May 26, 2022 Zoning Board of Appeals

SO YOU'RE STILL NOT BEHIND THE HOUSE AT SEVEN FEET.

SEVEN FEET IS FROM THIS, LOOKING AT THAT PICTURE.

YOU'RE NOT SHOWING IT.

I'M NOT BEHIND THE HOUSE.

NO, I'M NOT EXACTLY RIGHT BEHIND THE HOUSE, BUT I AM BEHIND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T TAKE ALL MY MOTHER'S PLANTS OUT AND EVERYTHING ALONG THE HOUSE LINE.

SO REALLY TO TRY AND GET THAT ANGLE, I'D HAVE TO CURVE IT AROUND TO GET THAT ANGLE.

IT'S MORE THAN I THINK THIS WAY, IT DOESN'T MOVE FROM THAT.

THIS MOVES.

I UNDERSTAND.

AND WAS THERE WASN'T ANYTHING DONE? YOU HADN'T DONE ANY WORK ON THIS LAST TIME? I MEAN, I DIDN'T, IT WAS DIFFERENT WORK YOU'VE BEEN DONE.

I HAVEN'T DONE ANY WORK ON ANYTHING I BROUGHT IN.

I BROUGHT IN SOME DIRT JUST TO KIND OF SEE IF, UH, IF THIS AREA WOULD WORK FOR ME AND WORKED FOR MY NEIGHBORS AND WORK FOR THE HOA.

UH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I DID DIRT DIRT, AND I CAN MOVE THAT AROUND AND WHEREVER I NEED TO MOVE.

UM, I'VE BEEN AT FIRST SUBMITTED THIS TO THE HOA BACK ON MAY 25TH OF LAST YEAR.

SO I REALLY HAVEN'T DONE ANY WORK.

I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS GOING TO WORK AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL.

SO YOU CONSTRUCTED THIS DIRT PAD FROM LAST MONTH TOO.

IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.

OH, I DIDN'T BRING PICTURES OVER THE LAST TIME I DID THIS.

LET'S JUST START OF YOUR FOOTPRINT.

PARDON ME? YOUR FOOTPRINT.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO? CORRECT.

THE SETBACK FOR THIS LOT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THAT.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD ON TOP OF THAT PAD, RIGHT? OKAY.

WITH, WITH THE LETTER, THE HOA, I MEAN, THAT'S STILL GOING FURTHER THAN THE AUTHORITY THAT THEY HAVE IN THE COVENANTS AND MUCH LIKE, UH, THE DOCUMENT THAT WE SHOWED YOU LAST WEEK, WHERE THE HOA, IF THEY WERE TO AGREE TO THIS COULD FILE SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE, THE WAIVER OF THIS, UH, ENCROACHMENT IN

[00:10:01]

AND SO IT'S IN RECORD, UH, THAT IT'S WAIVED PRIOR TO US MAKING A DECISION.

I GOT A QUESTION.

MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER IT, EVEN THOUGH THE HOA PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT APPROVED IT, WASN'T THERE A RULING ABOUT IT TOOK A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF VOTES TO OVERRIDE THEM COVENANTS.

DOES THAT APPLY HERE? WELL, I WOULDN'T BE MAKING ANY KIND OF LEGAL OPINION ON WHAT THE HOA WERE DOING.

WHAT I THINK IS THAT ON THE SERVICE AND WITH RESPECT TO THE ZONING DECISION, THE HOA CAN APPROVE A VARIANCE OR THE AARC COVENANT FOR VARIANTS UP TO 25%, UH, ON THE SURFACE THAT RIGHT HERE, THIS LETTER SAYING THREE FEET IS FURTHER THAN THAT.

AND SO WE WOULD JUST HAVE, EVEN IF WE APPROVE THIS VARIANCE, IT'S ON THE SURFACE, YOU KNOW, FURTHER THAN WHAT'S ALLOWABLE IN THE COVENANT.

SO I THINK IS A PROPER CHAIN.

IT WOULD BE MOST PROPER, UH, FOR THE HOA TO HAVE SOME, A WAIVER IN THE RECORD, ALONG WITH IT.

SO THAT THERE, PRIOR TO GRANT ANY VARIANTS FOR, SO AM I CORRECT? YOU'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR TOO, I THINK THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT WE W WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE IT BEFORE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A PATCH TO THE, UM, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

CAN WE FOLLOW THEM THOUGH? YEAH.

THE REGISTERED DEEDS.

SO IF WE, COULD WE PASS THE MOTION TONIGHT, CONTINGENT ON THAT THAT HAS TO BE DONE, OR WE HAVE TO WAIT.

I WOULD THINK THAT, UH, THAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, FILED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OF THIS TO BE CONTINGENT UPON THAT.

COULD WE, UM, AS LANA SAYING PASSED IT, BUT IT WOULD BE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT FIRST, AND THEN IT WOULD BE A STAFF APPROVAL.

WE COULD GET THE STAFF APPROVAL AFTER THAT.

IT IS THE SET.

CAUSE THAT WOULD BE FURTHER THAN STAFF CAN MODULATE.

CORRECT.

WELL, YEAH, BECAUSE, WELL, THE STAFF AND ULTIMATELY WE STILL BE PUTTING THE CART, THEY TOO LATE TO DO WHAT THEY THEY'RE DOING.

AND IT COULD, YOU KNOW, BY THE NEXT MEETING AND THAT'S THERE ONCE, ONCE THEY'VE ACTED AND WE WE'VE PROVIDED A SAMPLE, DOCUMENTED IT, THEY CAN FOLLOW IT.

AND THEN THAT'S CLEARLY IN THE RECORD AND WE CAN, AND THEN I THINK THE PARENTS CAN BE GRAIN TO THAT TO EXCEED THE TWO AND A HALF FEET IS WHAT YOU WAS, WHAT YOU WERE ALLUDING TO BECAUSE 25% WOULD BE TWO AND A HALF FEET.

AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'VE PROVEN IT, PASS THEM.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING WE SHOULD WAIT FOR THE WAIVER.

THAT'S WHAT WE SAID LAST TIME, TOO.

SO THEREFORE HE NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THIS HERE, A B, AND WOULD THE FLAVOR OF BEEF FOR TWO AND A HALF FEET OR THREE FEET.

IT WOULD BE FOR WHAT, WHAT THE TRAIN DID IT, IT COULD BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT WE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE.

IF THEY WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH IT.

I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE, BUT IT'S PROPER TO HAVE ALL OF THAT AND RECORD AND IT'S DOABLE.

SO ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON? CORRECT? YEP.

SO IS THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE CHOICES THAT WE HAVE HERE NOW, DO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO THEM AND RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN HOPEFULLY GET THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING.

SO WOULD YOU LIKE A CONTINUANCE? ALRIGHT.

SO IT'S SOMEONE LIKE YOU, WE CONTINUE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING.

HOW SLACK IN THAT.

SO IT'S SPEND, PROBABLY MADE TO CONTINUE JUST A SECOND.

SO I GUESS REALLY THE NEED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AS WELL.

WE OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM? NUMBER SIX, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.

THAT'S BEEN CLOSED.

ITEM MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING ON THE MICROPHONE ON SOMETHING.

[00:15:03]

LET'S SEE.

THERE'S THIS MICROPHONE.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

ITEM NUMBER,

[8. Mr. David Rowe is requesting a Variance to construct a garage 30- feet from the rear property line. Property is located at 9 Cramer Avenue, Bluffton. The property is zoned T2-Rural (T2R). Continued from Last Month’s Meeting.]

MR. DAVID.

HE WROTE REQUESTING THEIR PARENTS TO CONSTRUCT THE GARAGE 30 FEET FROM THE REAR PROPERTY LINE.

I HAVE SOME AGENDA.

YOU HAVE ANOTHER COPY? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.

AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.

UH, I THINK THE REASON FOR NOT APPROVING THE VARIANCE WAS NOT, COULDN'T PROVE A HARDSHIP.

IT IS INDEED A HARDSHIP.

IF I CAN'T BUILD A GARAGE, I HAVE TO MOVE.

UH, IN ADDITION, THAT'S, UH, WILLY CROACH ON A DRAINFIELD.

IF THE GARAGE IS TOWARDS THAT.

SO, SO YOU WERE SAYING, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU DO NOT GET THIS VARIANCE, YOU CAN NOT BUILD THIS GARAGE.

CORRECT.

AND COULD YOU HELP ME TO, CAUSE I DON'T SEE LOOKING AT YOUR PLAQUE, WHY COULDN'T THAT GARAGE BE CONSTRUCTED? UM, ONTO A DRAINFIELD.

SO WHERE'S YOUR DRINK POOL LOCATED? CAUSE I DON'T SEE WHERE IT'S STATE TO DREAM FOR YOU IN HERE.

OH, YOU JUST SUBMITTED IT.

THAT'S WHY IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THESE INFORMATION.

BEFORE WE COME TO THE MEETING, YOU, YOU STATE THAT THE GARAGE IS SMALLER, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SMALLER IT IS.

UM, IT'S THE REQUIREMENTS WERE SMALLER THAN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE HOUSE.

AND SO THE CAR PARK SECTION OF THE GARAGE HAS BEEN DELETED TOTAL SQUARE FOOT.

I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME NOW, BUT IT'S SMALLER THAN IT MEETS REGULATIONS SMALLER THAN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE HOUSE.

UM, WE REALLY NEED TO SEE STUFF INSTEAD OF JUST SAY THAT EXCUSE ME, ONE MOMENT.

WE WERE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK HERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TOO MANY HIGHS IN THE MICROSOFT.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY, IF IT'S ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCING IT, YOU'D HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AS YOU WERE.

YOU COULD ROTATE IT 90 DEGREES AND PUSH IT BACK TO THAT SIDE PROPERTY LINE AND MISS THE DRAIN FIELD DEPENDING ON WHERE IT IS.

THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THAT PACKET OR LETTERS FROM THEM THAT STATE THAT THEY HAVE NO OBJECTION TO WHERE THIS GARAGE IS GOING TO BE.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING STATING THAT THERE IS A DRAIN ROOM WHERE YOU HAVE DRAIN FIELD LOCATED? THAT THAT WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL AS WELL? OBJECTION, I THINK WITH THE DEMENTIA FIELD AND WHERE IT HAS AND THE DIMENSIONS, THE GARAGE, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE TERRIBLE 30 FEET, 50 FEET

[00:20:01]

YEAH, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND WHY THAT IS WHAT IT IS.

I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT, ON THAT PROPERTY, BUT THE PROPERTY THAT'S IN QUESTION HERE NOW.

UM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY.

MAYBE WE COULD FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THIS GARAGE CAN GO.

IT, I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT.

WE CAN POSSIBLY PLACE THIS ON THE PROPERTY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, VERUS OR SUCH.

THERE'S TWO HOUSES ON IT.

ONE IS A BUSINESS AS A BUSINESS TRUCKS.

WHERE'S THAT LOCATED? WHERE'S THE BUSINESS.

THE GRABBER.

IS THAT THE GRAVEL ROAD YOU REFERRING TO THAT? HAS IT LIKE A CIRCLE IN THE FRONT OF YOUR HOME? THE WAY ONE ELSE? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? NO, BUT I GOT A QUESTION FOR THE COUNTY.

I'M GOING TO CALL HIM UP AND JUST MAKING SURE.

UM, I'M QUITE SURE THAT THERE'LL BE MORE QUESTIONS.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE COUNTY NOW.

I MEAN, WE'D PROBABLY CALL YOU BACK UP IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

MA'AM UH, DID THE COUNTY ISSUE A PERMIT FOR THAT NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR? YES.

YES WE DID.

SO WHY DID THEY GET THE BUILD CLOSER? OKAY.

IS THERE LOTS WERE CREATED BEFORE THIS SLOT WAS CREATED? THIS SLOT WAS CREATED WITH A 50 FOOT REAR BUFFER, THOSE LOTS OF RECREATED WITH A 10 FOOT FRAME.

AND THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER THAN THIS SLOT.

SO THAT'S WHY, BUT THEY PUT THEIR HOUSE AT 20 FEET.

SO, YEAH.

AND UH, MY REPORT STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS APPROVAL TO SHOW NOTE, UH, HARDSHIP FOR LOCATION.

I MEAN, I CAN GRANT A 20% MODULATION.

THAT'S SURE I COULD.

AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE 40 FEET.

AND HE SAID HE REDUCED THE SIZE OF THE, BUT I HAVE NONE OF THAT INFORMATION AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE HIS SEPTIC TANK IS, SO I COULDN'T MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THAT.

SO I GUESS HE WOULD HAVE TO BRING, WE HAD TO GET A SURVEY, SHOW US EXACTLY WHAT THE DRAIN FIELDS ARE AND THE SEPTIC SYSTEM.

AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE IF THERE'S TRULY A HARDSHIP.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WHAT HE SAYING, HE CAN PROVE IT'S TRUE, THEN HE WOULD QUALIFY AS A HARDSHIP.

IT WOULD HELP.

BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE YOU COULD ROTATE IT, PUSH IT TO THE SIDE FOR FREE LINE TO MAYBE.

SO WHAT WE NEED IS MORE INFORMATION IS THE ROW, IF YOU WILL.

SO A COUPLE MORE THINGS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO, TO MAKE A DECISION.

I MEAN, IF WE COULD GET SURVEY TO COME OUT, OBVIOUSLY THE COUNTY CAN GIVE YOU A 20%, WHICH IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? WHICH WOULD, I GUESS, SOMEWHERE 40 FEET.

SO, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU SOME RELIEF.

UM, HAVE A SURVEY, SHOW US WHERE THAT DRAIN FIELD IS AT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE JUST HAVE DREAM FIELD.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIMENSIONS OR ANYTHING.

SO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL INFORMATION I UNDERSTOOD AND DRAW AND SHOW IN THE SIZE OF THE GARAGE.

THE FABRICATORS REVISING THOSE PLANS.

[00:25:01]

NOW THE GARAGE CAN'T BE ROTATED.

AND LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THERE'S A LIVE OAK, THEY'RE DESTROYED THE LIBRARY, HELPFUL ON THE SURVEY THAT WE COULD SEE IT.

SO YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO PUT THIS OFF UNTIL NEXT MONTH, THAT WAY YOU CAN GATHER THOSE INFORMATION, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN GET IT WITHIN A MONTH.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN REQUEST THAT FROM THIS BOARD A MONTH.

SORRY.

IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE SOONER, BUT WE ONLY MEET ONE, ONE TIME OUT OF THE MONTH.

WHICH IS THE FOURTH, THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU WERE REQUESTING YOU ASKING THIS BOY TO CONTINUE THIS UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING.

IT GETS A LITTLE TO MAKE THAT MOTION THAT WE CONTINUE THIS, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.

I'LL SECOND.

IT, SO THE, THE MOTION HAS BEEN CONSUMMATED IN SECOND TO CONTINUE THIS AND TELL YOU, GATHER THOSE UP, THAT THOSE REQUESTS, THAT INFORMATION, UM, ALL THE PEOPLE OF CONTINUING THIS NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING SIGNIFY THE RAISING YOUR HAND.

SO IT'S BEEN PASSED.

UH, SO IF YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION, SEND IT TO THE COUNTY THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD SEND IT TO US.

WE CAN HAVE THAT BEFORE THE MEETING AND NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

MR. RALPH MCCARTER IS REQUESTED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.

UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? SO WE CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, ITEM NUMBER 10,

[10. Mr. Ralph McCarter is requesting a Special Use Permit for a Short- Term Rental Unit. Property is located at 2 Blythewood Road, Ladys Island. The property is zoned Ladys Island Community Preservation (LICP).]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I BOUGHT A PROPERTY NUMBER TWO BLOCKS OF WOOD ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M GETTING OLDER WITH THE PURPOSE OF MOVING THERE AND BEING CLOSE TO MY FAMILY, WHICH LIVES ON FRIPP.

I'M PAYING FOR THE EDUCATION OF TWO GRANDKIDS.

ONE, WHICH WAS JUST GRADUATED WITH AN ENGINEERING DEGREE, VIRGINIA TECH, AND HAS PLANS TO DO GRADUATE WORK.

AND ANOTHER ONE, WHICH IS AT USC AND HAS TWO YEARS OF WILL BE A JUNIOR THIS FALL.

AND I HAD THE IDEA IF I COULD USE IT IN SHORT-TERM RENTALS, IT WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO USE PERSONALLY PART OF THE TIME WHEN I APPLIED FOR THE PERMIT, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE ORDINANCE INCLUDED MANY THINGS SUCH AS A BED AND BREAKFAST MOTELS, BUT NOT SHORT-TERM RENTAL.

WELL, IN MY OPINION, A SHORT-TERM RENTAL AND A BED AND BREAKFAST IS ABOUT THE SAME, EXCEPT I DON'T INTEND TO LIVE THERE DURING WHILE THEY'RE THERE.

NONE OF I SUPPLY FOOD.

SO THE STAFF SUGGESTED THAT WE DO, UH, AN ORDINANCE TEXT CHANGE, WHICH WE PROCEEDED TO DO, AND THEN FOLLOWED THE PROTOCOLS THROUGH AND ADDED THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS UNDER THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AS THE OTHERS ARE PERMITTED.

AND, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN THOSE APPROVALS.

AND NOW WE COME TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS I'VE MADE THE APPLICATION AND THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER AND EITHER APPROVE OR DISPUTE THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE OF THE CROP.

I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY HAS, SIR? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

I SEE THERE'S A POND ON THAT PROPERTY.

IT'S A SMALL FISH POND THAT HAS A LITTLE PUMP ON IT.

IT'S ABOUT 10 FEET IN DIAMETER.

SO YOU DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE FENCED IN FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTALS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES.

UH IT'S IT'S ONLY ABOUT 18 INCHES DEEP.

I'M AN ENGINEER.

IT'S PROBABLY A HAZARD.

I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION.

THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

SNAKE HAZARD.

WELL, I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BABY, A LITTLE THREE YEAR OLD FALLS IN THERE.

WELL, 18 INCHES MIGHT BE PLENTY OF WATER IT'S POSSIBLE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WELL, I SEE YOU, YOU SEEM TO ADMIT ALL THE OTHER CRITERIA IS FOR IT.

YOU HAVE MORE THAN THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF PARKING.

YOU HAVE FIVE SPACE THERE.

WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS.

YOU GOT LOTS OF SPACE.

IT'S A LARGE LOT AND IT'S VERY PRIVATE LOT IN THAT.

IT'S GOT A SOLID WOODEN FENCE ACROSS THE FRONT AND DOWN ONE SIDE AND VEGETATION ON THE OTHER.

AND I'VE CONSULTED WITH MY IMMEDIATE, UH, JOURNEY, UH, NEIGHBORS AND THEY'RE COMFORTABLE.

