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May 2015 D I G E S T The Official Publication of the Kiawah Island Community Association Your Vote Counts Towards Kiawah's Future Depending on whether you are reading this online or in print, the information you have been awaiting regarding KICA’s amenities plan is now, or will soon be, in your hands, having been scheduled to mail around April 29. The materials present an Amenities Master Plan, as well as a referendum to vote on Phase I - the Sandcastle. This recommendation is the culmination of efforts over many years by many people, and we believe it responsibly represents KICA's goal of affordably balancing current and future needs. Included in the materials is information on the process leading to the plan, details on both Phase I at the Sandcastle and Phase II at Rhett’s Bluff Landing, financial considerations, frequently asked questions and a referendum on which to cast your Phase I vote. The packet also includes a DVD to allow you to hear plan details directly from the architects, as well as thoughts from some of your fellow property owners. KICA encourages you to thoroughly explore all of the information in the packet, and online at kica.us/amenities, so you might make an informed and thoughtful decision. Voting details are contained on the referendum; deadline for voting is June 1. Planning for Kiawah’s future is critical, and your vote counts. Reinvestment Vital to Kiawah's Past and Future While you are reviewing the amenities proposal and the volumes of supplemental material on the website, take a moment to review this recap from an article in the October Digest about how and why investment in quality amenities has always been a Kiawah foundation. The Kuwaiti-owned Kiawah Island Company (KIC) opened the oceanfront Kiawah Island Inn, with two pools and a food and beverage component, and began selling real estate on Kiawah in 1976 when the average cost of a new home in the U.S. was $43,000, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the year at 1,004, and real estate sales on Kiawah totaled $12.4 million. Kiawah development began in the mid-1970s with stateof-the-art amenities for the time. KIC owned the resort, and planned the facilities needed for both the community association and the resort. Projects just completed or underway in 1977 included: restaurants; a homeowners' beach club with a 25-meter pool with diving well, bathrooms and dressing areas; the island’s first golf course and pro shop; a club conference/banquet facility with wood dance floor, multipurpose meeting and party rooms, and nightly entertainment; a movie screen; two lighted tennis courts and a practice alley; a boat launch on the Kiawah River at what was once known as Shoolbred Point (now Rhett’s Bluff) with plans for additional marina facilities; and boat storage. Over the dozen years that KIC owned all of Kiawah, the company gradually added amenities to become and remain a first-class resort destination, including the Straw Market, the Night Heron pool and park Continued on Next Page... 2 May 2015 Reinvestment Vital to Kiawah (Continued from Previous) Kiawah Island Inn in the 1970s, billed as a "World of Luxury" complex, and additional golf and tennis facilities. By the time the Kuwaitis sold the company, they had ceased making improvements, and property owners protested the developer’s lack of interest. Volume and price of sales of existing homes had stagnated. The beach, the natural beauty of the island, and the environmentally friendly development plan were laudable, but not sufficient to sustain high real estate sales. In 1996, when Kiawah turned 20 years old, KICA built the Sandcastle Community Center. By then, a new home in the US averaged $118,000 and on Kiawah, $463,000; the Dow Jones closed the year at 6,448; the Kiawah Island Club’s Beach Club was three years old and the River Course had been open a year. In 2015, the Kiawah community is approaching 40 years old. In 2013, a home in the U.S. averaged $320,000 and on Kiawah, $1.74 million; in 2014, the Dow Jones topped 17,000. The Kiawah Island Club has five major facilities. The KICA board has spent several years exploring actions in light of the Amenities and Services Task Force (ASTF) finding that KICA’s amenities for fitness, recreational and social activities are aging and inadequate. Some homeowners say that the