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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
UH, STAND FOR THE PLEDGE BY PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AMERICA INTO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
DOES STAFF HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA TODAY? YES, SIR.
WE NEED THE COMMISSION TO, UH, TO ELECT A ACTING CHAIRMAN DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE DON'T HAVE OUR CHAIRMAN PRESENT.
OKAY, APPROVE OVER THE MINUTES.
UH, FIRST THE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 20.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND IN FAVOR.
UH, APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES FROM APRIL 3RD.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SECOND.
DO YOU HAVE ANY APPEARANCES BY CITIZENS ON TOPICS UNRELATED TO WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY? YES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND MY NAME IS JEFF WILES.
MY WIFE'S NAME IS LISA WILDES.
WE ARE THE OWNERS OF THE LAST HOUSE ON 43 BRADLEY BEACH.
THAT A BUTTS UP INTO DREESSEN PARK.
UH, JUST, AND IT'S NOT ANY BRAGGING, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW OF A LITTLE EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD, I HAD A REAL ESTATE COMPANY IN OHIO FOR 42 YEARS.
UH, I'VE PUT IN 15 SUBDIVISIONS.
UH, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND FOR SUBDIVISIONS, SO, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
OUR, OUR, OUR POINT OF CONTENTION TODAY, PEOPLE, IS THE AMOUNT OF, OF THE BUSES THAT ARE COMING IN TO BRADLEY BEACH ROAD.
UH, I WAS OUT THIS WEEK AND I MEASURED BOTH BURKE BRADLEY AND ALSO FOLLY BEACH ROAD.
AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE ROADS IN WIDTH IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF.
UH, I'M NOT HERE TO MAKE THE STREETS BETTER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
MY WIFE AND I ARE EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE A PROPERTY IN OHIO, AND WE HAVE A PROPERTY DOWN HERE.
ME, HAVING PUT THIS MANY ALLOTMENTS IN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT X'S AND O'S.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE IN HERE.
UH, IN FACT, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL APPRECIATE THIS.
YOU PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION ARE PROBABLY ON THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMISSION OF THE AREA, NOT CITY COUNCIL, NOT ANYBODY ELSE.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT YOU PEOPLE'S OBLIGATION IS.
YOU DICTATE HISTORY, OKAY? IT'S NOT WHEN YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING, IT'S NOT FOR LIKE NEXT WEEK.
IT'S NOT FOR NEXT MONTH, IT'S FOR THE REST OF THE LIFETIME.
SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT YOUR DECISIONS ARE.
UH, LIKE I SAY, HAVING HAD A REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR 42 YEARS AND PUT IT IN THE 15 SUBDIVISIONS, I HAVE BEEN ON MY FAIR SHARE OF, UH, COMMITTEES LIKE YOUR OWN.
AND I KNOW THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO YOUR COMMITTEE AREN'T ALWAYS HERE TO SAY, HAVE A NICE DAY.
UH, IN FACT, A LOT OF 'EM, IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE.
SO, UH, WE'RE HERE TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING WHERE WE SEE INDEED A PROBLEM THAT WE DON'T WANNA SEE GET WORSE.
UH, BRADLEY BEACH ROAD ITSELF, FROM THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT TO THE ASPHALT IS 19 FEET.
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AND, UH, WE HAVE NO BIKE PATH EITHER.WE HAVE A LITTLE RIDING ON THE THING THAT SAYS YOU BIKES CAN GO DOWN THE MIDDLE.
UH, WE'RE MAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TROLLEYS FROM THE, UH, HILTON HAD GUEST SERVICES.
IF I MAY JUST INTERJECT, UM, I TALKED WITH JIM WINNICKI, I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS, UM, AT THE CITY LAST FALL.
UM, I HAPPENED TO BE LAID UP WITH A BROKEN ANKLE.
SO I WAS SITTING ON OUR BALCONY, AND I JUST HAD A CHANCE TO TIME HOW MANY SHUTTLES I SAW COMING UP AND DOWN ROAD.
MAYBE WE COULD, UM, GIVE, GIVE HIM THREE MINUTES IN HER THREE MINUTES.
THAT, THAT WAS, THAT'S THE BUZZER FOR YOU.
OH, I, I SEE THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT, SO THAT'S FINE.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK.
IN OHIO, WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, SO I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK.
UM, SO WHAT I NOTICED WAS IN CONTACTING, UH, JIM LAST FALL WAS WE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PREPONDERANCE OF THESE SHUTTLES COMING UP AND DOWN.
AND FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, WE OWN OUR PROPERTY, BUT WE ALSO RENT OUR PROPERTY AS A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS DO ON THIS ISLAND.
AND, UM, MY HUSBAND'S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CIRCULATE JUST, UM, A SCHEDULE OF THE SHUTTLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S ABOUT EVERY 15, 20 MINUTES.
I, AND DOWN THE ROAD, I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE SHUTTLE DRIVERS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BIKE PATHS, AS MY HUSBAND SAID.
AND WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE FAMILIES THAT RENT OUR PLACES, LITTLE CHILDREN OR WHATNOT.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, CARS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
AND SO IF SOMEONE'S PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, WHAT'S TO HAPPEN IF A A CHILD RUNS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND THESE BIG SHUTTLES ARE COMING UP AND DOWN, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM AT ALL WITH THE HISTORICAL TOURS.
UH, THE GULLAH TOUR GOES DOWN THERE.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS, UM, JUST VERY MUCH A PART OF GULLAH HISTORY ON THE ISLAND.
SO WE, UH, DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT.
IT'S REALLY JUST THIS FOR-PROFIT SHUTTLE.
AND WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE BUS DRIVER IS THE OWNER OF THE SHUTTLE, OR THE, OR THE PERSON THAT, THAT ENGAGES THE SERVICES OF THE SHUTTLE IS ISLAND LINKS, UM, TIMESHARES.
SO THEY'VE DECIDED, BECAUSE THEY WERE KIND OF KICKED OFF OF THE, UH, PORT ROYAL AREA, THAT THEY WERE GONNA COME DOWN HERE AND ACCESS, UM, THIS BEACH AREA.
AND WHAT IT REALLY HAS ENDED UP HAPPENING IS JUST THIS PREPONDERANCE OF TRAFFIC WE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
IT HAS IMPACTED OUR, OUR ROAD.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, WHILE MY HUSBAND AND I ARE HERE, WE'RE GETTING SOME CEMENT REPAIRED BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRAFFIC AND SOME OF THE TURFING AND OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
SO WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY ASKING FOR A COMPLETE CESSATION OF THE SHUTTLE BUSES, BUT INSTEAD, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A DRAMATIC REDUCTION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THESE ARE THE ROADS THAT MY HUSBAND CITED, FOLLY AND BURKE, THAT HAVE THE, UM, ADDED WIDTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE BIKE PATHS.
IT WOULD SEEM TO MAKE SENSE THAT THOSE SHUTTLES WOULD USE THOSE ROADS MORE THAN WHAT THEY USE OUR ROAD.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT AT ALL WITH THE CITY, WE REALIZE OUR ROAD IS OWNED BY THE, THE COUNTY, BUT THE PARK IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
SO YOU ALL HAVE QUITE A BIT TO SAY ABOUT WHAT GOES ON IN THAT PARK.
AND THESE BUSES, THESE SHUTTLES, ARE GOING DIRECTLY TO A PARK.
YOU PEOPLE, AND I BROWN KNOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE DONE TOO MUCH IN LIFE.
YOU PEOPLE HAVE DONE AN ABSOLUTE FANTASTIC JOB WITH THAT PARK.
THAT PARK'S GONNA BE THERE FOREVER.
WE DON'T WANT BRADLEY BEACH ROAD JUST TO HAVE, IN FACT, TODAY I WAS IN THERE WITH THAT.
THE BUS CAME DOWN THERE, HE'S DRIVING DOWN THE MIDDLE.
I HAVE TO GET OFF THE ROAD TO GO AROUND HIM.
NOW, ACCOMMO, IF YOU GO DOWN AND LOOK AT ALL THE HOUSES AT THE END, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE DRIVEN ON OUR LOTS.
THEY BASICALLY TRESPASSED ON NO, THANK YOU.
UH, ARE THERE OTHER APPEARANCES BY CITIZENS, AGAIN, ON TOPICS UNRELATED TO TODAY'S AGENDA? UH, STAFF, FOR THE RECORD, DID WE RECEIVE ANY PORTAL COMMENTS? NO, SIR, WE DID NOT.
UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
SO, NEXT IS NEW BUSINESS, UH, ITEM, A LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TO AMEND FLOOR AREA RATIO REQUIREMENTS FROM 0.55 TO 0.45 WITHIN THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER
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OVERLAID DISTRICT.AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING STAFF.
YES, THANK YOU, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I WANT TO FIRST, UH, WELL, I'LL GET TO THIS PRESENTATION IN A SEC HERE, BUT I WANTED TO FIRST JUST REITERATE YOUR ROLE AS PART OF YOUR, YOUR STATE ROLE, THE STATE LAW IN TERMS OF YOUR ROLE, AND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL, APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS OR DENIAL ONTO TOWN COUNCIL.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE ROLE THAT YOU ALL ARE PLAYING.
UM, BEAR WITH ME HERE WHILE I OPEN UP THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS IS A BIG AGENDA, AND THIS IS A LARGE MEMO IN ITSELF.
AND I'M GONNA GET TO THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO ROLL THROUGH THIS, UM, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO HIT THE FINER, LARGER POINTS AND, UM, PRE, PRE PRESENT IT THAT WAY.
UH, FLIP YOUR, I JUST WANNA, WE ASK THE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
WILL THOSE ALL BE ANSWERED, UH, TODAY IN YOUR PRESENTATION, OR SHOULD WE WAIT TILL THE END? THANKS.
SO THAT'S FOR ME, AND, UM, THEY WILL BE, THEY WILL BE ANSWERED.
WHAT? I'M NOT SURE WHICH ORDER YOU WOULD WANT THEM ANSWERED AFTER THE PRESENTATION, MAYBE, AND WE COULD, AFTER THE PRESENTATION, SEE IF, YEAH.
SO WHAT I'M, UH, BREEZING THROUGH HERE IS THE MEMO, PART OF YOUR PACKET PRESENTATION PART, WHICH SUMMARIZES THE MEMO HERE.
IT'S, SO, YEAH, JUST ONCE AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, UH, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE AMENDING TITLE 16 OF MUNICIPAL CODE, UM, OF THE LAND, UH, REGARDING THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TO, UH, AMEND FLOOR AREA RATIO REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT.
OKAY, SO THIS AMENDMENT PROPOSES TO ADJUST THE FAR OR AREA RATIO REQUIREMENT FROM 0.55 TO 0.45 WITHIN FOREST SPEECH NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY CHARACTER DIS CHARACTER DISTRICT.
SO, IS THAT OKAY? AH, THAT'S, THANK YOU.
SO THE PROPOSAL OF THE FAR FAR FAR REDUCTION IS, IS, IS IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER, AND IT'S BEFORE YOU THERE AND CONCENTRATE OR FOCUS ON THE HIGHLIGHT.
THAT'S, UH, THE ONLY SECTION OF THIS ORDINANCE THAT'S BEING AMENDED.
UH, STRIKE THROUGH 0.5 UNDER UNDERLINED 0.45.
EVERYTHING ELSE STATES THE SAME.
AND, AND REDUCING THIS FAR TO, UH, 0.45 IS CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING FAR REQUIREMENTS IN THE OTHER CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICTS OF FOLLY FIELD AND HOLIDAY HOMES.
SO, WE GET INTO THE BACKGROUND HERE, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA WORD READ THIS WORD, UH, WORD FOR WORD, BUT, UM, THE LMO PURPOSE AND INTENT IS TO GATHER THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND EXISTING AND FUTURE NEEDS OF THE TOWN.
THE, UH, UH, THE INTENT IS TO PROMOTE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY, GENERAL WELFARE, WELFARE, RECOGNIZING THE RIGHTS OF REAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
IT'S TO PREVENT OVERCROWDING OF LAND.
IT'S TO REGULATE THE AREAS, UH, OF ZONING DISTRICTS, UM, WITH, UH, DIMENSIONS AND, AND, UM, OCCUPIED BY BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES.
IT'S PROVIDING SAFE, ORALLY CONVENIENT MOVEMENT OF VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN, UH, BICYCLE TRAFFIC.
IT'S MINIMIZING, UH, LIFE, UH, RISK TO LIFE.
IT'S G ENSURING ORALLY DEVELOPMENT, IT'S EYE PROTECT, DESIGNATED CORRIDORS, NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS, HISTORIC AREAS, SCENIC AREAS, AND THE TOWN'S GENERAL BY ESTABLISHING, UM, CONSERVATION OR CORRIDOR OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICTS AS APPROPRIATE.
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UM, IT ALSO IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TOWN IS TO PROTECT THE, PROTECT THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OF LOTS WITHIN THAT DISTRICT.SO, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
THE FOUR SPEECH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT WAS OFFICIALLY ADOPTED BACK IN APRIL OF 2001, IN AN ESTABLISHED A FLOOR AREA RATIO OF 0.65.
THIS DIDN'T EXIST PREVIOUSLY, NO, FAR EXISTED PREVIOUSLY.
AND THEN AGAIN, IN, IN AUGUST OF 2003, THE FAR REGULATIONS WERE, WERE AGAIN, UH, REDUCED OR AMENDED TO REDUCE FROM 0.65 TO 0.45.
UH, 0.55 WITH THE ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS BELOW.
SO YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE INCREASED SETBACKS AND BUFFERS, UH, BUFFER PLAN, LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS PAVING.
UM, THERE'S A MAXIMUM CAP OF 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
THERE'S A 7,000 SQUARE FOOT CAP ON, I MEAN, MINIMUM SIZE RATHER FOR THE LOT SIZE, 70 FEET AND WIDTH.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WERE SET UP ORIGINALLY IN 2003.
SO NONE OF THOSE ARE BEING ADJUSTED EXCEPT FOR THE CURRENT FAR, UH, REQUIREMENT.
SO THIS JUST GETS INTO THE SETBACKS, THE BUFFERS IMPERVIOUS COVER A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH OF WHAT, WHAT THOSE RE THOSE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS ARE.
SO HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW TODAY, THAT'S THIS SECTION.
SO THE, UM, SO THE TOWN CONDUCTED A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LMO IN, IN, IN A CODE ASSESSMENT IN JANUARY, 2023.
THE CODE ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED CORE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS OF EXISTING CODE.
FOLLOWING THAT ASSESSMENT, TOWN COUNCIL IDENTIFIED AN LMO AMENDMENTS PLAN TO PRIORITIZE SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, MASS SCALE AND PARKING.
UH, CODE AMENDMENTS WERE DRAFTED, AND THESE AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN UNDER PUBLIC REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION SINCE LAST SUMMER, JULY, 2023.
THIS YEAR, JANUARY 11TH, 2024, THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE DISCUSSED AMENDMENTS TO THE, TO THE LMO RELATED TO PARKING, FAR MASS AND SCALE FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.
CONCLUDING THIS DISCUSSION, THEY VOTED FOUR ZERO TO AMEND THIS SECTION, 16 3 1 0 6 H FOUR D OF THIS FOREST SPEECH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT TO REDUCE THE FAR TO 0.45, WHICH IS BEFORE YOU TODAY.
AND THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE TO ADDRESS SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPED MASS, MASS AND SCALE.
FURTHER ON FEBRUARY OF 2024, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024, UH, TOWN COUNCIL HELD ITS FIRST, UH, READING OF, OF THIS ORDINANCE CONSIDERING TO AMEND THE FAR REQUIREMENTS, UH, WITHIN THIS DISTRICT.
AND THAT WAS VOTED SEVEN ZERO TO APPROVE.
THIS, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS NOW PRESENTED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY, UM, BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN, IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
NOW, STAFF DID, DID ANALYSIS, AND WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FINER POINTS OF THIS.
UM, IT WAS A VERY, AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT A TOTAL OF, UH, 618 HOMES, 619 HOMES, UM, IN FOR SPEECH.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WOULD BE THAT IF THE, THE FLOOR AREA RATIO WERE, WERE REDUCED FROM 0.55, NO, I'M SORRY, BACK UP.
CURRENTLY, CURRENTLY NOW, THERE ARE 39 EXISTING NON-CON, LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING PROPERTIES.
NOW, THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE FROM 0.65 ORIGINALLY TO THE CURRENT 0.55.