THEY'RE GOOD NEIGHBORS.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING THEIR NEIGHBOR PERMANENTLY

[00:30:01]

UH, DO ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, SIR, BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO NEED TO HAVE FROM THE COUNTY.

I MEAN, THEY HAVE GOOGLE HAVE, UH, APPROVING IT.

I MEAN THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE IT.

SO SHOULD WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? YEAH, WE CAN.

MR. WAYNE WILLINGBORO IS REQUESTING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT AS WELL.

SO AT THIS POINT WE OPENED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 10, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND WE CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT.

UM, YES, WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE US BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SOMEONE LIKE TO PUT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.

OH SECOND.

SO IT'S UH, UM, SO IT'S BEEN PROBABLY MADE IN SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR OF GRANTING THE ESPECIALLY USE FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL SIGNIFIED BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

SO IT'S BEEN PASSED, MR. MCCOTTER PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH ESPECIALLY USE TO SHARP TOWN.

UM, MR. ITEM NUMBER 12,

[12. Mr. Wayne Willenberg is requesting a Special Use Permit for a Short- Term Rental Unit. Property is located at 10 Quiet Cove Way, Ladys Island. The property is zoned T2-Rural (T2R).]

OKAY, GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH ME.

UH, THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL VARIANCE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL IN THE TWO.

WE HAVE A TWO-STORY GARAGE, UH, SEPARATE FROM OUR MAIN HOUSE AND ABOVE THE TRUE STORY ABOVE THE TWO CAR GARAGES, UH, AN APARTMENT, WHICH WE WISH TO RENT OUT ON A SHORT-TERM RENTAL BASIS.

AND WE WOULD USE THAT INCOME TO SUPPLEMENT OUR RETIREMENT IN THE TOWN.

THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I I'VE PLANNED TO ANSWER.

I'VE TRIED TO, UH, COMPLY WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE COUNTY HAS SET AND SUBMITTED ALL THE, THE INFORMATION AND YOUR STAFF I UNDERSTAND IS UPROOTED.

BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN ADDITION, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THAT.

AND THERE IS NOTHING IN YOUR COVENANT THAT STATES THAT YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SPECIAL YOUTH.

I MEAN, THEY, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN YOUR AREA.

HOW DO YOU DO HAVE COVENANTS? AND WE HAVE COVENANTS.

YES, WE DO.

AND I APPROACHED THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION AND ASKED FOR HIS PERMISSION TO ASK THESE VARIANTS THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE PROPERTY, BUT GIVE ME THAT APPROVAL.

IT IS THEIR COVENANTS.

THERE ARE DEFINITELY RESTRICT SHORT TERM RENTAL.

YOU'RE KIND OF BACK WHERE WE STARTED WITH THE LAST ONE.

NO WAY WITH RESPECT TO THIS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE.

SO YOU SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THAT WE HAD AT THE FIRST, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THIS RIGHT HERE, SUPERSEDES.

IF THEY HAVE TO DO IT, WHAT I'M SAYING WITH OURS IS WITH THE PRIOR THE DIFFERENCES IT BEING, BECAUSE IT'S RECORDED AS TO THE PLAT AND TO THE VARIOUS SEPARATE YES.

EH, USE THAT THE HOA COULD DEAL WITH ON IT ON ITS OWN AND NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE RECORDED.

SO THIS IS, THEY PURPORT TO WAVE AND THEY'VE GOT THE AUTHORITY THEN I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT HAD SOME FURTHER THAN THAT.

AN INABILITY TO ENFORCE ITS GOVERNANCE WITH RESPECT TO THAT THIRD USE.

SO THIS WOULD SUFFICE IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

THAT'S IN MY OPINION, IN YOUR OPINION.

SO YOU, UH, I WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE THE EMOTION TIED TO THIS SINCE IT NEEDS TO BE CONTINGENT UPON W W WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTINGENCIES THEY PUT WITHIN IT.

SO THAT IT'S ONLY FOR WHEN, UM, MR. , THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO, HE NEEDS US TO APPROVE THE USE.

COUNTY-WIDE, YOU KNOW, FURTHER THAN THAT, THE HOA WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S

[00:35:01]

SO AS LONG AS WE PUT THAT INTO MOTION, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE.

WE SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO CARRY THROUGH WITH, ESPECIALLY YOU USE WELL, NEED TO ANYONE ELSE? I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. UH WILLENBERG.

THANK YOU, MR. WILBERT.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE COULD THEN MOVE TO, DO WE NEED PUBLIC COMMENT? YEAH, ADAM.

NEXT WE WILL BE MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER 13, BEFORE WE COMPLETE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 12.

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 12? DID YOU FILL OUT ONE OF THESE FORMS HERE? ALL, HOW YOU DOING GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN? THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE.

STATE YOUR NAME, GORDON, FRITZ.

I LIVE ON LADY'S ISLAND.

IN FACT, VERY CLOSE TO MR. WALLENBERG.

UM, I DEVELOPMENT MARSHALL PLANTATION.

IT'S A 550 ACRE TRACK WITH 88 PROPERTIES.

THE PEOPLE THAT BOUGHT THOSE 88 PROPERTIES BOUGHT IT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COVENANT SAID, THERE'S NO BUSINESS THAT CAN BE CARRIED OUT ON THE LOTS.

UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT WAYNE WANTS TO DO WITH THIS PROPERTY, BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PRECEDENT THAT IT SETS FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN MARSH HAWK.

I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE CHARACTER OF MARCIA WILL BE CHANGED IF WE ALLOW BUSINESSES TO BE OPERATED ON THOSE 88 LOTS.

AND THAT'S WHY I OPPOSE THIS.

UM, AS I SAID, I DEVELOPED, I ALSO WROTE THE COVENANTS AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF MARSHA WAS TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COMMUNITY WHERE YOU COULD ENJOY THE PRIVACY AND SOME OF THE NATURAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE.

UM, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY, UM, ANY OF THOSE 88 PEOPLE OR 87 PEOPLE WOULD BE VERY HAPPY IF THEY WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND THERE WAS A BUSINESS NEXT DOOR TO THEM ANY MORE THAN YOU WOULD BE IF YOU WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND YOU HAD A BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO YOU ANYWAY, THAT'S WHY I OPPOSE THIS.

AND, UH, I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT PERMIT IT.

OF THE, THE HOA HAS THE, I DON'T KNOW, NET.

DID, DID YOU SAY YOU LIVE ON MY SHOCKER? YOU JUST ADJACENT TO THIS FOR THIS PROPERTY HERE, AND QUESTION, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM? WE CLOSE COMMENT.

WHAT WONDER? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO COVER, SAY YES TO THIS AND WHETHER, WHAT AUTHORITY THE BOARD PURPORTS TO HAVE, BUT IT COULD CERTAINLY PUT IT IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION OR ZONE, YOU KNOW, CORPORATE ACT, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVING WHATEVER POWER IT THINKS IT HAS TO, WITH RESPECT TO THIS SHORT-TERM RENTAL.

I MEAN, CAUSE WE, I HADN'T SEEN COVENANTS TO, TO KNOW IF THERE'S A PROHIBITION HAUNTED OR NOT.

AND READING THIS IT'S READS AS THE PRESIDENT HAS ASSUMED THE POWER TO MAKE THE DECISION AND THAT IT'S NOT THE, THE BOARD OF THE OR WHETHER THE PROCESS HAS BEEN WAIVED IN WHETHER HE CAN, HAS THE PRESIDENT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO GRANT GRANT, HEAD ON TO THE PRESIDENT

[00:40:01]

SO IT OUT THE OFFICIAL CORPORATE ACT OF THE HOA WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD IMPROVE BY RESOLUTION THAT FULL BOARD FOR COVENANT, FOR INFORMATION, I SEE THAT WE COULD FAR FURTHER VERIFICATION FROM THE HOA COPY OF THE COVENANTS THAT, SO WE NEED A COPY OF THE COVENANT.

AND, UH, AND I GUESS THAT KIND OF SPELL OUT EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED A LOT OF WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO, OR WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR A VARIANCE FROM THE COVENANTS, WHICH IS, THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE GOOD TO BE IN COVENANT.

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE MR. WILMER, WOULD YOU HAVE A COPY OF YOUR, NO, I'M SORRY.

I DON'T.

THAT WOULD BE SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR US BEING THAT IT'S STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULDN'T BE, THERE'S NO BUSINESSES ALLOWED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE THIS LETTER, BUT IF WE HAD THAT, A COPY OF THAT COVENANT, THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR US BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BOARD REALLY DON'T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS TONIGHT BASED ON WHAT'S IN THE COVENANT ON THIS THING, WE HAVE WHAT THIS LETTER SAYS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A DECISION ON THIS.

EVEN FROM THE COVENANTS, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING TO MAKE AN INTERPRETATION OF WHAT BOARD HAS.

THEY COULD EASILY SIT THIS OUT IN SOME FULL RESOLUTION THAT WAS FULLY AUTHORIZED BY THE, BY THE FULL BOARD.

AND WHEN YOU'RE THERE THEIR POWER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THAT'S ASKING US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT POWER THEY HAVE.

SO WE STILL NEED SOMETHING FROM THERE.

BOY, A FISH.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE? YES, PLEASE.

SO IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, RIGHT? HOLD ON.

BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, LET ME HEAR FROM THE COUNTY.

REALLY.

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE COVENANTS.

UM, HE SIGNED THAT THERE WERE NONE AND I DIDN'T GO LOOK HIM.

SO IF THERE ARE, I THINK THE CERTAINTY IS, UH, RECOMMEND DISAPPROVAL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA APPROVE ANYTHING CONTRARY TO THOSE COVENANTS, BUT IF WE HAD THE COVENANTS, SO WHAT WE JUST DON'T KNOW IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING.

AND AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD HAS THE RIGHT TO GRANT A VARIANCE.

SO IF THE BOARD, IF, IF THE HOA BOARD HAS THE RIGHT TO GRANT A VARIANCE, THEY NEED TO DO THAT AND BRING IT TO US.

OR SHOULD WE SEND THEM BACK TO YOU FIRST BEING THAT THEY HAVE A COVENANT, RIGHT.

I'M GOING TO LOOK IT UP TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE SRT AND WE MAKE A DECISION THEN.

SO BY NEXT MONTH WE SHOULD HAVE, WE SHOULD.

SO WE STILL NEED TO JUST GO AHEAD AND HAVE A CONTINUANCE UNTIL SUCH TIME, BECAUSE SHE'S GOING TO, I GUESS YOU CAN SUBMIT THE COVENANT TO HER OR SHE CAN PULL THE COVENANT UP.

YOU KNOW, WHICHEVER ONE, I GUESS YOU CAN JUST GET WITH HILLARY AFTERWARDS AND SEE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET THE COVENANT.

UM, SO WE WILL ASK FOR, I MEAN, YOU ARE ASKING US TO, IS IT YOUR REQUEST THAT WE CONTINUE THIS UNTIL OUR NEXT MONTH MEETING TO YOU GATHER THOSE NECESSARY INFORMATION? YES, PLEASE.

14, MR. MIKE OVERTURN IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM THE RIVER BUFFER VARIANTS.

UM, I MOVED THAT WE CONTINUE THIS TILL NEXT MONTH, SECOND.

SO IT'S BEEN PROBABLY MADE TO CONTINUE TO STAY NEXT SCHEDULE MEETING.

UM, AND SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING.

THIS HAS BEEN, UM, MOVE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE THIS TO OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS NEXT MONTH FOR THURSDAY.

[14. Mr. Mike Overton is requesting Variances from the River Buffer Requirements in order to conduct Ecotourism. Properties are located at 1 Paige Road, Daufuskie Island. The properties are zoned T1-Natural Preserve (T1NP).]

I MEAN REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO CONDUCT ECOTOURISM.

MR. TOM TAYLOR, MR. CHAIRMAN.

UM, THE WAY, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU AND THE STAFF WE'D LIKE TO PROCEED IS FOR ME TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE SITUATION IS WE'RE HERE ABOUT TONIGHT.

ARE YOU I'M? WELL Y'ALL ARE BOARD MEMBERS.

IT GIVES ME REAL PRIDE TONIGHT TO BE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MIKE OVERTON AND PAGE ISLANDS, LLC.

[00:45:01]

AND THEN I'M GOING TO ONE OF JOSH TILLER'S ASSOCIATES, KATHLEEN DONKIN, TO DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC STRUCTURES WHICH WE ARE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE FROM TODAY.

AND THEN I WILL ADDRESS VERY BRIEFLY IF YOU WOULD, THE LAW AS I SEE IT AND WHAT YOU ALL'S BASIC STANDARDS ARE.

AND THEN IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND, I'D LIKE TO HAVE MR. OVERDONE SPEAK A COUPLE OF MINUTES, BECAUSE CLEARLY WITHOUT QUESTION PAGE ISLANDS, LLC MADE A MISTAKE.

WE ARE HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND TO TRY TO ATONE FOR IT.

BUT WE ARE ALSO HERE TONIGHT, VERY PROUDLY OF WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT, WHICH IS A MINIMAL MINIMAL DEVELOPMENT ON THESE BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS THAT ARE SERVING THE PEOPLE, NOT ONLY OF THIS COUNTY, BUT AT THE STATE AND NATIONWIDE WITH AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.

SO IF I CAN JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND FIRST, MR. OVERTON HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS MORE THAN 30 YEARS ON HILTON HEAD AND IN BLUFFTON, HE RUNS OUTSIDE BRANDS AND HAS GROWN THIS TO BE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BRAND.

UH, HE'S TAUGHT A LOT OF CHILDREN, INCLUDING MINE, INCLUDING ME, UH, HOW TO PADDLEBOARD AND HOW TO KAYAK AND DO THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING FOR TOURISM, UH, IN SOUTHERN BUFORD COUNTY IN 1998, BECAUSE HE'S WANTING TO PROTECT THESE ISLANDS.

MR. OVERDONE STARTED BUYING THESE PAIGE ISLANDS, WHICH ARE LOCATED BASICALLY AT RAM SHORN CREEK AND ARE IN A VERY REMOTE PORTION OF SOUTHERN BUFORD COUNTY.

VERY LITTLE, UM, HAS EVER BEEN DONE IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, EXCEPT THE COUNTY HAD PERMITTED A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE IN A SEPTIC TANK HERE ON THIS ISLAND, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

I HOPE THAT YOU'LL KEEP IN MIND BECAUSE MIKE WOULD NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO PUT ANY TYPE OF SEPTIC TANK IN ON THE ISLANDS.

INSTEAD FROM 1998, THROUGH 2016, HE HAS ACQUIRED THESE NINE SMALL ISLANDS.

AND BY MISTAKE BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW THAT BUFORD COUNTY ACTUALLY OPERATED IN THE RURAL AREAS LIKE THIS.

HE HAS BUILT FIVE STRUCTURES.

THEY IMPOSE AN IMPEDE UPON THE 100 FOOT SETBACK OF THE COUNTY'S DEVELOPMENT CODE.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

AND THERE'LL BE ADDRESSED ON HERE.

THEY ARE VERY SMALL STRUCTURES THAT WERE BUILT ONLY TO ACCOMMODATE THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO VISIT THE ISLAND FOR PURPOSES, SUCH AS FIELD TRIPS FOR FUNDRAISERS, FOR THE TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES THAT MIKE LEADS THERE.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING FOR TO PROMOTE AND BUFORD COUNTY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.

AND IT IS CERTAINLY TOUGH TO BE HERE TONIGHT, ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THIS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN BUILT.

BUT THE STANDARD, I BELIEVE THAT JOHN, IS THIS A HARDSHIP AND WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT IT IS.

I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COG IN THE WHEEL OF ADDRESSING A NUMBER OF ISSUES THE COUNTY HAS HAD WITH PAIGE ISLAND.

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT.

THIS BEGAN THIS PROCESS OF US BEING HERE TONIGHT BEGAN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN BUFORD COUNTY AND EDRA STEVENS, THE BUSINESS LICENSE COORDINATOR HERE FIRST, UH, TOOK THE POSITION THAT PAIGE ISLANDS NEEDED TO BE HAVING A VIEW FOR COUNTY BUSINESS LICENSE TO OPERATE BECAUSE MIKE AND THE OUTDOOR BRANDS HAD RUN THE FAIRIES THAT TRANSPORT PEOPLE FROM PALMETTO BLUFF AND BLUFFTON, AND FROM HILTON HEAD, HE HAD BUSINESS LICENSES FROM BOTH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AND HIS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THE TAX BASE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE ONE FOR BUFORD COUNTY.

WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO WORK WITH EDGAR STEPHENS.

WE SUPPLY TAX RETURNS.

WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE BUSINESS, LICENSED DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE FROM BOTH HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON.

AND WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN THE POINT WHERE EVERYONE AGREES THAT ABOUT 8% OF THE REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THE, WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE HILL KAYAK COMPANY, WHICH IS THE BASIC, UM, COMMERCIAL VENTURE THAT OPERATES THESE TOURS RUN TO PAIGE ISLAND.

AND SO THERE IS A PREMISE ON THE TABLE THAT I BELIEVE WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR CURING OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE PROBLEM.

HOWEVER, EDRA STEVENS, BECAUSE SHE DOES HER JOB LIKE SO MANY COUNTY EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW, SAID, WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A BUSINESS LICENSE, TOM, UNTIL YOU GO THROUGH THE ZONING DEPARTMENT AND GET APPROVAL FOR THESE STRUCTURES, WHICH REQUIRES US TO BE HERE FOR A VARIANCE REQUEST.

AND THEN Y'ALL, WHICH WILL REQUIRE US TO BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU FOR A, UM, HOPEFULLY A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR ECOTOURISM.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE KIND OF FALLING IN LINE, HOPEFULLY, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL THE LAY OF THE LAND AS TO WHY WE ARE HERE TONIGHT.

SO VARIOUS, AND WITH THAT BACKGROUND, I'D LIKE TO ASK KATHLEEN DUNCAN TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN TO YOU THE NATURE OF THESE SMALL STRUCTURES THAT ARE ON THE ISLAND, UH, EXACTLY THE AMOUNT OF,

[00:50:01]

UH, IMPERVIOUS SURFACES THEY CREATE IN THAT TOP THING.

SO CAPITALISM COME TO THE ONE QUICK QUESTION BEFORE YOU AND I CAUGHT THE PORTION OF WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT, I GUESS IN 1990, WE JUST SAID ABOUT A SEPARATE THING.

DID YOU SAY A SEPARATE TAKE? WAS THERE ARE NO SEPARATE TICKETS ADMITTED AND THERE, BUT MIKE HAS NEVER WANTED TO PUT ONE ON AND WE WILL NOT PUT ONE ON, UH, MIKE HAS ACTUALLY WORKED WITH HE HECK TO CRAFT A CLOSED SYSTEM THAT USES AND SOLAR COLLECTION TO RUN THE WASTE PROCESSING OF EIGHT LATRINES.

