Who really wants a slide at the park?

Many islanders were surprised to read in the Post and Courier that the Sullivan's Island Park Foundation has extensive plans for Stith Park and the mound. 

As reported by Prentiss Findlay, plans submitted to Town Council by the Park Foundation include an in-ground slide down the face of the mound on Middle Street, terracing the mound, and cutting  trees to improve the view from the top. 

The Post and Courier states that Town Council has hired an engineering firm to evaluate the feasibility of the Park Foundation's proposal, and that Sullivan's Island residents and the Park Foundation are expected to partner in sharing the cost of implementing the plan. Potential sources of revenue to pay for the project include increases in taxes and fees on SI residents, such as increases in  dog permit fees, trash collection fees, the accommodations tax, and parking fees. Grant opportunities would also be considered.

SI Community Impact has been writing for over a year about the rumblings of significant changes planned by the Park Foundation to our park. Much of what we wrote was dismissed by Town Council and even derided as incorrect by a couple of council members. Yet now comes this article in the Post and Courier, confirming all that we have written.

Question: When were these plans for the park ever presented to  island residents by Town Council or the Park Foundation? Have islanders ever been given an opportunity to provide input on the Park Foundation's plans for the park? Wouldn't that be a good first step? 

After all, the park is Town-owned land, the changes involve taxpayer money, and all SI residents would be impacted by the proposed changes. How does Town Council or the Park Foundation know that islanders want these sorts of massive changes to the park?

Why spend $15,000 on an engineering study to find out if these changes are feasible, without finding out if the changes are even wanted by islanders? 

Other questions come to mind: 

• Who would benefit most from the Park Foundation's proposal--island residents or visitors to the island, along with the bars? Keep in mind that the SI Comprehensive Plan shows that the greatest population growth on Sullivan's Island is in the 55-74-year-old range. The plan projects only a 1.56% growth in the total SI population over the next 15 years. 
• So how many residents would be sliding down the slide?
• Do islanders want to pay for what will be a huge maintenance cost, requiring additional employees and equipment? 
• Even if the initial expense of a slide, terracing, tree-cutting, etc., were to be funded by a grant, islanders would then be responsible for ongoing maintenance expenses, and would also be most impacted by increases in traffic, congestion, and associated parking issues related to having more visitors using the facilities at the park.
• Urban grants come with strings attached.  Even if the Town were to secure grant funding for the changes at the park, what would the Town of SI then be obligated to do in exchange for using funds from a grant?
• Would there be an increase in the Town's liability insurance because of the slide?
• How would the slide be secured at night?
• Wouldn't an increase in fees residents pay  for trash pick-up essentially be a tax increase on residents, to pay for something largely benefiting visitors to the island?

Islanders just voted overwhelmingly on January 6 for increased transparency and openness in decision-making, which would then nurture a greater sense of community cohesiveness. Town Council and the Park Foundation should heed the voters' unmistakable message.