OKAY? REDUCING THE FAR TO 0.45 WOULD RESULT IN APPROXIMATELY 119 ADDITIONAL LEGAL NON-CONFORMING PROPERTIES.
SO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PROPERTIES, AGAIN, TOTAL, UH, SIX 19 IF ADOPTED, YOU TAKE THOSE TWO NUMBERS, THERE WOULD BE 158 LEGAL NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES, OR 25.5% OF THE TOTAL PARCELS IN THE DISTRICT WITH THIS LEGAL NONCONFORMING STATUS.
AND THESE ARE THE, THE GRAPH THAT SHOWS YOU THE NUMBERS.
SO OUT OF THOSE, UM, TOTAL PARCELS, 450 OR 72.6% ROUGHLY OF THE HOMES WERE BUILT BEFORE 2001.
AND THAT'S THE YEAR, UH, THE FOUR SPEECH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT WAS CREATED.
AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
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BEFORE 2001.THEY'RE AGING, RIGHT? THE MINIMUM HOME SIZE, UH, 690 SQUARE FEET MAXIMUM, UH, 7,469 SQUARE FEET.
THE, THE AVERAGE HOME SIZE, AND IT SHOWS YOU IN THIS CHART HERE, CHANGES OVER TIME, RIGHT? IN, IN, UM, MANY YEARS AGO IS THIS NUMBER, AND IT KIND OF JUST FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN AND THEN BACK DOWN A LITTLE BIT, KIND OF STABILIZES IN, IN 2018 TO 23.
UM, WHAT STICKS OUT THOUGH, TOO IS 2004, 2010, THAT'S THE LARGEST AVERAGE HOME SIZE.
SO ANYWAY, TODAY WE'RE ABOUT 39 24.
UM, AS OF 2023, MOST CURRENT DATA WE CAN GET.
THEN WE LOOKED AT, SO THAT WAS THE AVERAGE HOME SIZE.
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE AVERAGE LOT SIZE.
WELL, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE LOT SIZE? HERE IT IS, IT RANGES FROM 1,126 SQUARE FEET TO A MAXIMUM OF 30,000, 34 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND BELOW THE AVERAGE LOT SIZES ARE NINE, 9,509 TO 10,300, UH, 10,343 SQUARE FEET.
SO AGAIN, YOU SEE HOW IT'S JUST UP AND DOWN BASED ON THE, THE YEARS AVERAGE LOT SIZE.
SO NOW WE'RE AT ABOUT 10,131 SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE AVERAGE FAR, UH, FAR.
THE AVERAGE FAR, UH, MINIMUM IS 0.06.
THE RANGES ARE 0.23 TO 0.47 AVERAGE FAR ACROSS THOSE YEARS, HIGHER, HIGHER COURSE OR, OR THESE, THESE YEARS.
OKAY? SO WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? RIGHT? AND THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE HARD TO PICK UP HERE, THESE CHARTS, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SHOW YOU HOW THEY LOOK TOGETHER, UM, ALTOGETHER.
SO THEY, IT ILLUSTRATES THAT THE FAR FROM 2011 TO PRESENT IS 0.41 OR LESS.
ON AVERAGE, THE AVERAGE LOT SIZES ALSO INCREASED.
AND THE SECOND LARGEST AVERAGE HOME SIZE FOR ALL YEARS REVIEWED TIMEFRAME BETWEEN OH FOUR AND, AND 2010 HOME SIZES WERE AT THEIR LARGEST WITH AVERAGE LOT SIZES AT THEIR LOWEST.
SO THAT WAS 58 HOMES WERE BUILT WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD, ABOUT 9.3%.
SO COLLECTIVELY, THIS MAY HELP TO EXPLAIN THIS GREATER SENSE OF MASS AND SCALE THAT'S, UM, APPEARING IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOTE TO THAT NEWLY 73% OF THE HOUSING STOCK WAS BUILT PRIOR TO 2001, AND IT HAS POTENTIAL FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
HOWEVER, PLATTED BEFORE 2000 CONSTITUTE THE LARGEST AVERAGE SIZE IN THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S TEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FORTY THREE.
SO YOU HAVE A LARGE HOUSING STOCK THAT'S AGING, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE ON THOSE, THOSE HOMES, ON THOSE LOTS, THOSE LOTS ARE RELATIVELY LARGE.
AND WE, WE WENT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND WE LOOKED AT THE MINIMUM, THE MAXIMUM OF THE AVERAGE HOME SIZE IN EACH OF THESE SEVEN SUBDIVISIONS.
AND THIS IS THE INFORMATION HERE THAT'S PRESENTED.
AND, AND I'M FOR, FOR THE SAKE OF GOING THROUGH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, BREVITY, BECAUSE IT IS IN YOUR MEMO.
I'LL JUST FOCUS ON THESE LAST TWO BULLETS.
AND THIS IS WHERE YOU GET THE, UH, THE NON, THE LEGAL NONCONFORM CONFORMITIES NUMBERS.
SO THERE ARE THREE LOTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY LEGAL NONCONFORMITIES, UH, IN LATON BEACH.
THIS IS LATON BEACH SUBDIVISION HERE.
AND, UH, 11 WOULD BECOME LEGAL NON-CONFORMING IF IT WERE TO REDUCE, LIKEWISE WITH, UH, PALM FOREST, UH, SUBDIVISION, THEY'RE ZERO, ZERO.
UM, HILTON HAD ISLAND NUMBER THREE SUBDIVISION, UH, EIGHT LEGALLY.
NOW, 18 WOULD BE LEGALLY NONCONFORMING.
AGAIN, THIS JUST, THIS JUST HELPS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT? SOME OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF, OF DECISION MAKING.
NOW, THERE WOULD BE 34 THAT WOULD BECOME LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING IN HHI ONE A, WE HAVE THREE LOTS CURRENTLY.
UH, NON-CONFORMING SIX WOULD BECOME LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING WITH THE CHANGE.
YEAH, NUMBER, UH, HHI NUMBER ONE.
YOU HAVE 15 THAT ARE CURRENTLY LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING.
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YOU'D HAVE 50 THAT WOULD BECOME, UH, WITH THE REDUCTION OF 0.45.SO WHAT DOES THIS KIND OF LOOK LIKE, RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? SO THIS IS JUST A, A PHOTO OF FOUR SPEECH ALONG FOREST BEACH ROAD LOOKING TOWARDS THE BEACH, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UM, OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? AND Y I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE, ARE FAMILIAR.
AND THEN JUST, WE JUST HANDPICKED, UH, A SERIES OF, OF HOUSES AND WANTED TO GIVE YOU JUST, JUST AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF HOUSE SIZE, LOT SIZE, WHEN IT WAS BUILT, AND THEN THE FAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE JUST SHOWING YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF, OF WHAT'S OUT THERE.
THIS IS A LITTLE HIGH, RIGHT? THIS IS 0.553.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS BUILT, UM, RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME WHEN THAT, THAT FAR CHANGED, RIGHT? IT WENT 0.65 DOWN TO 0.55.
SO AGAIN, HERE, THESE, THESE ARE JUST MORE, MORE HOMES.
FINALLY, WE END UP, OKAY, SO WE WANTED TO ADDRESS NONCONFORMITIES AS WELL, RIGHT? UH, THERE ARE, THERE IS FLEXIBILITY THAT'S BUILT INTO THE CODE TO ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT OF NONCONFORMING DEVELOPMENT, UM, PROVIDED IT MEETS CRITERIA OF THESE, OF THESE CODES.
SO THIS IS CHAPTER 16 DASH SEVEN
AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO 16, NINE AND, AND, AND CHAPTER 13 AS WELL, THAT TALK ABOUT IN THE EVENT OF, WELL, SORRY, UM, I'LL BACK UP.
THIS IS CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER 16 SEVEN, NONCONFORMITY.
IF, IF YOU MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, YOU ONE MAY STILL ADDRESS A LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING, UH, HOME, RIGHT? BUT IT CAN'T, IT CAN'T INCREASE THE ENCROACHMENT IN A REQUIRED BUFFER OR SETBACK, FOR EXAMPLE.