IT'S A TOTALLY CLOSED SYSTEM AND IS TAKEN AND PUMPED OFF ISLAND AND NEVER HAS ANY CHANCE TO GET ON THE GROUND WHATSOEVER.

I ONLY BROUGHT THAT UP MR. CHAIRMAN TO SAY THAT THERE WERE WORSE THINGS, CERTAINLY THAT COULD HAPPEN THAN FIVE SMALL STRUCTURES BEING BUILT ON THE ISLAND.

I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. TAYLOR, UM, FOR THESE STRUCTURES, DID HE, UM, GET A BUILDING PERMIT FOR THEM? NO, MA'AM HE DID NOT.

AND WHY NOT? BECAUSE HE DID NOT REALIZE IN ACTUALITY THAT BUFORD COUNTY EXTENDED INTO THIS AREA WITH THEIR BUILDING PERMIT PROGRAM AS A RESIDENT FOR 30 YEARS, YOU'RE NOT, HE'S NOT AWARE OF THE LAY OF THE LAND WHEN HE SPENDS ALL THE TIME OUTSIDE.

THAT'S RIGHT AS WELL.

I WANTED MIKE TO SPEAK AND I HOPEFULLY HE WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.

ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT NOW, TRY ONE QUESTION.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 1998, HE WAS ISSUED A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT, NOT HE, UH, SO THE, UH, OWNER BEFORE MINE, WHEN HE BOUGHT IT, IT CAME WITH THAT.

I'VE PROBABLY CONFUSED THIS ISSUE, WHY I SIMPLY WANTED TO SAY THIS WOULD BE PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED BY BE FORGOTTEN TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE YEAR.

HIGH MARSH, THE HIGH MARSH GRASSES.

MY NAME IS KATHLEEN DUNKIN.

I WORK AT JK TAYLOR.

I'M A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AT OUR FIRM AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE RUN THROUGH OF THE PROPERTY AS IT STANDS.

UM, THIS IS NOT MY CLICKERS.

I'M BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH IT.

YOU GOT TO SEE THAT SCREEN.

CAN YOU, UM, ALL RIGHT.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A SERIES OF VIOLENCE.

UM, THE PAGE PAGE, A LOCATION WHERE AT LEAST FIVE BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED, UH, IS RIGHT THERE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

YOU'LL SEE, THERE'S A RECTANGLE WHERE THE DOGS ARE LOCATED.

WE HAVE A SURVEY HERE, WHICH IS EASIER TO SEE IT.

UH, THE VIOLENCE COULD BE ON THIS DOG AND THEY GO UP THROUGH THAT DOCK AND INTO THIS PROPERTY.

UM, IF YOU GO AHEAD AND SWITCH TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS TO NOTE FROM THIS AS YOU WERE APPROACHING, SORRY, I'LL GET CLOSER TO THE MIC.

I KNOW THAT'S A THING.

UM, AS YOU'RE APPROACHING FROM THE DOCK TO THE ISLAND, NONE OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE VISIBLE, UM, FROM THE WATERWAY.

ONCE YOU GET ONTO THE ISLAND, YOU'LL SEE YOU'LL APPROACH, UH, THE BUILDING, WHICH IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A PICTURE OFF TO THE LEFT WITH A BIG B ON IT.

THAT IS THE BUILDING THAT YOU SEE THERE.

IT'S HALF, UH, ENCLOSED AND HALF OPEN.

UH, AND IT'S, UH, BASICALLY A SHED ROOF AND IT IS APPROXIMATELY 11 AND A HALF FEET BY 15 FEET.

UM, AND SO IT'S BASICALLY OFF IT AT THE GROUND LEVEL.

THEY'RE BUILDING C, WHICH IS UP AND TO THE RIGHT OF THAT, WHICH YOU'LL SEE, IT'S THE, IT'S JUST BELOW THAT PREVIOUS PICTURE BUILDING SEES OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THE BUILDING IN TERMS OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED ON THE PROPERTY.

AND THEN IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, YOU CAN SEE BUILDING C IS THE PAVELLE OPEN-AIR PAVILION ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THAT PICTURE BEHIND THE SITTING CIRCLE.

SO THAT BUILDING IS AN OPEN, COMPLETELY OPEN AREA, A PAVILION THAT WITH A HIP ROOF, UH, IT'S 16 FEET BY 16 FEET BUILDING D IS THE T TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

THAT'S 16 FEET BY 24 FEET.

AND IT IS ALSO A COMPLETELY OPEN AREA.

YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE WITH THE SUNFLOWERS IN IT SUPPOSE YOU'RE HERE.

UM, IT'S A PICTURE WITH THE SUNFLOWERS IN IT.

SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S COMPLETELY OPEN.

THEN THERE IS ALSO BUILDING G, WHICH IS THE LATRINE IT'S ON THE UPPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THAT PLAN RIGHT THERE.

IT'S NEAR, LOCATED NEAR

[00:55:01]

SO WHEN, UH, YOU GET THOSE SPRING FLOODS, THE WATER COMES UP.

THAT'S WHY IT'S RAISED UP OFF THE GROUND.

YOU LIKE, AS YOU SEE, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT LATRINE SYSTEM THAT UNIQUE CUSTOM SUSTAINABLY BUILT A LATRINE SYSTEM HAS BEEN PLACED THERE.

UM, THEY VARY AND THAT, THAT THE TREE AND BY THE WAY, IS 16 FEET BY 24 FEET.

THE THING THAT I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF IS, UM, AND THE WATER IS COLLECTED OFF THE ROOF OF THAT LATRINE SYSTEM.

ALSO, BY THE WAY, THE TOTAL IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE FOR THIS SITE IS, UH, LESS THAN A HALF A PERCENT.

IT'S VERY MINIMAL IN TERMS OF STORMWATER.

AND WE ACTUALLY ARE COLLECTING A PART OF THE STORM WATER THROUGH THIS SYSTEM.

SO IT'S A VERY LIGHT IMPRINT.

A HOUSE WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATER FOOTPRINT THAN 1500 SQUARE FEET TOTAL FOR SURE.

UM, THE VARIANCE REQUESTS IN TERMS OF DISTANCE, THE LATRINE IS NINE INCHES FROM THE OCRM SETBACK.

THAT'S THE CLOSEST ONE.

THE, UM, UH, BUILDING B IS, IT IS TWO FEET FROM THE OCRM SETBACK.

BUILDING C IS 15 FEET FROM THE OCRM SETBACK CANNOT.

UH, SURE.

SO IF IT'S TWO FEET FROM THE OCR, UM, SETBACK, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE OF 99 FEET AND 10 INCHES, RIGHT? UM, BASICALLY IT'S A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK.

ALSO THIS CONFIGURATION OF THIS SITE AND TOTAL IS APPROXIMATELY 175 FEET AT THE NARROWEST PART, WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE THAT HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK, YOU'D NEED AT LEAST 200 FEET AND YOU'D STILL NOT HAVE ROOM TO BUILD.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT MAKES ANY ABILITY TO BUILD ON THIS COMPLETELY KNOCKED OUT BECAUSE OF THE CONFIGURATION OF THIS SITE.

SO A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK WITH THIS, ANY, ANY KIND OF BUILDINGS ON THIS PROPERTY FOR THIS USE WOULD HAVE RENDERED IT.

HAVING US COME HERE TO BEGIN WITH, TO GET A VARIANCE, JUST TO PLACE, PUT ANYTHING ON THIS SITE, WE CAN PLACE IT IN A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK BECAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE TO BUILD.

SO THE, THE THAT'S WHY I'VE GOT THE SETBACKS LISTED FOR EACH OF THOSE BUILDINGS.

BUT I, BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD CLARIFY THAT YOU'RE NOT REALLY ASKING FOR A FOUR-FOOT SETBACK.

YOU'RE ASKING FOR A 96 FOOT SETBACK, UH, VARIANCE VARIANCE, RIGHT? YEAH.

UH MA'AM.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

IF I'M IN THAT PHOTO, YOU SHOW F AS BEING A WATER TANK.

AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE ON ISLAND 3, 4, 5, AND SIX, THERE'S AN E THAT SAYS WATER TANK, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT IN THE, UH, INFORMATION YOU GAVE US FITS HERE WHERE NO, NO NEXT PAGE SHOWS THE OTHER ISLANDS 3, 4, 5, AND SIX.

WHERE IS HE ON THAT ONE? THE WATER TANK, THE WATER TANK THAT'S SO INSET 3, 4, 5, AND SIX.

THAT'S NOT WHERE THOSE BUILDINGS STRUCTURES ARE LOCATED.

SO THAT'S WHY WE, I WASN'T SHOWING YOU THE INSET FOR THAT AREA BECAUSE THERE'S NO STRUCTURES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED THERE THAT WERE REQUESTING A VARIANCE FOR, BUT IT SAYS E WATER TANK.

IS THAT JUST A MISTAKE UNDER THE KEY? IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE KEY 3, 4, 5, AND SIX RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS AN INSET, WHICH IN A DIFFERENT INSET, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE VARIANCE REQUEST IS ASSOCIATED WITH.

IF THAT CLARIFIED, I DON'T KNOW.

IS THERE A WATER TANK HERE? I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE FIRST I WONDER WHERE HE IS.

I GUESS, WHAT ARE WE REFERRING TO? I'M NOT SURE.

I UNDERSTAND.

HERE'S THE KEY ON HERE.

AND THIS 1, 3, 4, 5, AND SIX, YOU SHOW A HUNDRED.

SO WHEN YOU FIRST COME ON THE ISLAND, THE STRUCTURE THAT KATHLEEN WAS REFERRING TO, WHICH YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE HAVE STORAGE FOR PADDLEBOARDS, AND IT'S AN OPEN AIR SHED.

THERE IS A SMALL WATER TANK IN THERE BECAUSE WE CAPTURE ALL THE WATER THAT COMES OFF THE ROOF.

AND THERE'S A WATER TANK.

IF WE WANT TO HOSE OFF THE PADDLE BOARDS, THESE ARE SMALL PDC FOR A 50 GALLON TANK THAT IT GOES INTO THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THAT'S ON ISLANDS 3, 4, 5, AND SIX.

OH, THAT'S THAT'S ACTUALLY IS TECHNICALLY, NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISLAND

[01:00:01]

THE KEY HE IS A WATER TANK.

THAT'S MY QUESTION THAT WAS CREATED BY TILLER.

I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS NO, THERE'S NO OTHER STRUCTURE.

THERE IS NO PROPOSAL FOR THAT.

THE ONLY STRUCTURES THAT WE ARE HERE ABOUT TONIGHT EXISTS, THERE WERE FIVE OF THEM THAT ARE THERE.

THERE IS NOTHING ELSE.

AS FAR AS THE REQUEST PERMIT IN THE FUTURE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S SIMPLY A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE TO ALLOW PAIGE ISLANDS TO CONTINUE TO USE THESE SMALL STRUCTURES.

ROB, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT, I'M TRYING TO PLEASE, AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, UM, TO ADDRESS JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MAY HAVE COME THAT MAY HAVE COME UP IN THERE.

UM, SO THE JOE WILL UNDERSTAND THE ISLAND IS USED, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, NOT ONLY FOR TOURISTS GROUPS WHO COME IN AND HAVE WHAT ARE KNOWN AS TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES, IT'S USED BY A LOT OF BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL CHILDREN FOR THEIR VERY FIRST FIELD TRIPS THEY WILL EVER SEE.

IT IS USED FOR A NUMBER OF CORPORATIONS THAT COME AND HAVE THEIR TEAMS ON THERE.

PEOPLE COME AND SIMPLY WORK TOGETHER ON THIS.

THERE ARE NO COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WHATSOEVER.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

I HOPE THAT IF YOU WILL ROLL THAT ROB A LITTLE BIT, THAT Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THESE STRUCTURES WERE BUILT SOLELY.

THAT IS THE LANDING DOCK.

AND ROB, IF YOU'LL GO ON ONE MORE, PLEASE, THESE STRUCTURES WERE BUILT SOLELY TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE FOR EITHER WEATHER OR FOR SIMPLY TO GET OUT OF THE HEAT.

THE LATRINES OF COURSE ARE OBVIOUS, BUT THE OPEN AIR PAVILIONS ARE SQUARE.

ARE THERE IN ORDER TO PROTECT FROM STORMS OR RAIN THAT COME UP OR SIMPLY TO GET OUT OF THE HEAT? THERE IS NOTHING THAT WAS EVER BUILT HERE IN ORDER TO SERVE AN INSIDE COMMERCIAL PURPOSE OR TO ATTRACT PEOPLE THERE, TO USE SOMETHING INSIDE, WHICH I DO BELIEVE, UH, IS IMPORTANT.

MIKE OVERTON HAS BUILT HERE A FACILITY THAT IS USED BY THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND ALMOST EVERY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP IN THIS STATE TO DO MAJOR FUNDRAISERS, TO SET AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT ECOTOURISM SHOULD BE IN THE, IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY, AND TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS CLEAR AS FAR AS WHAT MS. DUNCAN WAS SAYING, THE 100 FOOT SETBACK RENDERS THIS ENTIRE ISLAND, AND THIS IS THE LARGEST ONE OF THEM ALL.

AND THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE ANY TYPE OF STRUCTURES, THE 100 FOOT SETBACK WHEN IMPLEMENTED AS IT IS RENDERS THE ENTIRE ISLAND UNBUILDABLE, NOTHING COULD BE BUILT HERE.

UM, HAD MY COM IN THE CORRECT MANNER, UH, TO THE COUNTY AND REQUESTED A BUILDING PERMIT.

WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE IN ANY EVENT, UM, BECAUSE WE WOULD NEED A VARIANCE FOR IT.

AND I ASKED Y'ALL'S CONSIDERATION OF TRYING TO REMEMBER THAT.

I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO LOOK OUT AND SAY, SOMEBODY WHO LIVED HERE 30 YEARS DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTY AND HAVE USED FISH CAMPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE JUST NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

AND IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE.

WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO ABSOLUTELY FALL ON THAT SWORD, BUT I'LL ASK THAT YOU ALL LOOK AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, WITHOUT THIS VARIANCE, AND THERE IS NO OTHER PLANNING FOR ANY OTHER STRUCTURES, BUT WITHOUT THIS, THESE WILL ALL HAVE TO COME DOWN.

AND I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS AT THE COUNTY'S REQUEST, MIKE HAS HAD ENGINEERS COME IN AND RESTRUCTURE.

AS FAR AS TIES ON ALL OF THESE, THEY MEET ALL OF THE CODE REQUIREMENTS.

THEY HAVE HAD HURRICANE STRAPS PUT ON THE RAFTERS WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE.

UM, THESE BUILDINGS ARE READY TO BE PERMITTED.

IF THE COUNTY GRANTS, THE VARIANCE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE.

AND IT'S IS ALL A NUMBER OF MOVING PARTS WITH THE COUNTY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BRING INTO CONFORMITY AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL VARIANCE REQUEST.

UM, AND THE EIGHT STANDARDS THAT ARE LOOKED AT, WE ASK THAT YOU ALL BASICALLY FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT THIS IS A HARDSHIP THAT EXISTS NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THAT, UH, PAIGE ISLAND OR MIKE OVERTON HAS DONE.

THIS WAS A GOD CREATED NARROW ISLAND THAT WITH THIS SETBACK IN PLACE, WE'LL RENDER IT ENTIRELY INOPERABLE.

WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ON IT.

AND ALL OF THESE STRUCTURES WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED.

UM, AS YOU GO DOWN THE REST OF THE STANDARDS CONCERNING IT, UM, THOSE UNREASONABLY PROHIBIT OR RESTRICT ANY UTILIZATION OF THE ISLAND.

IF THIS SETBACK IS CONTINUED, THEIR AUNT'S PERMIT

[01:05:01]

WILL NOT CONFER A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE ON THE LANDOWNER THAT HAS BEEN DENIED TO OTHERS THAT ARE SIMILARLY SITUATED.

WE HAVE ASKED, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER ISLANDS IN THIS AREA WHATSOEVER THAT HAVE APPROACHED THE COUNTY AND ASKED FOR THIS TYPE OF THING, BECAUSE REALLY MIKE OVERTON IS ONE OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTALIST IN THE COUNTY WHO HAS SEEN FIT TO TRY TO PROTECT THESE ISLANDS BY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

UM, THIS IS THE MINIMUM NECESSARY, UH, WE BELIEVE, UH, DEVELOPMENT, IF YOU WON'T EVEN CALL THESE STRUCTURES THAT THAT IS NECESSARY TO ALLOW A REASONABLE USE OF THE LAND.

UM, AGAIN, UH, I WANT TO FOCUS WITH YOU ALL ON HOW MUCH MIKE HAS WORKED.

THERE IS, THERE ARE ELECTRIC POWER LINES THAT CROSS THIS ISLAND, BUT WE HAVE NEVER TAPPED OFF OF THEM AT ALL.

EVERYTHING ON THIS ISLAND IS SELF-SUFFICIENT AND IS GENERATED FROM THE WASTE.

UH, WE BRING ALL WATER ONTO THE ISLAND EXCEPT FOR THE RAINWATER THAT IS CAPTURED.

UH, WE BELIEVE THE VARIANCE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL SPIRIT AND INTENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE OVERALL, BECAUSE WHILE THERE IS CERTAINLY AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE, THAT THE ZONING OF THIS ISLAND, UH, WAS INTENDED TO KEEP IT PURELY UNDEVELOPED WITH NOTHING ON IT.

IF YOU ALL LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT WE WANT IN THIS COUNTY, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE THIS TYPE OF USAGE OF THESE ISLANDS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME AND CAN APPRECIATE THIS.

THEY CAN SEE IT, THE BOARDWALKS THAT HAVE BEEN STRUCTURED.

AND OF COURSE, BY THE SUPPLEMENTAL NARRATIVE, I'VE SHOWN YOU ALL THAT THE DOCS HAVE BEEN PROPERLY PERMITTED.

THE BOARDWALKS WERE PROPERLY PERMITTED.

MIKE HAS DONE EVERYTHING HE CAN TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS OF THIS ISLAND.

AND IN FACT, PROMOTES THEM TO EVERYONE WHO WILL COME AND SEE IT.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THE VARIANTS PERMIT IS BASICALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A GYM THAT WE BELIEVE IS NOT ONLY A NATURAL GYM AND MIKE HAS ALREADY WORKED VERY HARD TO PROTECT IT, BUT WE ASK THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, SOME LITERAL COMPASSION FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS A GREAT, GREAT FACILITY THAT SERVES THE COUNTY.

