Planning commission recommends denial of Pine Island removal from Saint Helena Cultural Protection Overlay

The Beaufort County Planning Commission voted 6–1 to recommend County Council deny an application to remove 437 acres of Pine Island from the Saint Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO), an action applicants said is needed to permit a private golf course and associated low‑density development.

County staff told the commission the CPO was established in 1999 (and readopted with updated language in 2014 and again in 2023) to limit franchise architecture, gated communities, resorts and golf courses on Saint Helena Island and to protect the island’s rural character and cultural resources. Staff recommended denial, saying removing parcels from the CPO “erodes the effectiveness of the CPO by allowing the very uses that have been identified as posing the greatest threat to the character and stability of the island community.”

Applicant representatives presented a development agreement and a down‑zoning proposal that they said would produce fewer homes and fewer docks than a full buildout under the current CPO rules. Attorney Kevin Dukes, speaking for the applicant, said the submitted development agreement would limit new construction to about 49 dwelling units, create extensive open space, and include community contributions such as a five‑acre sweetgrass farm and funding and land for a community recreation center. Dukes told commissioners the applicant would record deed restrictions “which will restrict this property for residential use in perpetuity” before issuance of permits, a point the developer offered as a safeguard against later higher‑density buildout if a development agreement expired.

Opponents — including Queen Quet (the Gullah/Geechee leader), the Coastal Conservation League, the South Carolina Environmental Law Project and many Saint Helena residents — argued the CPO and the comprehensive plan intentionally limit the types of development that have previously displaced Gullah families and altered island culture. Critics said a carve‑out for a golf course would set a precedent and invited similar requests; speakers raised concerns about pesticide use on golf courses, shoreline impacts, docks and long‑term cultural displacement. Juan Tolley of the South Carolina Environmental Law Project argued the request “is inconsistent with the goals and policies of the Beaufort County Comprehensive Plan” and “directly conflicts with the purpose of the CPO.”

Commissioners cited the CPO’s history, the county comprehensive plan’s spotlight on Saint Helena, the committee reviews in 2022–2023 that updated the CPO, and public testimony in explaining their recommendation. The commission’s motion to recommend denial cited multiple zoning map amendment review criteria and passed 6–1.

What’s next: The planning commission record and recommendation will be forwarded to County Council, which will hold public hearings and take the final legislative action on the overlay boundary and any companion development agreement.