Kiawah Town Council focuses on sand spit billBy Tony Bartelme (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Kiawah Town Council has scheduled a special meeting today to discuss a bill introduced recently by 1st District Rep. Henry Brown to remove the sand spit on the island's southern tip from the Coastal Barrier Resources System. The bill would make future homes on that land eligible for federal flood insurance. After a recent Watchdog report, readers began circulating petitions and contacting Brown's office to protest the legislation. Brown, R-S.C., said he introduced the bill at the request of the town of Kiawah. On Tuesday, the town released an agenda calling for a 2 p.m. discussion of Brown's bill and an executive session to discuss legal matters. Mayor William Wert said the executive session will be used to discuss the legal wording of an agreement the town made in 2005 with Kiawah Development Partners, owner of the sand spit on Capt. Sam's Inlet. Executive sessions are closed to the public. In May, Wert wrote Brown that he had reviewed the proposed legislation and said the town enthusiastically supported the proposal. Kiawah Development Partners wants to build 50 homes on the spit, which is near the county's Beachwalker Park. Reach Tony Bartelme at 937-5554 or tbartelme@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 13 comment(s)
Posted by Tammie on August 27, 2008 at 8 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Damn John, you have been on a roll these past couple of weeks! Lol
Posted by mkris on August 27, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Isn't Kiawah Development Partners an off-shoot of The Beach Company and isn't its vp Long related to the founder of The Beach Company, a privately held company? Didn't the Beach Company give Henry Brown lots of cash? Isn't this on the Federal Elections website? Doesn't the Kiawah Natrual Habitiat Conservency have an equity partner of Kiawah Developemnt Partners on its Board of Directors and is now testifying in Washington in FAVOR of this Bill introduced by Brown? Didn't they get one million dollars of Federal funds to give another development a mind-blowing tax deduction when it bought a conservation piece of land from that developer-- that the developer could not have developed? Wow this thing stinks.
Posted by cnast777 on August 27, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The bill would make future homes on that land eligible for federal flood insurance."
Why should we pay for rich people's flood insurance? You know we are made to support that program.
Yes, you should be able to do what you want with your money but I will be dammned if you should be allow to use our money as your safety net.
There is no way anyone interested in building can read our comments and be swayed in the least. I really, really, really hope Leonard Long and everyone else involved have to walk a mile in the shoes of a citizen making $30k a year one day.
Posted by HighDef on August 27, 2008 at 11:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Go Beach Co. ! Stop hating , this is how things work present day. Please explain how you the tax payers are paying for this flood insurance and how is it different than any other low area in SC on the beach. A Federal plan will come soon to revamp our coastal insurance and flood area's Y'all are going to be pissed once that 5-26 gets extended and Kiawah Freeway gets built aren't you ?
Posted by lou9 on August 27, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, they will build multi-million dollar mansions there and then Mother Nature will take the sand away. Then they will whine and cry just like the folks in Dunes West and we the taxpayers will renourish their "spit" of sand. This is stupid, the bill is stupid, and Henry Brown has finally lost his mind.
Posted by tc1 on August 27, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
highdef,
We pay for the taxes used to rebuild their homes when they wash away as they will, hurricane or not in this instance. It isn't if it's when for that spot and you don't need a 4 year degree to know that. That is why it is not eligable for insurance now. I believe flood insurance should be stopped anywhere in this country when it is obvious it will happen and where it has happened 3 times in the same place even where it is not expected.
In this case it will probably not be the owners main home so when it has to be rebuilt it will not be that big a deal to them.
Posted by JF on August 27, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is a shame that the Beach Company feels the need to develop this small barrier island, and use tax dollars to subsidise the flood insurance for a place which should never be developed.
Posted by bigwhip on August 27, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Town of Kiawah will now discuss this issue that the mayor is on the schedule to testify on behalf of on 09/10 in DC. Executive session no less. Some questions: Did the town vote to have Brown submit this bill? Is a copy of the agreement between the Town & the Kiawah Partners a matter of public record? The discussion of this agreement should not be held in executive session if it is a matter of public record. Is the Town government a puppet of the Kiawah partnership?
Posted by mkris on August 27, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Of course Kiawah Development Partners, Longwood, The Beach Co., Kiawah Nature Habitat Conservency, the Town and HENRY BROWN are in Cahoots. They're co-hooters.
And of Course this is going to executive seccession... This is South Carolina, where deals are done.
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU AND ME.
Posted by lou9 on August 27, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wcp3iop - thank you, I stand corrected.
Posted by HighDef on August 27, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TC1- I guess you would be against rebuilding the entire gulf coast, Iowa farm's and new orleans ? I just think the original development lay out is being changed here for profitable benefit by the owners of the land, the insurance for this spit isnt much different than all the other coastal area's. A cat 5 will blow away a lot more than Kiawah's little spit w/ 20 homes. As far as H Brown, he is a puppet of the people and in this case they are custom home builders/suppliers...this isnt corrupt, it's how big money / business flows.
Posted by guidedbystewart on August 27, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by wpc3iop on August 27, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Do I detect disdain for the wealthy?
Nope, it has more to do with the rich doing whatever the hell they want too, at the expense of us, the tax payers and of course the environment!
Posted by mkris on August 27, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This spit of land is much different. It will not take a cat 5 to take out the property, my guess a lesser of a cat 2. You're right, Highdef, so far nobody's traced the money. It stinks and the developers are destorying this county, leaving the residents to clean up thier mess later. Its simple bad planning and incompetence of the local politicos, including Paul Thumond.