WELL.

AND I'D LIKE TO ASK MIKE TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MS. FREDERICK, AT LEAST THAT'S A QUESTION FOR, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN TO BOARD.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.

UM, I'D LIKE IF I CAN TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON OUR ORGAN, MY COMPANY, HOW IT GOT TO WHERE I AM OR THE COMPANY IS HOW I ACQUIRED THE ISLANDS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THEM.

UM, TOM WAS A LITTLE INCORRECT.

IT'S NOT 30 YEARS.

IT'S BEEN ABOUT 43 YEARS, UH, EXCUSE ME.

AND I'VE OWNED MY BUSINESS FOR COUNTY.

AND IT, THE COMPANY STARTED, I STARTED WHEN I WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO WAS GOING TO COLLEGE IN VERMONT, ENDED UP ONE WEEKEND MEETING A FELLOW THAT LIVED ON HILTON HEAD, CAME UP TO VISIT A GIRLFRIEND AND SAID HE HAD A LITTLE SMALL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS DOING SIDING.

THE PLACE WAS BOOMING.

IT SOUNDED REALLY NICE IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER IN VERMONT.

AND, UH, SAID HE WAS GOING TO START A WIND SURFING SCHOOL.

AND I SAID, WELL, I KNOW HOW TO WIND SURF.

WE LONG STORY SHORT, WE ENDED UP GOING, DECIDING TO GO INTO BUSINESS THAT NIGHT.

MY GRANDFATHER PASSED AWAY THAT WINTER, I INHERITED ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE SIX WIND SURFERS CAME DOWN TO HILTON, AND I'D NEVER BEEN TO SOUTH OF WHERE I GREW UP IN DC IN MY LIFE.

I CAME, HE SAID, I MET THIS FELLOW.

HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.

I'VE DECIDED TO MOVE TO VERMONT, TO LIVE WITH MY FRIEND.

UM, AFTER TRYING A CUSTOMER WHO WAS VERY FRUSTRATED AND LEARNED HIS MONEY BACK, I WENT AND GOT CERTIFIED TO BE A WIND SURFING INSTRUCTOR.

AND LIKE MOST NEW BUSINESS PEOPLE FOUND OUT LOCATION WAS IMPORTANT IN TRYING TO FIND A LOCATION, BEING VERY FRUSTRATED FOR A WHILE.

SOMEBODY ASKED ME TO MEET CHARLES FRAZIER AND I GOT A 10 MINUTE APPOINTMENT WITH MR. FRAZIER.

AND THAT TURNED INTO A FULL DAY WHERE WE TOOK ME ALL OVER THE SOUTH END OF HILTON HEAD THAT WE PROVIDE ON A SAILBOAT.

AND AT THE END OF THAT DAY, HE SET ME UP WITH A CARD TABLE IN THE BACK OF A GENERAL STORE IN THE MARINA MC PINES.

AND HE SAID, LOOK, YOU CAN START YOUR SCHOOL HERE.

AND IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE RECREATION BUSINESS IN THE LOW COUNTRY, IT'S ALL ABOUT ONE WORD.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TIDES, EVERYTHING HERE, OUR NATURE, OUR HISTORY, OUR CULTURE, OUR LITERATURE.

AND IF YOU CONNECT THEM TO THE TIDES, YOU'LL BE SUCCESSFUL WHERE WE, THE WIND SURFING GREW IN THE LATE EIGHTIES WE GOT INTO KAYAKING.

I THINK WE BECAME THE FIRST COMPANY ON THE EAST COAST, OFFERED NATURE TOURS IN KAYAKS.

SINCE THERE WASN'T ANY STANDARDIZED TRAINING, WE STARTED A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OUR GUIDES REALLY TO BE AN INTERPRETIVE NATURALIST AND STARTED A PROGRAM.

I THINK THAT TODAY IS REALLY CONSIDERED A STANDARD BEAR IN THE COUNTRY FOR TRAINING NATURALIST.

AND MOST OF THEM WERE ALSO SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, MASTER NATURALIST.

AND IN THE LATE NINETIES, A FRIEND CAME TO ME AND SAID, I'VE BEEN CARETAKING A CHAIN OF ISLANDS FOR A FAMILY.

AND IT'S SOMETHING

[01:10:01]

THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

SO I BORROWED A BOAT AND WENT OVER TO THESE ISLANDS AND WALKED UP AND LOOKED AROUND AND GOT BACK ON THE BOAT, WENT TO HILTON HEAD, GOT A SLEEPING BAG IN THE TENT AND WENT BACK AND STAYED FOR THREE DAYS.

AND I WAS JUST ALL STRUCK BY THE BEAUTY OF THE LOCATION.

AND SO I ENDED UP CALLING UP THE OWNER WHO WOULD LIFE HAD MOVED ON.

HE LIVED IN NEW YORK.

I TURNED OUT, I HAD TAUGHT HIM TO WIND SURF 10 YEARS AGO.

AND HE MADE A GOOD DEAL ABOUT THESE ISLANDS AND THEN FIGURED OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.

AND THEY DIDN'T COME WITH ONE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT.

THEY CAME WITH THREE RESIDENTIAL PERMITS AND THREE SEPTIC PERMITS.

AND WE QUICKLY MADE A DECISION TO DO VERY LITTLE WITH THE ISLANDS AND TO USE THEM AS A EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE LOW COUNTRY SALTMARSH ENVIRONMENT IS IN A PLACE WHERE WE COULD HOPEFULLY BRING PEOPLE OUT AND TEACH THEM ABOUT THE ISLANDS.

AND ALSO WE INITIALLY CALL IT THE PAIGE ISLAND GROWTH CENTER BECAUSE WE FOUND IT WAS A GREAT PLACE FOR GROWING TEAMS AND GROWING RELATIONSHIPS.

UM, AND, UH, WE DIDN'T NEEDED SOME BASIC FACILITIES TO HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE.

SO WE, A BOARDWALK PERMITTED, EVEN THOUGH THE PERMIT WAS VERY STRAIGHT LINES BETWEEN THE ISLANDS.

IF YOU GO OUT THERE, IT ZIGZAGS AND CURVES AROUND BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT ON AN EXISTING DEER PATH, WHETHER IT WAS HIGH GROUND.

UH, AND THEN WE SIMPLY NEEDED A SMALL PLACE FOR SOMEBODY TO STAND IF IT RAINED AND A PLACE TO USE A RESTROOM AND SOMEPLACE TO PUT A FISHING ROD AND STORE SOME OTHER GEAR.

AND SO INITIALLY WE HAD A TEMPLATE, A TENT PLATFORM, JUST A WOODEN PLATFORM TO PUT A TENT ON AND DECIDED TO PUT A ROOF OVER IT.

THEY WERE BUILDING PALMETTO BLUFF AT THE TIME.

THEY ACTUALLY LET US CUT SOME TREES DOWN AS THE PLOT, AS THE POLES FOR THAT PLATFORM, WHICH FOUND OUT LATER ROTTED.

AND, UH, BUT WE SIMPLY HAVE OPEN ROOFS WITH A PLATFORM, A COUPLE OF SHEDS.

AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAD SEPTIC PERMITS THE FACILITY WE BUILT, WE DIDN'T WANT THE CHANCE OF, UH, WE HAD A SOIL STUDY DONE AND IT LOOKED LIKE SEPTIC WOULD POSE QUITE A RISK.

SO WE SIMPLY DID NOT WANT A CHANCE OF A SINGLE DROP OF WATER TOUCHING THE GROUND, THUS THE RAIN CATCHMENT AND THE SOLAR POWERED PUMPS.

AND THERE'S SIT ON DOLLIES AND THEIR SMALL TANKS.

AND IF A STORM COMES, WE SIMPLY REMOVE THOSE TANKS FROM THE ISLANDS.

AND, UM, WELL I WAS AWARE OF THE OCRM LINES AND THE SURVEYS WE USE, IT SHOWED THE OCR LINE, EVERYTHING WE BUILT OUTSIDE OF THAT, THE BOARDWALKS AND THE DOCS WE COMPLIED, I SIMPLY WAS NOT AWARE OF THE COUNTY CODES AND THAT A STRUCTURE SUCH AS A POLE PLATFORM AND THE OPEN STRUCTURES WE BUILT NEEDED TO BE PERMITTED.

AND IN HINDSIGHT, I DEEPLY REGRET IT.

WE WERE WRONG.

UH, EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE OUT THERE, WE'VE TRIED TO DO TRULY IN THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.

I MADE A MISTAKE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THOSE BUILT THOSE POLE STRUCTURES WERE BUILT 20 YEARS AGO IN 2002.

AND I, I BEGGED YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR MYSELF AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM BEING OUT THERE.

IT'S A PAIGE ISLAND HAS BECOME A PLACE THAT DELIVERS REALLY THE MISSION OF OUR COMPANY OF ENRICHING LIVES BY CONNECTING PEOPLE, THE EXCEPTIONAL PLACES OF A LOW COUNTRY.

I THINK EVERY PERSON THAT GOES OVER THERE IS VERSED ON A LEAVE, NO TRACE PHILOSOPHY, AND THEY LEAVE WITH A, HOW TO UNDERSTANDING OF HOW FRAGILE THE SALTMARSH ENVIRONMENT IS IN THE LOW COUNTRY.

UH, AND ACTUALLY, I DON'T WANT TO GET SAPPY, BUT I'D LIKE TO LEAVE SIMPLY WITH A PAT CONROY QUOTE THAT WE, WHEN I'M DOING PART OF OUR GUIDE TRAINING FOR OUR NEW EMPLOYEES, I USUALLY REFER TO, AND TO DESCRIBE OUR GROWING UP IN THE LOW COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE YOU TO THE MARSH ON A SPRING DAY, LESS, THE GREAT BLUE HERON FROM ITS SILENT OCCUPATION.

THINK TO OUR KNEES AND MUD, AS WE SCATTER MARTIANS AND REACH OUT AND PICK AN OYSTER, OPEN IT WITH A POCKET KNIFE, FEED IT TO YOU FROM THE SHELL AND SAY THERE THAT SMELL.

THAT'S THE SMELL OF MY CHILDHOOD.

AND THAT'S, I THINK KIND OF CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON PAGE ALLIE'S QUESTIONNAIRE.

I'M GONNA BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

DO YOU HOST WEDDINGS OR NO? EXCUSE ME.

DIOS WEDDINGS ON THE ISLAND.

UH, WE'VE NEVER HAD A WEDDING ON THE ISLAND, BUT YOU MIGHT, BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD A WEDDING ON HELL.

NO.

IS IT ADVERTISED FOR RENT? UM, YES.

[01:15:01]

DO YOU HAVE OVERNIGHT THINGS THERE OR JUST, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME GROUPS THAT CAMPED OVER THERE.

IN FACT, WHEN WE, SOME OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE IN, UH, IN 2016 AFTER MATTHEW, THE ISLAND WAS OBVIOUSLY DESTROYED AND WE HAD FIVE FEET OF MARSH RACK AND WE HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT VOLUNTEERED TO COME OVER FROM FOOTBALL TEAMS TO CHURCH GROUPS.

AND WE HAD SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT VOLUNTEERED TO COME OVER IF THEY COULD CAMP THERE.

SO WE HAVE HAD SOME CAMPING ON THE ISLAND.

YES, BUT IT'S NOT A REGULAR THING.

I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS.

UM, I FIND IT DISINGENUOUS THAT YOU SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE BEAVER COUNTY NEEDED A PERMIT WHEN IT WAS PERMITTED FOR A HOUSE THREE HOUSES IN SEPTIC FIELDS WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT.

SO OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY HAD PERMITTED IT.

AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR PERMISSION, BECAUSE IF THE FIRST, UM, DOT PERMIT IS THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS AND UTILITIES FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS, PRIVATE RECREATIONAL USE THAT WAS IN 1999.

AND BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION, Y'ALL WERE USING IT FOR COMMERCIAL USE BY 2002, THAT YOU HAD THAT, UM, AND NOT GETTING A BUILDING PERMIT, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.

I HAVE THE TWO, 2000 COPY OF IT HERE.

AND THE ONLY BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT IS A 120 SQUARE FOOT STORAGE SHED OR ELSE AT 120 FOOT SQUARE FOOT PLAYHOUSE.

SO YOU WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT THERE.

THE BUFORD COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE FROM FEBRUARY 14TH, 2000 REQUIRED SETBACKS FROM THE OCR CRITICAL LINE SHALL APPLY TO ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT.

NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, PARKING LOTS AND DRIVES SHALL BE SET BACK A HUNDRED FEET.

SO THIS WAS IN 2000.

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A BUSINESSMAN WITH AN ATTORNEY THAT'S ON COUNTY COUNCIL AT THE TIME PROBABLY, AND LOTS OF CONSULTANTS DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES.

UM, THEN WHEN YOU GOT THE NEW BUILDING PERMIT, A PERMIT IN 2013, IT'S STATED THAT IT CAPTURES COMPLIANCE ASSISTANT AFTER THE FACT FOR THE STRUCTURE BEING BUILT OUT OF ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL PERMIT.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE 1, 2, 3, 4, EVERYTHING YOU DID WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS.

AND YOU'RE JUST ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS ALL THE TIME.

IF I MAY RESPOND TO THAT, SURE.

OR YOU FINISH THE 1999 PERMITS, I PURCHASED THESE ISLANDS IN LATE 99 AND SOME IN 2000.

AND SO THERE WAS PERMIT WORK DONE BY THE SELLER, WHICH WAS THESE RESIDENTIAL PERMITS WERE DONE BY THE SELLER.

UM, I, SO I WAS AWARE ABSOLUTELY THAT YOU NEED A RESIDENTIAL PERMIT.

I DIDN'T THINK THAT A SMALL PLATFORM WITH A ROOF OVER IT, UH, IT WAS A STRUCTURE OR WAS IT A BUILDING WHEN THOSE WERE BUILT AT THE TIME? AND THE DOCK WAS THERE WAS PERMITTED.

WE JUST APPLIED AFTER THE FACT CAUSE THAT WAS DOCS CAME WITH IT FOR A COMMERCIAL PERMIT.

SO WHAT SPECS DID YOU USE TO BUILD THESE STRUCTURES? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO BE STRUCTURALLY SOUND.

YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS COMING OVER THERE AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY UNDER THOSE ROOF ROOF.

I MEAN, WHAT DID YOU GO BY? WHAT PLANS DID YOU GO BY TO, TO BUILD THESE THINGS LIKE YOU JUST, IT WAS, WE BUILT OURSELVES.

AND AGAIN, THERE POLE STRUCTURES THAT WE FELT WERE AS FAR AS PLANS, WE DIDN'T, WE BUILT THOSE OURSELVES.

WE BELIEVE STRUCTURALLY SOUND.

AND AGAIN, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STRUCTURES, UH, WE SIMPLY THOUGHT THAT PUTTING ON TOP OF A, BASICALLY A 10 PLATFORM, A ROOF, AS I SAID EVERYWHERE, THE COUNTY DON'T LEAVE.

THE COUNTY HAS REQUIRED ENGINEERING SURVEY.

YOU'VE DONE THAT PAST.

AND, UH, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT WERE NECESSARY TO BRING THEM WITHIN CODE.

SO IF THE IS GRANTED, THEY WOULD BE WITHIN CODE AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO PROVE THAT TO THE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

SO WHEN DID YOU PUT THOSE HURRICANE CLIPS ON THERE AND WHAT DREW YOU TO PUTTING THOSE HURRICANE CLIPS ON THERE? THE HURRICANE CLIPS WERE PUT ON THIS YEAR AFTER, UH, THE REPORT ASKED US TO HAVE AN ENGINEERING STUDY.

THERE WERE, SO THIS REPORT CAME OUT, THE REPORT CAME OUT SAYING THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE AN ENGINEER LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS, WHICH AN ENGINEER CAME OUT,

[01:20:01]

LOOKED AT THEM, SAID, FIRST OFF, NONE OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE HABITABLE.

AND SO THERE WAS VERY LIMITED WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, BUT THEN SAID YOU SHOULD PUT THE HURRICANE STRAPS ON THEM.

AND SO THAT WAS DONE IN THIS PAST WINTER, DECEMBER, JANUARY.

WHEN YOU SAY THIS REPORT, W FROM WHAT, UH, WHERE DOES THAT REPORT CAME FROM WHEN YOU SAID THIS REPORT THAT CAME FROM THE COUNTY? THE COUNTY.

MR. CHAIRMAN REPORT WAS GENERATED BY AN ENGINEERING COMPANY TO REQUEST FOR THE REPORT, CAME FROM THE COUNTY BUILDING.

YOU SAY YOU'RE STRICTLY SOLAR POWER.

W WHAT RELATION, WHAT DO YOU DO ON PARTED ON THE ALVINS 3, 4, 5, AND SIX? UH, THE REST OF THE ISLANDS ARE REALLY UNDEVELOPED.

WE DO TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES, BUT THE TEAM BUILDING THE ISLANDS PROVIDE TWO KEY INGREDIENTS FOR TEAM BUILDING.

WHEN THEY TAKE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, OFTEN SIMPLY BY PUTTING THEM ON A BOAT AND TAKING THEM SOMEWHERE, THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO.

AND TWO, THEY ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS.

SO WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE AND THEY'RE SITTING IN A, ON BENCHES OR DOING AN ACTIVITY WITH EACH OTHER, AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE FOUR WALLS OF A BOARDROOM IN A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION, IT PROVIDES OFTEN FOR GROWING RELATIONSHIPS.

AND SO WE REALLY, WE HAD SOME PORTABLE ACTIVITIES OUT THERE.

WE DO.

THERE'S NOTHING DEVELOPED AND IT'S REALLY, AND THERE'S A NATURE TRAIL THAT GOES THROUGH ALL THE TRAILS WE'VE BUILT.

IN FACT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE COMMENT, I MENTIONED LEAVE NO TRACE.

WE HAVE VERY DEFINED AREAS.

WE ASKED PEOPLE TO WALK ON SO OFTEN EVEN TO GO FROM A TO B, THEY HAVE TO GO QUITE A WAYS AROUND TO LEAVE MOST OF THE SPACE OPEN AND UNTOUCHED.

I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT THERE'S NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND AT ONE TIME OR THAT YOU'RE, UM, IMPINGING ON THE, UH, BIRD LIFE THAT'S THERE? I'VE GOT TWO, UM, QUOTES FROM, WHAT IS IT? THE TRIPADVISOR.

AND ONE OF THEM WAS SEPTEMBER, 2018.

UH, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BIRDS THAT THEY SAW AN ON PAGE ISLAND OVER A HUNDRED JUVENILE WOOD STORKS.

AND THEN THAT SAME 2018, RIGHT AROUND THE SAME TIME.

