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Real-estate rep says county green-space committee is exploring gifting six acres adjacent to Lady's Island Middle School
Summary
A real-estate agent told the operations committee the Beaufort County Green Space advisory group is interested in buying about six contiguous acres next to Lady's Island Middle School and would like the district to consider a partnership to manage the land; board members asked for a clear plan on ownership, maintenance, parking and traffic before committing.
A representative for two property owners told the Beaufort County School District operations committee that the county’s Green Space Tax Advisory Committee has expressed interest in buying roughly six contiguous acres next to Lady's Island Middle School and potentially gifting the parcels to the district for passive recreation.
"Collectively there is 6 acres that run contiguous with Lady's Island Middle School," the real-estate representative said, asking the committee to open discussions about a potential partnership among the school district, Beaufort County and the Green Space advisory body.
Why it matters: The parcels lie immediately adjacent to a school site currently being redeveloped; preserving them as green space could block denser development and create passive amenities for students and neighborhood residents. But trustees said the district needs more detail before accepting any additional asset and liability.
Committee members repeatedly pressed for specifics. Board member Mister Smith said closing Cougar Drive—part of the redevelopment discussion—would remove a long-standing access point and should be handled carefully. Another member said the committee needed a detailed plan showing ownership arrangements, responsibilities for maintenance and any shared parking program before the board could accept donated land.
The real-estate representative said the Green Space committee indicated it could purchase and hold the parcels, but it prefers the district to manage and maintain the property if the committee acquires it and gifts it to the school. "They have the available funds to make the purchase," he said, adding that the committee asked the district to indicate whether it would be willing to act as the caretaker and to discuss potential shared parking uses.
The board described the request as preliminary. Members said they were generally open to holding a conversation but had concerns about taking on additional maintenance obligations without a clear return for the district. One trustee summarized the position: if the county gifts ownership to the district, "then sure, we'll take it;" if the district is expected to maintain land it does not own, that raises concerns.
What happens next: Staff and the owners said they would return with a developed plan outlining use restrictions, parking options and formal ownership or memorandum-of-understanding language. Committee members asked that any future presentation clearly state whether the county would retain ownership, whether the district would be liable for maintenance and what activities would be permitted on the land.
