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Neighbors press developer over buffer cuts, fences and pests as Stonecrest hears variance request for Klondike Road townhomes
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Summary
D2 Construction Services requested a variance to encroach on the 50-foot transitional buffer at 2955 Klondike Road to add a road for a proposed townhome development; residents pressed for fences, pest control, runoff fixes and clearer notice after a developer absence at earlier meetings; staff said they will follow city rules and are conducting a zoning rewrite.
D2 Construction Services representative Hugh Delaney asked City of Stonecrest planners on Feb. 12 for a variance to encroach the city's 50-foot transitional buffer at 2955 Klondike Road so the developer can install a road to serve a proposed townhome project.
Delaney said the property is roughly 9–9.5 acres near Mall Parkway and Arabian Terrace and that the requested encroachment would affect a small triangular area — roughly 3,000 square feet — needed to connect to an adjacent parcel and provide circulation and fire access. “We need to kinda clip that 1 little area right there about 3,000 square feet,” he said, adding the rest of the buffer around the site would remain in place.
Neighbors at the meeting raised repeated concerns. Cecil Cody demanded a protective fence and said trees removed during site work have reduced privacy: “Put a fence up. That's all we want,” he said. Other residents described new rat problems since clearing began, said runoff features would drain toward existing backyards, and argued that proposals to increase housing density (residents cited a change from three to 12 homes in the plan) could depress nearby property values.
Hugh Delaney acknowledged residents' concerns but said he was not the landowner and could only relay requests to the owners: “I'm not in control of Stonecrest. I will take your concern ... and I will address it,” he told the audience.
Lewis Anderson, president of the Hilton Head Homeowners Association, criticized developers for not showing up at prior meetings and for repeated cycles of incomplete submissions, saying longtime homeowners expect the city to consider their interests. In response, planning staff said they will follow the city's charter and ordinances and noted they have discretion under policy to withdraw applications for no-shows where rules permit: “If it advises that we have discretional authority to withdraw an application because of a no show, then that would be the decision that could be made,” staff said.
Staff also announced the city is undertaking a zoning rewrite and invited residents to participate in upcoming meetings and an open survey posted on the city's website.
No formal vote occurred at the informational meeting; the variance request and residents' concerns will be part of the formal review process and any subsequent public hearings.
