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Saint Helena residents urge committee to uphold CPO, oppose Pine Island golf proposal
Summary
Residents from Saint Helena Island told the Beaufort County Public Facilities and Safety Committee on Sept. 16 that a proposed Pine Island golf development and related changes to the CPO risk harming fishing livelihoods, local ecology and community services; several speakers asked the council to delay any vote and provide full documents to the public.
Residents of Saint Helena Island pressed the Beaufort County Public Facilities and Safety Committee on Sept. 16 to uphold the CPO and delay action on a Pine Island golf-course proposal, saying proposed development would harm commercial fishing, open marshes and community resources.
Craig Reeves, a commercial fisherman, told the committee he and other fishermen are "scared to death of what the CPO would allow," saying the plan discussed in other meetings could permit as many as 150–160 houses and roughly 100 docks on Village Creek and would be “very detrimental” to livelihoods that rely on the creek.
Jendia Blunt, founder and CEO of Mid City Youth Sports Association and the Henry Clay Foundation, described programs that support Beaufort County students and veterans and raised practical needs for older youth — housing, books, scholarships, tutoring and transportation — arguing that community input and resource protections matter for families affected by development.
Inez Miller and another lifelong resident, Susan, urged the committee to protect Saint Helena and the CPO, warning that changes such as a golf course could require pesticide use and raise taxes; Miller cited local land-retention work at Penn Center and asked council members to preserve water- and shore-related livelihoods and recreation.
Theresa White, founder and CEO of the Pan African Family and Palm Indian Land Preservation Network, asked the committee not to take a vote on the Pine Island golf proposal that day and to let the public see full proposal materials rather than a brief summary presented at the meeting.
Why it matters: speakers said the CPO was written to protect the environment and local economies tied to the water. Committee members did not take final action on Pine Island during the meeting; White’s request and multiple public comments asked the body to provide full documentation and time for public review before any vote.
What’s next: the comments were recorded during the public-comment period; committee members and staff will consider public input. Theresa White specifically asked the committee to delay a vote and provide full proposal materials to the public before any decision.
Provenance: coverage based on public comments (topic intro: SEG 252; topic finish: SEG 426).
