April 13, 2022
Lewis White, Jr., Chairman
Town of Awendaw Planning Commission
6971 Doar Road
P.O. Box 520
Awendaw, SC 29429
Re: Concern Regarding Proposed Residential Development in Awendaw
The South Carolina Sierra Club strongly counsels against the development of 204 homes on the White Tract and 249 homes on the Romain Bay Preserve Tract in the Town of Awendaw.
These large residential developments are inconsistent with the conservation of the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, the Francis Marion National Forest and the quality of life of the citizens in the Town of Awendaw.
Due to the lack of a piped sewer system, hundreds of septic systems would be needed for the houses. There is plenty of local evidence that septic systems lead to polluted bodies of water and groundwater. That pollution could lead to incredibly expensive clean-up efforts as seen throughout Charleston County. Humans and wildlife stand to suffer in known ways. We have experience, we do not need to learn any lessons here.
Controlled burning taking place on the edges of neighborhoods is very likely. This method of controlling forest growth must continue, especially with the increases in summer heat and drought we've seen in recent years with predictions of worsening heat and drought in the future. We've seen the out of control forest fires out west. We do not need to learn lessons here.
There are not enough jobs locally to keep the proposed population from having to drive long distances to find work. That feeds the need for more fossil fuels, which feeds climate change. More habitat will be lost for needed upgrades to handle the increase in traffic.
The homes themselves if not built high above the flood waters will surely be swamped in future storms. Thus relegating more Lowcountry homeowners to years of fighting the tide. We know how this story ends as well. Again, we do not need to learn lessons here.
Lowcountry residents, natural environment and infrastructure are critically vulnerable to sea level rise. It is imperative that proposed development projects consider current AND future climate conditions to protect humans and wildlife. We urge you to act to ensure the safety of these existing communities.
Sincerely,
Christine von Kolnitz, Chair
Sierra Club Robert Lunz Group
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