From The Blog

Fall Projects Update Leisure Trails, Boardwalks and Amenities

One of the association’s core responsibilities is maintaining our island’s common property infrastructure – roads, bridges, drainage, leisure trails and boardwalks – inside the main gate. Infrastructure can be something that people don’t think about unless there’s an apparent problem, but the Kiawah standard means that our team is reviewing and maintaining at a level that precludes that in most cases. The project highlights below will get underway in the latter half of 2023, and will enhance the member experience on the island once they are complete.

Leisure Trails

96% of KICA members report using the island’s leisure trails, our second-highest amenity usage behind boardwalks. Leisure trails, like Kiawah’s roadways, are evaluated by an engineering consultant, providing a rating for the association to prioritize maintenance and repair: “excellent,” “good,” “fair” or “poor.” In a 2022 pulse poll, members affirmed their desire for all leisure trails to be maintained at a “good” or “excellent” rating, the same higher standard implemented for our roads.

Allee of Oaks Walkbridge – COMPLETE – KICA completed the repaving and widening of this member-favorite trail in the spring of 2023. However, the walkbridge that crosses pond 50 is currently about half that width, creating a bottleneck in the area. Work to build a new, wider bridge will tentatively begin the week of Sept. 25. During this time, the section of the Allee of Oaks trail between Glen Abbey and Surfsong Road will be closed and a detour down Glen Abbey will be in place through completion, anticipated in November.

Ocean Marsh Leisure Trail Extension – COMPLETE – The leisure trail from the boardwalk 40 access extends along Ocean Marsh Drive to Ocean Course Drive. This project was completed ahead of schedule.

Oyster Rake Trail (Main Gate) Removal – Due to safety concerns at this busy main gate intersection, the leisure trail at Oyster Rake and the Kiawah Island Parkway will be removed in Q4 of 2023. The trail, which crossed the intersection of Beachwalker Drive and the Kiawah Island Parkway, was closed when the intersection was reconfigured to remove the outbound stop sign.

Miscellaneous Leisure Trail Repairs – In 2023, KICA has been working to resurface the 2.1 miles of trails that were rated below the new maintenance standard. While some sections of trail were completed earlier in 2023, KICA will be working to complete the remaining miscellaneous trail sections located across the island in Q4. The work on these trails is not expected to impact wider trail use.

Leisure Trail Crosswalk/Stop Bar Restriping – A KICA contractor will be enhancing and restriping all main trail crosswalks and stop bars along the recently-widened trail corridor from the main gate to boardwalk 32 during Q4.

Crosswalk at Bufflehead/Glen Abbey/Flyway – This project is pending final design approval but is intended to tie in with other pedestrian safety enhancements made in the Flyway area. This project is expected to be completed in Q4.

Boardwalks

Boardwalk Improvements and Maintenance – UNDERWAY – Improvements are in the works for boardwalks 13, 14, 16, 28 and 38. These boardwalks are receiving routine maintenance or are boardwalks that have been inundated by accreting sand. While accreting sand is a blessing for the beach, it’s been a problem for members using these boardwalks. KICA is currently working with the ARB and the town, as the state’s representative for OCRM, to get approval for these updates. Preliminary approval has been received for boardwalk 13 and designs have been completed for the additional boardwalks. KICA anticipates proceeding with the additional boardwalk once approval has been received.

Shower Installation – KICA is continuing our efforts to add showers or rinse stations at several boardwalks this year, starting with boardwalk 32. Going forward, showers are being included as part of KICA’S designs for all the boardwalks intended to be renovated this year.

Eagle Point Amenities

Some improvements suggested by KICA’s Amenities Task Force are underway to make the facility more convenient to members. Currently, a bulkhead project is underway to stabilize the bank against erosion. Following the completion of the bulkhead project, during Q4, KICA will also install a kayak dock similar to the launch at Cinder Creek. A concrete wash pad (COMPLETE) will also be added to make cleanup easier.

Design for kayak and paddlesports storage, as well as a restroom, is currently underway. Once the design is completed, it will go to the KICA board for consideration. The design project will be completed in Q4.

Wherever work is underway, please respect the construction sites use detours, and remind your guests to do the same.

KICA is always working to maintain our community’s assets, like trails, boardwalks and amenities. Projects are determined through our annual Reserve Study, which tracks the lifespan of infrastructure, and through member input, provided in surveys and reported issues.

If you see an issue with common-property infrastructure or amenities, let us know. The Member Services team is available at 843-768-9194 and there’s also a Report an Issue form in your member account (kica.us/login), which routes the issue directly to the appropriate contact.