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Mediation under way in Timbers dispute; councilmember announces resignation
Summary
Town officials said mediation over the Timbers rezoning lawsuit is proceeding constructively but remains confidential; one council member announced his resignation and the mayor recused himself from the mediation process to avoid appearance issues.
The Kiawah Island Town Council said on Sept. 10 that mediation aimed at resolving litigation over a rezoned parcel known as the Timbers is under way, though details remain confidential. The council moved into an executive session to receive legal advice limited to that lawsuit and returned saying no votes or decisions were taken during the closed session.
Mayor (speaker 1) told residents the executive session concerned only the Timbers lawsuit and that the town had received advice of counsel. “In the executive session, no votes were taken, no decisions were made. We've received advice of counsel only, and we will circle back with the community, further on this matter at a later date,” the mayor said.
Council member Farrell (speaker 8) — who, together with other council members, is directly involved in the mediation — described the first full day of sessions on Aug. 21 as constructive and said the parties planned further meetings in September to map agreed points. “We had our first day, I think it was August 21st… it was a very constructive meeting,” Farrell said. He added the goal is to coalesce around points of agreement and then expand the scope of talks in later sessions.
The town also addressed potential conflicts of interest. Mayor (speaker 1) said he sought guidance from the town attorney and the state ethics commission and, though he did not find a statutory prohibition, decided to recuse himself from participating in the mediation to avoid any appearance of impropriety because of his club membership. “I made the decision to recuse myself from participation in the mediation process,” he said, citing a desire to avoid any taint on the process.
Separately, council member Heidingsfelder (speaker 2) told the council during his update that Sept. 10 was his last regular meeting and announced his resignation from the council. He spoke at length about his decision and urged colleagues to work toward normalizing relationships with stakeholders and the master developer, saying continued legal conflict harms the community.
What happens next: council members said mediation will continue with the town and the developer seeking an agreement; any binding settlement would be subject to the town’s public‑process and statutory requirements and brought back to council if terms require action.
