not be replaced until 2025, town officials were told this week. “We were operating under the assumption that there would be a design phase this summer,” Mayor Brian Henry said, and work be done in the spring […]

Read More

Town looks at relaxing ban on vending that’s unevenly enforced

Ice cream trucks ran their last route on Pawleys Island 35 years ago when the town made vending illegal. But commerce never went away. From pizza deliveries to bike rentals to beach services, money continues to change hands. The town itself sold $50,000 worth of T-shirts this year for the Fourth of July. “We’re fooling […]

Read More

Town ready to replant barren dunes

Work is due to start this week to replace 85,000 dune plants and 8,500 feet of sand fence on Pawleys Island that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian last fall. Town Council approved a $140,250 contract for the work last month, but was waiting for approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That is now in […]

Read More

Town considers a plan for parking

The town of Pawleys Island may not be able to create more parking, but it could make it safer and less frustrating for property owners and visitors. That’s why members of the Planning Commission want to address it in their update of the town’s comprehensive plan. “It’s critical to have a true parking plan for […]

Read More

Ruling lets beach suits move ahead, but with limits

A suit over the Pawleys Island beach renourishment project can continue, but a Circuit Court judge dismissed four claims in suits brought by neighboring property owners, including one that would have allowed them to seek triple damages. In a ruling last month, Judge Paul Burch denied a motion from the state Department of Parks, Recreation […]

Read More

After trees, historic homes may be up next for protection

The town of Pawleys Island is one vote away from protecting trees from being cut for development. It now wants to protect something older: its nine houses on the National Register. The strategic plan adopted by the Town Council in 2020 talks about the need to protect the character of the island. Mayor Brian Henry […]

Read More

With federal funds for repairs, island’s beach still faces challenges

The Army Corps of Engineers will pump up to 200,000 cubic yards of offshore sand onto the south end of Pawleys Island next winter as part of a $14 million project to repair damage from Hurricane Ian. The agency’s announcement last week fulfilled a promise town officials made when they agreed to let the Corps […]

Read More

Tree cutting brings call to replace light touch with heavier hand

Last year it was cedar. This year it was oak. The cutting of the cedars led the town of Pawleys Island to revive discussion of a tree ordinance. Members of the Planning Commission hope that the oaks that were cut earlier this year will convince Town Council to adopt the ordinance. “It’s more imperative than […]

Read More

Golf cart owners urge town to use permits strategically

People who ride their golf carts to the beach at Pawleys Island have urged the town to reconsider its ordinance that requires the carts to be registered. They think it could be used to leverage more revenue from the town and improve access. Town Council voted to raise its annual permit fee from $10 to […]

Read More

Town wants to review impact of golf carts

The town of Pawleys Island is moving forward with a plan to raise its fee for golf cart permits from $10 to $25, with Town Council members calling for a review of the impact that the carts are having on the island. “Golf carts seem to be a little more wild, west, kind of a […]

Read More

As inlet continues to migrate Prince George group files lawsuit

The migration of Pawleys Inlet has prompted a third lawsuit against the state, the town of Pawleys Island and its contractors seeking to shift the inlet north to its location before the town conducted a beach renourishment project. The Prince George Community Association filed suit last week asking the Circuit Court for an injunction “requiring […]

Read More

Town halts golf cart permits as council considers fee increase

The town of Pawleys Island has put a freeze on golf cart permits while Town Council considers whether to raise the annual permit fee, currently $10. “There’s a lot of work involved,” Council Member Sarah Zimmerman said. “I think it needs to be considerably more.” Pawleys Island once banned golf carts from the island’s streets, […]

Read More

Creek debris is last target of hurricane cleanup

The last remnants of debris left from Hurricane Ian are due to be removed from Pawleys Creek in the next few weeks. That includes debris that floated beyond the town limits. “In order for the town to get reimbursement, we had to get a memorandum of agreement; one from Georgetown County, the other from the […]

