2005: With the sale of the land pending and Sea Island’s bankruptcy reorganization hanging in the balance, Charleston insists on greater protection for Angel Oak than proposed by the buyers. The city threatens to buy all the land if the potential developers don’t agree to concessions.
After days of contentious public hearings, a deal is reached calling for a 150-foot buffer around Angel Oak Park, a 75-foot natural buffer along unpaved Angel Oak Road, an extra level of city review as the development proceeds, a 7-acre conservation zone around the park, and the hiring of a hydrologist and a tree expert. The development would include a large grocery store, shops and 285 housing units.
