“No Cars Go”
If you’re not a fan of the Canadian band The Arcade Fire then that headline will make no sense to you. And if you’ve never been to Daufuskie Island, then the notion of an island without cars will probably make no sense to you either.
Aristocratic alt-rock God that he is, though, our founding editor happens to be familiar with both. Ta-da!
And having narrowly averted a “Golf Carting Under the Influence” charge during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign of S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford (that’s just how us rich people roll), Sic Willie is also quite familiar with the island’s primary mode of transportation.
Daufuskie – made famous by Prince of Tides and Water is Wide author Pat Conroy – is a resort barrier island located at the southernmost tip of South Carolina. Accessible only by private ferry, it boasts a nice private golf club and some of the most exclusive real estate on the Eastern Seaboard.
And yes, Daufuskie wants to ban cars (from the Island Packet):
As part of a comprehensive plan for the island, county planners are considering rules that would phase out combustion-powered vehicles by 2012.
“It really doesn’t make a lot of sense to have cars on a bridge-less island — from a sustainability, environmental, even economic perspective,” said county planner Brian Herrmann, who helped draft the plan.
Under the plan, residents would have until Jan. 1, 2012, to bring combustion-powered vehicles onto the island. After that, no more could be brought on. Residents who already have cars could continue to use them until the cars die. Service vehicles still would be allowed, Herrmann said.
You know, as much as we hate all this government-run “sustainability planning,” if a bunch of richer than God tree huggers want to ban cars on an island that’s already practically devoid of them – who are we to argue with that?
It’s not like they’re disguising a massive energy tax hike as some “market-based emissions cap.”
Oh, and here are The Arcade Fire (from Today’s Tuneage) …
Comments
By UpState Native on December 29th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Good for them. It’s their property and their little part of the world so they should get a say in things. To bad rest of the state has to put up with laws mandated by Columbia and DC. Someone will sue them bcause you can’t tax the cars and get gas taxes if there are no cars so what’s next? Taxes on golf carts, bicycles and walking shoes to make up the difference but lets hope they can beat that.
By Ynot on December 29th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
if you think dafuskie is good, check out Cumberland Island Georgia.
Nope, no cars there… only feral horses.
http://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm
By Chris on December 29th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Several things (I am a resident of Daufuskie): the advantage we have over Cumberland is that you can live here. Private gas vehicles are already prohibited on most of the island (in the planned unit developments). The county of Beaufort is pushing this, not Daufuskie which makes up a small part of the county. Though as I mentioned earlier, since most residents can’t drive gas vehicles into the private communities, we’re mainly electric golf cart already. Learn more at http://www.thedaufuskiecompany.com
By K Trane on December 30th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Check out Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-aw) Island in Michigan. You need a ferry to get there and the only way to get around the island is horseback or horse taxi. Pretty neat idea if you ask me and I’m willing to bet the weather on the island in SC is better than the weather of an island on the northern tip of MI.
By Elm on December 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am
I think Fitsnews got it wrong – this initiative is being taken by the county – our political team that apparently knows what’s best for all. (”The proposal, which the county Planning Commission is considering and hopes the County Council will approve by March, is part of a larger plan that includes several changes to guide development on the island.” – Packet). Note: For most of the Daufuskie residents this is new news and each community on Daufuskie already has the ability to manage a car/no car program if those members are in agreement.
Now I am not necessarily for or against this idea but I truly would like to better understand the pros and cons and why it has suddenly become a hot project for the county council and Brian Herrmann?