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I'ON PRINCIPLES "What we all are . . . less than a drop in the great blue motion of the sunlit sea. But it seems that some of the drops sparkle." |
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I'On sparkles, rising from South Carolina soil that is drenched with history. Still under construction, I'On is swiftly becoming a testament to good planning, proportion and craftsmanship—a testament written by its founders, builders and residents—one that almost never existed. |
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 And in this corner . . . I'On wasn't born without a fight. Vince Graham, founder and principal of The I'On Company (I'On's developer), who co-founded the community with his father, Tom, made the mistake of "believing what [he] read," and found himself entangled in a political snarl that lasted for years. It all started in the spring of 1995, when the Grahams contracted to buy the property in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. They had been drawn to it because of its great location (5 minutes from Charleston), nice frontage on existing lakes, creeks, good trees and an acceptable elevation above sea level. Graham's path seemed unencumbered: The town of Mt. Pleasant had a written master plan that supported traditional neighborhood development (TND). The plan even named the site as an ideal location for a TND. The problem, says Graham, was the zoning for the site that was in place at the time. "It was not consistent with the master plan—for a TND. We had to rezone the property from R1 (basic conventional zoning for single-family residential) to a PUD (Planned Urban Development) zoning. "We were excited when we read the master plan. We felt that Mt. Pleasant shared our values. We figured we'd hire the best builders, do a charrette, come up with a great plan. Which we did." Their first plan called for 1,240 units, which included 440 multi-family units and 90,000 square feet of commercial space. Mt. Pleasant's planning board approved that plan in August 1995. But the town council soon voiced concerns that Graham's plan was "too intense," so he scaled it down to 850 units total, which included 120 multi-family units. In December 1995 the town council voted down the scaled-down plan, even though The I'On Company had the support of the planning board, plus several environmental organizations, including the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, Sierra Club and the East Cooper Clean Water Council. Support from the citizenry was also felt; at the council hearing, the majority of resident attendees stood up in support of I'On. Bound by local laws, Graham had to wait one year to reapply for zoning. He took the time to revise the plan once more, calling for 760 home sites, no multi-family, and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. This third try was, indeed, the charm: The planning board approved the plan; the council approved it in March 1997. Site work construction began in the summer of 1997; the first house construction started in March 1998. All was well—right? Wrong. The straggling opponents of the plan—NIMBYs (Not In My BackYard!)—gathered a petition and went to the town council, asking them to overturn Graham's zoning approval. Graham ended up in circuit court, challenging the NIMBYs' right to do that. He won. Game over—right? Wrong. The NIMBYs appealed to the South Carolina Supreme Court. In December 1999 the Court heard the case; in January 2000, the decision came down: Since referenda are not allowed in zoning situations in South Carolina, the NIMBYs' appeal was denied. "The whole thing was silly," says Graham. "But we had a lot of time and money and emotion invested in the project—kind of like when you're playing poker: If you have all your money in the pot, what are you going to do? Fold? We couldn't fold, and we don't like to lose." History underfoot I'On's present is grounded in its past. Archaeological digs on the land tract have turned up relics that date back to prehistoric times, before the first European owner , David Maybank II, came to Carolina in the 1670s. Maybank was the first of a long family line (we won't get into who begat who) that ended with Jacob Bond I'On, Maybank's great grandson. The land changed hands many times during those two centuries, but its deed reserved a quarter-acre cemetery for future heirs of the Maybank family. Jacob Bond I'On was by all accounts an educated and noble man. He was schooled at Yale and worked as a planter in South Carolina. He was a representative in the South Carolina Senate, mayor of nearby Sullivan's Island, and a hero of the War of 1812. In 1854, I'On erected a monument at the family cemetery. He died in 1860 and is immortalized on that monument. I'On was named in memory of Jacob Bond I'On, paying tribute to the history of the land and the families who claimed it. This is where I'On's history begins.  