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Council approves Green Space spending: contribution to Hilton Head Beach City Road purchase and $560,000 match for Essex Farms easement
Summary
Beaufort County Council approved two Green Space items: a contribution to the Town of Hilton Head for a fee simple purchase at Beach City Road and authorization to provide up to $560,000 for a conservation easement on Essex Farms, matched by state and federal funds and a landowner donation.
Beaufort County Council voted to authorize Green Space expenditures on two separate land-protection actions: a contribution toward the Town of Hilton Head’s purchase of a parcel on Beach City Road and a request to provide funds toward a conservation easement on a property called Essex Farms.
Mike McShane, appearing for the Green Space Committee, told council the Beach City Road action was a grant request from the town and that the total project cost was “around $1,100,000,” with the town providing the majority of funding. McShane said the committee was requesting a county contribution; council discussion referenced a Green Space grant amount of $250,000 for the Beach City Road acquisition in the meeting packet.
Council members raised the surrounding preserved places shown on the meeting map and supported the county participating to prevent development in a sensitive area near Mitchellville Tract and other public preserves. The council voted by show of hands to authorize the county administrator to execute documents and provide the requested contribution to the Town of Hilton Head; the motion passed on the record.
Separately, the council approved a motion to provide funds for a farmland preservation conservation easement on a property referred to as Essex Farms, not to exceed $560,000. Councilman Dawson noted this was the first farmland-preservation easement brought to Green Space and said the project leverages significant outside funds: the Navy was contributing approximately $1,800,000 for this easement and the state match and the county’s Green Space funds were intended to leverage that federal funding. McShane noted the landowner also provided a 20% donation (a bargain sale contribution) to the project. The council approved the expenditure by a show-of-hands vote.
Council discussion emphasized the Green Space program’s strategy of using local funds as seed money to leverage state and federal grants and private donations. No opposing votes were recorded on either action in the open session; votes were taken by show of hands and recorded as passing.
The council did not insert additional conditions on either acquisition in open session. Staff said the town of Hilton Head would administer the Beach City Road purchase process and that the Essex Farms easement would be coordinated with the Open Land Trust and federal and state partners.
