By Anne Christensen Pollitzer
I was invited to join the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) Committee at its inception in 1999. We were set up by our County Councilman, William McBride, as an advisory committee that would work with him to stay in touch with the island residents.
Members were carefully chosen from the various areas of our large island (indeed we are larger than Hilton Head.) We soon became the “go to” body for businesses that were interested in becoming established on the island, and citizens could also approach us with their concerns.
As an unincorporated part of Beaufort County, we hoped to lend a voice [to] our citizens. These monthly meetings were held until the pandemic brought a slow down. Some meetings were held virtually, recently.
The principles for the development of St. Helena Island, which is inevitable, were hashed over during the last few years, and we worked with the planning office, learning new terms and learning how this is done elsewhere. The resulting principles were presented to the council, after the inclusion of our latest large development at Bermuda Bluff on the southwest corner of the island.
No more gated communities, no more water slides, and there would be regulations for at-home businesses (limited parking), etc. We met for weeks over the inclusion of the new Dollar Store and Queen Quet did a masterful job with the widening of the highway and installation of our first, and then second, traffic light.
Regrettably, reporting to the Beaufort County Council and Planning Commission did not translate to informing the citizens very well, and few were aware of the new regulations. On special occasions, such as the planning for the library and a meeting last year with our councilmen brought out a large crowd of residents. Still golf club regulations were not brought up, nor widely known.
I am sure that Mr. Tropeano studied all of the local regulations as he considered the purchase of Pine Island and its adjacent property. He was quick to adjust his plans for a golf course as a result. He has now invested more than $20,000,000 in the purchase and study of the property and has met many times with citizens.
The opposition is very vocal and has made its feelings known, but there are an equal number of neighbors not violently opposed to his plans, especially the one that includes three small golf courses and 60 houses. (We have 70 homeowners in Dulamo.) This Plan A is far preferable to the alternative plan B with 166 proposed houses, septic tanks, and docks.
Hoping to bring a voice of sanity to the situation.
Anne Christensen Pollitzer lines in the Dulamo community on St. Helena Island.