Read More

Police track another kind of speeding when storms threaten

First came radar, body armor and  traffic cameras. Then body cameras. Then a drone. Now, Pawleys Island Police have a BT-100, which measures  speed. “It’s one more tool in our toolkit,” Police Chief Mike Fanning said. He put it through its paces as Hurricane Nicole moved through the South Atlantic toward Florida earlier this month. […]

Read More

Town starts cleaning up storm debris from beach

A contractor is due to start in the next week cleaning up debris strewn along the beach at Pawleys Island by Hurricane Ian. The work also includes pushing up a new dune along about 2,500 feet of beach from Pawleys Pier Village north to an area beyond Second Street. Town Council this week approved spending […]

Read More

Town takes another look at decaying north end jetty

With its eyes on grant funding for infrastructure projects, the town of Pawleys Island will take another look at the jetty that has defined the island’s northern boundary for about 70 years. The rock and timber structure is falling apart, Robert Moser, a north end resident, told the council this week. He has lobbied the […]

Read More

Town seeks grant for drainage projects

The town of Pawleys Island will seek $210,000 in federal funds for drainage projects as it continues to study ways to address flooding caused by sea level rise. The town will be required to come up with a $70,000 local match. “That kind of naturally puts a cap on how much we can ask for,” […]

Read More

Town planners approve rules to limit cutting trees for new homes

A proposed tree ordinance for the town of Pawleys Island would protect trees with trunks of 4-inches or wider, but only for new houses. The Planning Commission approved the ordinance last week. It now goes to the Town Council. Tree protection and landscaping were among the topics proposed when the town created an Architectural Review […]

Read More

Town seeks to catch a rising tide of funding

Fingers of salt water crept through the spartina grass and between the rocks. As the moon rose over the ocean, the water had the Pawleys Island Chapel in a soft embrace that was only disturbed when a passing car on Myrtle Avenue created a wake. That flooding last month on the highest high tide of […]

Read More

Agency seeks to dismiss suit over town’s beach project

A state agency has moved in Circuit Court to dismiss claims from Prince George property owners that a beach renourishment project on Pawleys Island caused erosion on their beachfront. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism helped fund the $14.8 million project, which was completed in the spring of 2020. It was named along with […]

Read More

Town finds new administrator close to home

Dan Newquist has never been to the Pawleys Island Fourth of July Parade. He’ll be there this year, two weeks before starting work as the  new town administrator. “I’ll be working, watching, helping in anyway I can,” said Newquist. He signed a three-year contract this week, replacing Ryan Fabbri, who resigned last month citing conflicts […]

Read More

Pawleys renourishment prompts second suit over erosion

A group of property owners at Prince George filed suit this week to have Pawleys Inlet restored to its location prior to beach renourishment by the town of Pawleys Island. They are also seeking payment for millions of dollars in damages they say was caused by the renourishment. The suit follows one filed last month […]

Read More

Property owners sue to restore inlet’s path prior to beach project

A Prince George couple has filed suit to force the town of Pawleys Island, its contractors and state agencies to restore the inlet at the island’s south end to the channel it followed before a beach renourishment project was completed in 2020. Over the last two years, Pawleys Inlet has shifted over 300 feet to […]

Read More

Town hires clerk, but administrator takes early leave

The town of Pawleys Island has a new clerk. It does not have an administrator. Ryan Fabbri, who resigned earlier this month, left Town Hall last week. He had been expected to stay until June 3. “Essentially, I was very clear about the reason I left,” he said. “The two weeks that I did make […]

Read More

Town administrator resigns over conflicts with council

The Pawleys Island town administrator resigned this week citing conflicts with members of Town Council. “It’s unfortunate that it’s had to come to this after nine years of dedicated and faithful service to the Town,” Ryan Fabbri said in an email to the council members. He will leave Town Hall on June 2. Fabbri is […]