THE ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THE NUMBER OF GROUPS USING PAGE ISLAND ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

AND HOW DOES THIS PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT? SO WE DO A PROGRAM IN THE SUMMER CALLED THE ULTIMATE LOW COUNTRY DAY.

IT'S A LEISURE PROGRAM.

WE DO, IT'S A PRIVATE PROGRAM.

WE DO FOR INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES.

AND I BELIEVE WHAT THAT, UH, PERSON WAS REFERRING TO.

AND MOST 90% OF THOSE PEOPLE NEVER LEAVE OUR DOCS.

THEY GO OVER, THEY KAYAK, THEY PADDLEBOARD, THEY SWIM.

THEY MIGHT BE PICKED UP ON A BOAT AND TAKING A BOAT RIDE OR FORTH.

THEY FISH OFF THE DOCK.

AND SO IF THERE'S A PROWLING SITUATION, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS ON THE DOCK.

IT'S EXCEPTIONALLY RARE THAT PEOPLE ARE ON THE UPLANDS, UNLESS THEY'RE GOING TO THE RESTROOM OR GOING BACK.

AND THEY'RE STOPPING BRIEFLY.

SO SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A GROUP COMING OVER ON ONE OF THESE, WHAT WE CALL ULTIMATE DAYS AND THEY STOP THERE AND OPEN, IT'S A COMPLETELY PRIVATE ISLAND, THERE'S TWO OTHER FAMILIES OR THREE OTHER FAMILIES THERE.

AND SO IN THAT SITUATION, MY HUNCH WAS THERE MAY HAVE BEEN 20 PEOPLE ON FAMILIES.

IN THAT SITUATION WE TAKE, I MEAN, THE ROOKERIES THAT ARE OUT THERE, 99% OF THE ISLAND, AGAIN, HAS PATHWAYS GOING THROUGH IT.

BUT VERY FEW PEOPLE, THIS IS A GROUP DOING A TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY.

AND WE DO, WE DO DO SOME EVENTS OUT THERE WHERE SOMEBODY MIGHT GO OVER AND HAVE AN OYSTER ROAST OR A DINNER OR SO FORTH.

AND SO LIKE, THERE'S AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, UP TO 350 ATTENDEES FOR A WEDDING VENUE.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LEAVE? NO TRACE PLAN FOR THAT.

I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THAT.

WELL, I KNOW WE'VE NEVER HAD THE LARGEST EVENT WE'VE EVER DONE ON PAIGE.

ALLEN WAS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION.

I THINK WE ENDED UP HAVING A TOTAL OF 220 PEOPLE, INCLUDING STAFF ON AND EVERYTHING WE DO IS ON ISLAND.

ONE, WHICH WE CALL IT.

WE KIND OF NAMED THE ISLANDS ONE THROUGH NINE.

SO ALL THAT, WE TRY TO FOCUS ON THAT ISLAND.

THEY EAT THERE, THEY USE THE RESTROOM THERE.

COULD YOU DO SOME OF THESE OTHER ACTIVITIES ON SOME OF THE OTHER ISLANDS? GOOD.

WE, WE TRY NOT TO CAUSE WE TRY TO HAVE THOSE OTHER ISLANDS AGAIN, COMPLETELY NATURAL.

I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU DID THE TEAM BUILDING.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE DO DO TEAM WITH, ARE YOU REFERRING TO AN EVENT? I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, SIR.

UH,

[01:25:02]

THE ONLY POWER WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND IS A SOLAR POWERED PUMP STRICTLY FOR THE LATRINES.

SO THE ONLY, THAT'S THE ONLY POWER THAT'S ON THE ISLAND.

SO WHERE ARE THE SOLAR PANELS? IT'S A SMALL SOLAR PANEL THAT SITS ON TOP OF A CISTERN WHERE THE WATER GOES RIGHT BEHIND THE UNIT, RIGHT BEHIND THE STRUCTURE.

UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE, UH, I SAW A LOT OF LIGHTS LIT UP THERE AT NIGHT.

WHAT POWERED THEM.

SO IF THERE WAS A LIGHT AT NIGHT, WE WOULD HAVE USED A PORTABLE GENERATOR.

AND THE OTHER THING YOU STATED DO YOU DON'T USE ANY PLASTIC ON THE ISLAND, BUT YET IN YOUR WEBSITE, THERE'S PICTURES, PEOPLE WITH PLASTIC CUPS AND PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES.

THAT'S A POLICY THAT WE PUT IN THE LAST YEAR AND WE HAND OUT WATER BOTTLES AND BRING IN WATER JUGS AND ASK THEM TO, WE BASICALLY GIVE THEM A WATER BOTTLE WHEN THEY COME ONTO THE ISLAND TO KEVIN, THE KEY AS A SOUVENIR.

SO THOSE PICTURES ARE, SO THERE MAY BE A PICTURE WITH AN EVENT THAT DID HAVE A PLASTIC, SOME PLASTIC OVER THERE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I HAVE SOME FOR MR. TAYLOR, AND IT MAY NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR EXHIBIT B WHERE HE REQUESTED THE DOCK BE CHANGED FROM PRIVATE USE TO COMMERCIAL USE.

AND, UH, BUT NOTHING SIGNED ON THAT PARTICULAR EXHIBIT.

THERE'S NO SIGNATURES.

UH, I WAS, UH, SURPRISED THAT THAT TO THESE, THESE WERE GATHERED THIS WEAKNESS CIMZIA IN RESPONSE TO, UH, MS. AUSTIN STAFF REPORT THAT CAME OUT LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET THEM.

I WAS SURPRISED THERE WAS NO SIGNATURE, BUT I AM ASSURED BY THE OCRM PEOPLE WHO SUPPLIED THIS, THAT THIS IS IN FACT AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS ISSUED BY THE CRM.

AND I WILL CERTAINLY ENDEAVOR TO GET YOU ASSIGNED PORTION OF IT.

BUT, UH, THIS CAME FROM MOST CRMS FILES TO MY UNDERSTANDING, MR. TAYLOR.

AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, MR. ERIC TINDER MISREPRESENTED, WHAT YOU SEE THE BOUNDS OF ECOTOURISM THERE, IF, UH, WHERE YOU SEE WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR THIS IN FIVE YEARS, BECAUSE WHERE, WHAT I'VE HEARD IS TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL USE IS NOT WHAT YOU SEE ON A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, WHERE YOU CAN BOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE A WEDDING UP TO $350 FOR 3,500 TO $10,000.

YEAH, THREE 50.

A PICTURE OF A GUY PLAYING A GUITAR WITH A, UM, BIG SPEAKER THERE.

SO I'M JUST KIND OF WANTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT RAMA I WANT HIM TO ANSWER, BUT ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE WILL BE BACK BEFORE THIS, UH, GROUP FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT BASED ON THE ECOTOURISM APPLICATION THAT HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY PUT FORTH.

AND THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE DISCUSSION.

I'M SURE ABOUT THAT AT THAT POINT, BUT PLEASE MARK.

SO IF I, IF I WAS TO GIVE A DEFINITION OF ECOTOURISM, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING OR, AND RELATIVE TO THE USE OF MAGELLAN? SO I THINK THE DEFINITION OF ECOTOURISM WOULD BE TRAVELED TO NATURAL CULTURAL OR HISTORICAL LOCATIONS, WHICH EMBEDS AND UNDERSTANDING OF CONSERVATION AS WELL AS THE NATURE AND KEEPS THE REVENUE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY THAT TYPICALLY IS OFTEN WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS ECOTOURISM.

AND EVERY, EVERY PERSON WHO TOUCHES THAT ISLAND IS ONE IMMERSED NATURALLY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GO THROUGH A CONVERSATION ON WHAT THE NATURE AND THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF THE AREA IS ABOUT.

AND, AND THEN WALKING THERE, IF YOU WALK THESE BOARDWALKS AND YOU SEE WHAT A NATURAL LOCATION IT IS, AND WHAT'S DONE TO PRESERVE THAT AND THE INTERACTION OF EVERY ANIMAL AND FLORA AND FAUNA IN THE AREA, I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER DESTINATION THAT REALLY IN THE AREA THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS ECOTOURISM MORE THAN PAIGE ISLAND.

AND EVEN IF YOU'RE HAVING A PARTY, THE FACT THAT DOING A PARTY THAT CAN BE DONE SUSTAINABLY, AS FAR AS THE PLASTICS, AS FAR AS EATING ONLY LOCAL FOOD, THAT'S GROWN IN THE WATERS RIGHT THERE.

UH, AND IF THERE IS ANYBODY SINGING OR ENTERTAINING, THAT'S LOCAL RELATIVE TO THE CULTURE, IF IT'S A GULLAH SINGER OR SO FORTH, UH, ALL THAT NATURE, HISTORY AND CULTURE GOES INTO REALLY WHAT MAKES THE PLACE, I THINK, WELL PAST ANY, UH, DEFINITION OF ECOTOURISM, SIR, IN YOUR WEBSITE, I SAW

[01:30:01]

WAS HE A GULLAH SINGER OR WAS HE JUST SOMEBODY ELSE? HE WAS PROBABLY A LOCAL MUSICIAN, BUT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE HE WAS GULLAH.

NO, SIR.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, SIR.

UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE BOARD THAT, UM, THIS ISSUE OF PAIGE ALLEN STARTED AROUND THE TIME, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC AND ALSO THE TIME THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING BAY POINT, UH, ALLEN ECOTOURISM, UH, GETTING IT READY TO BRING BEFORE YOU ALL.

UH, AND THEY WERE DOING SOME WORK ON THAT.

AND I ADVISED, UH, THE APPLICANT AT THAT TIME THAT HE SHOULD, UH, STAND PAT, NOT DO ANYTHING WITH ECOTOURISM ON HIS PARTICULAR LIONEL, BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT THE, UH, CONTROVERSY OF BAY POINT ALLEN TO CATCH HIM OFF GUARD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL.

I'M NOT SPEAKING IN FAVOR OR AGAINST ANY WAY, BUT I WOULD AGAIN, ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TONIGHT THERE, HE'S GOT TO COME BACK FOR THE ECOTOURISM PIECE TONIGHT.

YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING THE MERITS OF THE HARDSHIP ON RELIEF FOR THE VARIANCES.

HE WANT TO BE BACK FOR THE, YOU ARE TRUE.

THAT'S ONE PIECE.

AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE THESE TYPES OF USES ALL OVER THE COUNTY.

AND I, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, NOT DEFENDING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT WE HAVE NEMOURS PLANTATION.

IT'S A SHOWPIECE FOR THIS COUNTY, MIKE SHANE, WHO WAS, UM, A PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW, CARES FOR THAT PROPERTY.

HE WAS A CONSERVATIONIST.

I'VE BEEN TO SEVERAL EVENTS, UH, OUT AT NEMOURS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN TENTS, HAVE BEEN ERECTED CLOSE TO THE WATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO MY POINT IS, IS IT'S POSSIBLE FOR, UM, ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE EVENTS TO OCCUR IN ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE PLACES, WITHOUT IT NOT HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THAT, UH, THIS EVENING, AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING THESE HARDSHIPS, SORRY, I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. GREENWAY, MY BIG PROBLEM IS HE NEVER ASKED THE COUNTY FOR ANY PERMITS.

SO WHAT'S THE COUNTY GOING TO DO? ARE THEY GOING TO TRY TO GO BACK AND RECOUP THAT MONEY? UH, WE WILL.

WE WILL DEFINITELY, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE HAVING DISCUSSION IF YOU ALL APPROVE, UH, THE STRUCTURE VARIANCES TONIGHT AND THE ECOTOURISM USE IN THE FUTURE, I GUARANTEE YOU, AND I PROMISE YOU I WILL BE GOING BACK AND RECAPTURING ALL OF MY AG, UH, USE VALUE.

ALL OF THE BUILDING PERMITS.

WE WILL BE DOUBLING BUILDING PERMIT FEES.

WE WILL DO, UH, WE'LL BE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO MAKE THE COUNTY WHOLE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS OCCURRED HERE.

SO WE HEAR FROM THE COUNTY, WELL, GOOD EVENING, UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED, YOU KNOW, TO US, THIS ISSUE IS ACTUALLY FAIRLY SIMPLE.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT WHEN YOU BUILD SOMETHING WITHOUT A PERMIT AND YOU PROBABLY DEAL WITH THIS A LOT AND IT'S NOT IN THE RIGHT LOCATION, THAT THAT'S NOT A HARDSHIP, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE DEFINITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN ARTICLE SEVEN FOR, UH, HARDSHIP AND VARIANCE, I JUST WANTED TO RUN THROUGH THOSE REAL QUICK BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START OUT, YES, I MEAN, THIS PROPERTY DOES PRESENT A HARDSHIP.

WE HAVE A 50 FOOT BUFFER AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 50 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE OCRM CRITICAL LINE.

AND THESE ISLANDS ARE SHAPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IF YOU DRAW THAT BUILDING ENVELOPE, UH, WITH A A HUNDRED FEET, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE A BUILDING WITH A 50, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME AREA TO CONSTRUCT SOMETHING.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOU AS PART OF THEIR EXTRAORDINARY EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS, TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS, BEACHFRONT, SETBACK, LINES, AND NARROWING IS SHALLOWNESS.

AND THE COUNTY'S REQUIREMENT FOR THE SETBACK.

I MEAN, THIS, THIS WOULD MEET THAT PARTICULAR POINT OF A VARIANCE WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS.

THEY'RE NOT THE RESULT OF THE LAND.

THE ACT OF THE LANDOWNER WILL DO THERE'S CONDITIONS ON THE ISLAND ARE NOT THE RESULT OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.

UM, THEY EXISTED BEFORE HIS OWNERSHIP, CORRECT? WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE NATURAL CONFIGURATION OF THE ISLANDS

[01:35:01]

THE THIRD ONE IS BECAUSE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY AND EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS REFERRED TO IN SUBSECTION SEVEN TO ONE 40, UM, THE VARIANCE PERMIT IS SOUGHT, WOULD EFFECTIVELY PROHIBIT OR UNREASONABLY RESTRICT UTILIZATION OF LAND.

WELL, YES, THAT SETBACK WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DEVELOP THESE ISLANDS.

SO WHERE WE RUN INTO AN ISSUE IS WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE, UM, NEXT ITEM HERE, SINCE THE VARIANTS PERMIT WOULD NOT CONFER ANY SPECIAL PRIVILEGE ON THE LANDOWNERS IS DEFINED IT, I GUESS WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

THE EXTENT OF THE VARIED PERMIT IS THE MINIMUM NECESSARY TO ALLOW A REASONABLE USE OF THE LAND OR STRUCTURE.

THIS IS WHERE HIS STAFF, WE HAVE A BIG, A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS PROJECT HAD, THEY INITIATED THE PROJECT THE PROPER WAY.

IT WOULD TO START IT WITH A PRE-APPLICATION CONFERENCE WITH OUR STAFF REVIEW TEAM, GONE TO CONCEPTUAL.

WHEN WE WOULD HAVE WORKED THROUGH THESE ISSUES, WE WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE, WHAT THE USE WAS.

WE WOULD HAVE IDENTIFIED AS A SPECIAL USE ECOTOURISM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT USE REQUIRES 85% OPEN SPACE.

WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO FACTOR ALL THAT IN AND THEN WORK WITH THE APPLICANT ON WHERE IN THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF THEY WANTED TO SITE STRUCTURES AND WHERE YOU SEE THEM ON THE SITE PLAN IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE STAFF REVIEW TEAM.

WE WOULD, WE WOULD NOT, AS YOU SAID, JANE, A 99 FOOT VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE FEEL WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE MINIMUM NECESSARY.

SO WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY FAVORED THE CENTER OR THE ISLAND, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE STRUCTURES, MAYBE ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONSOLIDATE SOME AND, YOU KNOW, WORK AROUND THE, WE WOULD HAVE WORKED AROUND THE TREES.

THE EXISTING SITE FEATURES, ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED PRIOR TO THIS EVER COMING TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.

UM, AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT, SO THE OTHER ITEM IS, IS THIS CONFERRING SPECIAL PRIVILEGE? IF WE PRESENTED THIS PLAN TO YOU, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE EVER PERMITTED IF IT WENT THROUGH THE PROPER PROCESS.

AND SO IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE TREATING THIS PARTICULAR VARIANCE AS KIND OF A SPECIAL CASE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS WAS ALREADY DONE WITHOUT THE PROPER PROBATING PROCESS.

SO THAT IS HOW WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS FROM THE STAFF STANDPOINT.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE PROFESSIONALLY OBLIGATED FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION TO BE NO, BECAUSE IT'S SIMPLY NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE REQUIRED AS STAFF TO, TO REVIEW.

ANOTHER THING I WILL MENTION IS THAT THESE, THESE STRUCTURES LOOK VERY LIGHT.

THEY'RE SMALL, BUT OUR DEPARTMENT IS ALSO INVOLVED IN PASSIVE HEART DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING IN SEVERAL AREAS THAT ARE ON THE CRITICAL LINE, WHERE WE ARE MOVING PICNIC PAVILIONS.

WE'RE PUTTING THE BACK A HUNDRED FEET FROM THE CRITICAL LINE.

WE HAD TO COME TO THIS BOARD WITH A VARIANCE WHEN WE BUILT A CONCRETE WALKWAY IN THE OTT REGIONAL PARK.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE'VE EVEN, WE STRICT, UM, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS FROM PUTTING, UM, PAVILIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THEIR, UM, HIGHWAY OR IN THEIR I'M SORRY, THEIR RIVER BUFFER.

SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF WOULD BE BRINGING FORWARD TO THE SPORT IF THIS WAS COMING IN AS A DEVELOPING NEW SITE.

AND SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PROJECT IS WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE IF THEY DID IT THE RIGHT WAY? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ASPECTS OF IT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE BOARDWALK, THE DOCKS, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UM, THEY DON'T APPEAR TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM LIFE, YOU KNOW, JUST BASED ON, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT.

WEREN'T PERMITTED PROPERLY WITH THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY LOOK AT THEM AS A PROBLEM, BUT THESE STRUCTURES CLEARLY ARE NOT LOCATED IN AN AREA WHERE WE WOULD APPROVE THEM SO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO FOR THAT REASON, WE, WE ARE OBLIGATED RECOMMENDS DENIAL, IOWA.

SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT IF THEY WERE IN THE CENTER WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE A HUNDRED FEET, THAT YOU WOULD ACCEPT THEM.

WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S RECOMMEND THEM.

THIS IS HYPOTHETICAL BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE VARIANCE IS FOR.

MARSH ISLANDS ARE ZONED EITHER T1 NATURAL PRESERVE IN THIS CASE, THIS IS CALLED BECAUSE IT'S SPECIAL DISTRICT FOR DUSKY, BUT THERE ARE MOST, YOU KNOW, PROTECTED.

