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County approves conveyance language to enable Beaufort Memorial project: 120 affordable units and medical office space planned
Summary
Council approved an ordinance amendment to convey county property to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for a mixed affordable-housing and medical-office project at Buckwalter Parkway; the project team said the development will include roughly 120 units with a 30‑year affordability commitment and layered financing with a tax credit award.
Lede: Beaufort County council voted Jan. 13 to approve amended conveyance language that will allow county-owned property on Buckwalter Parkway to be conveyed to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for development of workforce/affordable housing and medical office space.
Nut graf: County staff and the project team said the planned development will contain about 120 housing units intended for workforce/affordable occupancy with income targets that include 80%, 60% and 40% of area median income (AMI) distributed among one-, two- and three-bedroom units; a 30-year affordability term was the standard agreed-upon period discussed with the town and developer. The developer named in the meeting is Woda Cooper; Beaufort Memorial Hospital will be a project partner.
Body: County counsel and project representative (identified in the transcript as Mr. Bexley) explained the ordinance amendment was a technical cleanup to align conveyance language with investor and developer expectations (notably Woda Cooper, the affordable-housing developer) and with the town of Bluffton's requirements. The amendment clarified the county’s remedy if affordability terms cease and provided flexibility regarding improvements and their treatment at the end of the restriction period.
Mr. Bexley told the council the parties have secured a housing tax credit award from the state and that the schedule anticipates site-plan review with the town of Bluffton and possible groundbreaking within approximately six to eight months, subject to permitting and financing. He said the county, Woda Cooper and Beaufort Memorial expect the project’s affordable units to be preserved for at least 30 years, which aligns with Woda Cooper’s practice and the town’s expectations.
Ending: Council approved the ordinance amendment, and staff said they will proceed with the town review and final conveyance documents. The county’s stated remedy in the ordinance provides for recovery of the appraised value of the land if the affordability use ceases; improvements were given additional contractual flexibility to avoid penalizing developers who invest in vertical construction.
