Beaufort Community Reacts to Pine Island Golf Resort Development Decision
BEAUFORT — On a calm September 16 afternoon, a flicker of tension filled the air as residents crowded into the Beaufort County Council chambers. After a brief public session, they settled in for a closed-door discussion that lasted over two hours. The topic on everyone’s mind was a development project proposed by Pine Island Property Holdings LLC: the idea of establishing three six-hole golf courses on the 502-acre Pine Island property. This proposal, however, has been met with a **roiling undercurrent of opposition**.
The council’s special session was convened to address an offer made during court-ordered mediation regarding the appeal filed by the property owners after a county decision denied their application in June 2023. With the mediation having taken place on September 5, curious onlookers filled the chambers, waiting to learn the fate of the proposed golf resort.
The Council’s Decision
As the clock ticked on, the council members emerged from their executive session. Council Chair Joseph Passiment directed Councilmember Alice Howard to present a motion, signaling the next steps in this ongoing saga. “I would like to make a motion to authorize the county attorney to advise the mediator that Council does not accept the settlement proposal made in mediation,” Howard stated firmly.
In a swift roll-call vote soon after, the council voted 8-3 to reject the settlement offer. The room erupted into applause and cheers from those opposed to the development. “We have to accept the past and the future, for without one there cannot be the other,” beamed Penn Center Trustee David Yoakley Mitchell, reflecting the sentiments in the room. The community had clearly expressed their concerns regarding the potential impact this development could bring.
Community Voice
Such considerations have long haunted Councilman York Glover, whose opposition to the project is well-known. “I was nervous before the vote was taken. You never know, but I was glad for the outcome,” he shared jubilantly. The anxiety of whether the community’s concerns would be adequately represented had kept him on edge, but this outcome allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
“It really says that Council wants to move on,” Glover continued, underscoring the community’s desire to retain the character of the area. While the Council has passed the buck to the court regarding the matter, it marks a significant turn in the local government’s relationship with its constituents.
The Road Ahead
With the mediation phase of the appeal drawing to a close, attorney Leslie Lenhardt, representing the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, indicated that the next steps would see a declaration of an impasse in mediation. “After this, oral arguments in the appeal will be scheduled,” Lenhardt explained. The outcome is yet to be determined, but there’s a possibility that other resolutions could emerge. “There’s always an opportunity to explore solutions like a conservation solution,” she added, hinting at a glimmer of hope for a compromise.
The council’s decision follows a broader ongoing conversation about land use and environmental stewardship in Beaufort. As counties and cities wrestle with development versus conservation, this case is representative of larger trends not just in Beaufort, but across the nation.
In a separate development, Beaufort Memorial Hospital recently withdrew its application to open a 20-bed facility in Bluffton, indicating the complexities and challenges around health and land use amidst the overlapping interests of business, community, and conservation.
With long-standing questions surrounding the Pine Island property, a careful watch will be kept on the court’s forthcoming decisions. The fate of the proposed golf courses, along with the community’s vision for the preserved lands it cherishes, remains to be seen. But for now, the spirit of community engagement is alive and thriving, as Beaufortians come together to voice their hopes and concerns over this cherished slice of nature.
