From the time that a resort
community is imagined to the time that it is built, it is customary for
plans to change. Usually, more homes are built and less land is preserved.
Kiawah Island did the opposite. In 1974 Kiawah was virtually undeveloped.
The 10,000-acre island, located 21 miles south of Charleston and surrounded by
marshes and ocean, originally was zoned for the development of 7,000 residential
properties. But in 1994 Kiawah Development Partners (KDP) voluntarily reduced
its cap to 5,600 properties—an almost unheard- of reduction for a beachfront
devel-opment. "The advantage of Kiawah being a newer community is that the
developers were able to look at the mistakes made elsewhere and prevent them
from happening here," says Pat McKinney, a partner at Kiawah Island Real Estate.
"Instead of becoming overcrowded and overbuilt, we’ve decided to keep a large
part of the land open and dedicated to nature." Homesites are incorporated
into the island’s 305 acres of lakes and ponds, 123 acres of parks and 5,000
acres of marshland.There is no shortage of resort communities along South
Carolina’s coastline. Stretching for 187 miles along the Atlantic, the state is
home to some of the country’s best beaches and most prestigious golf
courses. But few developments are as well planned and consistently
sophisticated as Kiawah Island. In addition to 10 miles of pristine beaches, one of Kiawah’s
main draws is
its seven designer golf courses: Cougar Point by Gary
Player, Turtle Point by Jack Nicklaus, Osprey Point by Tom Fazio, the Ocean
Course by Pete Dye, Oak Point by Clyde Johnston, the River Course by Tom
Fazio and Cassique by Tom Watson. The River Course and Cassique are part of the
private Kiawah Island Club, a members-only club ex-clusive to the island’s
homeowners. Membership also includes access to the Beach Club, a private
beachfront clubhouse designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern that includes a
swimming pool, locker rooms and a restaurant; the River Course and Cassique
clubhouses, both designed by architectural firm Shope Reno Wharton; and the
private Sasanqua spa, by New York interior designer Clodagh. Driving through Kiawah, it is difficult to imagine that the
island already contains nearly 3,840 residences. Lush, abundant foliage cleverly
conceals most residences, so that they appear intertwined with nature. "The
homes on Kiawah tend to recede. Not in design, but the way they feel in their
setting," says John Haley, director of architecture for KDP. "You almost don’t
notice them from the outside, but when you’re inside looking out, they really
open up." Thanks to the stringent guidelines of the Architectural Review Board,
all homes on the island must be set back from the main roads so that they do not
impose on the surroundings. Despite the generous lots that can reach up to
an acre, most homes on the island are generally kept around 4,000 square feet, but additional
guesthouse structures are often permitted to complement the main houses. Wood
stains are favored over paint. And any time construction requires the removal of
a tree, another one must be planted in its place. A notable characteristic of
the island’s planning is that, despite its lure as a golfing destination, no
homes are situated on the two private golf courses—the River Course and
Cassique. In siting houses along the public courses, developers strove to
preserve much of the natural terrain. KDP releases approximately 50 new homesites a year, slowly
maturing the island through controlled development. A varied selection of sites
and resale homes are available throughout the island, the highest priced being
the oceanfront lots around the Beach Club, where prices start at $5 million.
Currently, the island has three new communities underway. The Settlement,
located near the River Course, offers half-acre homesites starting at $1 million
that are within walking distance of the private golf, tennis, dining and spa
facilities. The Preserve, located at the island’s northeast tip, is surrounded
by salt marsh, tidal creeks and the Kiawah River. Half-acre sites range from
$495,000 to $750,000. Cassique is the most recent Kiawah development.
Technically removed from Kiawah Island, the gated enclave at the western end of
the Kiawah River draws architectural inspiration from its Tudor-style clubhouse
and traditional links–based golf course. In addition to homesites, which range
from $700,000 to $1.5 million, 36 garden cottages starting at $2.5 million are
also underway. "We wanted to offer a product that wasn’t already available on
the island. The cottages are a great opportunity for someone who doesn’t want to
go through the process of designing and building a home," explains Haley. "Each
one is designed around the Roman concept of a courtyard-style home, where a
centralized outdoor space with a garden or swimming pool is surrounded by the
main living areas." Also under construction is a 9,000-square-foot sports
pavilion with swimming pools, tennis and squash courts and a fitness center. Freshfields Village is another new ad-dition. Located on nearby
Johns Island, the retail center includes a gourmet gro-cery store, a pharmacy,
apparel boutiques, a sporting goods store, a bookstore and art galleries.
Full island build-out is not expected for another 20 to 30 years, but aside from
more homesites, not much else will be added. "Twenty years from now, I don’t see
Kiawah being a lot different. More than anything, this is a place where
members connect and build relationships," says McKinney. "There’s another family
that we’ve been friends with for 15 years. They have kids the same age as mine,
and we’ve all grown up with each other. The property has been a good investment,
but the real value is in the other dividends that you can’t put a price
on."
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