beach, the natural beauty of the island and the environmentally friendly development are sufficient to sustain buyer interest in Kiawah; more say they want reinvestment. Survey results show that 99% of owners are satisfied with the beach experience, but satisfaction rates are lower for fitness and social opportunities, and on the whole, lower than standard for high-end communities. The world has changed markedly in the last 40 years, and homeowners’ expectations of what their communities should provide have changed with it. The Kiawah of 2014 is not the Kiawah of 1976 or 1996, but the amenities available to community association members have not increased or improved notably. The ASTF report, available in its entirety online, clearly showed that Kiawah is falling behind other destination communities in terms of amenities available to members. Bill Goodwin, owner of Kiawah Island Golf Resort (KIGR), was quoted in the April 2012 edition of Kiawah Island Talk “The island is aging. Property owners need to recognize it and get in front of it...” KIGR continually makes enormous investments in its own facilities. The Sanctuary has replaced the Kiawah Island Inn, which was right for its time but not for today, and KIGR is considering what to do with the Inn property in light of what future resort guests and buyers will want. KIGR built the Ocean Course clubhouse, improved other golf facilities, improved and added to its pools, and has signaled that they intend to replace the Cougar Point clubhouse. The master developer, Kiawah Partners (KP), is also making improvements to Kiawah, most recently the beautiful 240-acre Ocean Park in the middle of its new residential development near the Ocean Course, and is expanding the leisure trail system through the park. As currently planned, Ocean Park will include approximately 30 acres of parkland, lakes, trails, paths and natural areas. These KIGR and KP improvements help to keep Kiawah beautiful, to market it, and to keep property values high, but KICA has a critical role as well. In the association’s mission statement, preserving and enhancing the quality of life and property values is the chief priority. A recent survey of Kiawah homeowners commissioned by Kiawah Island Real Estate showed that the percentage of buyers who “shop” other communities before buying on Kiawah has increased from 35% in 2011 to 58% in 2014. These buyers are comparing Kiawah’s offerings to those of other communities and Kiawah needs to be comparable or better in order to continue to attract buyers. People are not deciding quickly to purchase on Continued on Next Page... 3 May 2015 Reinvestment Vital to Kiawah (Continued from Previous) Kiawah, and they are seeking a family-oriented destination. Reinvestment is not just about property values, it is equally about the lifestyle experience. The KIRE survey indicated two important trends relevant to the quality of community association amenities. First, a significant increase in the number of owners who consider this purchase to be their permanent or retirement home suggests that a greater number of people will want amenities one would expect to use year-round. Second, the buyers are slightly younger and have a higher net worth than in previous survey data; such buyers can be expected to want high quality amenities. The recent KICA Amenities Survey supports this analysis; younger and more recent buyers had more interest in, and higher willingness to pay more for, state-of-the-art amenities. The president of Kiawah Island Real Estate recently observed, "Any time you enhance amenities, unless costs are too high, that adds to the value for everyone on the island. The costs of the improvements KICA is considering are not too high. Our fees are a bargain relative to other communities." While Kiawah will remain a golf destination because of its demographics and the quality of the courses, golf is not the draw it once was. Across the U.S., more courses are closing than are opening. Half of KICA members play little or no golf. Facilities for families and for health, wellness and recreation are more important to most buyers. Most respondents to the recent KICA Amenities Survey understood the importance of top-notch amenities to maintaining property values on the island. Among the comments from those who did not, “the beach and the leisure trails are enough to keep people happy” was