Category: Seabrook Island Club

The Master Plan team wanted to give you a short update on upcoming projects for all three entities. We will be sharing more details on the projects in the coming months.

SIPOA Projects

Phase 0 – All included in the 2026 Budget

• Lake House – Small exercise room expansion to provide improved indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Lake House – Dry Saunas in between the men’s and women’s locker rooms.

Phase 1 – Timing and budget to be determined

• Lake House meeting room projects
• Oyster Catcher meeting room improvements
• Multiple Lake House concepts

SIC Projects

Phase 0

• New commercial laundry building – Construction design and final permits
• Exterior painting and new roof for the Island House – Completed in August 2025
• New Wall/Door at the Nest – Completed October 2025
• Painting and roof repairs at the Equestrian Center Barn – Scheduled for December 2025

Phase 1 – Timing and budget to be determined

• Racquet Club – New additional parking
• Island House –
  • Porch, ballroom, and event room refresh
  • Replace Pro Shop with new sports grill and pub
  • New pro shop and golf storage area
  • New player development center and practice area renovation
• Beach club and pool – New hardscaping and entry plan
• Osprey Cafe – Expansion of fast casual food options

TOSI Projects

Forming committee to investigate future expansion plans.

-Submitted by Seabrook Island Master Plan Committee

We appreciate your engagement and feedback as we have worked in conjunction with Kuo Diedrich Chi (KDC) on a focused multi-step planning process to develop an aligned long-term plan to best leverage the Island’s facilities, assets, and services to cost-effectively meet the future needs of Seabrook Island.

Overall, there has been positive feedback on TOSI, SIC, and SIPOA working together to develop this type of a longer-term roadmap. The input and feedback did highlight three large themes regarding the work.

• There is a desire to focus on improving/leveraging what we currently have in place and mixed interest for any large-scale near-term projects and associated costs.

• The Phase 0 and Phase 1 items of the Master Plan are focused on updates/improvements to existing assets, synergies/efficiencies, and smaller wins.
• Phase 2 items are longer-term strategic possibilities that will be further evaluated as we move forward as part of an on-going governance and update process.
  
• The community wants to ensure that there is a balance with the efforts associated with safeguarding our natural environment (issues such as beach erosion, water management, etc.).
  
• These are mission-critical areas that are fundamental to the future of Seabrook Island, and all three entities have existing planning processes for infrastructure and disaster recovery scope.
• The Master Plan scope approach of having awareness of the existing projects/strategies that are specifically addressing these issues – – but not trying to duplicate them – – is provided in FAQ #11. Going forward, there will be an effort to better highlight the interlock with these existing efforts/strategies in conjunction with the Master Plan.
  
• It is important to have detailed cost, business case, and operational planning information for future projects.
  
• Below outlines the process for providing more detailed cost and project information based on the timing of the Phase 0/Phase 1 projects.

Continue reading “September 15 Update: Seabrook Island Master Plan”

Do you know which entity is responsible for what? We publish this post from time to time because it can be confusing to sort out what each entity does.

There are three entities on Seabrook Island that contribute to the quality of life we enjoy in this community.

The Town of Seabrook Island (TOSI) operates under the Mayor-Council form of government that determines matters of policy, insures that laws and ordinances are fully executed, and oversees the annual budget of the town.

The Seabrook Island Property Owner Association (SIPOA) is located within TOSI and provides community governance and municipal-type services such as infrastructure maintenance, recreational services, and trash collection. It manages common areas and enforces community rules. 

The Seabrook Island Club is a private club that provides a variety of amenities on the island for its members.

To learn more about each of these entities and more, click on continue reading.

When an emergency arises, these are the appropriate resources to contact:

Fire/Rescue/Sheriff: Call 911 for all emergencies.
Power: Berkeley Electric (843-559-2458)

Continue reading “Who Does What?”

