Super private island near Beaufort will be ‘protected from development,’ community says
Dataw Island, a private, gated community near Beaufort, now owns neighboring Oak Island, a 32.8-acre private island, brokerage firm Jon Kohler & Associates announced this week.
Oak Island, previously owned by The Nature Conservancy, sits close to St. Helena Island and is about nine miles from downtown Beaufort.
“Through a generous and selfless act, the greenspace known as Oak Island in St. Helena is now protected from development via a group of anonymous donors from Dataw Island,” a news release about the island said.
A group of anonymous Dataw Island residents registered as Oak Island Preservation LLC, purchased the private island for $650,000 and donated it to the Dataw Island Owners Association with “restrictions to assure it will remain protected from development,” the release said.
Plans for the island include a passive recreation area with trail maintenance, new benches and a dog park, the Dataw Island Owners Association said.
“The general plan for Oak Island fits nicely with our mission of conservation, habitat management, and environmental education and we look forward to assisting the DIOA in developing plans for Oak Island,” said Guy Apicella, president of the Dataw Island Nature Conservancy.
The island was initially listed on the market for $2.49 million, but dropped to $989,000 in October 2019, according to Realtor.com.
It features a 725-foot private dock “with sweeping views of salt marsh and deep water access to Jenkins Creek,” according to the broker’s website.
The group negotiated a set of easements and guidelines for the property with The Nature Conservancy and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust, the news release said.
The island’s most recent owner had plans to build condominiums on the wooded isle, before gifting it to The Nature Conservancy, the association said.
Residents can access the island only through a private, two-lane bridge inside the gated Dataw Island community.
Dataw Island includes two 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts and a marina.
Oak Island had been on the market since February 2018.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 1:13 PM.
