I started my Saturday morning at Sewee Outpost for a breakfast biscuit. Gas lines were busy with vehicles and boats alike filling up their tanks. I exchanged pleasantries with a hunter and his grandson who were taking a break from an earlier morning than mine, then spoke with a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals about all the work town council is doing to protect Awendaw.
It might sound like a typical morning, but nothing about Awendaw is typical. In fact, it is one of the most unique and diverse areas in the Lowcountry. Geographically, it sits within the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge and the Francis Marion National Forest in addition to all the creeks and tributaries that feed into the Intracoastal Waterway. Culturally, it has people who have lived here longer than Awendaw has been a town and who are fiercely protective of its roots.
I am more than a resident of this town of less than 2,000 people – I am a member of Awendaw Town Council. My family and I moved into our home in 2021 in what we thought would be a quiet, small neighborhood. When a new developer came in and tried to make it into something different, I decided to run for office and was elected two years ago.
Like many towns in South Carolina, we are feeling the stresses of growth. Since I joined council, we voted to pass (and extend) a moratorium on large-scale development. Currently, we are crafting ordinances to protect our trees, wetlands, septic system regulations and even one focused on dark skies in order to limit light pollution. When one is far from urban lights, the beauty of a sky filled with more stars than anyone can count is humbly breathtaking.
With the leadership of a passionate park board, one of our proudest achievements is the official grand opening of the Awendaw Municipal Park to the public in April. An almost 300-acre site with a 50+ acre lake will eventually have 6 miles of hiking trails.
To play a small role in this process has been nothing short of a privilege. By all standards, we are a small town, but our citizens are passionate participants. My hope is that the decisions we are making today will allow Awendaw to maintain its natural beauty, its diverse makeup and its slower pace.
When someone moves here in the future, my hope is they will be able to walk outside, take a deep breath and slowly exhale … finding the peace that many of us enjoy today.
By Wendy Helms,
Awendaw Town Council Member
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