I'On's form Holding to the precepts of the New Urbanism, I'On is composed of an interconnected network of streets and blocks. Street widths are reined in to encourage walking. A prominent commercial center is already partly constructed. Buildings and public spaces are carefully arranged to be in harmony with their surroundings. The community is divided into six smaller neighborhoods ("boroughs"), each planned around a preserved civic space such as a lake, park or square, and each containing 80 to 150 homes. The boroughs are Eastlake, Ionsborough, Shelmore, Westlake, Ponsbury and Montrose. Eight sites in I'On have been reserved for civic buildings, such as small churches or other community buildings.  Amenities There is a reason the I'On tract of land has been popular through the centuries. It is in itself an amenity. Lakes and oak trees, marshy areas abound. Palmettos dot the landscape. It is a lush stage upon which humans and animals interact. Migratory birds and other wildlife abound in the rookery, a nesting area located at the south end of Ionsborough. A "marshwalk" meanders along almost two miles of Shelmore and Hobcaw Creeks. I'On Square, a commercial square that will eventually house just over 30,000 square feet of commercial interests, already boasts its first completed building (see photo at right). This building houses a salon, an interior design store, the neighborhood sales office and The I'On Company. Other amenities include a multipurpose athletic field; numerous playgrounds and parks; the boathouse on 12-acre Eastlake; and the I'On Club, a private swim and tennis club scheduled for completion during summer 2000. Largely because of its geographical location, I'On residents also have access to superb amenities outside of their neighborhood. These include historic sites, beaches, the region's highest-ranked public schools, excellent healthcare, public libraries and, of course, shopping and fine dining.  Architecture The homes and buildings in I'On bear the stamp of Lowcountry vernacular design, which usually includes most or all of the following elements: vertical scale (homes are taller than they are wide); natural exterior finishes such as wood clapboard, brick or stucco; spacious, raised porches; balconies; shuttered windows; simple and/or symmetrical rooflines; fences, walls and gates; and outbuildings such as garages, potting sheds, workshops or home offices. I'On's Lowcountry vernacular is upheld by the I'On Code, a set of architectural guidelines that address the neighborhood plan, thoroughfares, lot types, neighborhood standards, architectural standards and landscape standards. The Code is not overbearing; rather, it exists to "create a social neighborhood; offer a range of house designs which are carefully placed to make the most of public and private realms; and assist the resident, builder and architect with the design of houses within I'On," according to The I'On Company. All building plans are submitted to the I'On Design Committee for review, comments and approval. This committee's "playbook" is the I'On Code. Where do the building plans come from? They come from the I'On Guild, a select group of 15 of the area's most distinguished builders, as well as tradespeople, craftsman and nationally recognized architects. The builders were recruited to be I'On's exclusive builders—based on craftsmanship, client and trade references, experience, financial stability and enthusiasm. That's right—enthusiasm. Guild members combine high quality, sustainable construction. They communicate well with the developer and homeowners. They favorably shape the public and private realms within I'On, and it shows.  Keeping the faith I'On creates and retains its beauty through two major groups: the I'On Trust and the I'On Assembly. The Trust's executive director, Caroline Bennett, says "the Trust is designed for interaction between I'On residents and the East Cooper portion of Charleston. Its goal is to enliven the human spirit and enhance the quality of our lives. We want to bring the Charleston area into I'On." In contrast to traditional neighborhood assemblies, the I'On Trust organizes events for I'On residents and neighbors from surrounding developments to interact with each other, enrich the cultural environment of the whole East Cooper community, and provide educational seminars and workshops for everyone. For example, last fall the I'On Trust organized and sponsored a Charleston Symphony Orchestra concert, which was free and open to the public. About 3,000 attendees flocked to the multipurpose field, marking the event as one of the most successful cultural experiments in I'On's history. I'On's day-to-day caretakers make up the I'On Assembly, which serves as the homeowners' association for I'On, tending to common area maintenance, street landscaping and insurance requirements.  