Read More

Town takes first step in planning for sea level rise

A 2 foot rise in sea level would make the extreme flooding seen on Pawleys Island during hurricanes a regular occurrence at normal high tides. Water from Pawleys Creek would cover nearly all of Myrtle Avenue north of the Bird’s Nest section along with the intersections to the two causeways that connect the island to […]

Read More

Tree rules spark another push from board for permitting change

As the Pawleys Island Planning Commission starts work on rules to protect trees, members are questioning why Town Council hasn’t acted on its recommendations to take over building permits and inspections from Georgetown County. Work on tree protection follows the adoption last year of architectural guidelines for new homes on the island. The guidelines were […]

Read More

Dune planting will complete renourishment

A crew is at work on the south end of Pawleys Island to plant beach grass and install sand fence in the final phase of a renourishment project that pumped offshore sand onto the beach two years ago.  The 139,062 plants are also the first phase of the town’s partnership with the Army Corps of […]

Read More

Town adds cameras after cutting police officer

Two security cameras will be added on Pawleys Island using a portion of the money the town will save by reducing its police force by one officer. Town Council voted last year not to fill the position when Sgt. Tracie Milligan retires this month. That will leave the department with the chief and two officers. […]

Read More

Town won’t endorse proposed fireworks display

The fate of a plan to stage a fireworks display over Pawleys Creek this summer is uncertain after Pawleys Island Town Council declined this week to give the event its blessing. “Everyone loves fireworks. It’s our responsibility as Town Council to do what’s responsible for the town,” Mayor Brian Henry said. “I’m not saying it’s […]

Read More

Pawleys Island considers rules to protect trees

The town of Pawleys Island will take another look at protecting trees 25 years after Town Council rejected a proposed tree ordinance. “It’s what makes Pawleys unique, the landscape,” said John Hildreth, who chairs the Planning Commission. Tree protection follows the town’s decision last year to adopt architectural guidelines for new houses. The Architectural Review […]

Read More

Council ponders benefits of dredging

There is no environmental benefit to dredging Pawleys Creek, according to coastal scientists. That assessment has left Pawleys Island Town Council weighing the need for a $46,000 feasibility study for a dredging project. Removing shoals from the creek is one of four goals that the council identified in a strategic planning session in 2020. Beach […]

Read More

Town considers request to allow fireworks show over creek

Legal fireworks could return to Pawleys Island for the first time this century under a proposal being reviewed by Town Council The display would be shot from a barge in the middle of Pawleys Creek over Labor Day weekend to mark the 60th anniversary of Pawleys Island Realty. “Labor Day weekend is traditionally our thank-you […]

Read More

Deputies will fill gaps in town police coverage

Pawleys Island Police and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office has come up with a plan to maintain police protection in the town after the police department is reduced to three members next month.  “I am prepared to assist the citizens of Pawleys Island in any way possible,” Sheriff Carter Weaver said. “My purview is going […]

Read More

Council votes to cut size of town police force

The town of Pawleys Island will cut its police force by one officer and reduce coverage to 12 hours a day in order to help build up its reserves for future capital projects. The move will save $50,000 to $60,000 a year, according to Administrator Ryan Fabbri. The decision by Town Council, made as part […]

Read More

Attorney calls fee award in easement suits ‘grossly inadequate’

An award of $8,000 in attorney’s fees rather than the $60,000 sought by two Pawleys Island property owners who challenged the town’s efforts to condemn easements on their property for beach renourishment is “grossly inadequate,” their attorney said in a court filing. Barry Stanton, a property owner and attorney who successfully represented himself and two […]

Read More

Houses that comply with town’s rules still raise questions

A house that meets the town’s new architectural code doesn’t necessarily need to have the “Pawleys Island look” the rules were designed to promote. Six months and four sets of plans after the creation of an Architectural Review Board, members say they are unsure how much influence they have. “We don’t have any criteria as […]

