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Dozens of residents urge council to scrap Sunset/Miller roundabout plan
Summary
Ten speakers during public comment told Beaufort County Council on Feb. 10 they oppose routing highway traffic onto Sunset and Miller drives, arguing a 115‑foot roundabout and tree removal would harm neighborhood safety and character and urging alternatives such as stop signs, speed humps or turn lanes.
Dozens of residents addressed Beaufort County Council during public comment on Feb. 10 to oppose a proposed transportation project that would divert highway traffic onto Sunset Boulevard and Miller Drive and construct a large roundabout.
Carrie Majors, the first public commentator, urged the council to build a larger youth and community center for St. Helena Island, then focused on the transportation item that drew the largest crowd. ‘‘We are opposed to this idea,’’ resident Dan Rydell said, describing Sunset Boulevard as a ‘‘canopy street’’ where proposed tree removal would destroy neighborhood character. Sean Darby, who lives at 9 Miller Drive, said the streets are residential and ‘‘not highways’’ and suggested improving the Highway 21/802 intersection with turn lanes rather than diverting traffic into neighborhoods.
Several residents cited safety concerns and local traffic history. Thomas Florio Jr., who said he moved to the area in 1985, told the council the intersection near his home had seen no accidents in decades and questioned the need and cost of the proposed roundabout; he suggested three stop signs instead. Jan Malinowski and Kevin Cupia reported past fatalities on Sunset Boulevard and urged low‑cost calming measures, including stop signs and speed bumps. ‘‘We want more stop signs, not the one [we have] stripped away,’’ Harley Roof said, urging the council to reallocate funds to other referendum projects.
Other speakers — including Carol Clayton Ruff, Vida Yau, Robert Detreville, Susan Hogue, Richie Heap and Rose Ewing — presented petitions (multiple residents reported more than 150 signatures) and argued that the 115‑foot roundabout would divert commercial traffic, risk pedestrians and schoolchildren, and remove canopy trees that define the street. Susan Hogue also raised the potential impact of a nearby drive‑through on traffic backups.
Council members repeatedly noted the formal public comment period and informed the audience that the county website would accept written comments through Feb. 14 and that the Public Facilities Committee will review project updates at its Feb. 17 meeting (presentations later corrected to Feb. 18). Several residents said they will press council at upcoming committee meetings and present their petition.
No formal action or vote on the project occurred during this meeting; councilmembers and staff reiterated the process for committee review and public participation.
