Planning commission recommends denial of Pine Island CPO removal after hours of public comment

After more than two hours of testimony from developers, technical experts and dozens of residents, the Beaufort County Planning Commission recommended denial of a zoning map amendment that would remove roughly 437 acres (the Pine Island parcels) from the county’s Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO).

County staff opened the item by explaining that removing property from the CPO would allow uses—specifically a private golf course and resort-type facilities—that the overlay was written to prohibit on St. Helena Island. Staff told commissioners the proposal was inconsistent with the stated goals of the comprehensive plan and the CPO’s purpose of protecting cultural and natural resources. County Attorney Brian Hovart reminded the commission that litigation from prior denials remains pending in federal court and said the commission should consider only the application before it.

Kevin Dukes, attorney for the applicant, presented a plan the team characterized as a voluntary downzoning: keep the underlying T2 Rural zoning, remove the CPO restrictions, and commit through a development agreement to a private golf course, 49 dwelling units, recorded deed restrictions intended to preserve residential limits and open space in perpetuity, a 5-acre sweetgrass farm for Gullah artisans, a community recreation center, and shoreline protections. Dukes characterized the plan as reducing density, docks and traffic relative to a build-out under current zoning and said the developer would record deed restrictions to prevent later higher-density build-out.

Opposition speakers, including Queen Quet, representatives of the Coastal Conservation League and the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, and many longtime St. Helena residents, argued the CPO is the legal tool that preserves Gullah Geechee culture and that allowing a carve-out would erode protections and set a dangerous precedent. Opponents raised environmental concerns tied to golf-course maintenance, questioned whether promised community investments would benefit local residents, and warned of gentrification and displacement.

Supporters of the applicant’s plan — including residents and local business owners — said the proposal reduces the number of homes, protects shoreline via proposed buffers and deed restrictions, and offers economic opportunities such as local jobs and a community center. Supporters pointed to community charrettes and said the plan was developed with local input.

After lengthy discussion and legal guidance about which of the nine zoning-review criteria the commission must address in its recommendation, a motion to recommend denial was made and seconded. Commissioners cited inconsistency with comprehensive-plan goals for the CPO, concerns about potential adverse impacts to nearby lands and cultural resources, and the precedent risk of removing parcels from the overlay. The commission voted to recommend denial and asked that its findings reference the relevant code criteria and the staff report.

The applicant said it will pursue discussions with County Council and that deed restrictions and community benefits in the proposed development agreement are intended to address many of the concerns raised.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation is advisory; County Council will consider the application and any development agreement going forward.