IT CAN'T INCREASE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, IT, IT HAS TO, IT HAS TO TRY TO LESSEN THE NON-CONFORMING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? THESE ARE THE CRITERIA THAT ARE BUILT IN NOW TO HELP WITH THAT FLEXIBILITY ON THESE LEGAL NON-CONFORMING PROPERTIES, CHAPTER 16 NINE IS SPECIFIC TO DISASTER, RIGHT? IF THERE'S A, UH, A, A NATURAL EVENT, UM, THE HOME GETS, UH, EFFECT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, IMPACT DESTROYED, THERE ARE WAYS OF, OF REBUILDING THAT BACK, THAT LEGAL NONCONFORMING, UH, STRUCTURE AS WELL AS 13.
AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH, UM, UH, NAME, SORRY, 16 NINE IS A DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY.
AND THEN CHAPTER 13 IS A DISASTER EMERGENCY THAT'S DECLARED BY THE MAYOR.
SO THESE ARE JUST ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT NOT, NOT NONCONFORMING, LEGAL, NONCONFORMING PROPERTIES COULD BE REBUILT, RIGHT? BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THESE, UM, PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE LEGALLY NONCONFORMING.
THERE ARE NOW, AND THEY, THERE WOULD BE MORE WITH A REDUCTION.
OKAY? UH, THESE ARE THE REVIEW STANDARDS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, AS PART OF YOUR, UM, CHARGE TO VIEW THE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT, UM, BEFORE YOU TODAY.
SO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT REDUCES THE, THE FAR, THE FOUR AREA RATIO FROM 0.5 TO 0.45 WITHIN FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER DELIVERY DISTRICT.
IT AIMS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING SINGLE, SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT MASS AND SCALE.
AND, AND, UH, UM, THESE, THIS PROPOSAL ALIGNS WITH THE EXISTING FAR REQUIREMENTS IN OTHER OVERLAY DISTRICTS AND REFLECTS THE, OUR PLAN GOALS.
IT MAY RESULT IN BUILDING FOOTPRINT REDUCTION, RESULTING IN, IN MORE PERVIOUS SURFACE, PROVIDES A MECHANISM FOR ACHIEVING MORE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS.
LOWERING THE FAR MAY ALSO HELP LESSEN REDEVELOPMENT RISK OF SMALLER OLDING HOUSING, OLDER HOUSING STOCK REPLACED WITH LARGER HOMES THAT MAY BE OUTTA CHARACTER.
WITH THAT, WITH THE DISTRICT, THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO SUPPORTED REDUCING THE FAR WITHIN ALL SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS TO, TO 0.45 ON ON THAT JULY 27TH, 2003 DATE.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF COURSE, I'M NEW AND I WAS NOT HERE IN JULY.
UH, SO JUST TO RECAP, IN JANUARY, UM, THIS WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS
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WAS REVIEWED, UM, LMO CODE ASSESSMENT OVERALL.AND THEN, UM, I'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON THESE POINTS, UH, REALLY WITH HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
AND IT MOVED THROUGH IN JANUARY WITH THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND THEY VOTED FOUR ZERO TO APPROVE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, IN FEBRUARY, THE FIRST READING WAS HELD WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND, AND IT WAS APPROVED SEVEN ZERO UNANIMOUSLY FIRST READING, AND NOW IT'S BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.
BEFORE WE MOVE TO QUESTIONS, CAN I CALL FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN BRING THE QUESTIONS BACK UP TO THE DIOCESE? ALRIGHT.
AT THIS POINT, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT STAY CLOSE.
AND I WOULD OPEN, UH, THIS UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
DOES ANYBODY, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO TALK ON THIS, ON THIS TOPIC? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? NO.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE, UH, DAAS HERE THEN.
UM, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, HAVE A DISCUSSION BY COMMISSION.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THE SETBACKS IN THIS DISTRICT? AND ARE WE PROPOSING ANY CHANGES TO THOSE SETBACKS? NO CHANGES TO THE SETBACKS WHATSOEVER.
THE ONLY CHANGE IS THE FLOOR AREA RATIO, THE SETBACKS.
LET'S LOOK HERE BACK IN THE PRESENTATION.
I BELIEVE I HAVE THAT, THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
SO, UM, I FOUND IT AND I CAN, I CAN ROLL BACK TO FIND IT HERE FARTHER BACK.
I'LL HAVE A POWERPOINT NEXT TIME A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT HELP? THAT'S OKAY.
THERE WAS A GRAPHIC IN HERE THAT SHOWED SETBACKS AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT DIDN'T HAVE DIMENSIONS ON THERE, BUT THEY LOOKED DIFFERENT IN THE PRESENTATION.
THERE WAS A GRAPHIC IN THIS PACKAGE.
UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS, THIS IS WHAT I WAS AFTER.
AND IF THAT'S THAT, IF THAT WAS MISLEADING, THEN, UM, JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S NO CHANGE TO CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR SETBACK.
AND, UM, IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL NON-CONFORMING PROPERTIES, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S 25%, THIS IS APPROVED AT 0.45, A FOURTH OF THE PROPERTIES WOULD BE LEGAL NONCONFORMING.
AND IF THAT, IF ONE OF THOSE HOMES IS SOLD, WHAT ACTIONS ARE REQUIRED? WELL, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE, THE REAL ESTATE SIDE AND DISCLOSURES, I, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT, UM, IF THERE'S NO CHANGE, UH, THE, THE HOUSE, THE PROPERTY MAY, MAY EXIST IN PER PERPETUITY.
IT'S JUST WHEN CHANGES COME ABOUT, WHETHER THOSE CHANGES REFLECT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NONCONFORMITY SECTION OF OUR CODE, RIGHT.
EITHER, UM, VOLUNTARILY OR IN THE EVENT OF A, OF A DISASTER, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, BUT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TERM KIND OF GRANDFATHERED, RIGHT? IS A TERM THAT WE USE, AND I USE THE AIR QUOTES, RIGHT? SO EVERYTHING'S FINE, RIGHT? UM, IF NOTHING CHANGES, RIGHT? AND IT'S, UM, ONLY WHEN SOMEBODY IS COMING IN VOLUNTARILY, RIGHT? AND THEY WANNA CHANGE IT BEYOND WHAT OUR CODE ALLOWS IN NONCONFORMITIES, AND THEY WANNA MAXIMIZE TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAL OR POSSIBLE THEIR SETBACKS, UM, AND THEIR, AND THEIR FAR, WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING BECOMES IN COULD BECOME AN ISSUE.
WHAT, WHAT I IMAGINE WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN IF THIS IS PASSED AS WRITTEN, WILL HAVE THE SMALLER HOMES REPLACED OVER TIME AND EVENTUALLY WILL MEET SOME KIND OF EQUILIBRIUM WHERE MOST OF THE HOMES THAT WILL BE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE, THE NEW FAR.
SO I, I THINK WHAT, WHAT IT, WHAT IT, WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS THAT A LOT OF THIS HOUSING STOCK IS, IS OLDER, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BEFORE 2000 AND THERE'S A POTENTIAL OR A PERCEIVED THREAT THAT THEY WILL BE REDEVELOPED, RIGHT? AND THEY WILL BE REDEVELOPED AT A BIGGER MASS AND SCALE THAN WHAT MANY
[00:35:01]
ARE COMFORTABLE, COMFORTABLE WITH IN, IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE DISTRICT.RIGHT? AND EVEN, UM, I SHOULD, I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT, UM, THIS CHANGE IS SUPPORTED BY THE FOREST BEACH OWNERS ASSOCIATION, RIGHT? SO, SO THEY, THEY RECOGNIZE HOW THIS CAN HELP LIMIT THAT OVERALL BULK OR MASS THAT MAY OCCUR WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THESE, THESE PROPERTIES.
DO WE HAVE ANY OUTSTANDING PERMITS FOR FOREST SPEECH? UH, THAT I, UH, I'LL SAY FOR, FOR REDEVELOPMENT OR FOR, UM, NEW BUILDS? NEW BUILDS AND REDEVELOPMENT, I HAVE TO, YES.
AND DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OR NO, NO, SORRY.
AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I'M OVER ON THE ONE SIDE IN, IN LONGRIDGE PLANNING AND I DON'T KNOW THE DAILY IN THE BUILDING SIDE.
THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING TO MY COLLEAGUE ACTUALLY TO THAT POINT.
UH, ANY OUTSTANDING, UM, BILL, WOULDN'T THEY GO UNDER THE 55 FAR IF THE CHANGE HAS CHANGED? UH, THAT'S CORRECT.