Read More

Judge cuts fee award for owners in easement lawsuits

A Circuit Court judge cut over $100,000 from the claims of two Pawleys Island property owners seeking legal fees from the town for its failed attempt to condemn easements for beach renourishment. The owners will get $8,000 each in legal fees and another $913.33 in costs, Judge Michael Nettles decided. The ruling comes as the […]

Read More

Planners renew effort to take control of building permits

With architectural guidelines in place, the town of Pawleys Island needs its own building inspector to enforce them, Planning Commission members say. They made their third pitch in three and a half years to Town Council to take back plan review and inspections from Georgetown County and hire a private firm to do the work. […]

Read More

Council considers cut to police to fund beach renourishment

With another round of beach renourishment expected before the end of the decade, the town of Pawleys Island is looking at cuts in its four-member police department to provide money for capital projects. “I’m not for reducing safety, but I am for figuring how how to pay for these things down the road without a […]

Read More

Owners endorse plan for historic preservation

If Bruce Bailey decides to paint the Pawley House green, he hopes the town of Pawleys Island will stop him.  The house was built in the late 18th or early 19th century and is one of nine historic properties that the town Planning Commission wants to protect.  Town Council said the idea needs further review, […]

Read More

Town plans more talks on creek dredging

Before it spends any money on studies, the town of Pawleys Island wants to find out from engineers whether a project to dredge Pawleys Creek is likely to get permits from federal and state regulators. The town is committed to pursuing the issue, Mayor Brian Henry said. He wants to get the information at a […]

Read More

Town objects to fee claim in lawsuits over beach easements

The cost of challenging the condemnation of easements on three oceanfront lots was more than $180,000, according to the owner who represented himself and two neighbors in a year-long legal battle with the town of Pawleys Island. The town says the cost is too high, since the owners didn’t get what they asked for in […]

Read More

Town wants to team up for creek project

The town of Pawleys Island wants to work with its neighbors across Midway Inlet on a project to remove silt from the creeks. “Maintaining the creek is something we all know is vital,” Mayor Brian Henry said. It is one of four priorities in a strategic plan adopted by Town Council in 2020.  The board […]

Read More

Judge allows FOIA suit to go to trial

Conflicting versions of events surrounding Pawleys Island Town Council meetings create sufficient dispute to allow a lawsuit claiming the town violated the state open meetings law to go to trial, a judge ruled last week. Henry Thomas, an island resident, filed suit in 2019 saying the council held improper executive sessions at three meetings and […]

Read More

ARB approves first house under new guidelines

It took less than 15 minutes for the Pawleys Island Architectural Review Board to approve its first set of plans. Paul Groce would not have minded if it had taken longer. “We’re open to any suggestions,” he told the board. “My wife and I are so completely in support of the ARB.” Town Council established […]

Read More

After adopting design rules, town moves cautiously on historic preservation

An ordinance that would require town approval before altering or removing nine historic homes on Pawleys Island needs more study, Town Council members say. The proposed ordinance came days after the town Planning Commission agreed that something needs to be done to protect the 19th century buildings that led to the Pawleys Island Historic District […]

Read More

Judge delays trial in FOIA suit

When voices down the hall interrupted a workshop of Pawleys Island officials last month, someone pushed the door to the meeting closed. The town attorney objected.  “We don’t want to get sued,” David DuRant said. The door was left ajar. That has become the new protocol as the town prepares to defend itself in Circuit […]

Read More

Town adopts rules for the ‘Pawleys look’

The town of Pawleys Island will begin enforcing design standards next month that are intended to halt the spread of big-box houses. Town Council this week created an architectural review board that members say will preserve the “Pawleys Island look.” The ARB and the guidelines it will use to review new construction follow a year […]

Read More

Town eases path toward home design standards

Pawleys Island will ease into a set of house design guidelines that are headed toward final approval next month. Town Council last week week gave the first of two readings to an ordinance that will create an architectural review board that will have to sign off on all new house plans and a requirement that […]

