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Planning board allows one accessory dwelling at 1527 Front St. to be rented; keeps two units for family use
Summary
After hearing the applicant and neighborhood parking concerns, the planning board amended a prior special‑use permit at 1527 Front St. to allow the larger accessory dwelling unit to be rented while requiring the main house and smallest accessory structure remain for family use only. The applicant volunteered the compromise; the board approved the change.
The Town of Beaufort Planning Board voted to amend a prior special‑use permit condition for 1527 Front Street so that one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on the property may be rented while the primary house and a smaller accessory structure remain reserved for family use only.
Staff explained that the original SUP (approved by the Board of Commissioners in 2019 and signed in 2021) included a condition limiting accessory structures on the parcel to family use. The property contains a principal house and two accessory structures built after the SUP was approved; staff said the applicant has removed online rental listings after a code‑enforcement action but is now applying to modify the SUP condition so the owner can rent the accessory units.
Albert Hike, general manager for Southern Living Homes and representative of the owner, told the board the accessory structures have seen little family use and that the owner would prefer to rent one of the accessory units for short‑term stays aimed at traveling nurses or similar guests. He emphasized parking for rentals would be provided in the rear of the property and said the owner is not seeking to turn the principal house into a short‑term rental.
Board members raised concerns about parking and the potential for increased street parking on narrow Front Street. After discussion the applicant volunteered a compromise that the board accepted: the primary dwelling and the smallest accessory structure would remain for family use only; the larger accessory dwelling unit in the back could be rented. A motion implementing that arrangement passed on a voice vote of members present; the transcript does not list a numeric tally.
The board reasoned the compromise reduced the impact on on‑street parking while allowing the owner limited rental use. Staff noted that the Commissioners’ quasi‑judicial hearing would provide formal notice and the opportunity for neighbors to present evidence if they wished to contest the change.
What’s next: Staff will forward the planning board’s recommended amendment to the Board of Commissioners for the formally noticed quasi‑judicial decision. Neighbors will be able to provide sworn testimony at that hearing about parking, traffic and property‑value impacts.