a common theme. Were that the case, however, the Kiawah Island Club would not have grown from an initial 400 to 1,600 members and its fitness center would not be frequently overcrowded; Sandcastle meeting rooms would not be over-scheduled day and night and the fitness space heavily used; the resort would not have needed to improve its swimming pools or to provide a brochure with dozens of pages of activities for its guests. The beach is consistently a top draw for Kiawah. It is no less pristine than 40 years ago, but successful beach management decisions and projects have kept it so. The leisure trails were built by the developer, but KICA maintains and improves them as necessary; without significant, regular investment they would rapidly become unusable. Varied amenities supportive of families and active lifestyles need equal improvement and investment. If potential buyers match the profile of younger members or those who have purchased since 2011, top-notch facilities will be important. The beach and leisure trails will not be enough for a KICA member who does not belong to the club, and for many, club memberships are not available or feasible. In 1976, no one would have thought that the Kiawah Island Inn would become obsolete. By 1996, the possibility was still faint. But in less than 10 more years, it closed permanently. KIGR invested in its future success by building newer and better facilities. In the New York Times Best Seller Younger Next Year, authors Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge state, “There’s a critical distinction between aging and decay.” For humans, aging well requires taking care of one’s self - exercise, a good diet, and proper care. A community is no different, and we must ensure that Kiawah at 40 years old takes care of itself and ages well. Editor’s Note: The full version of this article may be viewed at kica.us/amenities. Bohicket Road Resurfacing Set to Begin This Summer Starting later this summer, your drive to and from Kiawah may be getting a lot smoother. The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) recently confirmed plans to completely resurface Bohicket Road on Johns Island beginning in June or July*. “The safety of travelers on Bohicket Road is the number one priority,” said Richard Turner with Charleston County Transportation Development. “We knew that no matter where the funding came from (county or state), we were going to resurface the road in 2015.” According to Turner, the project is being funded by a combination of monies from SCDOT ($2 million) and the Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax Program ($2 million). The funding covers resurfacing the entirety of Bohicket Road from the River Road/Betsy Kerrison Parkway intersection to Maybank Highway. Betsy Kerrison Parkway will not be included in the project as it was resurfaced in 2011. Until the project begins, Turner said that general maintenance on Bohicket will continue. “SCDOT is responsible for maintaining Bohicket Road, and will continue to do so, repairing potholes, damaged areas, etc. as needed,” said Turner. “Drivers can report problems by calling 843-740-1655 or entering a work request at http://dbw.scdot.org/workrequest/.” For more information on the SCDOT, visit scdot.org. *The project schedule is subject to change without notice. 4 If you have an event you would like included on the calendar, please e-mail [email protected]. May 2015 Community Calendar Sandcastle: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend at the Sandcastle with Live Music Poolside by Local Band the Majestics Trio (Sunday, May 24), Delicious Food from the Castle Grille and Cold Drinks from the Sand Bar! 03 10 All Day - Kiawah Women's Group Pontoon Tour 17 24 Sandcastle Memorial Day Celebration Featuring Live Music Poolside by the Majestics Trio KIGR Memorial Day Weekend Dining Events 31 04 05 06 9 a.m. Photography Club 1 p.m. KICA Board Meeting 1 p.m. Sandcastle Book Club: "Mary Coin" by Marisa Silver 3 p.m. Environmental Committee 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Support Kiawah Conservancy on Lowcountry Giving Day 10 a.m. Charleston County Bookmobile 2 p.m. Town Council 3 p.m. Conservation Matters: Beach Walk and Seining 3 p.m. Planning Commission 11 12 13 9 a.m. Photography Club 3 p.m. Communications Committee 3:30 p.m. SCCC Meeting 18 19 10 a.m. Photography Club 4 p.m. Board