Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Repair in Folly Beach, SC

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – Warm weather and plenty of sunshine was a welcoming sign to the crowds of people enjoying the Labor Day on Folly Beach. But the heavy foot traffic and recent high tides come only days after Folly Beach saw significant dune erosion after Tropical Storm Idalia.

A coastal consultant with the city of Folly Beach told News 2 that the dune erosion they faced from Idalia was worse than Hurricane Matthew back in 2016 and could have lasting impacts through the winter.

On Monday beach officials set up cones to create a path for rescue vehicles and to prevent people from setting up too close to the dunes.

The assistant manager at Folly Beach County Park, Sam Colgate, said in the past three days, even with minimal space, they’ve seen thousands of people at the county park alone.

“From Friday to today we’ve had about 5,000 people here at Folly Beach County Park, it’s been pretty busy, especially for after a storm,” she said. “This week especially we’ve seen a lot of people setting up camp right against the dunes, I’d say for the most part people are very respectful,” said Colgate.

Dune protection continues to be a priority for Folly Beach after Tropical Storm Idalia removed about 15 feet of dunes in some locations that separate the beach from homes and the island itself. And according to coastal consultant Nicole Elko, it’s leaving the city in a vulnerable spot for the rest of the hurricane season.

“We basically have no protection if another storm were to come by this season,” said Elko.

Folly Beach has plans to renourish its dunes but that will happen after hurricane season.

“Folly Beach hasn’t been renourished since 2018, so this winter the contract will be awarded for the next renourishment, so that is certainly coming just in time, not to get us through this hurricane season but to get us through the next one,” said Elko.

Beach officials want to remind folks to stay off the dunes, especially after the recent erosion

“We definitely want folks to be respectful and not go up in the dunes, they are a natural barrier, kind of help us for lots of reasons out here,” said Colgate.

Turning 50 years old isn’t just a major milestone for people. But for a community — especially one on the edge of America? It’s a pretty big deal.

The city of Folly Beach will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sept. 22 to Oct. 1 with a series of fun community events.

“It’s not a sleepy little beach town anymore,” said Mark Patrick, an assistant director for Charleston County Parks and Recreation. “It’s a vibrant part of Charleston on a daily basis.”

The calendar of events includes a 1920s-themed black tie gala on Sept. 22 at the Tides hotel with a formal dinner, craft cocktails and live music. The next day, a fleet of cars will take over Center Street for an outdoor car show, and local bars will represent a different decade with food and drink offerings. The Sept. 23 festival also includes vendors, food, drinks and live music on three stages, plus a Ferris wheel and carousel.

Head to the beachfront from 3rd West Street to the Tides to enjoy beach games from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 with bocce, volleyball and kids’ activities before the after-party kicks off with live music and drink specials. For a full calendar of events, go to visitfolly.com/50-years-of-folly.

Patrick started working for the parks department on the island in 2011 and has seen the city flourish in both culture and business, he said. Folly Beach County Park has been a staple for residents and visitors for decades, and the Folly Beach Pier, which was originally built in 1995, has become iconic.

“The pier instantly became a Charleston landmark,” Patrick said, “and that version of the pier was great for its 25 years of service before it closed in 2021. The new pier opened last December, and it’s been very well received and is making its own place in the Charleston area.

“You never knew on a daily basis what you were going to encounter out there,” Patrick said.“There’s always something exciting going on in Folly Beach and that’s the way it’s always been.”

Folly Beach city councilman D.J. Rich has operated Planet Follywood eatery and bar since 2005.

“My favorite memories of Folly are pre-Follywood, pre-hotels, pre-stop lights,” Rich told the Charleston City Paper.

Some of his favorite memories include crabbing with his grandfather under the Atlantic House, learning to shoot pool at the old tackle shop and climbing rocks with his brother on the beach to watch the waves crash.

“I love being a part of this community,” he said. “I love being able to help steer the city as a member of the city council. Everything progresses, and change is inevitable, I get it. But it would be nice to go back to simpler times.”

For Rich, Folly Beach is a mecca for diversity and relaxation.

“Folly Beach is special because it is a melting pot,” he said. “The community is very diverse and relaxed. You could be sitting at the bar next to a multi-millionaire and a surf bum and may not be able to tell who is who.