WE'RE RECOGNIZING IT'S SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET THIS A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK.

SO WE WOULD HAVE APPROVED THE PLAN WITH A MUCH DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LOCATION OF BUILDINGS, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THEY BET ALL THE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY AT THAT SAME TIME INITIATED, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ECOTOURISM? I THINK THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING, AND I THINK EVERYONE IS AWARE THIS DISTRICT ARE ALL

[01:40:01]

IT'S OUR MOST PROTECTIVE ZONING DISTRICT IT'S MEANT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE LOW TO LOW LIGHT IMPACT DEVELOPMENT AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE OF THESE ISLANDS.

SO TH I MEAN, AND YOU MAY HAVE JUST ANSWERED IT.

SO IF THIS APPLICANT WHERE HAVE WHERE TO COME TO YOU IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF THIS, SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS, YOU WOULD PROBABLY, THE COUNTY WOULD PROBABLY SUPPORT, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY LOCATED WELL, NOT WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY LOCATED WITH.

ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ISLAND, WE WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM TO LOOK AT THE INSIDE.

MAYBE WE MIGHT HAVE WORKED THROUGH SOME VIEW CORRIDORS IF THEY WANTED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROCEDURES AND PROVISIONS IN OUR CODE TO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, WORKING AROUND IN A, IN SITUATION LIKE THIS AND MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNTY.

HOW LONG ARE THE DOCS? UH, HOW MANY FEET IS THAT FROM? THAT'S PROBABLY ON THE DOCK PREMISE.

LIKE THE DOG WALK THE BOARDWALK.

I MEAN, I'M SORRY, FIVE TO THE DOCK, BUT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, THE WALKWAY TO THE DOCK.

AND OUR ORDINANCE ON SMALL TIDAL CREEKS, I BELIEVE THE LIMIT IS 300 FEET.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK BACKWARDS, THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, MR. OVERTON? OKAY.

LET'S GO A BIT DIFFERENT, SIR.

WHEN, UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURE, WHAT HAPPENED ALL THIS? WHEN MATTHEW HIT THE QUESTION, DID THEY BLOW AWAY? UM, SO WHEN MATTHEW CAME AGAIN, IF I CAN ALSO RELATIVE TO THAT QUESTION ADDRESS, KIND OF OUR CRITERIA WE THOUGHT THROUGH WHEN WE DID BUILD THE STRUCTURES, UM, ONE, WE WANTED THEM TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE LANDSCAPE.

YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, A STORY ON THAT LATRINE FACILITY, WE HAVE VERY SMALL SIX INCH PILINGS HOLDING IT UP.

THE LUMBER COMPANY DELIVERED, I THINK 10 INCH PILINGS TEAM CARRIED THEM OUT THERE.

WE MOVED THEM ALL BACK BECAUSE SIMPLY THEY WERE NOT IN SCALE WITH THE TREES.

UM, TOO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WOULD NOT VISIBLE FROM THE VIEW SHED.

SO I THINK AS SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER, IF YOU DRIVE BY THE ISLANDS THREE, TO HAVE MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND HOPEFULLY A POSITIVE IMPACT FROM WHAT THE STORY THEY TELL AND AS EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT MATTHEW, UM, I WAS MATTHEW, THE FIRST FOSKEY ISLAND, I WAS THERE ABOUT 11:00 AM THAT MORNING.

THE PEAK OF MATTHEW WAS ABOUT 5:00 AM.

AND THE ISLAND, BASICALLY THE STORY IRAQ ON THESE STRUCTURES, THE LATRINE STRUCTURE REALLY WAS FINE.

ONE THING WE DID WAS THE WAY THIS WORKS IS THERE'S TOILETS.

THEY GO DOWN INTO INDIVIDUAL PDC TANKS, THE WASTE THAT SIT ON ROLLING DOLLIES.

AND WHEN THEY'RE HALF FULL, WE ROLL THE DOLLIES NEAR THE DOCK.

WE BRING A STATE FUNDED, PUMPED OUT BOAT OVER AND PUMP THEM OUT.

SO THERE'S NO CHANCE ANY, EVEN A DROP OF SEWAGE CAN TOUCH THE GROUND.

WHEN THE STORM COMES LIKE MATTHEW, WE SIMPLY REMOVE THE TANKS COMPLETELY FROM THE ISLAND.

I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ROOTS AND ALL THAT STUFF? OH, WAIT, IS THIS, THE TREATING FACILITY WAS FINE.

WE REMOVED THEM.

WE TOOK THE BOTTOM PART OUT WATER, WENT UNDERNEATH IT, UH, DECKING ON THE SHELTERS THAT HAVE THE ROOFS.

THE DECKING WAS COMPLETELY GONE TO LOOSE REFINE THERE.

IT WAS, THE DECKING WAS MOVED.

WE PUT IT BACK IN PLACE.

AND THE OTHER STRUCTURES THAT WERE THERE WERE FINE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD SO REALLY, UH, WHILE IT TOOK US ALMOST A YEAR TO GET ALL THE MARSH RACK OFF THE ISLAND, THE STRUCTURES, UH, REALLY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH DAMAGE.

SO THERE WAS MIMING MINIMUM IMPACT TO THE DEBRIS GOING INTO WATER.

THANKS.

UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS MOMENT.

UH, MS. SALLY-ANNE ROBINSON, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

YOU HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES.

[01:45:01]

AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING TO HEAR, UM, ON BEHALF OF MR. ELLINGTON AND THE STAFF.

I KNOW THEM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I AM A DUSKY, SIX GENERATION BORN NATIVE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AS SMALL AS THE ISLAND IS THAT HE'S TRYING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP IT AS AN ECOSYSTEM.

AND AS A PERSONAL CHEF, I CAN TELL YOU I'VE BEEN THERE.

AND IT JUST FELT LIKE HOME THE HOME.

I REMEMBER CAUSE THE FRISKY IS NOW DEVELOPING AND THERE ARE THINGS THERE THAT I WISH MOST STRICTION WOULD BE ON BEING HONEST WITH YOU.

UM, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

AND KIDS COME FROM OTHER AREAS COME TO A PLACE LIKE THIS.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I KNOW IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHEN YOU'VE NOT BEEN THERE, BUT IF YOU GO THROUGH YOUR, YOU'LL SEE THE BEAUTY IN IT, YOU SEE THE EDUCATION IN IT, YOU SEE THE NEED IN IT.

AND IT'S ALSO KEY FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU JUST DON'T CONTINUE TO BUILD UP A PLACE LIKE IN THE LOW COUNTRY THAT CAN PRESERVE THIS KIND OF LOVE AND INSECURITY AND, AND FEELING.

I MEAN, FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT THE FEEL YOU GET WITH NO COUNTRY PLACE THAT JUST OFFERS THE MINIMUM.

AND THE MINIMUM IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT BASED ON ALL THESE BUILDINGS.

AND I GET BECAUSE OF STORMS AND STUFF, BUT I LOVE AN ISLAND THAT'S GROWING LIKE WEED RIGHT NOW AND IT BREAKS MY HEART.

I FEEL LIKE IT TOUCHES MY HEART TO SEE THINGS CHANGE SO MUCH, BUT TO SEE IT KEPT NATURALLY AND PERTAINING TO EDUCATING KIDS AND APPRECIATING LIFE.

UM, NATURE IS A BEAUTIFUL, UM, I UNDERSTAND HE PROBABLY GOT TO MAKE SOME CHANGES OR WHATEVER HE HAVE TO DO TO CORRECT THINGS, BUT I'M ASKING ON BEHALF TO PLEASE, BECAUSE THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.

THAT'S TRYING TO BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

THE WAY WE REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE OUR KIDS AND GENERATIONS TO COME TO APPRECIATE BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, THEY NOT GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LOVE OF NATURE AND HOW BEAUTIFUL LIFE IS LIVING IN A LOW COUNTRY.

THANK YOU, MAN.

WELCOME.

UH, JC, I GUESS THIS MCCONN MCKOON YES, SIR.

ONE OF THE GUIDES THAT TAKES FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER SUCH EVENTS OUT THERE, I ALSO DO A LOT OF THE, THE WORD MAINTENANCE FOR BETTER LACK OF A BETTER TERM OUT THERE.

AND, UH, WHEN I STARTED WORKING FOR MIKE IN 2015, SO IT'S BEEN A HANDFUL OF YEARS NOW, THE FIRST FEW TIMES THAT I WAS OUT THERE, HE WAS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE TREAT THE ISLAND.

ANYTIME WE TAKE ANYONE OUT THERE, WHETHER IT'S A FAMILY, A CORPORATION, A SCHOOL, THE BOY SCOUTS, WHOEVER IT IS VERY STRICT PROTOCOL FOR HOW WE INTRODUCE THE ISLAND, HOW WE TELL THEM TO TREAT THE ISLAND.

AND THAT REFERS TO STAYING ON BOARDWALKS AND OUT OF CERTAIN NATURAL AREAS, DETECTING LOW BRUSH TO NOT DISTURB ROOT STRUCTURES, NOT GOING INTO WOODED AREAS AND DISTURBING HABITATS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN LATER ON, WHEN I STARTED DOING MAINTENANCE OUT THERE, UH, HE AGAIN CAME OUT AND LED THE CHARGE OF THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DONE.

WE DON'T, WE DON'T GO OUT THERE WITH CHAINSAWS.

WE DON'T GO OUT THERE WITH LARGE EQUIPMENT, UM, TO MAKE, TO MAINTAIN WHAT'S OUT THERE.

WE, WE USE A LOT OF HAND CLIPPERS AND YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE YOU USE IN YOUR BACKYARD AND THE PROTOCOL FROM DAY ONE WAS, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO POKE SOMEBODY IN THE EYE, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A DANGEROUS SOMEONE, THEN IT SHOULD STAY.

AND WHEN WE DO TAKE PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY, THEY REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT'S AS NATURAL AS IT IS.

AND WE'VE HAD HANDFULS OF PEOPLE, DOZENS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE TOLD US THIS IS THE MOST REMOTE PLACE I'VE EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE.

AND IF YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS GEOGRAPHICALLY BETWEEN HILTON, HEAD, BLUFFTON AND SAVANNAH, IT'S NOT THAT IT IS REMOTE, BUT IT'S CLOSE TO ALL THREE PLACES.

AND FOR THEM TO BE IN THE REMOTE MOST REMOTE PLACE OF THEIR LIFE, 45 MINUTES OR AN HOUR IN A BOAT, I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES AS TO HOW MUCH HAS BEEN DONE TO KEEP IT AS NATURAL KEPT.

AND YOU SAID YOU ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES.

I HAVE WORKED FOR OUTSIDE FOR 17 YEARS.

AND REALLY THE ONLY THING I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS A LITTLE STORY ABOUT A GROUP OF KIDS THAT CAME FROM

[01:50:01]

A CHURCH.

THERE WERE SIX YOUNG MEN THAT HAD NO FATHERS IN THEIR FAMILIES IN THEIR HOUSE AND HAVING A BOY GO OUT THERE AND CATCH HIS FIRST FISH.

HAVING THOSE BOYS START A FIRE FOR THEIR FIRST TIME, THOSE KINDS OF EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR CHURCH LEADERS.

THAT'S WHAT WE DO OUT THERE.

REALLY HELP IMMERSE PEOPLE IN THE UNIQUE NATURE, HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE LOW COUNTRY.

SO THAT'S IT.

UH, MR. DEAN MOSS CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE ZONING BOARD.

APPRECIATE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

I'M DEAN MAUS.

I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.

UH, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE FOUNDATION HERE THIS EVENING.

I'M SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE LANDS AND WATERS OF PORT ROYAL SOUND IS ONE OF THE KEY MISSIONS OF THE FOUNDATION.

I, AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD, I'M CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR PLACES AND PROGRAMS, WHICH DO THE EDUCATION AND DO IT WELL.

UH, I VISITED PAGE ISLAND.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO QUIET PLACE AND A FABULOUS SETTING FOR TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OVER 20 YEARS THAT MOST OF THESE BASIC SHELTERS HAVE BEEN IN PLACE ON THE ISLAND.

OVER THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE VISITED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT MIKE OVERTON PROVIDES.

THIS IS A MATTER OF INTEREST.

THERE ARE FISH CAMPS BUILT ON SMALL ISLANDS, ALL OVER BUFORD COUNTY, UH, THAT ARE USED FOR NOTHING MORE THAN SLEEPING, EATING, AND DRINKING A LITTLE FISHING NOW.

AND THEN, UM, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THEM WOULD COMPLY WITH THE CURRENT COUNTY STANDARDS.

UM, I BELIEVE THE DECISION SHOULD BE BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT THE CURRENT SITE LAYOUT PROVIDES VERSUS WHAT ACTUAL IMPACTS THAT IS HAVING ON THE REGION'S ENVIRONMENT.

UH, I SUGGEST THAT THE ZBA DEFER ACTION ON THIS AND ASK THE STAFF TO ACTUALLY VISIT THE SITE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE ON THE BOARD VISITED THE SITE.

I DIDN'T THINK SO.

UH, I THINK IF YOU VISIT THE SITE AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT, IT WILL AID YOU IN MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN, MR. JOHN BATSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MIKE AND OUTSIDE BRANDS AND PAY JILIN.

I AM A PHYSICIAN HERE.

I GREW UP ON HILTON HEAD, GREW UP WORKING FOR MIKE FOR MANY YEARS AT OUTSIDE HILTON HEAD AND MANY THINGS I LEARNED FROM MIKE.

I EMPLOY EVERY DAY, I THINK ARE GOOD TRAITS.

I HAVE SUCH AS PERSISTENCE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, BEING A TEACHER AND PROMOTING HEALTH FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

UM, THESE ARE VALUES I THINK ARE EMPHASIZED ON PAGE ISLAND BECAUSE OF MIKE'S INFLUENCE AND THE INFLUENCE OF HIS CIRCLE OF SPECIAL PEOPLE AROUND HIM.

MIKE TOLD ME THE PEOPLE, UH, TOLD ME THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAKING TODAY.

AND THERE'S SOME QUITE DIVERSE COMMUNITY LEADERS.

I THINK ALL OF US HERE, UH, THE FACT THAT WHEN WE SET FOOT ON PAGE ISLAND, I REMEMBERED HOW HILTON HEAD WAS.

SHE REMEMBERED HOW TO PLUS HE WAS, PEOPLE HAD REMEMBERED HOW BUFORD WAS IN BLUFFTON WAS, AND WE SEE THE STRUCTURES INTERTWINED WITH NATURE RATHER THAN SUPPRESSING IT.

UH, WHEN WE LEFT PAIGE ISLAND, I HAVE A FEELING EVERY TIME THAT I CAN DO MORE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, TRYING TO ELIMINATE PLASTICS, PICK UP LITTER, UH, AND DO THINGS TO REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION, HEY, JALAN FOSTERS THESE MEMORIES.

AND I THINK PAIGE ISLAND PROMOTES THESE HABITS OF SUSTAINABILITY.

I RECOGNIZE THAT MIKE MADE SOME MISTAKES.

I THINK HE RECOGNIZES THIS AS WELL.

I THINK HE HATES IT.

PAIGE ALLEN IS IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN THIS FASHION.

AND I ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF WHAT MIKE HAS DONE AS A COMMUNITY LEADER IN THE LAST 40 YEARS TO INSPIRE MANY KIDS LIKE ME GOING THROUGH HIS ORGANIZATION.

I ALSO ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF WHAT OUTSIDE BRANDS AS A COMPANY HAS DONE SO MANY POSITIVE THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS MIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO AS GOOD WORK AND ALLOWS PAGE ALLEN TO CONTINUE TO TELL HER STORY.

THANK YOU, JACK DAILY, JACK DALEY.

UM, I'M A NEIGHBOR.

I HAVE 180 ACRES OF MARSH AND SANDY FLATS AND EVERYTHING RIGHT NEXT TO PAIGE ISLAND.

AND, UM, JUST SO EVERYONE KIND OF CAN KEEP OUR LANES STRAIGHT.

YOU KNOW, NEMERS IS A PRIVATE

[01:55:01]

CORPORATION.

YOU CAN'T RENT IT.

YOU CAN'T JUST PAY HIM MONEY TO GO THERE.

UH, FISH CAMPS ARE PRIVATE FAMILY OWNED.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RENT, I GUESS, A FOR OUTSIDE, YOU CAN RENT PAIGE FOR EVENTS AND WEDDINGS AND SO FORTH.

ALL I HAVE ON MY ISLANDS IS BIRDS, RIGHT? AND I'VE TAKEN THE HEAD OF SOUTH CAROLINA AUDUBON OUT THERE AND PEOPLE FROM LAND TRUST.

AND IMMEDIATELY I RECOGNIZED I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT I SAW A LOT OF BIRDS.

I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE, UH, TOOK PICTURES, SHARED THEM WITH SOUTH CAROLINA, DNR, FELICIA SANDERS, YOU FOR COUNTY OAKLAND LAND TRUST.

AND IT OVERWHELMED ME THE AMOUNT OF, UM, PRIORITY BIRDS ON THE AUDUBON NATIONAL LIST.

THE GLOBAL LIST, THERE'S OVER 20 SPECIES OUT THERE THAT ARE THREATENED AND, AND SHOULD BE PROTECTED.

AND THEY ARE PROTECTED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.

AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO SKUNK THIS UP.

I'M GONNA, WHEN I GET MY SURVEY DONE, I'M GOING TO HAVE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT PLACED ON THIS PROPERTY.

UH, IT'S MEANS MORE OF THE BIRDS THAN IT DOES TO ME.

UH, I'M GOING TO BACK UP AND LEAVE IT ALONE.

IT'S GOT A SPECIAL PURPOSE IN OUR HABITAT IN OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPERSEDES ANYTHING THAT I WOULD WANT TO TRY AND DO, OR TO MAKE A DOLLAR OR SOMETHING, RIGHT.

IT'S SPECIAL AND A WOOD STORKS PIPING PLOVERS LONG BILLED CURLEWS ROSEATE SPOONBILLS.

I COULD BORE YOU TO DEATH WITH ALL THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS, BUT, UM, FROM THAT POINT ON, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR NATURE THAN IT IS FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING.

AND I HAVE BIGGER ISLANDS AND MORE AND ALL OF THAT.

AND SO, SO THAT'S WHERE I AM.

AND, UM, I DO WORRY ABOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, A COMMERCIAL VENTURE NEXT TO ME.

UH, IT'S YOU KNOW, HIGH DENSITY, UM, POSSIBLY IMPACTING THE ENVIRONMENT, IMPACTING MY PROPERTY, THINGS THAT ARE ON MY PROPERTY.