Word on the street Even with its history, surroundings and impressive amenities. I'On still has to play by market rules. If people don't want to live there, it will go the way of the poorly planned conventional suburban development. So far, there is no hint of that happening. According to Graham, I'On's present 70-plus families are "excited to be here, proud to call it home." He has seen several of the NIMBYs—who originally opposed the plan—walking and biking through I'On. Their children come over to play. Some have even moved into I'On! And the residents are talking. One couple, who moved to I'On just over a year ago and have since welcomed a baby daughter to their family, enjoy the sense of community. "It has a nice feeling of downtown Charleston without the hassle of the tourists," they say. "You feel like you're living in the suburbs but you know you're not there, because when you drive through suburbia you can tell which houses were built in the 60s, the 70s, the 80s. They date themselves. I'On's architectural style is really quite timeless. "We enjoy I'On because of the variety of residents' ages and positions in life. It has a good sense of neighborhood. We love the attention to detail in the architecture and planning." Susan Stavers, a resident since September 1998 (she was the second person to move in), came to I'On from San Francisco in her search for "the perfect little Southern town." She worked with Philip Smith—a member of the I'On Guild—to design and build her own house. The result is one of her favorite things about I'On. "I love the craftsmanship of my house, plus it offers lots of light, access to the outdoors, 10-foot ceilings. The proportions are perfect. Stavers is right at home in I'On and willing to do her part to improve the community. She served as the executive director for the I'On Trust and now holds a position on the board for that organization. She understands the value of community, particularly for children and the elderly. "When you're a child, [community] is a safety factor; when you're older, you could be lonely and want to get involved, be surrounded by people." Stavers has settled into middle age as a single woman, which brings up another reason she chose I'On as her home: the Independent Women of I'On, an informal gathering of single women who gather regularly for support and good old fashioned fun. Fifteen single women have already moved to I'On—an impressive percentage of the 75 present households. Stavers isn't surprised, however. "Suburbia is death for single people," she says. "It's so depressing. I grew up in suburbia and I always felt I was displaced. Here I can mingle with people. The cross-section (of people) is so impressive. My neighbors are close to me. I love it; I feel connected." Stavers offers her weekend plans as proof: "I stopped at the "Friendship Garden" (the garden club), then went out to dinner with my neighbors. On Sunday, I went bike riding with a young married couple." Caroline Bennett, who has lived in I'On with her husband and toddler, Coleman, since September 1999, echoes the sentiments of her neighbors. Bennett came to I'On from a Mt. Pleasant subdivision, and was leery at first of the close proximity of the houses to the street and to each other. Just months later, she finds her viewpoint changed. "Now I see the point," she says. "The homes are within talking distance of passersby and each other, which allows for more intimate conversations with your neighbors, allows you to get to know each other so much better." Bennett loves the architecture that fills I'On, "a mix of Charleston's history with floor plans that are conducive to today's lifestyles." I'On's form is not lost on Bennett. "We love I'On's design. Eventually, we won't have to get in our car for anything. Once the commercial area is built out, we'll be able to walk five minutes to get groceries, drop off Coleman at preschool, go to church, get our hair cut!" For now, the Bennett family is still starry-eyed over their new house. "It feels like vacation, living in our home," says Caroline.  The future Even by TND standards, I'On is young. Its functioning form is solid, which bodes well for the future. The residents will play a large role in I'On's cultural flavor—how it interacts with the surrounding suburban communities of Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms. Fifty years of the suburban mindset have taken their toll: Some residents have inquired into the timeline for the gates to be installed; some still assume that anything worth seeing is worth piling into the car for. In time, these thought patterns can be changed. Special events such as the symphony visit and amphitheater programs should show I'On to be a good neighbor—the kind you would hang out with on the front porch. Vince Graham hopes that I'On's success will spur the development community and municipalities to change the accepted pattern for building. "There is a universal fear of change, but in order for these types of neighborhoods to be built, we need to change the laws so that they can be built. Most developers won't persist in the face of that challenge—you really have to be slightly off your rocker to try!" he says with a smile. Few would argue that Graham's madness has given birth to one of the most sane and livable neighborhoods in the country.
—Jason Miller |
           Wade Spees   I'On Square building  Multipurpose field with Postal Pavilion  Wade Spees   Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees  Wade Spees   | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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