Candidates Back Northpointe Workforce Housing, Stress Local Control and LMO Rewrite

Most candidates at a League of Women Voters forum in Hilton Head Island endorsed the proposed Northpointe workplace housing neighborhood as a step toward addressing the town’s workforce housing shortage, while stressing the need for local control, infrastructure planning and safeguards on design and stormwater.

Steve Desimone, one of the candidates who described the project in detail, said the site is “11 acres,” has “a 65 year lease term” and will include about “161 … two‑ and three‑bedroom units,” adding that roughly half the units would be aimed below 80 percent of area median income. “All that's gonna be built with no federal dollars,” he said, positioning Northpointe as a public‑private effort relying on grants and private investment.

Alex Brown, the incumbent Ward 1 representative, said the town has created a housing fund with about $4,000,000 in it, drawn from visitor‑generated ATAX revenue rather than property tax. He said the Northpointe development agreement includes a controlled‑rent mechanism designed to keep occupants’ rent at or below 30 percent of income and that the project will include programming such as childcare and after‑school services to support working families.

Other candidates voiced guarded support. Rex Garnowitz said the project “exceeded my expectations” on sustainability and long‑term maintenance under the town’s lease controls. Melinda Tunner urged careful review of the design, saying the proposed impervious surface exceeded current zoning and that stormwater management must be assured. Daniel Anthony called the proposal “a good thing” but urged planners to address traffic, school access and drainage before giving a full endorsement.

Candidates linked the Northpointe discussion to a broader push to finish the Land Management Ordinance (LMO) rewrite. Several warned that existing rules had enabled unchecked development and said zoning and the LMO were the right tools to manage density, buffers and neighborhood character. Melinda Tunner cited a county assessment showing large tracts of undeveloped land on the island and urged purchase of green space and swift completion of the LMO.

On short‑term rentals, candidates rejected state preemption. When asked whether they would support legislation preventing municipalities from restricting short‑term rentals, Daniel Anthony said “absolutely not,” invoking home‑rule authority, and Alex Brown said local data and workshops are already guiding the town’s approach. Steve Desimone and others called for enforcement targeted at the small number of properties that generate the majority of complaints.

Candidates also discussed a recent change to ATAX rules that carves a portion of accommodations tax revenue for housing. Alex Brown said the carve‑out creates an opportunity to buy land for housing and move projects forward but noted the carve‑out includes a sunset and urged careful use of the funding. Melinda Tunner said the change reduces funds available to arts and nonprofit organizations and urged mindfulness about those impacts.

No formal votes or council actions took place at the forum; candidates encouraged voters to participate in early voting beginning Oct. 21 and to review candidate materials. The forum organizers said the town’s LMO rewrite, Northpointe approvals and ATAX spending are among the near‑term items the next council will confront.