MISSY LUECK, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, SO IF THERE'S ALREADY AN APPLICATION THAT IS IN IT IS BEING REVIEWED UNDER THE CURRENT CODE THAT IS ON THE BOOKS TODAY, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS ADJUSTMENT TO THE FLOOR AREA RATIO.
AND AND BY THE WAY, THERE, THERE ARE EXAMPLES IN OUR, IN OUR STUDY WHERE THAT WAS THE CASE, RIGHT? UM, SO THEY WERE ALREADY UNDER REVIEW, THEY WERE ALREADY PERMITTED UNDER REVIEW WHEN THE CODE CHANGED AND REDUCED, BUT THEY WERE ALLOWED IN, THEY HAD ENTITLEMENTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT CAME IN BEFORE BEF IT WAS ALREADY UNDER REVIEW AND APPROVED BEFORE IT WAS CODIFIED THE CHANGE.
I RECALL THAT WE CHANGED THE SETBACKS FROM HOWARD MEER, APOLOGIES, FORGOT TO HAVE MY MIC ON.
I RECALL THAT WE CHANGED THE SETBACKS FROM 10 TO 15 SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
I GUESS IT DIDN'T AFFECT THIS PART OF THE ISLAND.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON THE SETBACK BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAD MOVED ALL SETBACKS, UM, FROM 10 TO 15.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO, UM, THIS IS WITHIN A CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT AND THEY HAVE, UM, SETBACKS, BUFFERS, IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN ADDITION TO THE ZONING DISTRICT.
THEY'RE BASED ZONING DISTRICT.
UM, AND AGAIN, SO THOSE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS THAT EXIST IN THIS OVERLAY DISTRICT AND THE OTHERS, UM, ARE MORE, UM, RESTRICTIVE THAN THE GENERAL, UM, OVERLY UNDERLYING ZONING DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, AS, AS, UH, MR. RUCKER EXPLAINED, THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FOUR SPEECH OVERLAY DISTRICTS, SETBACKS, BUFFERS, IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, THE ONLY CHANGE THAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS AMENDMENT IS AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE FLOOR AREA RATIO FROM 0.55 TO 0.45.
MY LAST QUESTION WAS THE 39 THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN NON-CONFORMING, LEGAL, NON-CONFORMING, HAVE THEY BEEN ADVISED? AND WHAT'S GENERAL, GENERAL REACTION FROM THE HOMEOWNERS AND RESIDENCE? DO THEY GET ADVISED, UH, WHEN THEY ARE NOW IN NONCONFORMING? UH, GENERALLY, NO.
SO THE NOTICE REQUIREMENT FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT IS, UM, AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE NEWSPAPER OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE'VE MET THAT REQUIREMENT.
A, A LEGAL NONCONFORMITY IS LEGAL.
UM, SO THERE, THERE'S A CHAPTER WITHIN THE CODE THAT MR. RUCKER DISCUSSED THAT HANDLES OUR NONCONFORMITIES ACROSS THE ISLAND.
UM, ANYTIME THERE ARE CHANGES TO CODES THAT ARE WRITTEN, LEGAL NONCONFORMITIES, UM, EXIST IN, IN ALL, ALL CITIES ACROSS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO, UM, SO THERE ALWAYS IS A PROCESS ON, ON HOW TO ADDRESS LEGAL NONCONFORMITIES, BUT THEY WERE LEGAL WHEN THEY WERE BUILT.
UM, AND THEN THE CODE CHANGES AND THEN THEY BECOME LEGAL NONCONFORMITIES EITHER THE SITE OR LEGAL NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES.
OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
UM, AS PART OF THE PREPARATION FOR THIS MEETING, WE WERE ASKED TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS.
UM, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT NONE OF THEM WERE.
HOW SHOULD WE PROCEED? I THINK IF YOU WANT TO ANS ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, NO.
UM, MAYBE IF I READ THROUGH THEM ALL CONTEXT.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT HERE? OKAY.
I'M JUST GONNA READ THROUGH THE, UH, GENERAL QUESTIONS AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A MEMO THAT WAS ISSUED.
I'M GONNA JUST READ THROUGH THESE REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, THE ONLY QUESTIONS I'D ASK I'D ASK
[00:40:01]
OR BE PREPARED TO ANSWER ON THE FAR IS WHY JUST FOREST SPEECH, WHERE IS THE REST OF THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND COURT DISTRICT CHANGES AND STATUS.WHAT WAS THE TOWN'S POLICY PURPOSE TO SINGLE OUT A FOREST BEACH FAR FROM THE REST OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND NEIGHBORHOODS? IS THERE SPECIFIC, IMMEDIATE CONCERN IN FORCED BEACH IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER AREAS IN HILTON HEAD YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF IN MAKING THIS, UH, DECISION TODAY, WHAT POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGE FOR IMPLEMENTATION WHILE DOING THIS SEPARATELY HAVE ON FORCED BEACH IN OTHER AREAS? AND COULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A FORM OF SCOTT JOURNEY? UM, THERE WAS A MEMO IN OUR PACKET, UH, DATED A LETTER TOWN OF HILTON HEAD IN OUR PACKET DECEMBER 15TH FROM MR. JAMES CIO, NOT IF I'M PRONOUNCING HIS NAME CORRECTLY, IF NOT, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, PROPERTY RESEARCH HOLDINGS.
AND IT WAS, UM, REACHING OUT ALL FOR FEEDBACK, WHICH IT CAME TO GOD, BUT WHAT WAS, I WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF THAT.
UM, AND SO I WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNTER EXTERNAL REQUESTS OR DISCUSSIONS INITIATED, UH, SENDING A WRITTEN LETTER SPECIFICALLY TO THE FOREST SPEECH GROUP.
UM, AND IS THERE A SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH FAR AND FORCED SPEECH IS MORE TIME SENSITIVE THAN OTHER AREAS OF TOWN? UM, AND HAVE OTHER AREAS IN TOWN BEEN THAT ARE STRONGLY INTERESTED BECAUSE WE'VE SAT ON THIS COMMISSION AND HAD OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS COME AND ASK ABOUT FAR CHANGES.
DID THEY GET SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES WRITTEN OUTREACH FROM THE TOWN PRIOR TO THE JANUARY 20, 24 TOWN COUNCIL MEETING? NO OTHER AREAS NOT WRITTEN OUTREACH IN DECEMBER, 2023 FOR INPUT ON FALL FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING IN JANUARY, 2024.
WHY NOT? IF YOU DID GET RESPONSES, CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF THOSE, UM, AT THIS MEETING AND HOW DID THE TOWN REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY A POA? 'CAUSE FIRST LINE OF THE LETTER SAYS WE ARE REACHING OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THE TOWNS FOREST BEACH NEIGHBOR CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE AS YOU WRITE, PAINTED OUT IN 2023 MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR ALL PROPERTIES.
UM, SO I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, UM, IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC TOWN POLICY OR SITUATION THAT PULLED OUT OR BUMPED FOUR SPEECH AHEAD OF OTHER AREAS.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I HAD, I HAD A BULLET POINT OF SIX OF THOSE QUESTIONS, SO I WAS PREPARED TO ANSWER UH, SIX OF THOSE.
UM, WHICH LEADS OFF WITH WHY JUST FOREST BEACH, I THINK.
UM, WELL IT'S COUNT COUNCIL'S ADVANCING THIS, THIS HAS BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UM, IT'S NOW BEFORE YOU, AND THIS HAS BEEN THE DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, BY COUNCIL FOR SPEECH.
CLARIFY THAT I KNOW THE TOWN COUNCIL.
WHAT WAS THE REASON? WAS THERE A RATIONALE GIVEN AT THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING? I KNOW THAT, THAT THEY, THEY, THEY'VE SINGLED OUT FOR SPEECH, BUT IT'D BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND.
WE WILL GET QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT WHY FOR SPEECH GOTTA CHANGE AND THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN IGNORED.
WELL, I KNOW THERE WAS DISCUSSION AT THAT, AT THAT MEETING AND THE RESULT OF THAT MEETING, UH, WAS FOR SPEECH WAS THE CHOSEN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE OWNERS ASSOCIATION, RIGHT? SO, UM, THIS, THIS WAS THE DIRECTION RECEIVED AT THAT MEETING.
NO, I YOU SAID THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THOROUGHLY.
I I I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE FORCE SPEECH OWNERS ASSOCIATION BROUGHT IT TO THE TOWNS.
