Pawleys Island
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 made landfall in Georgetown County in September 2022.
“That will occur next week so you’ll see activity there on the beachfront,” Town Administrator Dan Newquist told Town Council this week.
A video of the gazebo at the seaward end of the pier washing away, with an American flag blowing in the hurricane winds, went viral. The pilings and decking washed up along the beach at Pawleys Island and DeBordieu.
The current pier was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989 and rebuilt a year later. It is owned by the Pawleys Pier Village Homeowners Association.
The undamaged section was reopened more than a year ago while the HOA made plans to rebuild the structure.
Council Member Guerry Green wondered whether the entire pier would be rebuilt or whether the existing part would just be extended.
“How secure are the old pieces that are there?” Green asked.
Mayor Brian Henry wants to know whether the pier will be rebuilt with wood or steel or a combination of both
“It’s a very visible structure and it’s iconic to the island,” Henry said.
Homeowners who live near the structure have expressed concerns to him about the materials that will be used, he added.
Council Member Rocky Holliday wants to make sure council members can express any concerns they have during the design process to avoid issues when the HOA comes to the town for a building permit.
The work will also require state and federal permits.
Newquist said he thinks they will be open to a council member being part of the process.
Holliday also wondered when an application for a building permit might be submitted.
“I would be surprised if they have anything prepared by the end of the year in terms of a building permit,” Newquist said.
If the design for the new pier includes a gazebo, like the old one did, Holliday asked whether that would have to be approved by the town’s Architectural Review Board.
Henry said he wasn’t sure.
