Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge council to reject Pine Island rezoning; public commenters cite CPO and infrastructure concerns
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged Beaufort County Council to uphold the Community Protection Overlay (CPO) and reject rezoning and increased density for the Pine Island proposal, raising concerns about traffic, infrastructure and cultural preservation.
During public comment on June 9, multiple speakers urged the council to resist rezoning and density increases proposed for Pine Island and nearby sea-island areas. Felice LaMarca asked why rural T2 parcels were being upzoned and criticized the limited number of affordable units in the development plan: “Why aren't they the whole project affordable housing? Why do we get 244 units and only 10 affordable housing?” she asked.
Phil McDonough, vice chair of the CPO committee, thanked the council for upholding the overlay protections and accused some supporters of the development of staging or scripted appearances at prior hearings. He told council there was a ‘‘mixed multitude’’ of people supporting the project and urged the council to follow the planning commission’s unanimous recommendation against the developer’s requested zoning changes.
Speakers reiterated concerns about traffic impacts (including reference to routes such as U.S. 170 and I-170), the adequacy of road infrastructure, and the importance of protecting historically and culturally significant Sea Island lands such as those anchored by the Penn Center. Council did not take a final land-use vote at the June 9 meeting; the item is expected to return for further consideration with formal readings and staff reports.
