The Charleston City Council has recently approved a project (and rezoned the land accordingly) that will allow a developer, Robert DeMoura of  Angel Oak Village LLC,  to build over 600 hundred homes and 80,000 square feet of retail space, all only 150 feet away from Angel Oak Park on Johns Island.  The small park surrounds the 1400 year old Angel Oak, which is not only a natural phenomenon, but also an important historical, cultural, and religious landmark. 

            The plan was passed through City Council very fast with very little public knowledge.  Letters on file with SCDHEC/OCRM, the Department of Natural Resources and the US Department of the Interior: Fish and Wildlife, clearly state their strong opposition of the plan, citing numerous ways development could harm the environmentally fragile area that the project site consists of.  Both agencies agree that a 150ft buffer is not sufficient protection for the tree, yet the city seems to be ignoring this. The developer has received a variance for the removal of Grand Trees, and has submitted his application to disturb 4.23 acres of wetlands, an important home for many state and federally protected species.  No environmental impact study has been done.  There is also an archeological report which states that part of the land proposed for development is recommended for the National Historic Registry. Join us in the fight to save this timeless natural wonder!  Visit: www.savetheangeloak.org, sign the online petition, http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-angel-oak-on-johns-island-sc, and write your city officials to voice your opposition to this horrible plan!

Please feel free to contact me at savetheangeloak@gmail.com. 

Samantha Siegel

The Charleston city council has just approved a plan to put up 600 family homes and a shopping center on the property surrounding the Angel Oak, on Johns Island, SC.

No one knows the actual age of the tree, because the only way to determine the age of a live oak is to cut it open and count the rings. It is rumored to be over 1400 years old.

Whatever its actual age, the tree is colossal, and it is ancient. It stands proudly in an obscure wooded area on Johns Island. It stands sixty-five feet tall; with the longest limb extending eighty-nine feet long and the tree's canopy shading an area of 17,100 square feet.

Imagine the things this amazing live oak tree has lived to see. It is a truly remarkable natural wonder that inspires people daily.

When developing their new community so close to the Angel Oak, builders will have to cut down many trees in the wooded area surrounding the historic tree. In doing so, the Angel Oak will be left unprotected against natural elements it has not been exposed to. The tree will be extremely vulnerable and mostly likely die.

In a town that is so well known for preserving its past and protecting its natural beauty and charm, I find it incredibly surprising and tragic that the Charleston City Council would approve this project.