By Mike McCombs
The Island News
It was destined to end up in court all along.
The owner of the roughly 500-acre St. Helena Island property known as Pine Island took legal action last week against Beaufort County, continuing efforts to build a golf resort on the property.
Pine Island Property Holdings (PIPH) and Pine Island Golf Club (PIGC) on Wednesday, July 5 filed an appeal of the County Planning Commission’s denial of plans to build three six-hole golf courses. This plan was submitted before the strengthening of the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO), which initially prohibited golf courses with nine holes or more.
The same two entities filed a civil suit on Friday claiming the CPO “is invalid as to the Property owned by Plaintiffs and that the intended development plan is allowable.” It questions the legality of a ban on golf courses, gated communities and resorts, claims “the zoning map amendment request to be removed from the CPO Ordinance was improperly denied and must be approved,” asks the court to enter a judgment for monetary damages and attorney’s fees against the County and “all other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
The appeal and civil suit will be heard in the Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas.
Developer Elvio Tropeano, the familiar face of the Pine Island groups, declined comment. The attorney for the groups, Ellis Lesemann of Charleston firm Lesemann & Associates LLC, wasn’t immediately available by phone Tuesday, but issued a statement Monday via email.
“Our team remains focused upon working with our neighbors, stakeholders, elected officials and the County to achieve a beneficial compromise that promotes the cultural and natural resources on St. Helena Island while allowing careful, sensitive, and limited development of Pine Island,” Lesemann said.
When contacted Tuesday, Sarah Brock, Beaufort County’s interim Public Information Officer, said, “We can’t comment on items related to pending litigation.”
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