THIS IS THEIR REQUEST AND THEY'RE LIFTING IT UP TO THE TOWN.
AND I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY IT'S HERE AND NOT, NOT THE OTHER SEVEN DISTRICTS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE, UM, THAT THE, THAT DISTRICT HAS, HAS MADE THIS REQUEST OF, OKAY, THAT'S THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.
SO WE DID, BUT THERE WAS A LETTER SENT IN DECEMBER SAYING YOU'RE REACHING OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND I WAS JUST ASKING, THIS DECEMBER LETTER SAYS THE TOWN REACHED OUT.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF OTHER AREAS GOT SIMILAR CONTACTS BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE IF THEY INITIATED THE CONTACT FIRST.
UM, THE, WE DID AS A, AS A TEAM REVIEW, UM, MANY, UM, FLOOR AREA RATIO, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS,
[00:45:01]
UM, THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WITH OUR, UM, CODE CONSULTANT AS PART OF THE LMO AMENDMENTS PROJECT.
AT THIS TIME, THIS IS THE AMENDMENT THAT IS BEING ADVANCED.
UM, IN MAY AT THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, WE WILL REVIEW THE, UM, THE REST OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE PRIORITY AMENDMENT SET AND, AND WHERE WE ARE WITH ALL OF THAT.
AND SINGLE FAMILY MASS AND SCALE AND SINGLE FAMILY PARKING ARE STILL PART OF THAT DISCUSSION AND THOSE TOPICS THAT ARE STILL PRIORITIZED.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW THAT'S, WE ARE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE ON, ON THOSE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS.
AND SO THERE MAY BE MORE, UM, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS ON, YOU KNOW, ISLAND WIDE FLOOR AREA RATIO, SINGLE FAMILY MASS AND SCALE.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, THIS IS THE AMENDMENT THAT, THAT IS BEING ADVANCED, THAT IS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
CAN I ASK A RELATED QUESTION? UM, ARE THERE OTHER AREAS CURRENTLY THAT ARE OVER THE 0.45? UH, ON THE ISLAND? UM, BY, WELL, WE ONLY HAVE A FLOOR AREA RATIO REQUIREMENT IN THREE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
SO CURRENTLY THE FOUR SPEECH NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY IS AT 0.55.
THE OTHER TWO OVERLAYS, FOLEY FIELD AND HOLIDAY HOMES ARE AT 0.45.
SO THIS WOULD BRING ALL THREE OF THE CHARACTER OVERLAYS INTO THE SAME ALIGNMENT WITH THE FAR AND FLOOR FLOOR AREA RATIO IS NOT REGULATED ISLAND WIDE.
SO YES, IN THAT ISLAND WIDE ASSESSMENT, THERE ARE MANY OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE MUCH HIGHER FA UM, THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.
MISSY, JUST EXCUSE ME BEFORE I LEAVE, SO I'M STILL NOT CLEAR AND I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THIS.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
UM, WHAT INITIATED THIS DECEMBER 13TH LETTER OUTREACH, UH, WE WANTED TO REACH OUT TO, SO IN FOREST BEACH THERE ARE THREE PROPERTY OWNER ASSOCIATIONS AND, AND THERE ARE THOSE THREE THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOTED THERE.
THE FOREST SPEECH OWNERS ASSOCIATION, MR. GCIO AND MS. MEAD TO ASK THEM, UH, IN WRITING WHAT THEIR OPINION WAS ON MODIFYING THE FLOOR AREA RATIO, UM, WITHIN THOSE, UM, OWNER ASSOCIATIONS.
OKAY, BUT AGAIN, SO I GET THAT, BUT THERE, WE WERE STARTING ON AN ISLAND WIDE PROJECT.
WHY ARE WE PULLING THIS OUT AHEAD? WHY DID WE REACH OUT TO THEM AHEAD OF ANY OTHER GROUP AGAIN, BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY PIECE OF THAT AMENDMENT THAT'S ADVANCING, UM, AT THIS TIME.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON WITH OUR CODE CONSULTANT, THE, THE ASSESSMENT OF SINGLE FAMILY MASS AND SCALE AS IT RELATES TO THE REST OF THE ISLAND THROUGH, THROUGH THAT INITIATIVE.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, HEARING NONE? I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK IF, IF SOMEONE WOULD PROPOSE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL.
MR. MEALY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC? UM, MAY I SEE A, A SIGN OF THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
OKAY, UH, ITEM SEVEN B ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S UH, PPR 0 0 0 4 7 9 DASH 2024.
CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW APPLICATION FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO CONSTRUCT A 1600 SQUARE FOOT CLASSROOM AND TRAINING SPACE.
THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, CALL ON STAFF FOR A PRESENTATION.
HI, UM, ALEXIS COOK, PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE RECORD.
DO I LET PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING GO FIRST OR NO? YOU FIRST.
I ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CHRIS, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES.
UH, CHRIS SAVAGE, CAPTAIN OF, UH, SAFETY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR FIRE RESCUE.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS PROJECT, UH, WHICH I WANTED TO START BY ANSWERING, UM, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET QUESTION FIRST.
THIS ACTUALLY FALLS UNDER THE FIRE RESCUE TRAINING CENTER FACILITY UPGRADES.
SO YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE US AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS ONE PORTION OF A LARGER MASTER PLAN UPGRADE.
AND I'LL ALSO REFERENCE IN MY REPORT WHERE THAT FALLS UNDER, UM, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
BUT THAT WAS UNDER, UM, FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENTS PROGRAM IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.
AND THEN THE NOTES SECTION IS WHAT REFERENCES THE CLASSROOM AND THE BURN TOWER UPGRADES.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER OR BRING
[00:50:01]
ANY QUESTIONS TO OUR, UM, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROJECTS AND FACILITIES.BUT WITH THAT, I WILL KICK OFF THE STAFF REPORT.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE HAVE SEEN A PUBLIC PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO START BY SAYING THAT WE DO THIS FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS THAT MEET OUR STANDARD REVIEW PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE LMO, WHICH IS UNDER SECTION 16 2 1 0 3, LETTER Q.
SO YOU HAVE TO GO QUITE A FEW WAYS DOWN IN THE, UH, APPLICATION REVIEW PROCEDURES.
BUT THIS IS A WAY TO BRING PUBLIC NOTICE AND AWARENESS AND AWARENESS TO PLANNING COMMISSION OF PUBLIC PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SO, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE FIRE RESCUE AGAIN BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME MORE, UH, PROJECT AND SCOPE GOING ON IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
WITH THAT, THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROJECT, UM, CHAIR, I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING A THOROUGH DESCRIPTION.
YOU BASICALLY HIT IT ON THE HEAD.
IT'LL BE A 40 BY 40, UH, 1600 SQUARE FOOT ROOM.
AND THE INTENT OF THIS CLASSROOM IS TO HAVE, UH, FURTHER SPACE ON THE TRAINING FACILITY THAT FIRE RESCUE AND EVEN TOWN STAFF CAN USE FOR TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THERE IS A CLASSROOM THAT'S INSIDE OF THE FIRE, UM, HEADQUARTERS RIGHT NOW.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETITION AND CHRIS CAN PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR THAT CLASSROOM.
FOR INTERNAL EXTERNAL TRAININGS, COMMUNITY TRAININGS FOR CPR.
UH, HE CAN DEFINITELY GIVE MORE BACKGROUND ON THAT THAN I CAN, BUT I'LL GO INTO JUST THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT AND HOW IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LMO.
SO WE'LL START OFF WITH JUST THE FINDINGS OF THE FACTS.
UH, THE APPLICATION HAS TO MEET, UH, LMO REQUIREMENTS FOR, UH, SUBMISSION TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, WE HAVE TO SEND OUT LEGAL NOTICES, MAILING NOTICES, AND WE HAVE TO SHOW YOU IN OUR STAFF REPORT THAT WE MET ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
I WON'T GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS ON THAT.
UH, NEXT IS MAKING SURE THAT THIS PROJECT MEETS THE, UH, INTENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR THE R PLAN AND THAT IT ADDRESSES THE LOCATION, CHARACTER, AND EXTENT OF THE PROJECT.
SO THERE WERE REALLY TWO MAIN PLACES, BUT THERE ARE MORE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT, UH, MEET THAT PURPOSE.
