Saying ‘No’ to privatizing Charleston’s resilient waterfront
It’s actually not the easiest task to find the water in downtown Charleston. In a city mostly surrounded by water, public access is limited to only a few places.
The natural areas that remain serve as critical buffers for resilience and shared vistas that define Charleston’s character.
That’s why we must safeguard public assets along Charleston’s waterfront.
We asked you to take action last week against the Beach Company’s state permit application to build a private dock on Lockwood Boulevard. Our members came through, making it crystal clear: Charlestonians oppose attempts to further alter our sensitive public coastlines for private benefits.
Earlier this week, the Beach Company withdrew its dock application.
Overdevelopment and short-sighted planning have already had critical impacts across Charleston. Those effects are even more apparent along our coastlines. But it does not have to be this way.
Waterfront Park and the Low Battery are key elements of Charleston’s civic waterfront. (Photos by Justin Falk Photography)
Resilient infrastructure not only protects our historic neighborhoods, it enhances our quality of life. City-led investments along Lockwood Boulevard enable the continued civic use of our waterfront, and have transformed the public realm just a few blocks away along Colonial Lake and the Low Battery. As a community, we must seize every opportunity to strengthen and activate our waterfronts for the benefit of future generations.
For more than 100 years, PSC members have taken a stand against threats to our historic community. We will continue our grassroots fight for smart resilience planning at the highest levels of government, and keep you up to date.
But there are ways you can play a key role now!
The Preservation Society’s Resilience Guidance for Charleston is a practical resource for taking individual action to make your property more resilient in the face of severe weather, flooding, and even extreme heat. Community resilience is a movement. Do your part today.
Learn more about the Resilience Guidance at preservationsociety.org/resilience.