Facelift Boost for Port City

Tuesday’s editorial praises the Georgetown city council’s Harborwalk renovations.

There seems to be agreement in the city of Georgetown that the Harborwalk is in serious need of upgrading. The decision to replace the decking, lighting and railing is a positive move that could help the old port city’s downtown. The City Council approved a plan to replace the splintered pine decking with a hardwood and therein lies a rub for some. The $600,000 plan approved by the council calls for using ipe, (pronounced EE pay) a hardwood from Brazil. Environmentalists claim that importing ipe is contributing to deforestation of the rain forests.

There were also objections to a so-called new design, relating to the use of stainless steel cable railings. One member of the council, Jeanette Ard, maintains the stainless steel cords constitute a new design for which the city has not been permitted by the S.C. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. The city has a permit for maintenance and repair, which a majority of the council evidently feels covers the facelift. Regarding the use of ipe, Nancy Cave, director of the local branch of the Coastal Conservation League, says the city cannot be certain the material purchased is legally harvested. Ipso facto, opponents of using ipe cannot be absolutely certain it’s not legally harvested.

Mayor Jack Scoville points out that Atlantic City, N.J., has used ipe on its famous boardwalk for about 25 years. Ipe is less expensive in the long run because it is more durable than pine and lasts about 20 years. Work will be done in 100-foot intervals. The city’s hospitality tax will finance the project. To concerns of some business owners about changing their entrances off the Harborwalk, Scoville says, ”People will come into compliance. We are not going to make them do it.” Fair enough and if matching one’s Harborwalk entrance isn’t financially feasible right away, we imagine the new decking up to the entrance will be an incentive.

There were also objections to a so-called new design, relating to the use of stainless steel cable railings. One member of the council, Jeanette Ard, maintains the stainless steel cords constitute a new design for which the city has not been permitted by the S.C. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. The city has a permit for maintenance and repair, which a majority of the council evidently feels covers the facelift. Regarding the use of ipe, Nancy Cave, director of the local branch of the Coastal Conservation League, says the city cannot be certain the material purchased is legally harvested. Ipso facto, opponents of using ipe cannot be absolutely certain it’s not legally harvested.

Mayor Jack Scoville points out that Atlantic City, N.J., has used ipe on its famous boardwalk for about 25 years. Ipe is less expensive in the long run because it is more durable than pine and lasts about 20 years. Work will be done in 100-foot intervals. The city’s hospitality tax will finance the project. To concerns of some business owners about changing their entrances off the Harborwalk, Scoville says, ”People will come into compliance. We are not going to make them do it.” Fair enough and if matching one’s Harborwalk entrance isn’t financially feasible right away, we imagine the new decking up to the entrance will be an incentive.