By Theresa White
Thousands of people are wondering why the leader of the top regional non-profit fighting to save Gullah Geechee land isn’t opposing the much-maligned Pine Island golf community planned by developer Elvio Tropeano. The reason for that is simple – both as a resident of St. Helena Island, and the founder and CEO of the Pan-African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network – I don’t see how developing the 502-acre St. Helenaville-Pine Island property will threaten either Gullah culture, or land ownership on St. Helena Island.
Web of misinformation
Both Pine Island and St. Helenaville are the sites of former plantations. And they’ve been white-owned, private recreational retreats for more than 150 consecutive years.
No Gullahs own land or pay property tax there, so none of us will be displaced. No known Gullah ancestral cemeteries are located there. No easements from Gullah landowners will be required. Plus, no
encroachments will occur.
Nothing related to Pine Island’s development will stop Gullahs from practicing their beloved culture and traditions. More importantly, Gullah property taxes across St. Helena Island will not skyrocket
after Pine Island’s development.
But that’s not the truth that the public, media, Beaufort County Council, and the Court of Common Pleas are being told by opponents of Pine Island’s development.
Tropeano’s environmentally sensitive approach to developing the Pine Island golf resort calls for just 66 homes, a few docks, and a golf course. But opposition to applications for those uses will result in the construction of 166 homes, and up to 100 private docks, which Tropeano is legally entitled to do under the current zoning. Despite what many protesters believe, nothing will stop the development of Pine Island.
Benefits for Gullahs
Lost amid all the emotional protests and community meetings is information about Tropeano’s generous planned philanthropy using funds generated by his golf resort, including Gullah scholarships, donations to key nonprofits like Penn Center, and investment in Gullah-owned businesses, as well as economic development projects. Local resort jobs, workplace mobility training, and partnerships for technical school classes are among the perks that Pine Island can offer its St, Helena Island neighbors, Tropeano has explained.
Flawed from Day 1
Almost 25 years apart, former Beaufort County Attorney Ladson Howell and current Assistant Beaufort County Attorney Brittany Ward came to the same conclusion about the CPO as it’s presently configured: It’s both legally indefensible, and a major flaw in our county ordinances that begs to be corrected. It unfairly infringes upon the property rights of both non-Gullah, and Gullah property owners who can’t realize the true value of their land.
But even worse, it’s been a lethal double-edged sword for Gullah owners of waterfront property, who’ve suffered staggering land losses because the CPO prevented the commercial use of their valuable land as property taxes soared beyond their means to pay.
Gullah-oriented development
Profitable development with Gullahs leasing their property – rather than selling it– could definitely help thousands escape the brutal cycle of generational poverty. Such arrangements have proven to be very lucrative for well-known Gullah businessman Tom Barnwell, Jr., and his family on Hilton Head Island. They’ve built affordable homes and apartment buildings on their own land. And they’ve wisely signed a long-term lease on their valuable waterfront property with Spinnaker Resorts. But St. Helena Island Gullahs can’t make deals like that because of the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO).
Mediation over lawsuits
It shouldn’t take risking the County purse – to the tune of millions of dollars in legal fees and tens of millions in damages, and the possible dismantling of the entire CPO – to force County Council to make a much-needed course correction. That can very easily be accomplished through thoughtful mediation and negotiation that secures the best case outcome for St. Helena Island – a low-impact golf course and residential community – instead of the 166 houses and 100 docks that Tropeano can legally develop.
Through mediation, the County can also set a precedent for the types of development it wants, and the types of investment that the St. Helena Island community can receive. To not seize this opportunity would be a monumental loss for not only St. Helena Island, but also Beaufort County. Please join me in urging your County Council member to support negotiations for the low-impact development of the Pine Island golf resort.
Theresa White is the founder and CEO of the Pan-African Family Empowerment & Land Preservation Network. She is a former journalist, and was a Congressional Aide to U.S. Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney, Georgia’s first African-American congresswoman. The Savannah native lives on ancestral land on St. Helena Island.