Read More

Final version of design rules calls for town review board

A proposal to preserve the traditional look of houses on Pawleys Island will follow a traditional approach: an architectural review board. Pawleys Island Town Council is due to take up the latest version of the plan May 17. It follows months of debate by the town Planning Commission that saw a list of design mandates […]

Read More

Judge dismisses suits over beach easements

A ruling in Circuit Court could end the first effort by the town of Pawleys Island to condemn easements on three beachfront lots for future renourishment projects. That effort resulted in two sets of lawsuits and a finding for the property owners that led them to seek over $100,000 in fees and costs from the […]

Read More

Mounting legal fees continue to pinch town’s budget

A partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers is worth tens of millions of dollars to the town of Pawleys Island, officials say, but they are looking at tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to make that possible. And the short-term cost could be higher as a Circuit Court judge considers a request […]

Read More

Owners say a court bar on condemndations could end suits

The owners of three oceanfront lots on Pawleys Island are not ready to drop lawsuits challenging the town’s efforts to condemn easements for beach renourishment even though a judge quashed one attempt and the town withdrew another. “They’ve called the tune here, and I think it’s fair to make them do at least one dance […]

Read More

Design rules on track for council vote

Four rules intended to preserve the “Pawleys look” could take effect in May under a timeline worked out by members of Pawleys Island Town Council and the Planning Commission this week. The rules were reduced from a list of six adopted by the commission last month. New houses will be required to have a 9/12 […]

Read More

Corps will move forward while town seeks beach easements

A Circuit Court judge last week denied the town of Pawleys Island the chance to fix flaws in the process it used to condemn easements for beach renourishment. That means the town is likely to need to start from scratch to obtain the last three of 113 easements needed to allow the Corps of Engineers […]

Read More

Owners filing plans in advance of design code

As the town of Pawleys Island works to devise a set of design standards for new homes, some property owners have submitted house plans to get approval before the rules change.  “They are all designs that would not be allowed if the guidance you have put together was in place,” Administrator Ryan Fabbri told the […]

Read More

Marker will help preserve chapel as it educates

The Pawleys Island Chapel has secured its place in history. This summer, there will be a marker to prove it. The state Department of Archives and History has approved an application by the nonprofit Pawleys Island House of Worship to place a historical marker at the chapel, which overhangs the marsh on the west side […]

Read More

Heir claims parcel on marsh in effort to build creek dock

Pawleys Island was always part of Hank Martin’s life. Now, Martin has a part of Pawleys Island. It’s a small part, just 5,335 square feet at the northern end of Myrtle Avenue. But it has caught the attention of the town because Martin has applied for a state permit to build a dock on Pawleys […]

Read More

Judge rules for homeowners in suits over beach easements

A Circuit Court judge has granted a motion by three oceanfront property owners seeking to quash an effort by the town of Pawleys Island to condemn easements for beach renourishment. Last week’s ruling by Judge Michael Nettles did not specify the grounds for his ruling on the motion for summary judgment. A formal order will […]

Read More

Town plans pilot projects to improve drainage

The town of Pawleys Island hopes to launch two pilot projects to deal with sunny day flooding that will use an innovative device to keep saltwater from flowing into its storm drains. “I believe we could solve the king tide flooding and the normal flooding,” Council Member Rocky Holiday said. He took on flooding issues […]

Read More

Football weekend delays hearing on easements

The attorney for the town of Pawleys Island and for the three property owners who are challenging the town’s condemnation of easements for beach renourishment agree that time off is important. They disagree about when to take it. A circuit court this week agreed to postpone a hearing for summary judgment in the lawsuits brought […]

Read More

Mayor makes plans for 2021 in wake of protest march

Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry will run for a second term in 2021. The announcement came as Town Council discussed health insurance for elected officials. Henry has been under pressure from the local chapter of the NAACP to resign since August over a social media post. The group held a protest march on the island […]

