Planning commission backs tighter transportation-impact rules, lowers study trigger to 50 peak-hour trips

The Hilton Head Island Planning Commission on an unanimous vote recommended that town council approve a text amendment to the town Land Management Ordinance that renames "traffic impact analysis" plans as "transportation impact analysis" plans, expands the required study scope to include multimodal facilities, and lowers the threshold for when an analysis is required from 100 peak-hour trips to 50.

The amendment, presented by Missy Lueck, director of planning, would add evaluation of sidewalks, bicycle facilities and transit connections, expand mitigation options, add level-of-service standards for unsignalized intersections, shift approval authority from an LMO official to the town engineer and remove a current exemption that discounted impacts attributed to previously existing development. "It is the intent that these updates will make our process more responsive to the community's needs and promote a more balanced multimodal forward-thinking approach to transportation planning," Lueck said.

Planning commission members heard examples and questions from staff and the public. Staff pointed to two recent projects that met the existing thresholds — a 147-unit subdivision on Jonesville Road and a 132-unit project on Office Way — and to two developments that were not required to prepare a traffic impact analysis under current rules because trips were attributed to prior uses: a timeshare on Folly Field and a waterfront restaurant on Squire Pope Road. Under the proposed standards those projects would have been required to submit analyses.

During commission questions, Commissioner Hans asked whether required mitigation costs would be borne by developers. "If it was a required improvement ... those costs would be borne strictly by the developer," Darren Shoemaker of engineering confirmed, citing as an example a required right-turn lane installed for a Jonesville subdivision. Commissioner Whaley asked whether the town engineer could require mitigation options not listed in the draft; Shoemaker said the amendment provides flexibility and the town engineer could identify other improvements where appropriate.

Public commenters raised equity and implementation timing. Jean Zephthal, a Hilton Head Plantation resident, asked why affordable housing projects had a different threshold and whether exemptions were intended to keep costs down: "Why are they getting exemption? Is it to keep costs down?" Lueck said the separate 200 peak-hour-trip threshold for affordable housing will not change as part of this priority amendment and will be reviewed as part of a full code overhaul scheduled later in the summer. Lueck also told the commission that, if moved forward, the amendment would go to town council for committee review and two readings and she expected it could be effective in the latter part of the summer.

Citizen and advocacy comments urged the commission to embed a "complete streets" philosophy in the code. Frank Bable, who identified himself as "the bike guy," noted state, county and town complete-streets policies and urged stronger, explicit incorporation of that approach into the LMO.

The commission voted to recommend approval to town council. The motion to "recommend approval to council for the text amendment and move it forward" was made from the floor and seconded; the vote was 7-0.

Next steps: the amendment will go to town council committee review and then two readings; staff estimated final adoption and effectiveness in the latter part of the summer pending council action.