The Lowcountry Open Land Trust (LOLT) has negotiated the option to purchase the additional 18 acres adjacent to the Angel Oak Preserve. This option is final, expires on March 14 and cannot be amended. This purchase is only possible with Charleston County’s support. Last week, the Charleston County Greenbelt Board unanimously approved the funds to support the project. Now, we need County Council’s support at the February 20 Finance Committee meeting, and again on February 25 at County Council’s meeting. County Greenbelt funds would provide $2.5 million of the $3.4 million purchase price.
Protecting the additional 18 acres will:
- Complete the Angel Oak Preserve in its entirety
- Provide enhanced educational opportunities that become possible with the entire 35 acre tract
- Save taxpayers and Johns Island residents the burdens associated with high density development and resulting traffic
- Provide greater public access surrounding Angel Oak to the Johns Island community
It is up to the community to articulate the importance of this project for public access, educational linkages, community impacts and seize a once in a lifetime opportunity. Please call your County Council representative and ask them to support this project.
Herbert Ravenel Sass, III
(843) 766-7500 (O)
(843) 693-8305 (C)
hsass@charlestoncounty.org
District 1
Dickie Schweers
(843) 513-9229 (C)
dickieschweers@tds.net
District 2
J. Elliott Summey
(843) 200-4244 (C)
esummey@charlestoncounty.org
District 3
Henry Darby
(843) 901-6793 (C)
henrydarby@msn.com
District 4
Teddie E. Pryor, Sr.
(843) 958-4030 (O)
tpryor@charlestoncounty.org
District 5
A. Victor Rawl
(843) 766-7334 (H)
vrawl@charlestoncounty.org
District 6
Colleen T. Condon
(843) 225-7288 (O)
(843) 225-7289 (Fax)
colleen@colleencondon.com
District 7
Anna B. Johnson
(843) 795-3970
ajohnson@charlestoncounty.org
District 8
Joseph K. Qualey
(843) 693-3434
jqualey@charlestoncounty.org
District 9
Background
For the last several years, 35 acres next to the Angel Oak Tree has been threatened with high intensity development. On December 19, 2013, LOLT completed the acquisition of the initial 17 acres adjacent to the ancient Angel Oak Tree. This unprecedented community project was the culmination of a 7-month public fundraising campaign to raise $3.6 million to permanently preserve this historic and culturally significant landscape. More than 12,000 individual donors joined Charleston County Council, the South Carolina Conservation Bank, the City of Charleston, as well as numerous businesses, foundations and civic groups in preserving this irreplaceable Lowcountry treasure.
Completing the Preserve
LOLT has begun to build a coalition of businesses, individuals and foundations to develop a core set of educational access opportunities to enhance classroom learning. LOLT is committed to the success of this project.
