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ISLE OF PALMS — Some property owners along Ocean Boulevard can begin applying for permission to install sea walls behind their homes for the next 60 days.

City Council has enacted an emergency ordinance that temporarily reverses a nearly half-century ban to address the erosion that has affected the barrier island, particularly near Breach Inlet. A citywide ban on sea walls, revetments, bulkheads, riprap and other hard erosion-control structures within 250 feet of the mean high-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean has been in place for 45 years.

The ordinance rolls back the no-build zone 20 feet but still forbids hard erosion-control structures within 230 feet of the mean high-water mark.

Some homeowners on Ocean Boulevard approached the city asking for aid in protecting their homes, said Deputy City Administrator Douglas Kerr.

"Breach Inlet began seeing excessive erosion here recently. Those property owners reached out to City Council and just asked for relief from that 250-foot prohibition,” Kerr said.

The emergency ordinance, which was approved Feb. 20 by a supermajority of the nine-person council, will provide that relief, Councilwoman Elizabeth Campsen said.

“What we're looking at tonight, in my opinion, is an emergency ordinance attempting to provide emergency relief in an emergent situation to some homeowners who are being impacted by the cycle that we're in,” Campsen said.

She said she viewed the 60-day reversal as the groundwork for removing the maximum build line altogether.

“I always viewed this as Step 1 in perhaps a multistep process that gets us to the discussion about the full revocation of that 250-foot line,” she said.

The change applies only to beachfront properties between 100 and 914 Ocean Blvd. An estimated 90 beachfront homes are in that stretch.

Homeowners have 60 days to obtain permits from the city and approval for the sea wall or revetment. Mayor Phillip Pounds said construction of the sea wall does not have to be completed within that period.

At their own expense, these homeowners can opt to build a sea wall or revetment 20 feet seaward of the maximum build line, or 230 feet from the high-water mark.

“We can't back off the 45-year-old ban on sea walls and hard structures. We, I think, can compromise,” Councilman Blair Hahn said. “If we allow for sea walls to be built only within 20 feet (of the maximum build line), we're giving homeowners some protection for their foundations.”

The emergency ordinance does not supersede the state’s jurisdiction or allow homeowners to build sea walls within critical areas as deemed by the state office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

“Department staff informed the City of Isle of Palms that any beachfront erosion control structure must be sited and all associated construction activities must be performed entirely landward of the state's critical areas. This does not relieve property owners from obtaining any other necessary federal or state permits,” said Casey White, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The structures must be covered with beach-compatible sand, and sea walls must be continuous. This means if owners of adjacent properties opt to install walls, the sea walls must connect.

The sea walls and revetments have to be designed by an engineer, and permits from the city are required before construction can begin, the ordinance states.

Kerr said he’s heard from roughly 10 property owners who would likely take advantage of the relaxed restrictions to install a sea wall.

A similar emergency ordinance last year for the same stretch of homes near Breach Inlet was enacted. Following damage from Hurricane Idalia, the city allowed property owners to place large, temporary sandbags behind their homes.

The sea walls and revetments now allowed in the new ordinance would be more-permanent structures.

This week's reversal happened amid construction by an Ocean Boulevard homeowner of his own erosion control wall without city or state permission.

Rom Reddy began reinforcing a retaining wall behind his home near Breach Inlet. OCRM said the structure is being built in a critical area, which would not be permitted even with the city's emergency ordinance.

Reddy moved forward with the construction despite directives to stop from the state, citing property rights and the need to protect his home from erosion.

ISLE OF PALMS — Record tides from an unexpected nor'easter in December ripped away several feet of sand on this barrier island, exposing an unauthorized, clandestine wall in front of a beachfront home near Breach Inlet.

The wall's unveiling also spawned a power struggle between the state Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Ocean Boulevard homeowner, with the two at odds over property rights and protecting the diminishing shoreline.

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This is all playing out on a sandy beach where waves are clawing closer to multi-million dollar homes amid heavy erosion caused by storms and high tides.

The home at the center of the dispute belongs to Rom Reddy, owner of the multimedia local news outlet MyLo News. After taking a beating from Hurricane Idalia last year, Reddy said he installed the wall as a erosion control barrier and covered it with 30 feet of sand.

The December nor'easter washed away the sand, uncovering the bulwark.

While performing post-storm damage assessments, DHEC became aware of the structure.

Some call it a sea wall, which the state defines as a retaining wall designed to withstand wave forces. Reddy maintains his wall isn't a sea wall, as it was never meant to be exposed to the ocean. It was meant to be buried beneath the sand to protect his home's foundation and yard, he said.

"This keeps my yard stable and keeps it from moving around, which is what a retaining wall does. If we have a catastrophic event, it gives my property some protection, although a very nominal level, because it's not meant to be ocean facing," Reddy said.

Reddy said the nor'easter left the wall tilting and unstable, prompting him to have it rebuilt. In response, DHEC sent a cease-and-desist letter in January to halt the construction.