I'VE GOT A VERNAL POOL ON MY PROPERTY, FRESH WATER FOR ALL KINDS OF SPECIES.

UM, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND ONE THING I LEARNED ABOUT THE SMALL HUMMOCKS OUT THERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS THE OUTSIDE RING OF THE CANOPY.

CAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THE SHOREBIRDS COME UP AT HIGH TIDE, ALL THE ROOSTING, BIRDS, THE WORD STORKS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT ISLAND AROUND THAT EDGE.

AND IT HIT ME.

THAT'S WHY THERE'S A 50 FOOT RIVER BUFFER.

IT'S NOT JUST A NUMBER WE COME UP WITH.

IT'S A NUMBER TO ALLOW THOSE BIRDS THAT GO UP THERE AND THEY LOOK OVER THE MARSH AND THEY COME UP AT A SUPER HIGH TIDE OR WHEN THE SANDBARS FULL OF BOATS OR THE BEACHES ARE CROWDED HILTON HEAD.

THAT'S WHERE THEY GO IS THE OUTER RIMS OF THOSE ISLANDS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OUT THERE THAT I RESPECT AND WANT TO SEE PROTECTED.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A FISH CAMP, IT'S NOT A PRIVATE FOUNDATION, IT'S NOT A BUSINESS.

AND, UH, LET'S, UH, SOME OF THOSE CODES PIECES ARE WRITTEN FOR A GOOD PURPOSE.

AND, UH, SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY.

IT'S A LOT OF FUN TO BE ON THE DOCKS WITH THE KIDS, PULLING A CRAB TRAP ON ONE SIDE, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE BLUE AND HAVING DOLPHINS SWIM BY ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT'S LIKE MAGIC.

UH, JEAN FRUIT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE COMMENTS.

MY NAME IS JEAN FRU.

I'M A 16 YEAR EMPLOYEE OF OUTSIDE HILTON HEAD IS KAYAK GUIDE AND ALSO A LOW COUNTRY MASTER NATURALIST.

I'M A LIFETIME EDUCATOR AND A 20 YEAR RESIDENT OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

I'M ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION.

THAT'S A SEPARATE 5 0 1 C3 FOUNDED IN 2014 WITH THE MISSION TO GET KIDS OUTSIDE AND TO PRESERVE AND TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEM.

AS A FOUNDATION, WE CONNECT OVER A THOUSAND LOCAL CHILDREN A YEAR TO THE SALT MARSHES THROUGH SCHOOL DAY OF KAYAKING AND EXPLORING OUR TITLE RIVERS TO CREATE THIS NONPROFIT WHOLLY SEPARATE FROM THE COMPANY TO FURTHER THE MISSION REALLY OF OUTSIDE BRANDS TO ENRICH LIVES BY CONNECTING PEOPLE TO EXCEPTIONAL PLACES, PRODUCTS AND EXPERIENCES IS TRULY REMARKABLE.

THERE WAS ALWAYS AN OPTION FOR OUTSIDE TO JUST STORES TO SELL MERCHANDISE AND TOURS, BUT OUTSIDE MADE A DIFFERENT DECISION TO GIVE BACK IN A BIG WAY.

AND THE PAGE ISLANDS ARE VERY BIG PART OF THIS, A VITAL PART OF THIS.

IT'S A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO WORK FOR THIS COMPANY AS A TRUE ECO TOURISM COMPANY.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEFINITIONS AND ALL THE DEFINITIONS THAT I HAVE RESEARCHED RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL TO NATURAL AREAS THAT CONSERVES THE ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINS THE WELLBEING OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE AND INVOLVES INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION.

IF YOU ASK ANY OUTSIDE BRANDS EMPLOYEE ABOUT THE BEST DAY AT WORK, LIKELY THE MENTION IS PAIGE ISLANDS, WELCOMING GUESTS TO A TRULY EXCEPTIONAL AND UNIQUE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN NATURE AND THE FEELING OF VISITING AND KNOWING THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE WITHOUT A TRACE THAT THIS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY BELONGS TO THE DIVERSE WILDLIFE, THAT CALL IT HOME, WHAT WELCOMES OUR VISITORS TO PAY JILIN? WELL, THE UNIQUE CONCEPT OF THE HAMMOCK ISLAND AS A BACK BARRIER ISLAND, THE PRINCIPLES OF LEAVE, NO TRACE, NOT JUST MENTIONED, BUT PRACTICE.

WE STRICTLY PACK IN AND PACK OUT.

THERE ARE VERY FEW STRUCTURES AS YOU SEE WITH MINIMAL FOOTPRINTS, THE ENTIRETY OF THE MARITIME FOREST IS FOR THERE TOO, FOR US TO ENJOY.

AND WE'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE PATHWAYS.

[02:00:01]

THE PAIGE ISLANDS ARE A LIVING LABORATORY THAT WELCOMES TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND SCIENTISTS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE PROACTIVELY IF I COULD ADVANCE, THIS IS JUST THIS PROGRAM.

AS A HAMMOCK ISLAND PAGE ISLANDS ARE LIVING SHORELINES IN THE TRUEST SENSE, MEANT TO MOVE AS NATURE WOULD HAVE IT.

THERE'S NOTHING PROHIBITING THIS MOVEMENT THAILAND'S ADAPT IS IF WE DO THE RIGHT THING AND ACT RESPONSIBLY, THE PAGE ISLANDS ARE FREE TO MOVE AS NECESSARY 2019 AND 2020 OR 2018 AND 2019.

WE PARTNERED WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS A FOUNDATION TO BUILD A SERIES OF OYSTER REEFS OFF OF THE EDGE OF THE MARSH, JUST AT RAMS HARM COURT.

THIS IS RAM'S HOME RAMPS, HORN CORNER OFF OF THE COOPER RIVER.

AND THIS WAS AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT EROSION.

AND THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE OYSTER REEFS, WHICH ARE PICTURED HERE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE EROSION OF VALUABLE ACREAGE.

AND AS WE ALL KNOW, SALTMARSH HAS AN INCREDIBLE VALUE IN TERMS OF PROTECTING OUR COASTLINE.

THREE MINUTES IS UP, I'M SORRY.

UM, MELISSA CRE CRACKS.

I DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE I WAS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

AND THEY KICK OFF EVERY YEAR WITH A RETREAT USING PAGE ISLAND, AND MIKE'S A GROUP TO DO TEAM BUILDING, AND THAT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE, BUT THE BEST PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE IS WHEN YOU STEP OFF THE BOAT AND YOU'RE IMMERSED IN NATURE, AND YOU SEE HOW THE FEW STRUCTURES THAT ARE THERE ARE BUILT IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AND THE PATHWAYS AND TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT HOW TO PRESERVE OUR LOCAL ECOLOGY, WHICH IS JUST SO CRITICAL.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH WHEN YOU GO THERE, RIGHT? AND YOU IT'S PART OF THE ENTIRE DAY.

AND PART OF THE EXPERIENCE REINFORCING THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO AND THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE DONE ON THAT ISLAND TO ALLOW NATURE, TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE FIDDLER CRABS, TO DO THEIR THING IN THE MARSHES AND THE BIRDS TO COME AND EAT THEM.

AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

IT'S HAD AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON ME.

I NOW BUILD OYSTER REEFS WITH THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION AND HAVE BROUGHT MY NIECES OUT TO PAIGE ISLAND TO DO AN OYSTER REEF BUILD.

AND WE USE THAT SHELTER WHEN THE STORMS CAME UP, RIGHT.

WE USE THE FACILITIES THERE BECAUSE I COULDN'T DRIVE FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND HERE WITHOUT KNOWING IMMEDIATELY WHEN I WALKED IN THE DOOR WHERE THE FACILITIES WERE.

SO THOSE THINGS ARE CRITICAL.

SO I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE BEST EXPERIENCE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.

I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR THE ECOLOGY.

I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY.

I THINK IT'S BEEN DONE VERY THOUGHTFULLY.

I UNDERSTAND THAT MIGHT NOT FIT WITH THE VARIANCES THAT ARE, THAT WERE OUT THERE, THAT MISTAKES WERE MADE, BUT IT'S SUCH A CRITICAL PART OF THE LOW COUNTRY EXPERIENCE.

UH, LARRY TUMOR.

TELL ME, I CAN'T GET THROUGH MY HARD HEAD.

I'M LARRY TUBER FROM LEFT.

AND, UM, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN AROUND HERE IN THE SEAFOOD BUSINESS FOR ABOUT 120 YEARS OR SO.

SO SINCE I WAS A LITTLE BOY, I'VE BEEN IN THE RIVER CURRENTLY I SERVE ON TOWN COUNCIL HAVE FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS, RIGHT NOW I'M SERVING AS MAYOR PRO TEM, WHICH IS A NICE TITLE TO HAVE, BUT I'M NOT HERE AS, AS A TOWN REPRESENTATIVE TODAY, I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT.

AND I JUST, I UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS' JOBS.

I DEAL WITH IT TOO.

SO BELIEVE ME, IF I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW ROCKS OR ANYTHING, BUT I DO LIKE TO TRY TO MAKE PEACE AND SMOOTH RUFFLE FEATHERS AND TRY TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION.

ONE THING I WANT TO BRING UP AS THE, THE, THE LINE, THE OCRM LINE, THE SETBACK, THESE, THESE BUILDINGS, IF YOU WANT TO CALL THEM BUILDINGS, I CALL IT MORE OF A SHED AND AN ACTUAL BUILDING, THE ROOFTOPS, AND THESE THINGS ARE SMALLER THAN WHAT YOU SEE ANYWHERE YOU RIDE UP AND DOWN THE RIVER.

AS, AS PEER HEADS COVERS ON KNOTS THAT ARE 300 FEET OVER THE WATER.

OKAY? I MEAN, YOU CAN BUILD THAT OVER THE WATER, BUT YOU CAN'T BUILD ONE ON LAND.

AND

[02:05:01]

WHAT THE HECK IS THE DIFFERENCE? I MEAN, IF YOU CAN BUILD A SHED ON THE END OF THE DOCK, OVER THE WATER, WHAT HARMS ARE GOING TO BE TO BUILD ONE, YOU KNOW, UM, ON, ON DIRT, IF IT, THE DISTANCE FROM THE, THE OCR, THE SETBACK, IF YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT'S JUST ONE THING.

I'LL GO BACK IN HISTORY A LITTLE BIT.

I REMEMBER ONE OF THIS ISLANDS DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ON IT.

SO FOR ME, SOMETIME WHEN WE WERE DEER HUNTING HALL, GUTTMAN, COON, HUN, AS A KID, UM, RIGHT NOW WITH, WITHIN INSIDE OF THIS ISLAND, WITHIN INSIDE OF THIS ISLAND, WE WERE LOOKING AT SOUTH STREET, BUILDING A 50 SLEPT MARINA WITH PLANS OF BUILDING A 400 SLIP MARINA.

THEY'RE DRIVING PYLONS THROUGH THE MARSH FROM THE LAND, THEY'RE BUILDING BRIDGES, THEY'RE BUILDING.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT THERE WITHIN THE SITE OF WHERE, WHAT MIKE AND THEM IS DO IT.

AND I CAN ONLY SAY THIS ORGANIZATION IS THE BEST.

IT'S WHAT WE SPEND COUNTY AND TAX MONEY.

TAXPAYERS' MONEY FOR, TO TRY TO CREATE EVERY DAY TOP-NOTCH ORGANIZATION.

IF THEY DID SOMETHING WRONG, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE WAY TOO VALUABLE SHOULD MOVE ON TO SOME OTHER PLACE.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

THANK YOU, JOHNNY JENKINS, JOHNNY JENKINS.

UH, JOHN TRADE AWAY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

UM, I WAS GENERAL MANAGER AND OUTSIDE HILTON HEAD A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.

UM, MIKE AND I AND A GROUP OF FOLKS WERE FORTUNATE TO, UH, BE INVITED OVER TO PRITCHARD'S ISLAND, UH, TO CAMP ONE WEEKEND.

AND WE KAYAKED OVER KAYAKED ALL AROUND, UH, DISCOVERED THE BEAUTY OF IT.

AND AT THE END, YOU KNOW, MIKE SAID, WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND SO HE SET OUT TO DEFINE THE PLACE AND IT TOOK MANY YEARS AND IT ACTUALLY FOUND HIM.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HE'S JUST DEVELOPED IT INTO, UH, A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE.

I ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND SEE IT.

UM, NOTHING LIKE SEEING, UH, YOU KNOW, KID CATCHES FIRST FISH AS FIRST CRAB.

SOME OF THE KIDS THAT COME OVER THERE HAVE, UH, NOT OVER IN AN AREA LIKE THAT ON A BOAT, AND IT'S JUST REALLY SPECIAL AND I HOPE YOU WILL, UH, ALLOW THE VARIANTS.

DON'T GET SHOT NOW.

DUSTIN WILD WELDER WILL THEN.

WOW.

WILDER IS DUSTIN WILDER.

CLEANUP DAYS AND OCEAN CLEANUP DAYS.

I'M A FATHER OF FOUR AND I'VE LIVED IN BUFORD COUNTY FOR OVER 18 YEARS.

AND THE FIRST TIME, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO PAIGE ISLANDS 15 YEARS AGO WITH MY KIDS, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, BACK THEN.

AND, UM, MOST RECENTLY I WAS OUT IN PAIGE ISLAND IN MARCH OF 22.

AND, UH, I CAN TELL YOU VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED IN THAT TIMEFRAME.

UH, THE FIRST, UH, TIME I TOOK MY KIDS THERE, IT WAS, IT WAS A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE.

AND IF ANY OF YOU ALL HAVE EVER BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT A JIM THIS ISLAND IS TO BE FOR COUNTY AND TO THE LOW COUNTRY.

UM, THAT, THAT, THAT FIRST EXPERIENCE WAS ACTUALLY, UH, AN ECO TOUR WITH MY KIDS.

AND IT WAS A HALF DAY EXCURSION.

WE WENT OUT THERE, UM, LOADED UP IN SUNSCREEN.

I THINK BLUE HARRELL WAS OUR, OUR BOAT CAPTAIN THAT DAY.

AND, UM, WE, WE FISHED, WE CRABBED, WE KAYAKED, WE STAYED, WE DID THE STANDUP PADDLE BOARDS.

UM, I DON'T THINK THE LATRINE WAS THERE AT THAT TIME.

I DON'T KNOW.

I REMEMBER PEEING BEHIND A PALM TREE.

UM, BUT THE, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, UH, THAT TRIP WAS MADE AN EVERLASTING IMPRESSION IN MY KIDS' LIVES.

WE, WE WITNESSED DOLPHINS, STRAND FEEDING ON THE WAY HOME IN THE BOAT.

IT WAS MAGICAL TO THIS DAY.

MY KIDS DON'T USE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES, SO THEY CARRIED METAL WATER BOTTLES.

THEY STILL KAYAK.

THEY STILL FISH.

THEY STILL STAND UP PADDLE BOARD AND THEY EVEN PARTICIPATE IN MARSH

[02:10:01]

THAT TRIP WAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT TAUGHT THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CARE OF MOTHER NATURE AND BEING OUT IN THE NATURAL LAND.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT'S NOT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS, BUT THIS COUNTY NEEDS PAIGE ISLAND, THIS COUNTY, UM, BENEFITS FROM HAVING PAIGE ISLAND.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOU TO CREAM, QUICK COMMENTS HERE.

I KNOW MIKE AND HIS COMPANY OUTSIDE HILTON HEAD WELL IN THEY'RE A GREAT ASSET TO THIS COUNTY TO BUFORD COUNTY.

SPENDING TIME ON PAIGE ISLAND IS TRULY A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND HAS HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON SO MANY PEOPLE.

WHAT MIKE HAS DONE AND CREATED ON PAGE ISLAND SHOULD BE HELD UP AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOUND ECOTOURISM, TOURISM PRACTICES.

AND I BELIEVE HE IS DESERVING OF THIS THEORY.

UH, DICK STEWART, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF BUFORD COUNTY.

WE'RE NOT HERE TODAY ABOUT BAD ACTORS.

YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MIKE, PAY MIKE OVERTON, PAIGE ALLEN, AND HIS COMPANY AND THEIR EXPERIENCES.

WE'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT REGULATIONS IN THE PAST.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON COUNTY COUNCIL, SERVE ON THE LAND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WHILE WE WERE DOING REZONINGS.

ONE OF THE ISSUES WE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT IS ARE WE GOING TO DEPRIVE ANYONE OF THE ABILITY TO USE THEIR LAND? WHAT WE'VE HEARD HERE TODAY IS BY THE ZONING THAT TOOK PLACE, CHANGING THAT SETBACK.

WE ESSENTIALLY MADE THESE ISLANDS AND BUILDING AND BUILD WELL, THAT DOES MAKE THE COUNTY BAD, BUT THAT WAS A MISTAKE.

WHAT MIKE HAS DONE IS HE'S NOT A BAD ACTOR.

HE'S BEEN IN BUSINESS HERE FOR 43 YEARS.

HE'S NOT CUTTING A CORNER.

HE'S NOT ONE OF THOSE GUYS.

YOU ROUTINELY SEE GETTING CITATIONS.

HE'S NOT THAT TREE COMPANY, THE CONTRACTOR WITH ME TO GET A PERMIT AND THEN DO IT.

AND I PAID HIS 25,000 ABOUT FIVE.

HE'S NOT THAT GUY.

HE'S A GOOD GUY, BUT HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE JUST LIKE THE COUNTY DID.

NOW, THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS IF SOMEBODY HAD BUILT TWO HOUSES OR ONE HOUSE OR THREE HOUSES ON THOSE ISLANDS, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BEFORE YOU AS CAN BE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL WITHOUT ANY COVENANTS, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD TO GIVE IT TO THEM.

IF THEY'D COME TO YOU AND SAID, WE'RE GOING TO NOT BUILD THREE HOUSES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS.

YOU WOULD HAVE PROBABLY GIVEN TO THEM, NOT NECESSARILY YOU, BUT YOUR PREDECESSORS.

THAT'S NOT WRONG.

THAT'S A REASONABLE JUDGMENT.

WE ARE NOT HANDICAPPED BY RULES.

THAT SAY IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN WAY.

THOSE WORDS WERE WRITTEN FOR REASONS.

BASIC LAW IN THE UNITED STATES GOES BACK TO EQUITY.

THE RIGHT THING TO DO HERE IS THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PEOPLE OF BEAVER COUNTY.

GO LOOK AT THE ISLAND, SEE WHAT YOU THINK.

THE FIRST TIME I MET MIKE WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, WHICH I'VE BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.

WHEN I FIRST MET HIM, HE SEEMED LIKE EXACTLY.

