City’s plans for pump station hit mud
By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
Last week was Hurricane Preparedness Week and it was ironic part of that was spent, at least in the city circles, talking about flooding.
Specifically, the city fathers were being updated on plans for the King Street drainage improvements designed to improve existing flooding problems within a 40-acre neighborhood.
Unfortunately, drainage plans which include replacing existing pipes have drawn opposition because of a controversial 20x25x10-foot pump station, generator and outfall structures proposed for the very small Knott passive park at the corner of East and King, close to the center of the Point residential historic district.
Many of the neighbors of the Point district are up at arms by the design drafted by one of town’s leading architects, Rob Montgomery.
Petitions signed by more than 280 individuals oppose the “big, ugly, concrete box” in the park, contending it’s overkill … over-designed … basically “taking a cannon to a bird hunt.” Opponents contend it won’t really help with major hurricane flooding, will jeopardize the historic character of the neighborhood, and hurt property values.
The city’s Historic Review Board, which oversees construction within the town’s Historic District, saw the plans for a second time last Tuesday with a request for conceptual approval. After considerable debate, the board gave it.
Following the HDRB meeting and another public information session for the neighborhood, the City Council then held a special meeting to review the plans with the goal of moving the plans forward toward construction.
The debate even brought out former Mayor Stephen Murray who introduced himself as a Point homeowner and “recovering politician” and said he was disappointed with some of his neighbors’ opposition to the plans, noting they’re part of a massive drainage improvement plan developed by the City Council, with large portions of the funding coming from federal and state sources.
Neal Pugliese, who was the city’s contractor for special infrastructure projects until recently, warned back in 2022 when the estimated $21 million King Street drainage plan was first presented that it would be a “significant, emotional event” for residents and the council.
He wasn’t wrong. But as supporters of moving the drainage improvements forward argue, the next flooding is not a matter of “if” but “when.”
And hurricane season officially starts June 1.
Trask building proposal latest move in downtown development saga
BEAUFORT – The latest move in the proverbial chess game being played by downtown property owners Dick Stewart and Graham Trask was made last week with the city’s Historic Review Board, once again, in the middle.
For those who may have missed it, online or at the HDRB meeting, Greens Drugstore LLC, aka Trask, submitted preliminary plans for a 49.5-foot tall, three and two floors tall building to be built next to Saltus restaurant. The building would include a second-floor restaurant and roof-top bar overlooking the waterfront park and the Beaufort River.
The three small retail stores facing Bay – Rustic Pup Boutique, Cook on Bay and Yo-Yo’s Frozen Yogurt – would remain with the 18,000 square foot building addition facing the river.
After considerable discussion, the board, which has been the topic of much criticism from Trask for the past years, gave conceptual approval and told the architect to come back more details about the proposed building materials and mass of the whole structure.
Even Historic Beaufort Foundation which also has a long history of criticism but primarily from Stewart and his 303 Associates when they, the HBF, questioned the designs of his multiple downtown projects – being the three-story hotel with roof-top bar on the corner of Port Republic and Scott Street, the parking garage and the retail-apartment complex on the corner of Port Republic and Charles Street – kinda liked Graham’s plans.
Their spokeswoman noted the design continued the original warehouse character of pre-development Bay Street even if it did extend further toward the waterfront park than any other structures and would require the demolition of the stand-along ice cream shop so popular with families frequenting the playground.
And then there’s the three oak trees that would have to be removed but no one seemed to have any objections with that issue.
Trask and his designer had already met several times with the city’s technical review team to discuss details, and because of that, the city planning staff recommended the HRB go ahead and give preliminary approval, skipping over the conceptual phase.
No so fast, said the HDRB. They agreed to the conceptual phase but weren’t cool with skipping any phases. The legal hassles the city planners have encountered and are still dealing with concerning the past HDRB approval of Stewart’s hotel, parking garage and retail-apartment complex, may have been ringing in their ears.
Also adding to the drama was the reappearance of former Mayor Stephen Murray, who urged the HDRB to proceed with caution on approving the project which, among other things, would remove 22 parking spaces from the downtown area.
“Once this is built, we’ll be stuck with it for generations. Let’s make sure we get it right,” he stated.
All this, and both players are still in the midst of a $120 million lawsuit filed last July by Stewart against Graham and his father, George Trask, contending the two used misinformation and threats of litigation to stop his downtown projects.
Work has yet to begin on the objects of that lawsuit – the hotel, parking garage and retail-apartment project — although holes for the project at Port Republic and Scott streets were dug, then refilled. Fencing and screening was installed on the site but then removed most recently reportedly at the request of a bridal party who didn’t want to see the blue tarps in the background of their wedding festivities.
One can’t help but wonder how many of us will live to spend a night in 303 Associates’ proposed new hotel or have a drink overlooking the Beaufort River in Trask’s proposed roof-top bar. Projects have a way of moving slowly here in the Lowcountry – look at the Alison Road sidewalk project, which has been on the drawing boards for years and finally has work crews out there.
Unless it comes to tree removal. Those guys on the front-line of development really manage to get their part of the work done.
Steve Brown left his mark
BEAUFORT – A lot of nice things were said and written two weeks ago about the late Steve Brown whose life left quite a mark on this growing city.
Brown, who ran restaurants and a catering service in the 1980’s and 1990’s, passed away at age 74 with an obit that described him as “an extrovert who lived larger than life.”
A habitual reader of obituaries sees this type of accolade from time to time in the comments about loved ones who have moved on. But fellow The Island News columnist Bill Rauch quoted a Beaufortonian speaking about Brown when he said “Steve had the light and we need to keep that light burning in Beaufort.”
Amen.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. Her goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