Cease he did not. Construction on the wall continues to move full steam ahead and shows no sign of slowing down.

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Reddy said it is his right as a property owner to protect his home. The area landward of the setback line is his to do with as he pleases, he said, citing South Carolina's Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act.

Not so, according to DHEC's division of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

The sand in front of Reddy's property is considered a critical area, the agency said, and any alteration of a critical area requires permits from OCRM, even critical areas that are landward of the jurisdictional setback.

DHEC spokesperson Laura Renwick said the agency regularly issues permits for work in these areas, though it is unlikely Reddy's wall would have been approved.

"Since erosion control structures and devices such as the one identified at this property have been banned per state law since 1988, this structure would not have been permitted," Renwick said.

Isle of Palms officials said they are aware of the structure, which violates a city ordinance prohibiting hard erosion control measures like sea walls, bulkheads and revetments. But in the case of Reddy's unauthorized structure, the city said its hands are tied. Jurisdiction of that area, and much of the island's critical areas, fall under DHEC, said Mayor Phillip Pounds.

"In this particular case, the OCRM has claimed jurisdiction, so that takes the city out of the mix, and it is up to them to enforce the state-level rules. We are relying on the state to enforce their rules that prevent structures like this being built per their cease-and-desist orders," Pounds said.

Judges in two cases in recent years have sided with homeowners who built walls or placed sandbags along eroding sections of the South Carolina coast.

While Reddy is facing pushback from DHEC, some of his neighbors are behind him. Paul Jorgensen, who owns the property adjacent to Reddy, said he doesn't love what is being erected next door, but he understands his neighbor's mindset. Working with the city and the state to get approval for protective measures has left him feeling frustrated.

"The city and the state have been utterly horrible at handling the situation. Not only have they been utterly horrible at managing, they won't even let us help ourselves," Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said the preventative measures the city does take on aren't enough.

Ongoing restoration and protection efforts on the island include continuing sand scraping and sandbag placements on the island that began under an emergency order following Hurricane Idalia in September. City Council gave the efforts a boost in October, allotting $1.25 million to continue sand scraping along the beaches to rebuild the dunes. Council also budgeted $250,000 for installing sandbags on properties within 20 feet of erosion areas.

"The city and the state are not doing nearly enough, and, in fact, are preventing homeowners from protecting our own property," Jorgensen said.

South Carolina hasn't allowed structures like Reddy is building since enacting the Beachfront Management Act in 1988, citing a "false sense of security" the measures give to beachfront property owners while simultaneously aiding in further erosion.

Structures like sea walls block the ability of a wave to break naturally, pushing its force onto adjacent properties. The energy bounces back off of the wall, pulling the sand and eroding the beach on the seaward side. Emily Cedzo, director of conservation programs and policy for the Coastal Conservation League, said softer measures for preventing erosion, like sand fencing and larger restoration projects, are ideal for protecting beaches.

"Those are really the ideal ways to manage a beach responsibly so that it can provide good protection for private properties, but also public access and wildlife habitat," Cedzo said.

With multiple cease-and-desist directives, DHEC could begin to dole out fines or penalties.

"When DHEC identifies violations of applicable state laws or regulations, the agency has the authority to initiate an enforcement process that may result in the issuing of a civil penalty to the responsible party, among other actions," Renwick said.

Some think it's time for DHEC to take action.

"I think DHEC is going to have to move forward with enforcement. I don't know what their process or timeline looks like, but I think it's clear that they've already tried to communicate with the property owner," Cedzo said. "I know that several residents on the Isle of Palms are really concerned about it and continue sending reports."

Reddy said the cease-and-desist directives from DHEC won't deter him.

"They have to go in front of a judge and prove to the judge that we're, in fact, breaking the law. And we're ready for that," Reddy said.

Reach Anna Sharpe at 843-806-6790.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD)- Parking on the Isle of Palms continues to be a contentious topic.

Some saying that a parking plan approved by the South Carolina Department of Transportation in 2015 which established resident-only parking zones needs to be revoked.

The parking plan that was approved in 2015 eliminated a significant number of free parking.

The approval was unpopular among the Charleston Beach Foundation, a group that advocates for more public access to the beaches, when it was first approved.

Now, this plan is now receiving renewed pushback.

“For Isle of Palms to eliminate parking in those right of ways is wrong to begin with and probably unconstitutional,” Parking advocate, Michael Barnett said.

Barnett, who started a petition over beach restrictions in the Lowcountry, says this parking issue has come up again after Isle of Palms voted to deny the short-term rental cap.

Barnett said, “The Isle of Palms is allowing short term rentals throughout the island, essentially making the residential only districts, commercial districts.”

Monday morning, Myra Jones with the Charleston Beach Foundation sent the City of Isle of Palms a letter, asking for the plan to be revoked, arguing IOP no longer has legitimate “residential” areas since the resolution to cap short-term rentals on the island failed.

