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Seawall on Isle of Palms order to be destroyed by SC judge

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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCIV) — The legal battle over an allegedly illegal Isle of Palms Seawall reached another turn. READ MORE: https://abcnews4.com/news/local/judge...

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ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) — Isle of Palms are looking ahead to long term solutions to address ongoing beach erosion, as erosion worsens and beach nourishment becomes more expensive.

The last few years the Isle of Palms has been implementing temporary measures to renourish their beaches and protect homes from erosion but now they are working on long-term solutions.

“What we’re looking for is ideas about what could be put in place, it could be hard erosions structures possibly,” Isle of Palms City Council Rusty Streetman. “There are a number of hard structures that could be utilized to help you trap sand and help build the beach and, in the future, not have to renourish it as often as we have in the past.”

Council has solicited proposals from several firms and will be selecting one firm that will present a stabilization plan to council. Streetman says they’re hoping to get money from the state to pay for necessary measures and offset costs to residents.

“That’s the kind of things we got to deal with city council going forward is ‘what do we put in place that is not a problem for residents, not a problem for visitors’ and try to encourage getting more state funding to get these beaches stable.” said Streetman.

While the long-term plan is still in the works, the island has several ongoing projects in hot spots for erosion on the island, like Wild Dunes and Breach Inlet. Residents can expect to see more efforts in the coming year.

“We have big renourishment going into 2026,” said Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds. “That’ll be where we go offshore and pump sand into the island. Some will go to Wild Dunes some will go to Breach Inlet, so that’s a big project probably 25 million from the city.”

City council is expected to review the analysis in the new year to create a long-term plan.

A popular neighborhood burger spot plans to open its third location next spring.

Heavy’s Barburger, founded in 2022 by John and Brenda Haire, is set to open its Isle of Palms location at 1012 Ocean Blvd., according to

“We’re packing our beach bag! Excited to smash burgers & shake margaritas on the Isle of Palms next Spring!” the burger joint shared via Facebook.

Heavy’s currently runs two locations in downtown Charleston and Daniel Island. Its new Isle of Palms outpost will replicate the same “vibey” atmosphere, complete with a vintage sound system playing classic jams alongside its signature American fare.

The joint is known for its quarter-pound smash burgers crafted from a blend of Angus short rib, brisket and chuck roll. Its signature Barburger features double patties topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickles and Heavy’s house sauce—all made fresh daily.

For the full American experience, pair any burger with a homemade milkshake and crinkle-cut fries.

Heavy’s also serves wings, tenders, soups, salads and sandwiches. One of its standout sandwiches is the fried chicken, marinated in buttermilk and a salt-and-sugar brine.

The name honors Haire’s grandfather, a well-known figure in his hometown of Northwest Florida. Friends and family gave him the nickname, which reflects his community spirit and willingness to lend a hand. The spirit inspired the opening of Heavy’s, according to the website.

Visit the Heavy’s Barburger website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest on the grand opening.

What Now Charleston reached out to the team. This article may be updated.

After months of uncertainty, an Isle of Palms property owner is being ordered to tear down an illegal seawall he built that is blocking public access along the beach and eroding the seashore in the popular coastal community near Charleston.

A South Carolina administrative law judge’s order, issued Tuesday, gives homeowner Rom Reddy several months to deconstruct the seawall on the lower end of Isle of Palms. The wall could be torn out as early as mid-summer, according to a schedule in the judge’s order.

While Judge Ralph King Anderson III’s order threw out a $289,000 fine the state had issued against Reddy, the judge said the seawall Reddy built falls within South Carolina’s jurisdiction and can be removed.

Anderson had issued a similar order this past October, but later rescinded the order until he gave the case further review. That raised questions about whether Reddy would be allowed to keep the wall. But Tuesday’s decision effectively upholds the October ruling.

Reddy’s case has been closely watched because it challenged a basic prohibition in state law against construction of new seawalls on the beach. If successful, Reddy’s case could have made it easier for other property owners who seek to challenge the more than 30-year ban on new seawalls.

Seawalls are concrete or wooden structures that fend off the ocean’s waves and protect oceanfront buildings, but they can block public beach access, while generally accelerating beach erosion. The Legislature banned new ones on the seashore in 1988 after determining that the state’s beaches were critically eroding.

In a text Tuesday afternoon, Reddy indicated he will appeal Anderson’s ruling. The Pacific Legal Foundation will assist in the case on Reddy’s behalf, he said. His text said Anderson’s ruling “will not hold up.’’ He described the foundation as a national organization that defends constitutional rights. The headline on the foundation’s webpage says “Suing the government since 1973. We defend your rights when threatened by government overreach and abuse.’’

Environmental lawyer Amy Armstrong said she’s not surprised Reddy will challenge Anderson’s ruling. The businessman is a wealthy property owner who has indicated he would do so.

But Anderson’s ruling is ammunition for environmentalists in the next round of legal appeals. And it is good news at a time when the beach management law was under assault, said Armstrong, who heads the S.C. Environmental Law Project, which fought in court to have the seawall removed.

“This is still an illegal wall,’’ Armstrong said. “This guy built something that he should not have built. It is not allowed. They’re illegal. They are prohibited for a reason.’’