“We have surfers, musicians, doctors, first responders, freaks, geeks and everything in between. It’s a very eclectic mix of culture, background and history. This community has always been willing to give, no matter the cause. We take care of each other.”

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People like to call Folly Beach the “fun” beach, and maybe it is, especially if you’re visiting for the restaurants and bars.

But there’s also a measure of serenity here if you know where, and when, to look.

Here’s the best way to find it: Get here early; 7 a.m. should work — before the traffic on the only road in and out becomes a nightmare.

Bring the dog if you have one: From May through September, they’re allowed on the beach before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

Check the tides online before you arrive: at high tide, part of this walk is underwater.

Park in the grass just outside Folly Beach County Park. Make sure your tires aren’t on the pavement or you’ll have a ticket when you get back.

Take a right when your feet hit the sand.

Keep going, past the pelicans flying so low they could dip their toes in the water, past the last jetty trying to keep the sand from washing away.

Before you’ve walked a mile, you’ll reach a bend in the beach. This is the spot.

To the left, waves lap at the coast. To the right, still water.

It feels like you’ve reached the end of the ocean. Or the beginning.

Sit in the sand. Before you head back to civilization, let the scene wash through your eyes and into your body.

Explore

The Washout

Head to the other end of the island if your companion is a surfboard instead of a dog. A spot off East Ashley Avenue known as The Washout is a favorite for surfers. A bit farther along the street, a paved trail covered in graffiti leads to a small beach with views of the Morris Island Lighthouse.

If you’re brave enough, join the kite surfers being pulled along the water on windy days, sometimes soaring high above the surface before splashing back down.

Folly Beach pier

The pier reopened in December 2022 after a two-year, $14 million rebuild. It’s 1,049 feet long. The pier has been a part of Folly Beach — you can’t miss it if you head toward the sand — since the 1930s. Pay $5 for an all-day fishing pass or just walk to the end and listen to the water.

The pier is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Eat and drink like a local

Lost Dog Cafe

For brunch, the go-to meal for late sleepers or early drinkers, try Lost Dog Cafe. Located in a former laundromat on West Huron Avenue, you can find breakfast and bloodies on the menu all day. Try a breakfast burrito, or grab some fried green tomatoes and a chicken salad croissant from the lunch menu. And like many other eateries in Folly, your dog is welcome to join you.

Jack of Cups

A favorite of The Post and Courier’s food editor, Jack of Cups on Center Street has a menu built for the adventurous eater. Boasting a bevy of vegetarian options on a menu the owners describe as “globally inspired,” the kitchen also cranks out dishes you probably never come across at home: Among them: Cap’n Crunch deviled eggs, dill pickle soup and unicorn pop rock cheesecake.

The Bounty Bar

Created by the owners of The Royal American in Charleston, The Bounty Bar on Center Street aspires to serve “better than it has to be” bar food. It’s open until 1 a.m. daily and has you covered whether you’re craving seafood, chicken or steak.

Chico Feo

Head to Chico Feo on East Ashley Avenue for tacos, beer and live music. Check their calendar for musical performances. Or show up on a Monday for soapbox night, when you can sign up to take the stage and show off your talent, whether it’s singing, spoken word or parlor tricks.

Shopping

If you need groceries or a quick snack, try Bert’s Market on East Ashley Avenue.

A smattering of surf and beach shops in the heart of town will have everything you need for a day on the beach, including the towel or sunscreen you accidentally left at home.

While you’re indoors — easily the worst place to be at Folly Beach — you can also pick up some souvenirs for the family members who couldn’t join you.

If you plan to spend most of your time on the beach, there are some rules you should remember:

No alcohol, glass containers, plastic bags, balloons, Styrofoam, open fires, fireworks or littering.

Surfing without a leash is prohibited. From May 15 to Sept. 15, surfing is prohibited from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from 2nd Street East to 3rd Street West. From Sept. 16 to May 14, surfing is allowed in any area. It is prohibited within 200 feet of the fishing pier.

Stay off the dunes and use public walkovers.

To protect sea turtle hatchlings, no lights are allowed that illuminate the front beach between 10 p.m. and dawn from May 1-Oct. 31. For a full list of beach rules, check visitfolly.com.

