By Tim Wood
When Kris and I moved to Beaufort in 1974 we were already environmental activists. The natural splendor of this “low country” won our hearts and we wanted to raise our children here.
My first articles that appeared in our old “hometown” paper, “The Beaufort Gazette,” concerned raw sewage being dumped into Battery Creek and Hilton Head Island’s pumping of their effluent water into the Port Royal Sound. I never dreamed back then that development would overcome not just Hilton Head Island, but would come to devour both Bluffton and Beaufort. Now it is not hard to foresee development gobbling up our old perceived wildernesses of Hardeeville, Ridgeland and Yemassee; we are upon that threshold.
I remember when marketing articles first started appearing in Southern Living that revealed the charms of our little town of Beaufort. Of course those first articles made one proud to know that we earlier citizens had such good taste and appreciation for this wonderful “hidden gem” in the Lowcountry, and what’s the harm in welcoming a few tourists?
Then came Hollywood, Dataw, Sun City, the “buggy” wars, shrimp baiting, golf carts and even more tourists. Now, when Kris and I find ourselves behind a massive tour bus moving slowly down Bay Street, we know what those folks inside this land plane are thinking, just as we did 50 years ago: We could live here!
As you may know, my soapbox now is over development in Beaufort County. And yes, I know about property rights with the accompanying legal and political juggling, freedom of (but not from) everything, God versus Satan … (remember the street preachers?).
What I really want to know is can we save Beaufort from itself? By 1985, I was asking old timers (natives) how they felt about the ongoing growth here, thinking that if I’d been a native, I’d already be heartbroken to see the new changes to this area … (“I don’t give a damn how you did it up north!”) … Wow!
But old native families had not seen such prosperity since before the Civil War, and the allure of more money can be a wonderful salve for low incomes. I sensed my commercial shrimping and island farmer friends to be the most concerned with the early, steady growth and development to this area.
Back in the 70’s, Beaufort’s growth was indeed welcomed by the majority of Beaufortorians. Public schools improved as did our arts culture. We could unhook our septic tanks and wells, tapping into city sewer and treated water … BJWSA! All of a sudden we had super grocers as the “Pig” with it’s A&P
stock dwindled.
Those of us in the construction trades never missed a day of work and never had to draw unemployment … to this day. Beaufort County seemed recession-proof, aided by the growing (not closing) military presence – our “Sound of Freedom.”
Yes, I feel a little hypocritical having been able to retire comfortably from my building livelihood here in Beaufort County, but I was never a linear footage guy. My work was slow and meticulous, and (thank God) I was never forced into how many doors I could set, or much baseboard I could run, or how many squares I could lay in a single work day.
My research into states that have been practicing controlled growth has proven to me that it can be done, property rights be damned. Basically, states like Vermont have put in place control valves (Act 250 Vermont legislation, since 1970) to stem over-development. Hawaii even has conservation, control and development of resources safeguards written into their state constitution.
It can be done, but it can only be done through state and local government leadership with community support. When you live in a county that installs monuments to developers, controlled growth may be highly unlikely.
Concerned Beaufort citizens regarding over-development should keep close watch with the growing controversies for the development of Pine Island, as well as city staff meetings that are reviewing
changes to the Beaufort Development Code. Those reviews have already started and offer monthly public input every third Tuesday of the new month, 5 to 7 p.m. at City Hall.
My feeling is that if officials start tweaking codes and regulations that could favor even more development, Beaufort and Port Royal will certainly become irreparably over-developed. I’ve requested actual residential permit totals for the first quarter of 2023 between Beaufort and Port Royal. I’ve heard rumors that those numbers may be approaching 2,400 units which would also translate into, quite possibly, 5,000 more vehicles to the area.
As of this writing, I have to say, I feel like I am sitting bedside with a dear, loving friend who is slowly dying. It seems all I can do is watch this precious friend, holding their hand while observing them disappear.
When we first moved here, I believe I soon became a responsible Beaufortonian as Beaufort became our home, though not our place of birth. I firmly believe that I have not contributed one act of exploitation to this wondrous place; but I must also say that praying that it is not too late to save Beaufort from itself seems almost frivolous at this point in time.
For me, it is sadly similar to praying for victims of gun violence (particularly from the AR-15) … It’s hard; you’re sad, weary, perhaps even angry, especially knowing elected leadership is not taking the mantle to preserve, protect and honor the majority of their citizen’s concerns.
Tim and Kristy Wood moved to Beaufort in 1974. He worked as a carpenter in both restoration and new home construction, as well as operating a shop specializing in custom woodwork, Wood on Wood Specs. He is semi-retired, involved with fine woodworking and formerly sat on the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals.
