By LOLITA HUCKABY
What’s in a name?
LADY’S ISLAND – Stop calling it FROGMORE INTERNATIONAL.
It’s official. The county-owned airport, which has graced the headwaters of Cowen Creek since 1955, has a new name – Beaufort Executive Airport, reflective of its up and coming status.
The county has been working to get the official name changed for several years, after a public sentiment — not saying a MAJOR sentiment — was voiced that “Frogmore International” wasn’t classy enough. In fact, some of those voices wanted to see “Frogmore” banished forever and the crossroads four miles east on U.S. 21 referred to as “the Corners” community.
The airport’s new executive designation became official last week when the FAA deemed it so, opening the way for increased marketing of the facility.
First Lady’s Island gets its own Walmart, and now an EXECUTIVE AIRPORT. We can only wonder what’s next.
Bay Point development to be appealed
BEAUFORT – Last week certainly had its share of news and political surprises, so what’s one more.
But actually, it comes as no surprise that attorneys for the proposed Bay Point ecotourism development have appealed the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals’ rejection of their plans.
The board unanimously rejected the plans for a luxury resort in September contending the plans were non-compatible and did not do enough to environmentally protect the barrier island.
Not only did the board and a number of citizens oppose the plans, the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, the Beaufort County Open Land Trust, Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Congressman Joe Cunningham did too.
Attorneys for the developers, Six Senses, have said they hope to sit down, again, with county officials to work out a compromise to keep everyone out of court.
There’s more than one way to stop them from coming
BLUFFTON – A group of Bluffton homeowners in the Island West neighborhood on U.S. 278 has decided since they don’t want more development, they’ll just buy the land.
The Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette reported last week the Island West Homeowners Association, weary of fighting the development company’s plans for their backyards, agreed to buy the former 18-hole golf course. Efforts to rezone the closed golf course to allow commercial and hotel development prompted the move.
Of course there’s a cost, reportedly $1.45 million to be split between 258 homeowners. But doesn’t everything have a price?
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and a former reporter/editorial assistant with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today. She can be reached at bftbay@gmail.com
