Task force favors design and scale limits for Forest Beach; Jonesville poll shows split on short-term rentals

Hilton Head Island staff and task force members on May 21 debated whether land-use rules should be used to limit short-term rental (STR) impacts in two residential areas and signaled preference for design- and scale-focused regulation in Forest Beach while Jonesville drew divided views.

Town Manager Mark Orlando told the Land Management Ordinance Task Force that staff will prioritize a set of near-term LMO amendments, including fixed wetland buffers, stronger tree-protection requirements and tightened subdivision standards, and that staff will draft code changes over the next roughly 60 days. "Once we have the code written, we're coming right back in here," Orlando said, adding staff will present an executive summary and the draft code in late July or early August.

Trey, a staff presenter, separated two questions: operational enforcement (parking, noise, occupancy, inspections) already handled under the municipal code, and land-use changes that would affect concentration, mass and scale over time. "The current STR ordinance already contains extensive operational regulations," Trey said, listing annual permits, parking limits, guest notices, inspections and an STR rapid-response hotline. He added that those operational tools do not directly address cumulative redevelopment patterns or neighborhood scale.

Staff presented permit counts showing about 7,300 active STR permits townwide and localized concentrations on the landward side of North and South Forest Beach Drive: 88 licensed STRs in 187 single-family landward units in North Forest Beach (47%) and similar figures on the South Forest Beach landward side. By contrast, Trey said Jonesville Road currently has only three permitted STRs among 184 housing units (~1.6%).

Enforcement lead Bob Bromage described the town's operational approach and staffing. "Parking would be the one that we substantiate most," Bromage said when asked which complaint types are most often upheld. He told the task force the enforcement unit totals 12 staff plus three seasonal parking attendants and operates proactively through the summer, with a 24/7 hotline routed to dispatch for after-hours calls.

Public comment reflected a mix of neighborhood experiences. Several North/South Forest Beach residents described late-night noise and party behavior as their chief concerns and urged limits on building mass and occupancy. "Noise is my biggest complaint," said Deborah Arado, a 52-year resident and long-time Forest Beach association member. Some owners and industry representatives urged mass-and-scale controls rather than outright prohibitions; a short-term-rental owner who also lives year-round in the neighborhood said design limits and updated overlay rules could address impacts without removing rental rights.

Native-islander residents urged attention to equity and heritage. Yolanda Coy McKinney, identifying herself as a sixth-generation native islander, said some Gullah Geechee families use STR income to preserve ancestral land and asked the task force to balance neighborhood protections with cultural and economic needs.

Representing Jonesville residents, Daniel Anthony, president of the Jonesville Preservation Society, told the task force that the majority of Jonesville residents oppose STRs there and asked the town to respect community preference when deciding zoning tools.

After discussion, the task force took two polls. For the landward side of North and South Forest Beach Drive, staff reported that 13 of 17 pollers (responses received at that time) favored "additional design and development standards" rather than elimination or a cap. The Jonesville poll produced a split: just over half favored additional design and development standards for Jonesville Road, about 40% favored eliminating STRs there, and roughly 7% favored a cap. The chair said staff will use the poll results to guide drafting.

Next steps: staff will draft specific LMO amendments informed by these preferences, return with an executive summary and code text in late July/early August, and the task force expects further review by the planning commission and town council (two readings for ordinance adoption). The task force also flagged a September start for Gullah Geechee preservation task force work.

The task force did not adopt formal ordinances at the May 21 meeting; members asked staff to return proposed LMO language for additional review. The task force is scheduled to reconvene in summer for further action.