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Residents and developers clash over Pine Island plan and Cultural Protection Overlay at Beaufort County caucus
Summary
Dozens of public commenters addressed Beaufort County Council in an extended public‑comment period focused on the Pine Island proposal and the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO), with speakers sharply divided between preserving the CPO and supporting a developer‑led down‑zoning plan that proponents say brings jobs and a youth center.
Dozens of residents and community representatives used an extended public‑comment period at the April 28 Beaufort County caucus to debate the proposed Pine Island down‑zoning plan and the county’s Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO).
Supporters of keeping the CPO as written argued it protects Gullah Geechee culture, local seafood industries and the island’s ecology. Speaker Queen Quip urged council to “continue to uphold the CPO, keep its boundaries intact,” saying past development had closed off access and harmed local livelihoods. Penn Center representative Dr. Robert Adams told the council the CPO originated in community work in the 1990s and described it as “the vision of responsible growth.”
Other speakers—several identifying themselves as island residents—told the council the Pine Island down‑zoning plan offers real investments for youth and local entrepreneurs. Elizabeth Ann Hayes, who said she participated in the project charrettes, told council she believes the developer is “asking for less, which is down‑zoning,” and warned that rejecting the plan could leave the community with denser, unplanned development: “The rejection of the Pine Island plan won’t stop anything. In fact, that will guarantee you 150 homes and septic tanks, 90 docks … and no community investment.”
Willie Terrell, who said he spends nearly all his time on Saint Helena Island, called for evidence‑based decisions and emphasized demographic changes since 1999, citing census shifts in local racial composition and urging council to craft rules that meet current CPO goals. By contrast, Dean Pence and others said the Pine Island project could fund a multipurpose recreation and education center for island youth and create local jobs.
Speakers repeatedly urged council to balance cultural preservation and economic opportunity. Some asked for a public ballot measure tied to the comprehensive plan review; others urged the council to honor the results of community charrettes and the Pine Island project website materials.
Council did not take a final vote on Pine Island during the caucus; the debate mainly occurred during the public‑comment period and procedural extensions. Council members noted they had extended public comment by 10 minutes to allow additional speakers to participate before moving on to other agenda items.