AND THAT IS UNDER OUR EXCELLENCE, UH, CORE VALUE AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IF YOU WERE TO DIVE INTO OUR PLAN, WHICH I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY BEEN A COUPLE YEARS SINCE WE'VE OPENED THAT, BUT IT IS A GREAT, UH, BOOK OR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD USE IT MORE.
UM, ONE OF THE CORE VALUES IS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE.
AND UNDER THAT SECTION THERE IS A, FOR OUR PEOPLE, UM, COMPONENT.
AND THEN IT'S, UH, NUMBERED BASICALLY ON, YOU KNOW, GOALS AND VALUES UNDER THAT, UM, EXCELLENCE CORE VALUE.
SO 2.6 IS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE RESCUE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES.
I THINK THAT'S A, UM, A COMMON EXCELLENCE CORE VALUE THAT WE WANNA PROVIDE, UH, GOOD SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WITH HAVING ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND NOT HAVING TO WAIT OR POSTPONE TRAININGS FOR OUR, UM, STAFF AND FIRE RESCUE, UH, STAFF MEMBERS, THAT'S, THAT MEETS THAT VALUE.
AND THEN INFRASTRUCTURE HAS QUITE A FEW AND THIS IS WHERE IT REALLY TIES INTO OUR CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO IDENTIFY THE REDEVELOPMENT OF TOWN AND FIRE RESCUE FACILITIES.
UM, AND THE LAST TIME WE REALLY HAD A MASTER PLAN OF OUR FIRE RESCUE TRAINING AREA, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU A MAP IN A SECOND TO ORIENT YOU, BUT IT WAS REALLY LIKE THE 2005, 2007, 2008.
UM, WE HAVE SOME ELECTRICAL GROUNDING ISSUES THAT WE'RE ALSO GONNA REPAIR ON SITE BEFORE WE CONSTRUCT THIS BUILDING.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST 'CAUSE WE'VE SANDY SOILS OUT THERE AND THAT HAPPENS ON THE ISLAND.
AND GROUNDING RODS GET ERODED AWAY.
SO, UH, THIS CORE VALUE TO IMPROVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS REALLY WELL NEEDED.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR TOWN RESIDENTS AND TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FIRE RESCUE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO EVERYTHING KIND OF TIES TOGETHER HERE.
UH, SO WITH THAT, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CORE VALUE AND THE LOCATION OF OUR FIRE RESCUE MEETS THE LOCATION INTENT OF OUR REQUIREMENT.
UM, THE EXCELLENCE CORE VALUE MEETS THE CHARACTER.
OUR TOWN HAS A VERY STRONG CHARACTER FOR PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICE.
AND THEN THE PROPOSED PROJECT MEETS THE EXTENT, UM, BASED ON THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, CORE VALUE WITH THAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THIS PROJECT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH AS A REMINDER, THIS IS WHAT WE PROPOSE TO YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS
[00:55:01]
OF THE LMO SECTION 16 2 1 0 3 Q4 SPECIFICALLYUH, WITH THAT I'M GONNA JUMP INTO JUST THE EXHIBIT.
SO EACH PUBLIC PROJECT WILL SHOW YOU ON A HIGH LEVEL WHERE THEY ARE ON THE ISLAND.
UM, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT WE ARE OFF DILLON ROAD OVER HERE CLOSE TO, UM, THE BEFORD COUNTY RECYCLING CENTER CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE A REALLY NICE BUFFER FROM DILLON ROAD.
AND I'M GONNA ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, SO HERE'S THE PARCEL HERE.
DILLON ROAD IS OFF SCREEN ON THE TOP, AND THEN TECHNICALLY THE TRAINING CENTER, UH, IS CALLED HILL TECH LANE.
THE TRAINING OR THE NEW CLASSROOM WILL GO ON THIS EXISTING CONCRETE PAD, WHICH IS REALLY NICE.
THE, THE FUTURE MASTER PLAN IS TRYING TO UTILIZE A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE ALREADY HAVE JUST TO MINIMIZE LAND DISTURBANCE.
UM, WE'LL COME SEE YOU AGAIN SOON WHEN WE PLAN AND HAVE, UM, A PROJECT FOR THE FIRE TOWER THAT'S ALSO ON THE CAPITAL PROGRAM THIS YEAR.
SO THAT IS COMING, BUT WE'LL COME BACK.
UM, AND THEN THE PROPOSED JUST SHOWS YOU THE, THAT'S TO SCALE WHAT THE BUILDING WILL BE LIKE.
SO IT'LL FIT NICELY ON THE CONCRETE PAD.
AND THEN THESE ARE THE THREE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES, WHERE WE WILL BE DOING SOME GROUNDING ROD IMPROVEMENTS, REALLY, REALLY MINOR WORK.
AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS ROD, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
IF WE COULD PLEASE OPEN UP, UH, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYBODY HEARING NONE? I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSION.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION? SO JUST TO ORIENT US HERE ON THIS MAP YEAH.
AS YOU'RE COMING OUTTA THE RECYCLING CENTER.
SO THIS IS LIKE THE CARDBOARD AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AND WHERE YOU GET THE REALLY GOOD FREE PICKUPS, SOMETIMES
SO THIS IS ON YOUR WAY OUT THE EXIT.
UM, AND SO YOU WOULD KEEP GOING, I GUESS TO MY RIGHT.
THIS A HEAR COMPLEX AND THIS, CAN WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE A, A FIREFIGHTING FACILITY COMPLEX OF SORTS? IT IS CALLED THE FIRE, UH, TRAINING CENTER.
SO WHAT OTHER FACILITIES EXIST WITHIN THIS COMPLEX? GREAT QUESTION.
SO THERE IS THE BURN TOWER, WHICH IF YOU EVER ARE INTERESTED IN A TOUR, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE TOURS.
IT'S A HUGE TOWER, UM, WHERE THEY DO REAL LIFE BURNING AND, UM, TRAINING, UM, OPERATIONS.
IT SMELLS LIKE A GOOD BARBECUE.
UM, AND THEN THIS BUILDING IS AN ADDITIONAL, UM, I THINK IT'S A MAINTENANCE BUILDING WHERE YOU CAN PULL IN.
UM, COULD YOU ADD ACTUALLY YES, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO THAT BUILDING DOWN HERE ON THE RIGHT HAND CORNER, THAT IS A, UH, UM, WAREHOUSE OR A, WE CALL STATION EIGHT.
SO WE HAVE A COVERAGE CREW THAT COVERS, UM, THE STATIONS FOR THE ISLAND DURING THE WEEK.
THAT'S WHERE THEY HOUSE THEIR FIRE ENGINE AND AMBULANCE IN THERE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE GUYS THAT WORK OUTTA THAT STATION.
AND THEN INSIDE THAT WHOLE COMPLEX THERE IS TRAINING CENTER.
SO WE DO HAVE THE, THE TRAINING TOWER, WHICH IS THAT MIDDLE BUILDING, WHICH ALSO HOUSES OUR, UH, BURN ROOM FOR US TO DO OUR, OUR LIVE FIRE TRAINING.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE TWO PADS DOWN THERE WHERE WE'RE GONNA, WHERE WE'D LIKE TO CONSTRUCT THIS, UH, FACILITY.
UM, THAT WAS A OLD PROPANE BURNING PROP THAT'S NO LONGER, IT'S OUTTA SERVICE.
IT'S COST TOO MUCH MONEY TO, UH, BRING IT INTO PAIR.
SO SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA USE IT, WE WANNA REUTILIZE THAT AREA TO PROVIDE THAT TOWER.
UM, AND THEN THAT BIG LARGE CONSTRUCTION PAD BEHIND YOU IS JUST A BIG TRAINING CONCRETE PAD THAT WE DO, WHETHER IT BE EXTRICATION TRAINING OR ANY OTHER PROPS THAT NEED TO COME IN FOR SOME TYPE OF TRAINING FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY.
BUT ALL THE WHOLE FACILITY IS INSIDE A, A SECURED, UH, FENCE LINE FOR FIRE RESCUE TRAINING.
THE PEOPLE GOING TO THIS CLASSROOM, THEY'LL PARK.
UM, THERE'S EXISTING PARKING ALONG THAT BUILDING THERE.
THERE'S, THAT'S A PARKING LOT THERE.