of Zoning Appeals 10 a.m. Charleston County Bookmobile 26 Happy Memorial Day! 2 p.m. Ways and Means Committee KICA and Town of Kiawah Offices Closed Sandcastle Memorial Day Celebration KIGR Memorial Day Weekend Dining Events 27 Recurring Events at the Sandcastle •a.m. Sandcastle 10 PhotographyBible Club Study - Mondays at 8:30 a.m. • Sandcastle Bridge - Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Meeting • Women's Community Bible Study - Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. • Weight Watchers - Wednesdays at 1 p.m. • Ladies MahJongg - Wednesdays at 1 p.m. • Intermediate and Advanced Bridge - Wednesdays at 3 p.m. KICA (Sandcastle) 843-768-3875 kica.us (Events) Kiawah Cares 843-768-9194 kiawahcares.org 3 p.m. Arts Council Saturday 01 02 7 p.m. Kiawah Goes to the Dogs (Charleston Riverdogs Game) 3 - 7 p.m. Gullah Celebration 08 09 9 a.m. Kiawah Regime Council Meeting 14 15 16 21 22 23 KIGR Memorial Day Weekend Dining Events KIGR Memorial Day Weekend Dining Events KIGR Memorial Day Weekend Dining Events 28 29 30 10 a.m. Kiawah Art Guild 2 p.m. Public Safety Committee 20 25 07 Friday Kiawah Island Golf Resort 843-768-2121 kiawahresort.com Association Fitness Classes Offered Yoga Zumba Strength and Stretch Water Aerobics Body Sculpt Assorted Cardio Classes **View class times and descriptions at kica.us (Facilities/Fitness Center). Please note that all fitness classes are complimentary to members. - KICA Paddlesports Program - www.tidaltrailskiawah.com - Freshfields Village 843-768-6491 freshfieldsvillage.com Town of Kiawah Island 843-768-9166 kiawahisland.org If you have an event you would like included on the calendar, please e-mail [email protected]. June 2015 5 Community Calendar Sandcastle: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Monday 01 Vote on Phase 1 of KICA Amenity Master Plan Due by 5 p.m. Vote online at kica.us/vote. Tuesday Wednesday 02 03 10 a.m. Charleston County Bookmobile 2 p.m. Town Council 3 p.m. Planning Commission 8:30 p.m. Starlight Cinema 09 10 Thursday Friday 05 04 3 p.m. Arts Council 06 Saturday TOKI Brown Trash Day 6 p.m. Music on the Green 4 p.m. Conservation Matters: Kayak Adventures and Sandbar Exploration (Mingo Point) 12 13 4 p.m. Farmers Market 07 08 4 p.m. Farmers Market 14 15 16 4 p.m. Farmers Market 4 p.m. Board of Zoning Appeals 21 22 4 p.m. Farmers Market 28 3 p.m. Communications Committee 3:30 p.m. SCCC Meeting 29 17 10 a.m. Charleston County Bookmobile 23 2 p.m. Public Safety Committee 8:30 p.m. Starlight Cinema 2 p.m. Ways and Means Committee 8:30 p.m. Starlight Cinema 24 8:30 p.m. Starlight Cinema 11 3 p.m. KICA Safety and Security Meeting 18 6 p.m. Music on the Green 19 20 6 p.m. Music on the Green 25 26 27 6 p.m. Music on the Green 30 10 a.m. Yoga Retreat 4 p.m. Farmers Market * The Kiawah Island Golf Resort has several ongoing events during the summer. Please refer to their website for a complete listing. Recurring Events at the Sandcastle • • • • • KICA (Sandcastle) 843-768-3875 kica.us (Events) Sandcastle Bible Study - Mondays at 8:30 a.m. Sandcastle Bridge - Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Women's Community Bible Study - Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. Weight Watchers - Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Ladies MahJongg - Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Kiawah Cares 843-768-9194 kiawahcares.org Kiawah Island Golf Resort 843-768-2121 kiawahresort.com Association Fitness Classes Offered Yoga Zumba Strength and Stretch Water Aerobics Body Sculpt Assorted Cardio Classes **View class times and descriptions at kica.us (Facilities/Fitness Center). Please note that all fitness classes are complimentary to members. - KICA Paddlesports Program - www.tidaltrailskiawah.com - Freshfields Village 843-768-6491 freshfieldsvillage.com Town of Kiawah Island 843-768-9166 kiawahisland.org 6 Security Main gate 843-768-5566 Toll Free 866-596-7184 (911 in emergencies) Commercial pass office 843-768-8240 On The Web KICA.US - KICA is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Visit the KICA website for more information. Digest Contributors Frances Boyd - Member Volunteer Virginia Chapel - Member Volunteer Bill Hindman - Member Volunteer Shauneen Hutchinson - Member Volunteer Mary Beth McAnaney - Member Volunteer Sue Schaffer - Feature reporter Deb Stewart - Member Volunteer Russ Warren - Member Volunteer Staff Production Team Doug Reynolds - Communications Mgr/Editor Tammy McAdory - Executive Director May 2015 Sandcastle Policy Change for Immediate Family In an effort to more efficiently accommodate our members’ immediate families (adult children, parents, grandparents and grandchildren), the Sandcastle has adopted a new policy. The $5 fee for immediate family member guests will be waived as long as member records are kept current. Regular guest fees will continue to apply for siblings, other extended family and personal friends. Members may continue to register extended family and personal friends by completing a Unaccompanied Guest Application. (Vacation renters are not eligible.) Please contact Sandcastle Member Services at [email protected] or 843-768-3875 to register immediate family or request forms. Fish Safely, Responsibly Digest Mission Statement The association is committed to accurately and effectively reporting news affecting it, and its members, board, and volunteers, and to presenting discussions of significant issues in a balanced and constructive manner. Statement of Editorial Policy The association, through its Digest reporters, shall endeavor to report objectively and wholly the significant island news relating to the association and its members. The association welcomes members’ suggestions on issues they deem significant for publication or discussion, and will publish editorials, identified as such, where there is a need to clarify, expand, or express views and opinions on relevant issues. To submit an editorial, write to Digest care of Doug Reynolds or email to [email protected]. Here on Kiawah we pride ourselves on our sensitivity to nature. Recently, KICA’s Land and Lakes team retrieved a carelessly discarded cast net that was caught on the rocks. About a dozen bait fish were trapped in the net. Fortunately the fish were alive and were released back to the pond. Please remember - and remind your guests and renters - of the abundant wildlife around in and around our ponds, not only fish, but alligators, turtles, birds and crustaceans, which are easily injured or killed by careless practices. Cast nets are frequently used to catch shrimp and bait fish (mullet, mud minnows, pin fish, menhaden). Because bait fish congregate in rocky areas, outfalls are popular places to catch them. All outfalls have rip rap (rocks) around them for erosion control. This leads to nets becoming hung up in the rocks and oysters. Staff commonly find abandoned cast nets in such areas. Most fishing docks are equipped with waste/used monofilament trash tubes. These are white PVC tubes located at information kiosks on the docks. Use them to discard fishing line. Use standard trash cans for everything else. Where they do not exist, remove trash and unwanted materials when you leave. Clumps of monofilament drifting around the ponds are very detrimental to our wildlife. Fish may be cleaned at the docks. However, waste must be disposed of responsibly. Do not dump fish waste back into the ponds. Not only may it attract the unwanted and potentially dangerous attention of alligators, it is unsightly. A better place to clean fish is creekside, where the tides and crabs can remove fish carcasses. Because of the presence of alligators, please fish only from docks, and never reach into the water to retrieve gear or fish. While Kiawah is a private community, its ponds are subject to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) regulations. Our ponds are brackish (mixture of salt and freshwater), and saltwater fishing regulations, including licenses, apply. Children under the age of 16 are not required to have a license. License fees vary based on residency status and duration. License applications, as well as information on fees, are available online (link DNR) or locally at SeaCoast Sports in Freshfields Village (843-768-8486) and at the Bohicket Marina office (843-768-1280) All fishermen (and women) are responsible for knowing and adhering to fishing regulations. Visit the SCDNR website, dnr. sc.gov/fishing, for details. 