Thanks again to the community for the feedback on the zones and concepts shared in the open houses. We are very appreciative of your time as we have tried to work the process in a transparent and deliberate step-by-step manner over the past year. Presented below: 1) a summary of how we got here, 2) where we are in the process and next steps, and 3) the feedback from the open houses.

How We Got Here

The leaders of the Town, SIPOA, and SIC decided that working together (rather than in silos) to develop an aligned long-term plan of how to best leverage the Island’s facilities, assets, and services, would be the most efficient way to meet the current and future needs of Seabrook Island. The last broad island-wide plan was developed in 2005, and there has been significant change since that timeframe. This has resulted in a 12-month methodology that leveraged our recent studies, industry experts, community survey data, in-depth focus groups, and now feedback to the initial projects/ideas from the open houses.

Where are We in the Process & Next Steps

The feedback is currently being reviewed in detail by Kuo Diedrich Chi (KDC), the Master Plan project team, and the leadership groups of all three entities. (This post covers several key primary themes; however, each of the nearly 200 individual submissions – containing over 1,000 specific comments – are currently being reviewed by KDC and the project teams.)

The Master Plan will be updated, taking the feedback into consideration in terms of revising the zones, concepts, and next steps. In addition, the long-range planning committees are working on additional details on several of the smaller Phase 0 and Phase 1 concepts in terms of design and estimating. A final Master Plan document will be available by the end of August. This will be our roadmap going forward that will be reviewed on a regular basis and used to help align other related projects.

Feedback

Although there were areas of concern, the feedback was generally positive and supportive of the approach of the three entities working together on an aligned, longer-term strategy. The concerns were largely related to the three general feedback themes provided below. The summary below is a collection of several primary themes that were reflected in the feedback on the specific projects and ideas.

General Feedback Themes

Vision & Prioritization: Be careful not to turn Seabrook into a Kiawah-type resort. 

• This feedback is a good reminder to keep focused on our guiding principles, which are provided in FAQ #21.

Financial Transparency: There is a need for more detailed cost information.

• Full agreement with this feedback and there will be more detailed cost information based on the timing of potential projects.
• As a reminder, the Master Plan is simply a long-term vision and strategy (road map) that will be reviewed/updated on a regular basis going forward, and does not formally “launch” any large projects. Rather, for those larger projects, the detailed financial plans (costing, funding) and approvals will occur on a project-by-project basis when (and if) that project moves into a potential execution phase in the future. (See FAQ #4).

Scope – Flooding & Resilience: The Master Plan should have an enhanced focus on issues such as beach erosion, water management, etc.

• These are mission-critical areas that are fundamental to the future of Seabrook. The Master Plan scope approach of having awareness of the existing projects/strategies in that are specifically addressing these issues — but not trying to duplicate them — is provided in FAQ #11. Going forward, there will be an effort to better highlight these areas/strategies in conjunction with the Master Plan.

Specific Feedback Themes

• Nature Gateway: Feedback was the Oyster Catcher owners-only pool is an important amenity, and building updates should be cost-effective and not over-done. There was also a desire to move at a quicker pace. Strong opposition to converting area to a nature-only arrangement.

• Lake House: Comments were mostly supportive of facility improvements (including strong support for pool heaters and locker room updates). Feedback highlighted room shortage for 10-20 and 50-100-person groups. Opinions were mixed on playground movement, addition of oyster roast area, and lake pier.

• North Campus: Overall, this was viewed as an opportunity area for the Island for the future, but opinions were mixed on timing and scope. Of all the different elements of the North Campus, the three that received the most comments were: 1) the barn design receiving negative feedback (does not seem to fit); 2) questions on the need for a gaming center, and 3) mostly positive feedback on a marsh-view restaurant concept (but ensuring that there is a solid business case and a plan to handle staffing issues).