Reach John Ramsey at 843-906-9351. Follow him on Twitter @johnwramsey.

Food editor Parker Milner contributed to this report.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — Tami Bourne has lived on folly beach for over three decades.

However, because of a recent development plan on Folly's beachfront lots, she is concerned.

Folly Beach resident fears overbuilding amid ongoing legal battle over beachfront development. (WCIV)

"When you have these disasters, these hurricanes, houses blow into houses," Bourne said. "So the more you put out there, the more it's gonna' get blown into the water. So it's just a problem that way. And also with the hurting the beach as far as making it erode more."

The super beachfront lots are along East Ashley Avenue, just north of the washout down to the lighthouse.

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"These lots were platted back in at least the 1950s," Leslie Lenhardt said, "and they are the most seaward of any lots that were platted on Folly Beach."

The plots are currently held in trust by the state for the public to enjoy. Some property owners attempted to claim ownership after the 2018 Folly Beach Renourishment Project.

"So for a very short period of time after that Renourishment, these lots became high ground," Lenhardt said. "These property owners, what they are trying to do during this window of time is to develop those lots."

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This is a legal battle that goes back to 2020. A judge hear motions on whether developers could build on those lots. The legal maneuvering is ongoing, with the issue expected to go before another court in the coming months.

"The Court of Appeals has remanded the case," Lenhardt said. "Because it's a novel issue, the court said we really want a judge to determine whether or not this is a recognizable theory under the law."

Multiple preservation groups and the city say they want to figure out the boundary between private and public property while preserving the beach.

"I'd like to keep folly as it is," Bourne said. "It's unique. It's funky. And I hate to see it get overbuilt and our beaches overbuilt."

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — The debate on short-term rentals is once again heating up on Folly Beach. Residents say proposed amendments approved earlier this year could add dozens more rentals to the area.

Folly Beach residents voted to cap short-term rentals to 800 in February. It was nearly a year-and-a-half-long debate that seemingly came to a close.

But now, residents are worried new amendments to the ordinance proposed by city councilmembers could increase the number of short-term rentals beyond the cap approved earlier this year.

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The first amendment would allow short-term rental owners who were not renewed by the deadline this year, but paid taxes on the property previously, to have a chance to apply for license renewal.

The second amendment says if an investor got a short-term rental license approved for a construction project before the ordinance was passed on February 7th and hasn't received their certificate of occupancy, they could get approval for a license after the deadline as well.

Right now, there are dozens of rentals on the waitlist. Folly Beach residents say this would only create more of a backlog and could open the door for many more short-term rentals on the island.

“It just means if you pay your taxes, you could then get a license. It could be hundreds more, and basically take us to the same position we were before the cap, where there was no limit on short-term rentals," said Ann Peets, president of the Folly Beach Residents Association. "It takes it back to them being really a dominant force on the island over the residents."

WCIV

Councilmembers DJ Rich, Billy Grooms and Adam Barker proposed these amendments. News 4 reached out to each one of them for comment but did not receive a response.

Peets and other residents plan to propose some alternatives at the city council meeting on Tuesday, which they believe could help clear the backlog.

Peets says since there are already tons of homes on the waitlist, promoting alternatives like 72-day rentals or long-term rentals on the island could cut down on the number of investors aiming to get STR licenses.

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But more importantly, she says the city could avoid these headaches by just having more transparency of its enforcement. Peets claims it would shorten the waitlist and also improve compliance throughout the island.

“We want to see them move to the next phase where that enforcement really is starting to happen, where they are going in and basically issuing violations when they happen, not just nice warnings that don't result in anything and that really rewards the people that do a nice job in terms of property management," Peets said. "They can have a great investment rental that is a good community player and really moves it, moves them up in the list and makes them thought of most positively on the island."

Folly Beach mayor Tim Goodwin says to stay in good standing and adhere to the enforcement of the ordinance, owners must keep business and rental licenses up to date, know who they rent to, and avoid violating the city’s strike system.

The amendments will have their first reading at the Folly Beach city council meeting Tuesday night at 7 o'clock.

The debate over short-term rentals is taking shape across the country. Locally, Sullivan’s island and James Island have both discussed short-term rental bans at recent council meetings.

Nationally, Dallas became the first city to ban short-term rentals last week.