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Public speakers urge Beaufort County Council to uphold Cultural Protection Overlay as Pine Island proposal advances
Summary
At a special call meeting, the Beaufort County Council heard public comment split between proponents of the Pine Island development and residents and advocates urging the council to keep the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) intact; council then approved a large budget carryover and moved into executive session to receive legal advice about the Pine Island development agreement application.
At a special call meeting, the Beaufort County Council heard extensive public comment over a proposed development on Pine Island and then voted to enter executive session for legal advice on the application.
The dispute centers on a development agreement filed by Pine Island Property Holdings LLC that would remove the applicant’s parcel from the county’s Cultural Protection Overlay District, known as the CPO. Kevin Dukes, the applicant’s attorney, told the council the "Pine Island Plan is a development agreement" and called it a "responsible, low-impact development" that would provide environmental protections, fewer impacts than denser development, and local jobs. Dukes also argued the requested removal would affect only the applicant’s property and that removing a parcel by legislative action does not create binding precedent for future councils.
The comments opposing the carve-out came from multiple speakers representing the Gullah Geechee community and environmental advocates. Leslie Linhardt, an attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project representing the Gullah Geechee Sea Island Coalition, told the council the proposed agreement is "soundly inconsistent with the rules of the county" and cited section 6-31-70 of the Development Agreement Act, saying a development agreement must be consistent with the government’s comprehensive plan and land-development regulations. Queen Quet urged the council "not to turn back" from upholding the CPO and said Saint Helena Island is a "unique jewel of cultural legacy" that should be protected from gated communities, resorts and golf courses.
A separate speaker, Robert New, pressed the council to disclose the identities of Pine Island’s majority owners, accused the developer of three years of "deceptions," and urged negotiation for a fair public acquisition if appropriate. Gerald Brown, a local realtor, described economic pressures on Saint Helena Island and said the CPO currently prevents him from using inherited land; Brown said revisions could create economic opportunities for longtime residents.
After public comment closed, the council announced it would consider legal advice about the Pine Island development agreement in executive session under South Carolina Code section 30-4-70(a)(2). The Chair read the statutory basis and the council voted to go into executive session.
The meeting record shows the matter will proceed to closed-session legal deliberations; no final council decision on the development agreement was announced in open session.