7 May 2015 Conservancy Leads New Cooperative Study on Alligator Population A long-term study of Kiawah alligators is now underway. Dr. Louis Guillette, professor of Marine Biomedicine/Obstetrics and Gynecology and Environmental Sciences at MUSC and the Hollings Laboratory, is leading the research team. This study is a cooperative effort led by the Kiawah Conservancy with assistance from KICA and the Town of Kiawah Island. In their first two days on Kiawah, Professor Gillette and his team caught and released 14 alligators, the longest of which was over 10 feet in length. For each alligator, they take blood, urine and tissue samples, determine the sex of the animal, take measurements of the body, and install a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, which helps to monitor their movements on the island. Over approximately the next two months the objective is to capture about 35 additional animals. Assuming the first-year study yields useful data, the work will continue for another few years. The Kiawah study is only a portion of the work being done by Guillette’s team. They have performed extensive studies of alligators in Florida and crocodiles in southern Africa. In South Carolina they are doing similar studies in the ACE Basin and at the Yawkey Wildlife Center near Georgetown. The importance of the work on Kiawah is that it is a different ecology than the other two areas. In his original proposal to perform the study on the island, Guillette said, “Kiawah Island appears to support a relatively robust alligator population, and may be a model for alligator populations in coastal areas as development continues to increase. A closer examination of the numbers, health, and reproduction of alligators on Kiawah will shed light on how these animals respond to multiple stressors. Second, because Kiawah’s alligators live on a barrier island, they fit perfectly into our ongoing long-term research on the ecology of alligators living in coastal environments.” To learn more about habitat preservation and restoration efforts, education programs and research studies sponsored by the Kiawah Conservancy, visit kiawahconservancy.org. For more details on Kiawah’s wildlife, visit wildlifeatkiawah.com. Spruce Up Your Yard with Pine Straw from KICA After a cold winter, spring is in full bloom and Kiawah Island is flourishing and green once again. Now is the time to renourish and revitalize your landscape beds with new pine straw. As a service to members, KICA offers pine straw (short needle) bales at a cost of $4 per bale plus tax. Orders must be placed at least one day in advance and are only available for pick up at the maintenance site at 20 Kestrel Court on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Delivery is available on orders of 100 bales or more for a $50 fee (additional $5 per every 10 bales over the initial 100). For more information or to place your order, please contact KICA Maintenance (Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) at 843-7682315, toll free at 866-226-1770 or by e-mail at Kicaland@kica. us. Payment is accepted via MasterCard, Visa or check. PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON, SC PERMIT NO. 167 D I G E S T c/o Kiawah Island Community Association 23 Beachwalker Drive Kiawah Island, SC 29455 Address Service Requested 2015 First Quarter Kiawah Island Real Estate Trends First Quarter 2015 (January-March) Sales Price Property Type Homes $1 million and below $1 - 2.5 million $2.5 million and above Lots $1 million and below $1 - 2 million $2 million and above Cottages/Villas 1 bedroom 2 bedroom 3 bedroom and above # High Low Average First Quarter 2014 (January-March) Sales Price # High Low Average # Price -40% 7% 57% 0% 33% 9% 367,917 -50% 39% 688,750 167,500 5 869,000 180,000 512,133 10 0% 12% 3 1,430,000 1,250,000 1,368,333 3 1,350,000 1,100,000 1,225,000 0% 94% 1 4,000,000 4,000,000 4,000,000 1 2,060,000 2,060,000 2,060,000 247,000 -20% 7% 265,075 295,000 215,000 4 350,000 185,300 5 452,083 -33% -8% 416,750 675,000 270,000 4 620,000 310,000 6 427,000 594,583 0% -4% 572,000 975,000 6 640,000 545,000 6 non-commercial Note: This report is a summary of all sales transactions on Kiawah Island from all sources. This information was compiled by Kiawah Island Real Estate for the exclusive use of Kiawah Island Digest. While it is believed to be accurate, a lag in reporting recent sales closings may occur due to the nature of obtaining this data from multiple sources. 3 11 4 750,000 2,178,000 5,800,000 535,000 1,050,000 2,750,000 625,000 1,520,485 4,012,500 5 7 3 950,000 2,400,000 4,850,000 370,000 1,025,000 2,700,000 582,000 1,516,429 3,683,333 Quarterly Change