“So, the SCDOT needs to now go back, review the 2015 parking plan, request that the Isle of Palms redo the parking plan, and they need to give back all residential only parking, they need to give back all 3,000 parking spaces that they took in 2015,” Barnett said.

Isle of Palms city council members are fighting back.

Councilman Blair Hahn providing a statement reading, “In response to Myra Jones’ letter to City council dated November 27^th, 2023, full council has not had an opportunity to discuss. However, Ms. Jones’ continued attempts to characterize the Isle of Palms as not resident friendly, not tourism friendly, not visitor friendly is nonsensical. Isle of Palms provides 8 times more public beach parking than is required by the SC Beach Front Management Act and more public parking per mile of beach than any other community in South Carolina.

Ms. Jones has previously taken her grievances to the South Carolina Courts and has lost. In my opinion, this is nothing more than another attempt of Ms. Jones to ignore the laws of the State and attempt to force her will on Charleston beach communities.

IOP city council members say they plan to discuss this more in future council meetings.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The Isle of Palms City Council in 2020 voted to make additions to the marina area of the island and that project is officially slated to be completed this year.

The project included the addition of a public dock, a boardwalk and a waterfront park and greenspace. The boardwalk and public dock have been completed, and, as of Jan. 11, the construction contract for the waterfront park and greenspace was officially confirmed.

The waterfront park will cover the 300 by 25 foot wide area along the marina facing the Intracoastal Waterway. There will be a 6-foot wide concrete walkway. The park will include a large lawn area with lush planting.

They plan to include a series of benches along the waterfront walkway so residents can enjoy views of the water and boating activities. There are plans for a circular seat wall near the public dock that would create an entrance to the dock area.

They plan to include a kayak storage area and a kayak launch area. There will be golf cart parking available as well as bicycle parking areas.

All of these plans did require collaboration and participation from the marina manager and restaurant tenants. Scott Toole, the general manager of the Outpost, a nearby restaurant, says he is very excited for this addition to the area.

“I think that it’s an added benefit to the island, to the residents, everybody, to have a space and to use the dock. Kayak launching is a big thing that I think people will take advantage of.” he says. “It’s really going to help make this area kind of a place of interest for people, sort of a destination so to speak, for people to be able to get some food, get some drink, watch the water and use the dock that’s right there.”

Toole says they very recently renovated the Outpost and he’s excited to see this new project bring more people to the area. He says he feels like this area of Isle of Palms is often overlooked as it is a little ways away from the main beach.

“We’ve kind of joked that it’s a small corner of the island and so, anything that’s bringing people down this direction is good for everybody. We’re excited to see this project take place,” he says.

The project is currently slated to be completed by May of this year. To provide City Council your input on this project you can click here.

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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — There’s a controversial fight raging over an unauthorized structure's future. The dispute is between an Isle of Palms homeowner and city and state leaders over a retaining wall he's installing on what he claims is his property.

“What was happening, is the waters were coming in so severely that my soils in my yard were unstable,” said homeowner Rom Reddy. “We put in a retaining wall. It is not erosion control.”

Reddy said he's just trying to protect his land from heavy weather conditions.

“We wanted to put sand back in front of it, at our expense if need be. They say we can't. Why would you not want to put sand back on a beach? Now, we are faced with having to reinforce this structure because it's ocean-facing,” Reddy said.

City and state officials said this is an unauthorized project happening within city lines. The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued a cease and desist to Reddy on Feb. 1- instructing him to stop work immediately.

City leaders said they're in the process of possibly changing a city ordinance.

READ MORE: Unauthorized seawall on Isle of Palms sparks DHEC intervention

“There's one ordinance on the city books that doesn't allow any type of structure within 250 feet of an OCRM line,” Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds said. “Right now that's all the way up to Ocean Boulevard given the change of the shoreline. We're just kind of in the middle of an erosion cycle that's painful to be involved with.”

According to DHEC, erosion control structures have been banned on beachfronts in the state since the 1980s, and only the agency's Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) is authorized to alter beaches.

“That's why the OCRM has rules, and that's why the state has rules around what you can and can't do on an active beach,” Pounds said. The mayor added that the OCRM has claimed jurisdiction on this specific wall.

However, homeowner Rom Reddy stands strong in his argument he's doing no wrong.

“The state claims that whatever we are doing to reinforce what we have inside my yard, now it is inside my property. It's not on the active beach. How is it active beach inside my yard? An active beach is not a term used in the law. The beach critical areas are very clearly defined in the law.” Rom Reddy said, “I want to keep re-emphasizing that it is in my property outside of the state jurisdictional lines passed by the law.”

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Since receiving the cease and desist, Reddy said his crews have continued to build.

According to DHEC regulations, if a person refuses to follow department directions, the department may file a lawsuit.

The Army Corp of Engineers is preparing to begin their erosion project in the area next month.