THE KIND OF GUY THAT WAS TELLING YOU THE STRAIGHT FACTS ABOUT WHAT HE WAS DOING.

SO MY RESPONSE WAS TO GO TAKE A KAYAK TOUR WITH ONE OF HIS GUYS TO SEE HOW THAT WORKED OUT.

ONE MINUTE, THAT GUY DID A GREAT DME DAD RATE DIDN'T HYPE.

DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AFTER IT WAS OVER, I STOPPED AND SAID, HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS? OH, SO WE HAVE TO KNOW THIS BEFORE WE CAN GO OUT.

THEY WON'T LET US GO OUT.

IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS FELLA HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PROTECTING 105 ACRES ONTO CHESSY CREEK FROM 200 AND SOME ODD HOUSES.

DOES THAT SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY THAT'S JUST PROFITEERING 10 OF THOSE ACRES ARE RESERVED FOR RESEARCH, A FACILITY FOR THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION TO RESEARCH THESE VERY WATERS.

AND THESE VERY NEEDS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

FIND A WAY IF WE CAN TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, IF YOU CAN'T DO IT, LET'S DO IT SOME OTHER WAY THROUGH THE COUNTY, GET A RULE CHANGE.

THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

ALL, THAT IS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SALTMARSH.

UH, THAT PATTY RAINY, RAINY THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.

I LIVED ON HILTON HEAD FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS NOW.

I'VE WORKED FOR OUTSIDE FOR 20 YEARS.

AND MOST OF THOSE YEARS, AS DIRECTOR OF GUIDE EDUCATION, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY TRAINING.

EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN THE FIELD, AS WELL AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE COMPANY THAT MAYBE NEVER LEAD FORCE AND UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF OUTSIDE, WHICH IS ONE OF STIS, SUSTAINABILITY, EXCELLENCE, TEAMWORK, BUT AT THE CORE OF

[02:15:01]

NOT ONLY IN OUR LOCAL AREA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND GLOBALLY, WHEN YOU COME.

AND I HOPE YOU WILL, TO PAIGE ISLAND, YOU WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME OF THE FINEST INTERPRETIVE GUIDES THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE LOW COUNTRY.

AND WHILE I LIKE TO CREDIT MYSELF FOR TEACHING THEM, IT'S A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY SUPPORT US AND OUR EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING PEOPLE AND TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS FABULOUS PLACE THAT WE HAVE PAIGE ISLAND.

I'M A FIRM BELIEVER NOT ONLY IN TEACHING FUTURE GUIDES, BUT IN RAISING MY OWN CHILDREN AND ACCOMPANYING THEM ON FIELD TRIPS THAT WE LEARN BEST THROUGH EXPERIENCE.

I CAN INTELLECTUALLY TELL YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BOISTEROUS, THE TY, THE GRASS, THE PLUFF MUD, BUT IF IT'S, IF IT REMAINS IN YOUR HEAD AND IT'S ONLY IN AN INTELLECTUAL EXERCISE, YOU REALLY HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND IT.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT.

AND IN ORDER TO DO IT, YOU COME TO PAGE ISLAND.

I AM A MASTER NATURALIST, I'M A MASTER GARDNER.

I'M ALSO A BURGER AND I TRAVEL THE WORLD IN GOOD TIMES, EXPLORING, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A PLACE IN ALL THE PLACES THAT I'VE BEEN AND ON ALL THE GUIDED TOURS THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED, THAT IS SO TRUE AND SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO PRISTINE AS PAIGE ISLAND.

SO I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THE VARIANTS.

TO HAVE PEOPLE OVER THERE AND NOT HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE SHELTER AND NOT HAVE A FACILITY TO USE A RESTROOM.

ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME, WE CLOSED OUT PUBLIC COMMENTS.

WELL, BOARD MEMBERS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE AFRICANS, FROM THE FOLKS THAT ARE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, NEIGHBORS, THAT'S, THERE'S A TOUGH DECISION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE HERE TONIGHT.

UM, I FIND IT VERY CHALLENGING, THE MISSION AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN ON PAGE ISLAND ARE WONDERFUL.

NOBODY DOUBTS THAT, BUT ALSO WHAT IS THE, IN A VERNON MESSAGE THAT IS BEING TAUGHT IS THAT YOU'RE TO BUILD THE BUILDINGS RIGHT UP ON THE EDGE OF THE MARSH, RIGHT UP ON THE CRITICAL LINE, WHEN THE BEST PRACTICES IS TO MOVE THEM BACK.

AND I FIND THAT, UH, UH, IN CONGRUENCY THAT WEAKENS THE MISSION OF PAIGE ISLAND WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE VERY THING, THAT'S THE WORST THING, WORST PLACE TO PUT YOUR BUILDING.

AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE.

THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH LOOKING AT THESE AS SUCH BAD BUILDINGS IS THEIR NUMBER ONE, NOT THAT BIG ON THE SPACE.

AND TO ME, THEY'RE NOT BUILDINGS.

THEY DON'T HAVE WALLS.

THEY'RE BUILDINGS.

WELL, YOU KNOW, UH, CHAIRMAN, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS WHO MR. DEAN MOSS IS.

HE'S DONE A LOT OF GREAT AND WONDERFUL THINGS FOR BUFORD COUNTY AND FOR HIM TO SUPPORT THIS, I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, HE CHANGED MY MIND AND I THANK YOU FOR IT.

AND BY THE WAY, SIR, I WAS AT ONE IN FISH CAMPS THIS WEEKEND AND YOU'RE RIGHT.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.

UH, MR. TAYLOR, UM, WHAT, OKAY, MR. IF LET'S JUST SAY, IF THE, THESE BUILDINGS WEREN'T THERE AND THERE WERE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, CAN YOU NOT USE THE BUILDING? THE LAND FOR ECO TOURISM AS IS WITHOUT THE BUILDINGS THAT THE STRUCTURES THAT YOU HAVE INTO THE BENEFIT OF THE ISLANDS AND I'M HUMBLED BY IT? UH, THE BUILDINGS WE BUILT WAS STRICTLY TO HAVE THE MINIMAL USE.

OUR GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO BE MINIMAL, MINIMAL, MINIMAL, AND THE MINIMAL IS A PLACE YOU CAN GO WHEN IT RAINS TO HAVE A SIMPLE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD IN A PLACE THAT YOU CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM WHERE THE WASTE IS SUSTAINABLY CONTROLLED IN A PLACE TO STICK A FISHING ROD IN A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO BE STORED OUT OF THE ELEMENTS.

AND THAT REALLY IS IT.

AND I THINK IF YOU COME LOOK AT THE ISLANDS AND EVEN GET ANY ENVIRONMENT ENLIST OR NATURALIST, I KNOW IT'S TECHNICALLY THAT CLOSE TO THE OCRM CRITICAL LINE AND LOOK AT WHERE THEY SIT AND JUDGE THE IMPACT THEY'RE HAVING, WHICH REALLY IN SOME CASES HAS GROWN VEGETATION BECAUSE OF THE TINY LITTLE BIT OF RAIN DROPS.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING

[02:20:01]

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED RELOCATING ANY OF THE STRUCTURES? UH, AGAIN, WE, WHEN WE BUILT THEM WITH THE IDEA OF REALLY BEING IN HARMONY WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND WITH THE NATURE, WE PUT THEM IN WHAT WE CONSIDERED AND I CONSIDERED REALLY THE BEST LOCATION FOR THEM.

AND THAT WAS WITH VIEW SHED AND WITH HARMONY AND THE IMPACT OF HOW PEOPLE MOVED AROUND THE ISLANDS AND HAD, AND ALSO IN NOT CUTTING VEGETATION.

IF YOU LOOK AT THESE POLE SHEDS SIMPLY A ROOF, WE DIDN'T MOVE ANY TREES.

THERE WERE TREES GO RIGHT THROUGH THE ROOFS.

WE CUT THE ROOTS AROUND THE TREES WHEN WE BUILT THEM.

SO WHAT DO YOU, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS WHEN, UM, A VISITOR TO THE ISLAND THAT MAYBE JUST BOUGHT A LOT OF HILTON HEAD AND SAID, YOU KNOW, MY ARCHITECT SAID THAT I HAVE TO BUILD, WELL, LET'S SAY THERE WOULD BE FOR COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S A HUNDRED FEET I HAVE TO BUILD.

I HAVE A 50 FOOT SETBACK AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER 60 FEET WHERE I CAN'T DO VERY, I CAN ONLY DO A VERY LITTLE, BUT HERE ON THIS ISLAND, THIS ECO TOURISM ISLAND, YOU ARE BUILT RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE MARS.

WHY CAN'T I DO THAT? I THINK I WOULD LOOK AT EVERY SITUATION THERE SPECIFICALLY IN DIFFERENTLY.

I THINK IF YOU LOOK AGAIN AT WHERE THE STRUCTURES ARE ON PAGE ISLAND AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT LIVING IN THOSE STRUCTURES, AGAIN, SOMEBODY MIGHT GO SIT IN THE STRUCTURE TO HAVE A SANDWICH AND A PICNIC TABLE.

I WANTED TO PUT A GAZEBO IN THE 50 FOOT SETBACK ON MY PROPERTY, AND I CAN'T DO THAT.

HOW, HOW CAN YOU AND YOUR ECHO, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RULES ARE WHAT THE RULES ARE.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE'RE REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM THEM.

AND CAUSE AGAIN, OUR INTENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO DO THE BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BY THE CODE AND BY THE RULES, WHAT IS THERE RIGHT NOW IS NOT RIGHT, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE RULES.

MR. BROMLEY, I WANTED TO ADDRESS KATHLEEN DUNKIN.

UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.

UM, IT WAS ABOUT, COULD YOU DO THIS FACILITY WITHOUT, UH, OFFER THESE OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT THE FACILITIES? UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE ALLOWS FOR THOSE BASIC FACILITIES.

SO EVEN IF THEY WERE, IF THEY WERE GOING TO USE THIS AS AN ECOTOURISM, THOSE WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE A COMPONENT THAT WOULD BE TYPICALLY ALLOWED AS PER THE CODE, WHICH IS NOT NORMALLY.

UH, BUILDING THESE STRUCTURES? DEFINITELY NOT.

BUT GETS TO MY POINT THAT BY VIRTUE OF BEING ABLE TO PUT THE BUILDINGS BACK, IS HE GRANTED A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE TO HAVE LARGER EVENTS MORE SO THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO, I THINK IT WAS, UM, MR. TAYLOR'S POINT OF THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION THAT WOULD BE MORE DELVED INTO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL ECOTOURISM USE AND WHAT THE BOUNDS OF THAT WOULD BE.

UM, MS. FREDERICK, MS. THE COMMENT I WOULD S I WANTED TO MAKE, UM, OR ADDRESS WITH YOU, WHAT'S THE ONE OF, COULD YOU NOT RELOCATE THIS, THESE BUILDINGS? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MR. OVERTON ALLUDED TO THIS IS THAT THESE WERE BUILT WERE AROUND THE TREES.

AND WHEN YOU APPLY THAT SETBACK, EVEN IF YOU'RE APPLYING THAT 50 FOOT SETBACK, WHAT YOU'RE HAVING TO DO IS YOU'RE FORCING EVERYTHING INTO THE CENTER.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING THAT MORE CONDENSED, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THEN ACTUALLY HAVE TO REMOVE TREES AND HAVE ADDITIONAL IMPACT ON THE SITE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE USES THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY OFFERING.

SO IN MY MIND, THIS IS ACTUALLY TO ASK THEM TO MOVE.

THIS WOULD CAUSE MORE FURTHER DISTURBANCE TO THE LAND.

AND I WOULD, I JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT AS YOU'RE PROCESSING, HOW YOU CAN COME TO A SOLUTION ON THIS.

UH, I THINK MR. STEWART BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT, TOO.

COULD YOU IMAGINE IF THERE WAS THREE HOUSES ON ISLAND THAT WOULD BE WAY MORE DENSITY THAN WHAT THERE IS NOW TREMENDOUS MORE RUNOFF PLUS SEPTIC TANKS.

SO REALLY THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BAD DEAL.

WELL, BASED ON THE TESTIMONY THAT WE'VE HEARD, I MEAN, IT'S NO DOUBT THAT THERE ARE SOME GOOD THAT'S COMING FROM THIS ISLAND, YOU KNOW, DID HE GO ABOUT IT THE RIGHT WAY? AS FAR AS,

[02:25:01]

AND OBVIOUSLY HE IS ADMITTED TO IT.

UM, AND I'M, I WAS ALONG THOSE SAME LINES IF WE WERE TO REQUIRE HIM TO REMOVE THOSE AND, UH, MINIMIZE THE ENCROACHMENT, WHAT TYPE OF DAMAGE WILL THAT CREATE AS FAR AS TRYING TO MOVE THOSE, UH, STRUCTURES, AS FAR AS, UM, TREES THAT MAY HAVE TO BE MOVED TO, TO, TO MITIGATE, TO, TO MINIMIZE THE ENCROACHMENT.

I MEAN, QUITE NATURALLY THERE WILL HAVE NEED THIS PROPERTY WILL NEED A VARIANCE, REGARDLESS ON WHERE YOU PUT IT AT.

AM I INCLINED TO, YOU KNOW, RULE ON MAKING A, MAKING THESE STRUCTURES MOVED? I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DIFFERENCE IT WOULD MAKE.

I KNOW WE'VE, WE PROBABLY SIT IN THE PRESENCE AND THIS IS BE TAILORED TO THE PROPERTY OWNER MORE THAN THE PROPERTY ITSELF DUE TO THE DIAMETER OF THIS PROPERTY.

UM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, I'M ALWAYS RELUCTANT TO SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY, BUT IT'S OBVIOUSLY IT IS DOING GOOD TO THE COMMUNITY.

OBVIOUSLY HE PICKED, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T SAY HE PICKED HIS PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE TESTIMONY IT'S, IT'S DOING PRETTY GOOD.

IT'S DOING MORE GOOD FOR THIS COMMUNITY IS AS FAR AS WHAT I CAN SEE, UM, AM I INCLINED TO GRANTING THIS? I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO LEAN TOWARD, YOU KNOW, TOWARD GRANTING THIS VARIANCE.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST ME.

UM, BUT IT'S UP TO THE BOARD AND, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THIS.

CAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE DAMAGED IF WE WERE TO RECOMMEND MOVING SOME OF THESE STRUCTURES TO ME, MY QUESTION THEN, JUST BEFORE THAT, YOU YOU'D MENTIONED, UM, STAFF, THAT THERE WAS Y'ALL HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DOING THAT WITH CERTAIN PAVILIONS, IS THAT CORRECT? WITH RESPECT TO THE 50 FOOT BUFFER? YEAH, IT WAS MENTIONING THAT, UM, OUR DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED IN PASSIVE PARK DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO WHEN WE DEVELOP A NEW PARK, EVEN SMALL STRUCTURES, LIKE PICNIC SHELTERS, PAVILIONS, THEY HAVE TO LOCATE OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, CRITICAL LINE BUFFER AND SETBACK.

SO I'M, I'M SAYING THAT EVEN SMALLER BUILDINGS STILL HAVE TO ADHERE IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, AS I THINK AS JANE MENTIONED A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER WHO IS ON THE WATER CAN NOT HAVE STRUCTURES IN THAT, UM, CRITICAL LINE BUFFER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE RECOGNIZE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THESE ISLANDS AND APPLYING THAT SETBACK TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP WITHOUT SOME SORT OF VARIANCE.

BUT HIS STAFF WE LOOK AT IS THIS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT NECESSARY TO ENCROACH ON THAT REQUIREMENT.

AND YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY WE, WE CAN'T SUPPORT IT.

WELL, BOARD MEMBERS BASED ON MR. ERIC GREEN, I WANT YOU ALL TO REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS, UH, TO FURTHER PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT HERE.

SO LET'S SAY IF YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT HOUSES BEING BUILT OUT HERE, EVENTUALLY YOU ALL COULD SAY, WE'RE GOING TO GRANT THIS VARIANCE WITH THE PROVISION THAT NO ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES CAN BE PERMITTED.

NO SEPTIC TANK PERMITS CAN BE ISSUED FOR THE PROPERTY THAT HAS TO BE USED.

THE LOCATION, OTHER STRUCTURES ARE APPROVED AS LONG AS THEY'RE USED IN THEIR CURRENT STATE.

AND THAT NO ADDITIONAL AND IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE CAN NOT BE ENCLOSED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO YOU ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUT THOSE TYPES OF CONDITIONS ONLY APPROVAL IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY OF THE ISLAND TO THE DEGREE THIS YEAR.

IF WE DO THAT, I WOULD WANT TO ADD, UH, THAT THEY HAVE TO CAPTURE ALL THE RAIN WATER OFF THE ROOFS TO CAUSE CURRENTLY THEY ONLY ARE DOING IT OFF OF ONE THAT WOULD LIMIT SETTING A STRONG PRECEDENT THAT SOMEONE ELSE COULD COME IN AND PUT UP A BUNCH OF HOUSES

[02:30:01]

ON A DIFFERENT PROPERTY AND USE, UH, STAFF.

THEY COME UP WITH THAT FOR CONSIDERATION, BUT MINIMAL WHAT MAY BE NO, I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION.

YEAH, I'LL MOVE THAT WAY BEFORE YOU DO IT.

I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

YOU, THERE WAS NO PLAN TO DO ANY OTHER BUILDING ON EITHER ONE OF THESE ISLANDS, RIGHT.

CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR ANY OTHER BILLS.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL THEN THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.

I MOVE THAT.

WE GRANT THE VARIANCE, BUT IT'S LIMITED TO THE EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE ISLAND AND THE CONDITION.

UM, NOT, THEY CAN BE REPAIRED OBVIOUSLY, BUT THEY CANNOT BE ALTERED OR ADDED TO, SO THEY CAN'T BE IN CLOSED.

UM, THEY HAVE TO CAPTURE ALL THE RAINWATER ON THE BUILDINGS AND, UM, NO ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS CAN BE BUILT ON THE ISLAND.

UH, SECOND THING WE WAIT A MINUTE THAT WE SHOULD ADD NO SEPTICS AND NO SEPTIC.

I ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

YOU LAND A SECOND.

YEAH, NO BUILDINGS ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE ISLANDS.

SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MADE.

AND SECOND, SO ALL IN FAVOR OF GRANTING THE VARIANCE, UH, SIGNIFIED BY CONDITION WITH THE CONDITIONS, COULD YOU SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND? OKAY.

SO TO ME, IF IT WASN'T AS FAMOUS, SO YOUR VERUS HAS BEEN GRANTED.

SO I GUESS FROM THIS POINT, YOU CAN REVISIT GO BACK TO THE COUNTY AND OBVIOUSLY THANK YOU, SIR.