Trees in Port Royal, sales tax votes – things that are blowing in the wind
By Lolita Huckaby
PORT ROYAL – This is what it’s all about.
That’s the way Mayor Joe DeVito opened last week’s town council meeting welcoming the room full of citizens concerned about the future of trees.
The citizens, along with petitions signed by more than 300 individuals, were there to beg the council to save two live oak “specimen” trees located on a tiny 14th Avenue lot which has been subdivided for five homes.
Those who spoke during the 30 minute public comment period were passionate about the issue and they were organized. Several spoke about their decisions to move to Port Royal because of the town’s lovely landscapes and leafy attributes. Others spoke about their life-long experiences in the town and the changes they had seen.
Others spoke of the environmental importance of the trees and expanded their realm of concern for not just the two trees on 14th Avenue but other trees that are coming down, at a startling rate all over the county, making way for new homes and shopping centers.
Many of those present were painfully aware of other changes coming, developments that are gonna impact more trees – redevelopment of what was Kent Mobile Home Court on Ribaut Road, a major apartment complex planned for the heavily wooded corner of Ribaut Road and Richmond.
But the audience was polite and applauded for other like-minded speakers, until the Mayor asked them to refrain from that activity which delayed the meeting progress.
In today’s heated political society, the notion of “polite” discourse seems almost like a rarity.
Despite Mayor DeVito’s welcoming introduction to the issue, last week’s meeting wasn’t “what it’s all about.” The public comment period allowed citizens to air their concerns about what’s happening in their community, and while the Mayor said the town council is in agreement about the importance of tree protection, the matter is more than likely going to be resolved by lawyers.
The developer, who bought the property, subdivided it in 2018 and has already sold some of the lots, wants the buyers to be able to get building permits from the town. Those concerned about the trees could opt to sue the town for not following its own tree ordinance and pursuing “reasonable design alternatives” to preserve trees.
We all know what moving issues into the legal arena means – lengthy delays with unanswered questions. We’ve seen it happen with 303 Associates’ proposed Port Republic street garage and Canon Building apartments, the development of Bay Point … and others.
And while lawyers bill by the hour to debate these issues, trees keep coming down – within the existing regulations – all around us.
Is THAT what it’s all about? Is this where these little acts of democracy are leading us?
City Council makes no friends in Polk Village annexation
BEAUFORT – The passionate politeness witnessed last week in Port Royal’s town council was a contrast to what’s been witnessed in some other recent public sessions.
Remember the debate over Graham Trask’s proposed Dunkin’ Donuts on Lady’s Island, where residents turned out to angrily object to the development plans for one of the worst spots on that commercial strip of Sea Island Parkway, right across from the entrance to Grayco and Bill’s Liquor Store?
Trask called those opposing his doughnut shop “outside elitists” and then appealed his rejection by the county zoning board, sending the matter into the courts.
Another case in point, the Beaufort City Council’s exchanges less than a month ago with residents of Polk Village who also organized and attended meetings asking the council not to annex a small part of their neighborhood into the city.
They feared the old “camel with its nose under the tent” adage, where every square foot of Polk Village the city takes of that neighborhood is considered a further push for annexation and bringing the residents into the city fold.
After several meetings with city staff and Mayor Stephen Murray, the citizens did soften and said if the city was going to annex, please do so at a zoning which they felt would give them some protection from more buildings.
Well, they didn’t get their way. The lot was annexed, the city got larger by about one acre and the residents – who couldn’t vote for the City Council because they don’t live within the city limits – made it pretty clear they didn’t want to be in the city limits.
Transportation sales tax referendum appears dead; Green space proposal advances
BEAUFORT – “If you’re gonna make an omelet, you have to break some eggs.”
“We need to stop kicking this down the road.”
“We need another tool in our tool box.”
“We can’t have our cake and eat it too.”
“We’ve been behind the eight ball.”
“We’re spending your money wisely.”
“Small areas need help too.”
Those were just a few of the clichés thrown out Monday night during the Beaufort County lengthy discussion of two proposed referendum questions – one to raise a $700 million sales tax for a variety of transportation and recreational projects and Sen. Tom Davis’ green space proposal.
The county elected officials last month had been moving toward second reading of the ordinance to put the $700 million referendum question on the ballot when state Sen. Tom Davis – who now represents Bluffton and Hilton Head Island – suggested they think about a separate sales tax referendum for green space projects.
Davis’ suggestion was just enough to muddy the already muddy waters of County Council, where some members weren’t convinced putting a sales tax referendum question on the November ballot was a good idea anyway. After all, it’s an election year for some of them and who knows how the idea of another sales tax – even one paid largely by visitors, not homeowners – might play with the voters.
Davis, who was scheduled to talk Monday night about hurricane evacuation routes during the pre-Council session, used the time to explain the green space legislation passed by the General Assembly last month.
Davis wants Beaufort County, working with Jasper County, to be the pilots for this legislation which, even after his explanations, seems to have a lot of unanswered questions.
Bottom line: Davis’ referendum proposal moved forward as a special 1 percent sales tax for a period of 4 years. It will require one more reading by council at its next meeting to be placed before the voters in November.
The $700 million sales tax proposal, which was drafted by a citizens committee, failed by a 5-5 vote when Councilman Gerald Dawson, who hasn’t attending a meeting in person for quite some time, disappeared from the screen and didn’t vote.
By the way, if for some strange reason you’d like to see your county elected officials discuss this, you can always check out the county’s website, where recordings of all meetings are available. Bring a six-pack of ginger ale and a notepad. To borrow another cliché, you have to see it, to believe it.
About those flying cars
Kudos to former Beaufort Mayor Bill Rauch and fellow columnist for The Island News who suggested last week, in these pages, that futurist flying cars were probably the only salvation for those concerned about growing traffic problems on Lady’s Island.
Rauch, citing a familiarity with the 1960’s Jetsons cartoon and their flying vehicles, blamed city officials – of which he once was – for not dealing with a third bridge crossing earlier. He may be right, but in the meantime, the new residents who are moving onto the islands looking for their piece of paradise better be aware there’s no real relief for the congestion.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and former reporter/editorial assistant/columnist with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today, Beaufort Today and The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.). She
