By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
Beaufort County Council’s committee members got some bad press last week from the Savannah television news reporters who called them out for turning down a rezoning request which could have paved the way for more housing for disabled veterans and first responders.
True, the council has received more than its share of “bad press” in the past two years, considering its efforts to disassociate with the former county administrator.
But in the case of last week’s report from the council’s Natural Resource Committee, there truly is … more to the story.
The committee, following the recommendation from the County Planning Commission, plus the planning staff, voted to disapprove a rezoning request which would have converted a 50-acre acre tract on S.C. 170, across the road from the back entrance to Sun City, from rural to neighborhood mixed use.
In defense of their request, representatives of Mosaic Development proposed a development agreement for the Mews Village which would allow two dozen of the 200-plus residential units to be designated for first responders and disabled veterans, in association with the nonprofit Lowcountry Veterans Housing Foundation.
The committee members, like the planning commissioners, heard from a half-dozen neighbors who asked the local officials to uphold the original rural zoning of the area, especially in light of the growing traffic congestion in the area and the lack of funding to improve that congestion.
“Beaufort County is being destroyed by a million small paper cuts,” said one resident who urged the county to deny the change.
Another resident even asked the county to consider a moratorium on all new developments, urging them to take an inventory of all permitted developments including those not yet built.
“I think you’d be surprised,” she added.
At least two committee members, Chairwoman Alice Howard and Vice-Chair Anna Maria Tabernick, stressed that their vote to deny had nothing to do with providing affordable housing for veterans or first-responders.
“It’s just not the right place,” Howard summarized.
Tabernick noted that when she first met last year with the developers, at the request of state Sen. Tom Davis, there was no mention of any special designations for disabled veterans or first responders.
To their credit, the committee members also rejected a rezoning request for 121 acres farther west on S.C. 170 and Cherry Point Road, adjacent to Okatie Elementary School, the county animal services center, River Oaks and Malind Bluff residential developments.
Although the developers of Cherry Point Landings included a proposal for a development agreement which would include a land swap with the Beaufort County School District to accommodate a future middle school in the area, the committee agreed, again with the planning commission and the planning staff that the potential of 258 residences and 350,000 square feet of commercial development was too much for the already congested highways.
Both committee recommendations for disapproval will go to the full council for review.
As the county leaders scratch their heads and figure out what to do about traffic, it will be interesting to see how they treat these large rezoning requests from south of the Broad.
Phillips reassures citizens of Safe Harbor’s future
PORT ROYAL – Not to worry.
That was the message Mayor Kevin Phillips gave citizens and investors who might have concerns about news that Safe Harbor Marinas is being sold.
Financial publications recently announced the sale of the international marina corporation to asset manager Blackstone Infrastructure for $5.65 billion.
The impact of the sale on development plans for Port Royal’s 300-plus acres of waterfront property, as well as the city of Beaufort’s lease agreement with Safe Harbor for the Downtown Marina, has not been publicly discussed, but Phillips took Wednesday night’s Council workshop to assure interested citizens.
“This doesn’t change anything,” the mayor announced.
The most recent settlement agreement with Safe Harbor requires regular updates and Phillips said the city staff is working with Safe Harbor representatives to set up the next meeting.
The marina company also is expected to present an updated development master plan within six months and has agreed to an easement to allow the Spanish Moss Trail to cross Ribaut Road through Safe Harbor property.
Part of the original masterplan included a 140-plus boat slip marina and residential development. Safe Harbor is already operating the 240-boat dry stack storage facility on the property and plans are underway for the town to rebuild the shrimp docks.
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.
