The Isle of Palms City Council continued its seemingly endless discussions on parking and booze at the IOP Marina on Oct. 25, considering three more configurations prepared by Cline Engineering and also directing city staff to put together lease amendments that might give the owners of the Islander 71 Restaurant the exclusive rights to serve liquor, spirits and mixed drinks.
The Real Property Committee, chaired by Council Member Rusty Streetman, recommended Option C for the Marina’s parking layout and that Islander 71 be the only entity to be able to sell liquor at the Marina. Streetman said Option C would provide 105 parking spaces for cars and 25 for golf carts at the restaurant, and another 27 for cars, nine for golf carts and 10 for trailers for the city. He said Option E would offer 116 spaces for cars and none for golf carts for Islander 71 and 25 spaces for cars, five for golf carts and five for trailers for the city. “Neither option includes the potential parking spaces along 41st Avenue as a result of the drainage project that we plan,” Streetman explained. “That probably will open up some new solutions for parking when we get it done in a year-and-a-half or two years.” Option E also provides 20 feet of green space along the Intracoastal Waterway. Streetman said he and Council Member Kevin Popson, also a member of the Real Property Committee, preferred Option C because it allows for more boat trailer parking. City Administrator Desiree Fragoso told the Council that Option C is not acceptable to the owners of the restaurant. Jon Bushnell, one of Islander 71’s co-owners, explained. “What we’re trying to do is make it as efficient as possible. We’re trying to find a solution that fits a 6-foot-wide boardwalk and a 20-foot-wide green space that are both the length of the Intracoastal portion of the Marina,” Bushnell said. “We also need designated spaces for resident vehicles, golf carts, trailers, restaurant customers and employees, all in that confined area.”
Bushnell said he planned to meet with representatives of the city during the week beginning Oct. 31. He said the restaurant, which has more than 40 employees on each shift, would be good with either Option E or Option G, which the city received from Cline Engineering on Oct. 25. According to Council Member Blair Hahn, the main difference between Options C and G is that “we have a shared entrance to our two parking lots as opposed to having two separate entrances. If that’s the only real difference, I think we would be better served having separate entrances so that we don’t have disagreements and arguments in the future about anything being shared.”
Council Member Jan Anderson voiced her support for Option C, pointing out that part of the Marina could become a city park that could be tied to the boardwalk and include picnic tables and kayak storage. “The restaurant sees a parking lot. I see sufficient parking for the restaurant to succeed and the opportunity to create a mini marina for citizens of the Isle of Palms,” Anderson said. “Under Plan C, the restaurant goes from having full control of 37 parking spaces to 105 and doesn’t have to pay tens of thousands of dollars annually for employee parking. What the restaurant wants is enough employee parking to meet their peak needs on the peak days, which is a really inefficient use of space.” The number of spaces available for trailers was an issue during the Council’s discussion. Fragoso pointed out that 10, five and seven spaces would be available under Options C, E and G, respectively, not including possible additional spaces eventually along 41st Avenue. “What’s the magic number for trailer spots?” Fragoso asked the Council. “Is seven, OK?” “With C, we get more parking than we need, so we can add to green space,” Anderson said. “I think we need 10 to 12 resident-only trailer spaces. “I don’t think residents are going to go for five trailer spaces and four on 41st,” Council Member Jimmy Ward added.
“That’s not nearly enough.” The only action the Council took on the Real Property Committee’s recommendation to give Islander 71 exclusive rights to obtain a liquor license was to ask city staff to prepare an amendment to the restaurant’s lease with the city. Hahn said he thought the change in the agreement would be unnecessary.
“By adding this extra protection, the city is not getting anything for it,” Hahn said. “We don’t know what might happen five, 10 or 15 years from now. Why muddy the waters by adding another layer to the lease when we don’t know what the future might bring?”
