South Carolina Ping 
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Posted on 04/20/2020 6:39:10 AM PDT by buckalfa
FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Four Lowcountry beach communities have agreed to continue island restrictions even as governor McMaster is expected to re-open beach access early next week.
Leaders with Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach and Edisto Beach have been in contact with county officials since finding out about the governor’s plans.
“People should not assume that because one regulation is relaxed, that the threat has passed,” Sullivan’s Island Mayor Patrick O’Neil said. “It will be very important for people to distinguish between being able to have access to the beach per say, versus having access to the island town where the beach is.”
Sunday, all four towns released a joint statement saying they’ll keep checkpoint restrictions to the islands.
Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin said he understands the financial concerns of businesses that rely on visitors.
“We want to get people back out here. We want for our businesses to make money because the town needs to make money to keep on going,” Goodwin said. “This is a matter of public health versus making dollars so we’re trying to just make sure we’re keeping the public healthy and we’ll make the dollars when we can.”
Residents and workers will still be allowed into the communities. Goodwin said if McMaster reopens beach access, Folly residents will be allowed to use the area for recreation only.
“Folly Beach will be open for exercise only, so you can walk, run, jog, swim, surf,” Goodwin said.
State Senator Stephen Goldfinch confirmed that the governor is expected to make an order Monday that would rollback restrictions to public beaches made at the end of March.
“What’s being talked about at the governor’s office is simply an order that allows all state access to open with the exception of municipalities that feel they should not open for public health and safety,” Goldfinch said.
Ever dealt with beach house owners? This is typical, They would close the beach permanently if they could.
Whatever. Someone whose bank account only grows during this time, has no worry about where his next meal is coming from, or how he'll pay his mortgage has NO EFFING understanding. He's lucky if he's not lynched.
South Carolina Ping
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My guess is it won’t be to long until just about everyone decides to raise a rigid middle finger to the shut down Nazi’s. It is beginning already.
He means after businesses have closed for good because they can't hang on indefinitely?
“This is typical, They would close the beach permanently if they could.”
No doubt, what you’re saying is true for the full time residents down there.
But, there are many beach homeowners that rent their homes out and probably need the rental income to pay the mortgage payment on those homes. For some owners it’s a business, others...an investment or retirement home that rent income will pay for. No rental income could very well mean losing the beach house. Add up the mortgage payment, the exorbitant rental company fee, the maintenance...I doubt there’s much profit there. And then there’s the possibility of hurricanes.
We have two houses concurrently lined up for a week on Folly Beach this summer (Aug). If we don’t go, that’s close to $12,000 out of two beach house owners’s pockets.
Well at least that will create bargain buying opportunities for the truly wealthy. The rich always seem to get richer in a crisis.
Watch small oil drillers go bankrupt, while the large companies buy their land and equipment for pennies on the dollar.
You see the trend!!!
you are from South Carolina so you probably have been to the quaint small town of Folly Beach and Myrtle Beach.
This time of year all the folks from the High Country go to Folly and Myrtle Beach and crowd everything.
No way folks will distance themselves so the mayors insist,, they do not care to be a hot spot.
Same for all Beach hot spots.
Many years back, we considered building a home on Ocean Isle, the next island down from Folly. It would have to be a rental for us to afford it (a second home). Financing then was great, the lot was cheap, we knew a builder down there. After crunching the numbers, including setting it up fully furnished as a rental...we still would’ve been losing a minimum $300 a month initially. Of course, increasing rents/home value might’ve turned the loss into a profit eventually. Of course also, hurricanes and “down” markets could’ve bankrupted us. The final nail in the coffin was our insurance company of 20 years telling us they weren’t insuring anything from I-95 to the coast. We stepped back.
Those places have been trying to shut down “outsider” access to “their” beaches for years. They finally found the perfect excuse. I think there is a least one lawsuit in the works, though.
Due to the behavior, observable, of visitors.
You are correct. I am curious what direction Mayor Bethune in Myrtle Beach will take. Her ban on no reservations seems to have been effective in emptying the Grand Strand beaches. Yet the Myrtle Beach tourist trap economy is so tied to visitors, the pressure will be great to open.
If you pay big bucks and huge taxes to own a beach house, you’re going to want to use “your” beach. So the beaches will be opened, but parking will be prohibited. That’ll keep the non-residents and po’ folks away.
As I understand it, the governor and sheriffs control access to the beaches. Hilton Head Island’s mayor closed the beaches before McMaster. The beaches were open until the governor closed them. I think the same will be true as we reopen.
ps.
I’m protesting at Tail Gators, my favorite bar, today. Open this bar!
Those two are tied to South Carolina.
Atlantic Beach is Jacksonville’s beach and packs folks in like sardines, Savannah depends on tourism and the crowds are foolish, South Padre’ Island too.
Can’t imagine what Catalina Island is like without tourista’a.
Places all over that need crowds during the summer to survive are empty.
There are a lot of rentals down there. Did closing the beaches include people who have paid rental fees and would be staying on the beach ? And in answer to the behavior of visitors , its not everyone, but, there are quite a few who show up and literally trash the beach with garbage and broken beach items left behind when they are done , and folks who cant stay safely away from the fishing piers or decide to go out 150 yards for a “swim” that often times turns out to endanger not only themselves but the rescuers too. Which are all legit reasons to keep strangers off “your lawn” so to say.. and the idiots cutting thru your back yard too..
I know. Personally, I don’t care for the beach unless it’s winter time. I wouldn’t live there full time either, unless I could vacate during high season. Too much traffic and (you’re correct) too many idiots. Give me a mid-December or February $50-$75/night ocean front condo looking out over the 2 people in overcoats walking on the beach. I’m perfectly happy. I can’t do sun anymore (ask my dermatologist why), extended family get togethers drive me nuts, prices are outrageous..and you can keep the heat.
The wife is handling the homework on the rentals. One of the two houses is oceanfront. I mentioned this article to her this morning...told her she ought to be communicating with the property owners pretty quick. We’ll see...
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