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County approves up-to-$2.187M grant to Town of Hilton Head for Jonesville Road tract, adds conditions for future grant returns
Summary
Beaufort County's Natural Resources Committee approved a grant to the Town of Hilton Head for a 6-acre Jonesville Road tract up to the appraised value of $2,187,000, and amended the motion to require that any additional conservation funds later received be returned to the county green-space fund and that applicants cooperate on pursuing other grants.
The Natural Resources Committee voted Jan. 12 to authorize the county administrator to provide funds to the Town of Hilton Head to support the town's purchase of a 6-acre tract on Jonesville Road, not to exceed the appraised value.
Green-space staff said the county-contracted appraisal set the county's recommended contribution at $2,187,000. "If you approve this ... the county would offer the town $2,187,000 for the appraised value," Green Space Committee chair Mike McShane said during the discussion.
A council member moved to amend the grant so that any additional conservation funds the town later receives for the same property would be returned to the green-space program; another amendment asked that the applicant cooperate with county staff on applying for outside grants so the county can benefit from any third-party funding. Both amendments were adopted before the committee approved the motion as amended.
Committee members debated ownership and grant mechanics, including whether the county could later apply for grants on the property and how grant restrictions might affect future mitigation or right-of-way work. Green-space staff said some grants limit who can be the fee owner but that staff would explore cooperative application language and bring a consistent policy back to the green-space committee.
The committee approved the motion as amended by show of hands. Staff said the town would remain the proposed owner under the agreement and that any additional funds received later would be returned to the county green-space account per the amendment.
Next steps: county staff and green-space legal counsel will draft the grant terms, including the cooperation and reimbursement conditions approved by the committee, and return the final agreement for execution.
