Planning

Before any residential or resort activities on Kiawah began in 1976, a team of experts performed a comprehensive, $1.3 million environmental study. Multiple scientists and planners were sent in to analyze and document the physical characteristics of the Island. They evaluated the wildlife habitat, categorized plant life, and studied archaeological, biological, and geological findings to learn from the past to plan for the future. The result of this unprecedented study was a Master Plan, one that, while not static, would succeed in balancing the social, recreational, commercial, and habitat needs of the Island’s varied residents.

Today, the Master Plan continues to guide Kiawah’s evolution. The few higher density land uses are grouped into manageable zones on land suited for slightly more intensive use. Environmentally sensitive areas are reserved for less concentrated development or no development at all. Prior to construction, all buildings and landscaping plans must meet the approval of an Architectural Review Board.

As the Island's master developer, Kiawah Development Partners is responsible for the legacy of the Master Plan. Along with the many complementary efforts of other Kiawah organizations and that of thousands of Kiawah’s owners, KDP has ensured that the Island’s dense foliage and forest habitat looks much today as they did centuries ago. Indeed, Kiawah is said by many to be the most sensitively developed barrier island in the nation.