Beaufort council holds interviews for Waterfront Advisory Committee; applicants emphasize preservation, marina management and public input

Beaufort City Council held interviews for the Waterfront Advisory Committee at a Feb. 11 work session, hearing from roughly 21 applicants who described professional and personal ties to the waterfront and urged preservation, improved marina management and public engagement.

The interviews, conducted alphabetically, produced repeated themes: many applicants said the Waterfront Park is a community asset that should be preserved; others pressed for careful handling of the marina, seawall and the existing marina lease. No appointments or votes were taken at the work session; council said it will review the applicants and notify candidates after deliberation.

Applicants ranged from retired engineers and planners to community volunteers and business owners. Retired land planner and landscape architect Howell Beach said "the Waterfront Park is kind of a treasure" and urged that the marina be treated as one element within the broader park rather than expanded in ways that would harm park character. Beach said technical questions about the seawall "would really determine a lot" and that an engineer’s report would be needed to assess structural issues.

Several speakers offered technical or managerial experience relevant to park and marina projects. Patrick Canning described a 45-year career in steel construction and estimating; Perry Dukes said he is a retired, registered professional engineer with geotechnical experience relevant to piling and foundations at marinas; and Josh Schott, who identified himself as the 2024 Water Festival Commodore and an employee of SCANA/Dominion, said he had worked on underground utilities in the park and uses the marina frequently.

Other applicants stressed preservation and public access. Willard Fosbury, a Leadership Beaufort participant, said the council must balance growth and conservation; Greg Rawls, who organizes Dragon Boat Beaufort events, asked that the marina and park be more welcoming to nonmotorized craft. Holly Forrester Bennett cited contracts and procurement experience and said she could help manage project timelines and budgets.

Several applicants with legal, financial or asset-management backgrounds said they could assist with the marina lease and operational questions. Retired law partner Joseph Oliver said the marina matter "has arisen from a legal failing" and recommended that any advisory work first determine the parties’ existing rights and responsibilities under the lease so the city could assess leverage and negotiate a solution that would avoid further litigation. David Russell, who described experience managing ports and infrastructure investments, suggested exploring public-private options to increase revenue from marina-related retail and docking arrangements.

Applicants also raised maintenance and environmental concerns. Petra Watson, a retired forensic chemist with environmental-lab experience, urged routine water-quality testing and consideration of locally sourced materials to reduce carbon impacts during repairs. Christopher DiGiovanni, who joined by Zoom, cited four decades in construction and said he could help coordinate trades and contractors.

Mayor and staff said no selection would be announced at the meeting. One city representative told applicants the council would discuss the pool of candidates and "you should be hearing from us, I hope, by the end of the month, if not sooner."