Beaufort County panel approves several short-term rental permits after Daufuskie neighbors raise safety and noise concerns

Vice Chair Jane Frederick called the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals to order and moved item 15 to the top of the agenda. The board approved revisions to the agenda and then considered a series of short-term rental permit applications, approving each application after limited discussion and public comment.

Robert Fountain, representing Matthew Roberts and Nathan Purvis, described the application for 16 Bluff on Daufuskie Island as "a well maintained house, with a dock" and said "Daufuskie Island Council is in support of short term rentals." Fountain said the property would have a four-day minimum stay and would not allow dogs; management, he said, would be handled by Daufuskie Rental Group, and managers live on the island and could be contacted if problems arise.

Several neighbors spoke during the public-comment period. Catherine Lamas, who said her family has owned 4.23 acres adjacent to the property for more than 80 years, described the private two‑lane dirt road and said renters "speed down the road," hold "nightly noisy parties," and have been using private docks. "I have 7 grandchildren. It makes me very nervous," Lamas said, urging the board to require a longer minimum stay to reduce turnover and party traffic.

Amy Menzie, who said she lives three feet away from the proposed rental, recounted an incident when multiple boats came loose and struck her boat and said she initially could not reach the renters or owner. "Safety with no law enforcement, the dirt road are my big concerns," Menzie said, and asked who would maintain the road and handle emergencies.

Fountain acknowledged the neighbors' complaints, said the owner had already limited boats to one per rental after an earlier incident, and agreed to post management contact information more prominently. He also noted management would remind guests that children are not permitted to drive golf carts and that trash pickup occurs twice weekly.

After discussion the board voted to approve the short-term rental permit for 16 Bluff; Vice Chair Jane Frederick moved approval and John seconded (no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript). The board then approved additional short-term rental requests: for 183 Sea Pines Drive (applicants Joseph Underwood and Michelle Decker), for the Bassells in Walsh Subdivision (managed by TideWatch/JC), for 105 Harbor Breeze Drive (Douglas Martin), and for 2906 2nd Street in Buford (Anthony Goodwater, represented by Juanita Goodwater). In each case the county reported no covenantal restrictions or objections and board members moved and seconded approval motions.

The approvals were procedural and each included brief questions about management and site details; for the items on Daufuskie neighbors pushed for stronger operational safeguards and clearer contact information. The board did not record roll-call tallies in the transcript for these votes and did not add conditions beyond those discussed in the hearings.

The board moved on to later agenda items after approving the permits.