Daufuskie residents urge Beaufort County to preserve Prospect Road and 200 acres

Public commenters implored the Beaufort County Council on Jan. 20 to preserve Prospect Road and a roughly 200-acre tract on Daufuskie Island, arguing the measures would protect historic access, emergency evacuation routes and the island’s cultural landscape.

Bruce Wallace, who identified himself as an attorney practicing in Charleston and Beaufort County for nearly 30 years, urged the council to approve an agreement that would "preserve over 200 acres" and prevent development that has been proposed in some approvals as 90 to 600 homesites. "By approving ... you preserve those 200 acres, which means, saving 200 acres from impervious driveways, parking pads, and home sites, preserving 200 acres from tree loss, preserving the 200 acres from the septic systems," Wallace said.

Michael Hubbard, chair of the Daufuskie Island Council, told the council that Prospect Road "has been in use at least since the late day 18 hundreds" and described it as part of the island’s original network of public roads serving historic Gullah Geechee communities. Hubbard said the road functions as a public way for residents, service providers and public safety personnel and noted that a nonbinding community referendum last year favored keeping Prospect Road open by nearly a 3-to-1 margin. "Because Beaufort County bears responsibility for emergency planning and evacuation safety, preserving access to reliable routes like Prospect Road is a core public safety concern," he said.

Deborah Smith, who said she has worked on the issue for 10 years and read a letter from longtime resident Lancey Burn, framed the roads as historical artifacts that "deserve to be revered, saved, and maintained." Smith also told the council that closing Prospect Road is not a prerequisite to creating a conservation area and urged the property owner to consider conservation options that would leave public access intact.

Speakers cited deed language recorded in 2002 and 2012 and referenced county zoning history, noting that property-recorded rights can be extinguished only through formal vacation, abandonment under strict standards, or a court order. Commenters asked the council to weigh public-safety and historical-preservation consequences before approving any changes that would reduce public access.

The council acknowledged the comments and then moved into executive session to discuss legal matters related to pending litigation over Prospect Road.