Residents concerned about James Island development

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Some residents on James Island are worried about the impacts recent development will have on existing homes and the island as a whole, especially when it comes to flooding.

Franny Henty is a member of the Save James Island group, which focuses on protecting and preserving the green spaces, trees, wildlife and waterways on the island. The group also opposes the large developments they are seeing in the area.

Henty said she is particularly concerned about the threat of fill and build developments, and she is pushing for developers and government leaders to be mindful of the island and good stewards of its resources.

“We need to be careful, and we have the science there,” she said. “We just really need to focus on making sure that we’re doing something that is not going to endanger our current inventory. And it’s going to be a bigger issue for our children and grandchildren if we continue in this fashion.”

James Island’s mayor said they’ve already passed a number of measures to restrict fill and build within the limits of the town. He said current projects follow the regulations implemented in 2020 and are not considered “Fill and Build.”

“All development—large residential, small residential, all of it—has more restrictions to protect the neighbors from run off, from what people traditionally might’ve done,” Mayor Bill Woolsey said. “Building up the land, called ‘fill’, is something we greatly restrict.”

Henty encourages the community to get involved in Save James Island, as well as get in touch with local leaders to ensure James Island is protected from future developments.

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