By Delayna Earley
The Island News
An offer made Monday, Feb. 9, during the Waterfront Advisory Committee meeting could lead to a quicker and more visually appealing replacement for the chain-link fencing now blocking the promenade at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
Dick Stewart, chairman of the board for the Freedman Arts District, told a city board the organization is prepared to fund a temporary, upgraded fence and push to have it installed by the start of the spring tourism season.
“This is the beating heart of downtown,” Stewart said. “It’s an economic driver for the city.”
The chain-link barrier was installed last June after structural concerns led to the closure of portions of the seawall.
Since then, merchants have said the fencing blocks views, limits access to popular swings and creates the perception that downtown is shut down.
“Those people are hurt down there,” Stewart said of Bay Street businesses. “Some of those people last week, for the first time in the history of their businesses, did not have a single customer.”
A March target
Stewart said the Freedman Arts District wants to replace the current fencing with a black aluminum style similar to cemetery fencing seen elsewhere in Beaufort.
The proposal calls for multiple gates and clear sightlines to the water.
“We can get an answer from City Council this week,” he said. “This fence can be finished when spring starts on March 25. No more ‘Beaufort is broken.’”
In a Facebook post after the meeting, Cherimie Weatherford, owner of SugarBelle and executive director of the Freedman Arts District, urged leaders to accept the proposal.
“We are just asking that leadership accept this gift,” Weatherford wrote.
She also noted she was unable to attend the meeting because she was preparing the organization’s new space at The Arsenal.
“We are an organization of doers, believers and visionaries,” she wrote.
Strong public backing
The proposal quickly drew a wave of encouragement online from residents, artists and business owners.
“If Cherimie Weatherford is for it, I’m for it,” wrote Fred White.
“As a new business in downtown Beaufort, I highly encourage this action to help support all downtown businesses,” wrote Barbara Vining Robinson of Beverly’s Off Bay.
Others pressed for speed.
“This is a free gift to all of us,” wrote Trea Thiesen Tucker. “Stop the talking and get it done.”
How fast is fast?
Whether installation could happen by March depends on how the city structures the arrangement.
City Manager Scott Marshall said procurement requirements may still require staff to gather multiple quotes if the city is the purchaser.
If any formal expectations accompany the gift, City Council could also need to approve an agreement.
“There are some expectations on the part of the Freedman Arts District,” Marshall said.
A cost estimate discussed at the meeting placed the project at just under $20,000.
Marshall outlined a potential path in which the organization donates funds earmarked for the project and the city manages installation, a method he said could move more quickly while still satisfying purchasing rules.
The bigger argument
Stewart told officials the longer the chain link remains, the more damage it does to Beaufort’s image and the bottom line of the downtown businesses.
“The chain link fence is unsightly,” he said. “It looks unkempt, and it’s damaging your reputation every day.”
Board members signaled interest in advancing the idea, though questions remain about approvals and design.
For businesses eyeing spring, the issue is simple: how quickly can change happen?
Editor’s note: Cherimie Weatherford is an award-winning, regular contributor to The Island News’ Voices section.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.