Town design studio reports 132 historic‑neighborhood requests since 2021; staff to provide details on request

Veronica Stewart, project manager for the town's Historic Neighborhoods Permitting and Design Studio, briefed the Gullah Geechee Land and Cultural Preservation Task Force on May 4, saying the program has fielded 132 requests from its October 2021 inception through April 2026.

"From the inception of this program in October 2021 to April 2026, there has been a total of 132 requests," Stewart said, and she added that 107 of those have been completed or closed and 25 are currently active. Stewart told the panel that 12 requests arrived in the current calendar year and that staff are actively working with about five of those cases.

Stewart highlighted the range of requests the design studio handles — from manufactured‑housing placement to heirs‑property assistance and business‑licensing questions — and said current cases come from historic neighborhoods including Big Hill, Bayball, Spanish Wells, Stoney and Squire Pope. She said staff have seen an increase in business‑licensing assistance since the last meeting.

Committee members asked for a breakdown of the 12 requests that arrived this year and for testimonials documenting successful outcomes. Stewart said staff can provide the specific information while respecting privacy and noted that some heirs‑property matters involve sensitive family circumstances.

The task force did not take a formal vote on program funding or policy at the May 4 meeting; members requested staff follow up with a data report and possible testimonials at a future meeting.