Public Facilities Committee accepts $1.2 million state appropriation for AllJoy boat landing; directs staff to develop project plan, including possible house to

The Beaufort County Public Facilities Committee on Jan. 27 voted to accept a $1.2 million direct appropriation from the South Carolina state budget for improvements at the AllJoy Boat Landing in Bluffton and approved a resolution directing county staff to develop a project plan using those funds.

The appropriation was described at the meeting as a direct allocation in the state budget under South Carolina Act 226 for fiscal year 2024–2025; county staff said the award came through the state delegation and does not carry a local match requirement. Brian (staff member, Engineering/Public Works) presented the item and said, “This is a direct allocation,” and that the funding will be administered through DNR reporting requirements.

The committee’s resolution asks staff to use the $1.2 million together with local Accommodations & Hospitality (A&H) tax dollars already spent on site repairs to develop engineering, cost estimates and solicitation documents for projects at the landing. Staff described community meetings held over the last two years and said participants ranked expanded boat parking and separated fishing access ahead of passive-park amenities.

Brian told the committee that the county purchased adjacent property in 2023 and has discussed options with residents and local stakeholders. He said staff will begin the engineering process, issue solicitations for an engineer, and return with design components and cost estimates for the committee and county council to consider.

The plan elements memorialized in the resolution include: expanding parking (boat trailer and golf-cart parking were emphasized), improving stormwater treatment and pavement to protect water quality, replacing a fishing pier separate from boating traffic, and considering restroom facilities. Staff also listed demolition of the house on the recently purchased parcel as an option to create parking and circulation; the committee debated that point at length.

Councilmember Olson (representing the AllJoy area) said community feedback at a recent meeting — attended by about 50 to 60 residents and four council members — showed a majority in favor of removing the house so the county could expand parking and add restrooms. In response, Councilmember Brown objected to the demolition language during the resolution discussion, saying, “I object to bullet point number 3 that’s up there, demolishing the house and for restrooms. So why can't we just put portable restrooms in? Bathrooms?”

Committee members discussed long-term maintenance, ADA compliance and sewer availability as reasons the county sees more value in the land than in preserving the older house. Staff said the house’s septic system and the structure’s age make retrofit and long-term upkeep expensive, and that sewer service to the area could be years away. Mr. Moore (staff member) explained the house had been considered as a potential revenue source through sale, but the state appropriation eliminates the need to sell the parcel to fund the landing improvements.

The committee voted to accept the appropriation without objection and later approved the resolution to proceed with project development; Brown registered a single objection to the demolition bullet point during the show-of-hands vote but the resolution passed. Staff said the resolution itself authorized direction to develop the project, not the demolition — final decisions, demolition timing and any construction will be returned to committee and county council with design-level cost estimates.

Brian and staff said next steps will include hiring an engineer, preparing cost estimates and additional community input as design options are refined. Staff emphasized that the appropriation carries reporting requirements but is not a grant requiring a local match.

The committee thanked state Representative Weston Newton and Herb Kurzmann (both cited by staff) for their roles in securing the state appropriation. The committee also noted that a separate agenda item (No. 9) would take up the resolution that further defines planned uses of the funds.

Votes at a glance: The committee accepted the $1,200,000 appropriation for the AllJoy Boat Landing and approved the resolution directing staff to develop a project plan; the resolution passed with one recorded objection on the demolition bullet point.

Ending — What’s next: Staff will initiate engineering and solicitation work and return with design options and cost estimates. Any demolition or construction would require further formal approval by the committee and/or county council.