Read More

Town still moving forward with projects

There are protests outside Town Hall. A lawsuit has stymied plans for future beach renourishment. The long-time town clerk has resigned. Yet officials on Pawleys Island are moving forward on a list of projects that emerged from a strategic planning session this summer and the 10-year update of the town’s comprehensive plan. Town Council expects […]

Read More

NAACP plans protest to shake town peacefully

The local chapter of the NAACP plans to march on Pawleys Island this weekend to raise pressure on the town’s mayor to resign over a social media post that the group has condemned as racist. “This wave that is rising up will overwhelm the town of Pawleys Island, the community of Pawleys Island, and will […]

Read More

Judge denies town’s bid to end suits over beach easements

A challenge to efforts by the town of Pawleys Island to condemn easements on three oceanfront lots for beach renourishment can move forward, a Circuit Court judge has ruled. But Judge Ben Culbertson told the property owners who are seeking to block the condemnation that even if they win their suits, the town can try […]

Read More

NAACP threatens legal action to force mayor to resign

The local chapter of the NAACP this week turned up the pressure on Mayor Brian Henry to resign following a racially charged Facebook post last month. A protest outside Town Hall drew about 60 people ahead of Town Council’s monthly meeting, which was held online, and organizers promised to return every week. The NAACP threatened […]

Read More

Mayor’s apology draws new wave of criticism

An apology from Pawleys Island’s mayor for a Facebook post that was condemned for racist language and led to calls for his resignation brought a new wave of criticism last week from people who said he had nothing to apologize for. Both sides focused their attention on Mayor Brian Henry’s business, Palmetto Cheese, threatening to […]

Read More

Mayor contrite, but won’t quit over post

Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry said this week he does not plan to resign in the face of the protests that followed a social media post that was condemned as racist. The first-term mayor was at work this week on a statement scheduled to be released at a press conference today at 2 p.m. addressing […]

Read More

Town wants $10M bond from property owners fighting beach easement

The town of Pawleys Island wants three property owners who are challenging its efforts to get easements for beach renourishment to post $10 million bonds to cover the cost of storm damage while their lawsuits are pending.  The motion in Circuit Court came a day after Town Council learned that about 30,000 cubic yards of […]

Read More

Town plans its response to beach easement suits

Sand fence and beach grass that were due to be placed along the south end of Pawleys Island next month will likely be delayed by lawsuits challenging the town’s efforts to acquire easements for beach renourishment, according to the town administrator. “It’s disappointing given all the time and effort we’ve put into it,” Ryan Fabbri […]

Read More

Suits seek to quash condemnation for future beach renourishment

The owners of three oceanfront lots filed suit this week to block the efforts of the town of Pawleys Island to acquire easements for future beach renourishment. They say the town has acted in bad faith and violated legal procedures in condemning those easements, which they say are no longer necessary because the town has […]

Read More

The parade that might have been

Don’t call it a parade. There was a police car, a fire truck and a grand marshal. Still, it wasn’t a parade. People waved flags and cheered; kids chased candy tossed from the fire truck. Not unlike a parade, but not the parade. It was only July 3. Pawleys Island canceled what would have been […]

Read More

Defund the police? It isn’t what you think

Even without a parade, the town of Pawleys Island will be a busy place on the Fourth of July. Its four full-time and four part-time police officers will all be on duty. But the Town Council is debating whether to cut back its police department during the rest of the year. A survey of property […]

Read More

LOCAL EVENTS

Meetings

Georgetown County Board of Education: First and third Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., Beck Education Center. For details, go to gcsd.k12.sc.us. Georgetown County Council: Second and fourth Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 129 Screven St., Georgetown. For details, go to georgetowncountysc.org. Pawleys Island Town Council: Second Mondays, 5 p.m. Town Hall, 323 Myrtle Ave. For details, go to townofpawleysisland.com.   , .

READ MORE

Churches

READ MORE