Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer presents Pine Island downzoning plan, says it would remove 100 homes and preserve open space
Summary
A developer representative told the Planning Commission he has submitted a plan to downzone Pine Island that would remove about 100 residential units, preserve large tracts of shoreline and open space, and include a proposed $3 million community facility on St. Helena and ongoing revenue streams, citing environmental and scenic benefits.
Kevin Dukes, a real‑estate attorney speaking as a member of the applicant team, presented a non‑agenda downzoning plan for property commonly referred to as Pine Island. Dukes said the plan would permanently remove roughly 100 residential units from the island — a figure he described as a 66% reduction — reduce traffic and preserve substantial open space along Village Creek, Headings Creek and the Morgan River.
"This plan will involve the reduction in density... the downzoning of a 100 residential units permanently removed," Dukes said, adding that the proposal would "create economic impacts and investments into the local community and Beaufort County as a whole." He described a proposed $3,000,000 investment for a community and recreational facility on St. Helena and said the project would bring ongoing revenue and "over $100,000,000 investment into the island" in his view.
Dukes also cited environmental claims: he stated the plan would remove about 30,000 linear feet of permitted docks from local shorelines and eliminate more than 1,000,000 square feet of impervious surface; he said roughly 360 acres (he characterized this as about 82%) would be preserved as open space. The presentation materials were distributed to the planning staff and public.
The remarks were delivered during the non‑agenda public comment portion and did not trigger a formal vote. Planning staff accepted copies of the submission for review and indicated the application would enter the formal review process if filed.
