The Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, Feb. 27 to hear an appeal from the developer seeking to build an "Eco-Tourism" resort on Bay Point Island off St. Helena.

The hearing will be held at 5 p.m. in the County's Robert Smalls Complex at 100 Ribaut Road.

The developer originally sought to work through the Town of Hilton Head, asking that the Town annex Bay Point Island and take control of the development process. Under state law, a municipality can annex property that would be contiguous to the town, even across waterways. The developer's request was ultimately withdrawn, and they filed a new request with Beaufort County.

On Dec. 20, after a lengthy public meeting and following an in-depth examination of the resort proposal, the County's Community Development Department rejected the developer's application, saying the proposal failed to meet the standards for an "eco-tourism" resort under the County Development Code.

The developer, as is permitted, filed an appeal of the decision with the ZBOA, which will hear the appeal on Feb. 27.