• South Campus:
  Beach Club Area: General store received generally positive feedback. Pelican’s Nest capacity and availability was a highlighted issue (with most people understanding that there are regulatory restrictions/challenges due to the shoreline proximity).
  Island House Area: Support for sports bar concept replacing pro shop. Positive feedback for overall updates (but some question on timing). Push to move the Pro Shop closer to the Crooked Oaks putting green. Mixed views on a new Golf Academy: enthusiasts want it; others have concerns on costs and impact on the driving range.

• Gardens: Community garden plots adequate as-is (no waiting list) but support for improving appearance and functionality of area. There was general agreement that the space behind the gardens could be repurposed and used more efficiently. 

• Racquet & Equestrian: Support for Bocce court addition (but suggestion to have it at the Lake House) and other improvements. There were mixed opinions on the equestrian discovery center.

• Nature, Trails & Beach Access: Support modest kayak launch/storage with good tidal access. ADA upgrade for Boardwalk #9 was supported while there was less enthusiasm for Boardwalk #8 changes (since it was recently updated).

• Parking: Island-wide pain point at beach accesses, Island House and Racquet Club that needs more attention (although it was recognized that there are land limitations).

-Submitted by Seabrook Island Master Plan Committee

This will be a fun-packed Fourth of July weekend with several events planned! Below is the schedule of all the activities:

Thursday, July 3 at 8:00 am
Fourth of July (just over 5K)Walk/Run

Start your celebration of the holiday with some fitness fun! Whether you are running, walking, or a combination of the two, this walk/run is fun for all. There is a new route this year. Click here to register and check out the new route.

The Lake House will close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 3. Property owners and club members with after-hours access will be able to enter the facility using their QR Codes.

Thursday Evening, July 3
Fireworks at the Seabrook Island Club

Sponsored by the Town of Seabrook Island, the lawn at the Island Club opens at 4:00 pm. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. Food and beverage service begins at 6:00 pm, followed by live music and break dancing. The fireworks start at 9:00 pm. There will be stations set up where you can purchase tickets for food using member cards, amenity cards, or credit cards. Cash will not be accepted. Shuttle bus service from The Lake House to the Club will begin at 4:30 pm and will operate on a continuous loop. The last bus will leave the Club at 10:15 pm. Click here for more details. Please note that dogs and coolers are not permitted at this event. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date is July 6.

Friday, July 4 at 9:00 am
Parade Around Seabrook Island Loop

The Grand Marshall this year is Cindy Willis, who maintains The Lake House Lending Library. The parade will have a Dry Section at the beginning, followed by a Wet Section. Please do not throw candy or items from vehicles – children may dart into the road unexpectedly, risking harm. Also, no water balloons. Let’s keep everyone safe! Click here for details and to register. The registration deadline is Tuesday, July 1, at noon.

Friday, July 4 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
After Parade Party

After the parade, stop by The Lake House so the children can enjoy the jump castle and slide.

Happy 249th Birthday, USA!

–Tidelines Editors

(Image Credit: Adobe Stock)

If you missed the in-person or online meeting on June 11 and 12, click here to view all the boards that were displayed at the open houses and the recording of the evening webinar.

Next Steps

• Several display boards will be placed in both The Lake House and Island House over the next couple of weeks.
• Kuo Diedrich Chi (KDC) and the project team will be reviewing your feedback in detail over the next several weeks. In upcoming email blasts, we will share a summary of key themes from the feedback and update our FAQs to address common questions that arose in the discussions.

You can continue to provide feedback from the open houses and the materials by leaving your comments via the Master Plan website comment/question link.

-Submitted by Seabrook Island Master Plan

In June, Kuo Diedrich Chi (KDC) will be hosting two in-person Open Houses and one virtual Open House to share their ideas regarding the Master Plan. These are opportunities to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback. Following are the dates for the open houses.

In-Person at the Lake House – Wednesday, June 11 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm

On-Line – Wednesday, June 11 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm * Online attendees must register below.

In-Person at the Island House – Thursday, June 12 from 9:00 -10:30 am

*Click here to register for the On-Line Open House.

-Submitted by Seabrook Island Master Plan

(Image credit: Jeff Davis)