Reddy’s seawall has caused a stir at the Isle of Palms because it sticks farther out on the beach than other development in the area. And that is hindering people who want to walk down the beach, critics say.

Reddy is an outspoken property owner and successful businessman who owns several small newspapers on the coast. He represented himself during a trial over the seawall last May .Reddy has started a political action committee and is seeking to have candidates elected who support limited government and spending..

Armstrong said she was disappointed the fine was tossed out. Coastal regulators said Reddy had the wall built after they warned him that it was not legal under state law. He disagrees. The $289,000 fine is larger than most environmental sanctions issued for coastal violations.

Reddy didn’t dispute having the wall built as he tried to protect his house from high water that was encroaching on the property. But he has maintained that the wall is not within state jurisdiction.

It is outside an area restricted by South Carolina from development, Reddy has maintained. The seawall was constructed landward of oceanfront setback lines that limit beach development.

The state Department of Environmental Services, however, said the area is within its oversight. The beach has eroded landward of the setback lines, meaning the area falls within state jurisdiction, say environmentalists and state regulators.

In tossing the fine, Anderson said it was not clear that Reddy did anything to intentionally flout the law, but the judge said the state has a right to protect beaches from development. The judge said the area in dispute is within state jurisdiction. He also noted that the beach changes periodically as a result of storms.

The Department of Environmental Services “has authority since it could not otherwise protect the entirety of the coastal zone if it were unable to exercise regulatory authority over beaches, irrespective of the location of the setback line,’’ the judge’s order said.

Reddy’s case is an example of what many expect to be more battles over coastal development at a time when rising sea levels and more intense storms threaten multimillion dollar investments that provide tax revenue.

Armstrong said she would not be surprised if efforts are made in the Legislature to water down the state’s coastal protection law because of property owner complaints. Some of those efforts have come up in recent years as a result of disputes at Debordieu, an affluent but eroding beach community near Georgetown.

“We are always on high alert that very wealthy property owners will use their money to influence politics to make laws weaker for the environment and the public interest,’’ she said. Armstrong said it’s her sense that most people who don’t own oceanfront property want to protect public beaches instead of helping wealthy private landowners.

“The vast majority of people seem to be exasperated by somebody being able to get away with building a wall’’ on the beach, she said.

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) — Isle of Palms leaders said the completion of Phase 1 of a major infrastructure project is marking a meaningful step toward relief.

Flooding has long been a concern for residents along Waterway Boulevard on Isle of Palms, but this marks a major milestone in an effort nearly seven years in the making.

The roughly $1.1 million project is funded through two primary sources: about $157,000 from the Isle of Palms Capital Projects Fund and nearly $1 million from a FEMA Hazard Mitigation grant.

City officials said Phase 1 focused largely on infrastructure below the surface. While the Wild Dunes Golf Course was closed for renovations, crews moved large amounts of earth, built new cart paths, constructed berms and installed drainage improvements designed to better move stormwater away from Waterway Boulevard and toward the Intracoastal Waterway.

Much of that work is not immediately visible, according to Mayor Phillip Pounds.

“Right now, the work that’s been done isn’t in your line of sight,” Pounds said. “It’s all behind the houses and on the golf course and kind of goes with the flow. What started out as redoing the multi-purpose path turned into this huge project of drainage infrastructure and protection against the tides.”

Pounds said that focus became even more critical after a major nor’easter in 2023 pushed water onto the island from the Intracoastal side.

“That’s what a lot of this is protecting against,” he said.

Pounds said completing Phase 1 is a significant step toward safeguarding nearby homes and a key transportation corridor.

“This one protects so much of our island and so many houses and the Waterway Boulevard road itself,” he said. “It’s such a huge win for our residents and guests who come at any time of the year, and it also provides another mode of transportation to get around.”

City leaders said the most noticeable changes are still ahead.

Phase 2 will focus on the multi-use path itself, which has not yet been altered. Plans call for the path to be widened and elevated in certain areas, along with new drainage features installed alongside it. The path is intended for pedestrians and bicyclists only; golf carts will not be permitted.

“We haven’t even touched the path yet,” Pounds said. “It will be wider, elevated in some spots and there will also be drainage infrastructure along the path, including inlets, pipes and tidal control valves.”

Pounds said while Phase 1 was significant because of the amount of earth moved, Phase 2 will be both more disruptive and more visible to residents along Waterway Boulevard.

“It will affect some residents, especially with their driveways,” he said. “But hopefully it will go fairly quickly and be done before the season starts for us.”

Beyond flood mitigation, city leaders said the project is also designed to improve mobility during peak traffic months.

“We’ve finished the 21st Avenue sidewalk. This will be a huge swath when we finish this multi-purpose path,” Pounds said. “In the summer, it can be complete standstill out here. This should give people an alternative way to traverse the island.”

Longtime residents said the improvements that are already completed are making a difference.

Doug Truslow, who has lived near the start of Waterway Boulevard for about 50 years, said the city’s investments have improved both safety and accessibility.

“We’re so pleased with everything the city has done to improve the sidewalks, especially going to the beach,” Truslow said. “It helps with tourism, people with disabilities and children riding bikes. It’s good all the way around.”

Phase 2 of the project is currently out for contractor bids. City leaders hope to finalize that process and begin construction in early 2026, continuing work they said is essential to protecting the island and improving how residents and visitors move through it.