UH, CLOSE TO THE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE BUILDING WHERE THAT, THERE'S A SEMI-TRUCK PARKED THERE RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UM, THAT'S ALL PARKING SPACE THERE.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE SPOTS MARKED ALL AROUND THE FIRE TOWER FOR PARKING.
UM, SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE PARKING FOR THE CLASSES.
HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE FOR THE COMMUNITY? I'M SORRY? HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE FOR THE COMMUNITY? UH, WELL WHAT THIS WILL DO IS WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOST A LOT OF OUR IN-HOUSE FIRE TRAINING CLASSES HERE, WHICH WILL OPEN UP THE COMMUNITY ROOM WE USE AT HEADQUARTERS FOR ALL OF OUR PUBLIC CLASSES.
SO CPR, BABYSITTERS CLUB, ALL THE, ALL THE PUBLIC, UM, CLASSES THAT WE DO.
[01:00:01]
WE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF A COMPETITION 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING OVER THAT ONE CLASSROOM WE HAVE.SO BY UTILIZING THIS, WE CAN DO A LOT MORE TRAINING OUTSIDE WITH OUR, WITH OUR ON-DUTY FIREFIGHTERS AND LEAVE THAT OTHER ROOM FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE ALL THE PUBLIC, UH, LIFE SAFETY CLASSES.
NOW IS THIS GONNA BE AIR CONDITION BUILDING? 'CAUSE YOU SAID 40 BY 40 METAL BUILDING.
I THINK IT'S A 40 BY 40, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONSTRUCT A CLASSROOM INSIDE OF IT.
THAT WILL BE, IT WILL HAVE, UH, HAVE CLIMATE CONTROL INSIDE OF IT AS WELL.
BUT WE'LL ALSO USE, UTILIZE THAT BUILDING FOR A CLASSROOM ALSO FOR SOME STORAGE AS WELL.
NOW, I KNOW THIS PART'S A LITTLE BIT OFF SUBJECT HERE, BUT HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ON THE WAY GOING INTO THE FIRE AND RESCUE CENTER RIGHT HERE? SORRY.
UM, WIDENING THAT ROAD 'CAUSE OF THE RECYCLING CENTER.
I MEAN, TRAFFIC'S GET BACKED UP.
UM, AS FAR AS TRAFFIC, WE, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE TOO MUCH TRAFFIC.
OTHER, THE, THE, THE SIDE THAT BACKS UP IS USUALLY, UM, SUMMIT DRIVE ON THAT SIDE.
AND THAT'S, I I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
SO WHEN YOU COME OFF OF DILLON ROAD, YOU TURN DOWN GATEWAY AND THEN IT TURNS ON THE SUMMIT.
WE HAVE TRAFFIC BACKING UP FOR THE, FOR BUFORT COUNTY.
AS FAR AS US GETTING INTO THE TRAINING CENTER, WE HAVE A, A DIRECT ACCESS GATE AT THE TOP OF THE MAP THERE.
THAT COMES RIGHT OFF OF DILLON ROAD.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT TRAFFIC.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF OUR LARGE TRUCKS GOING THROUGH THAT AREA.
LESSEN THE TRAFFIC SEPARATE AREA.
WE CAN ASK OUR TRANSPORTATION GROUP ABOUT SUMMIT DRIVE, IF THAT'S DEFINITELY MORE OF THE AREA.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A VERY, I HAVE A VERY BROAD QUESTION THAT MAY BE BEYOND YOUR ABILITY TO ANSWER
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH JUST A GENERAL, WHEN, WHEN THE TOWN BUILDS A BUILDING, IS, DOES IT FALL INTO THE SAME CODES AND REQUIREMENTS AS ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS? SO THE SAME ZONING, SAME DENSITY, SAME SETBACKS.
DOES THAT ALL APPLY? THAT ALL APPLIES, YES.
OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, WOULD SOMEONE PROPOSE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I'LL MOVE THAT.
WE MOVE, UH, CONSIDERATION TO THE PUBLIC PROJECT STRUCK THE 1600 SQUARE.
WILLIE UH, MADE THE MOTION AS THEIR SECOND.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND OPPOSED UNANIM.
ITEM SEVEN CR 0 0 0 4 7 8 DASH 2024.
CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW APPLICATION FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO CONSTRUCT A 300 LINEAR FOOT PATHWAY THAT WILL CONNECT AN EXISTING PATHWAY SYSTEM ON CORD PARKWAY TO POPE AVENUE.
AND AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN IT PUBLIC HEARING AND CALL ON STAFF FOR A PRESENTATION.
BRIAN EBER, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MANAGER FOR THE RECORD.
SO WE HAVE A, THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE, UH, PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEWS THAT YOU GUYS WILL SEE TODAY.
UM, THIS ONE IS, UM, ONE THAT'S, UM, ALSO, WE'LL AGAIN, WE'LL FOLLOW CLOSELY THE, OUR PLAN GOALS AS WE LOOK FORWARD, AS WE LOOK THROUGH THE REVIEW OF THIS PRO SHIPYARD, UH, PATHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
SO AGAIN, LIKE, UH, ALEXIS HAD MENTIONED, UH, WE GO THROUGH THE FINDING OF FACTS.
UM, AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR PROCESS THAT WE DID FOR JUST, NOT JUST NOW FOR THE FIRE, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, WE HAD TO SUBMIT, UM, MASS MAILERS, PUBLIC SIGNS, THOSE ARE ALL DONE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LMO REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THE DOC, THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART HERE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE SAW UNDER THE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS THAT IN 5.1, SO WE IDENTIFIED AREAS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC PATHWAYS IN THIS ONE SECTION OF THE ROADWAY INTO THE BACK GATE.
UM, WE'RE SORELY LACKING, UM, A, A TRAIL ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO REMEDY AND TO IMPROVE, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CORE VALUES, AGAIN, IT'S MEETING UNDER THE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS, UM, THAT WE ENHANCE MULTI MULTIPATH NETWORKS AND, UM, DO SO IN A SAFE MANNER AT THE SAME TIME.
AND ALWAYS CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE LIABILITIES OF PROVIDING NEW OR IMPROVED MULTI-USE PATHWAYS, UM, TO SUPPORT THE EXISTING SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THE CONFERENCING PLAN DOES SUPPORT, UH, THE LOCATION OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT CONFERENCING PLAN ALSO SUPPORTS THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT THAT WE'RE INTENDING TO BUILD.
[01:05:01]
AND THE PLAN ALSO SUPPORTS THE EXTENT OF THE PRO PROPOSED PROJECT THAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE TODAY.SO THIS IS KIND OF AGAIN, OUR, OUR LOCATION MAP.
THIS IS WHERE IT IS, THIS IS, IS OFF OF POPE AVENUE AT THE END OF CORD, AT THE ENTRANCE INTO THE BACK GATE OF SHIPYARD.
UM, IN THIS CASE HERE, THE, THE TOWN'S, UM, CASE MANAGER WILL BE ALEXIS COOK, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WHO JUST SPOKE WITH YOU.
BUT IT'S A SHORT SECTION HERE OF ROAD.
BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE FOR A, A SMARTER, SAFER, UH, INTERCHANGE AS YOU CROSS TRAFFIC.
SO YOU NOTICE THAT THERE'S A, A Y SHAPE, THIS IS GRAPHICAL.
IT'S, IT'S NOT THE FINAL PLAN, BUT GRAPHICALLY WE'RE TRYING TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAFE WAY TO EITHER GET STRAIGHT INTO, UH, GO DOWN C PATHWAY OR THEY, UM, CAN, CAN CROSS POPE AVENUE AT THE APPROPRIATE CROSSING LOCATION.
AND THIS IS ALL WITHIN THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, THAT EXISTS TODAY.
THE PATH IS A 10 FOOT WIDE PATH AND WILL BE MADE OUT OF ASPHALT.
AND THAT'S THE CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT.
I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO OPINE ON THIS TOPIC? THEN I'LL BRING IT BACK UP TO, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT UP HERE TO THE DIOCESE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I'VE GOT A QUESTION.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S, WE'VE GOT THIS MISSING LINK OF PATHWAY THAT'S A DIRT PATHWAY THAT PEOPLE USE.
IT WAS KIND OF, BUT NOT REALLY BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS AN OLD ENTRANCE INTO THE BANK THAT WAS PREVIOUS THERE.
I DID LOOK FOR THAT TRACES OF HUMAN INTERACTION.
THEY SEEMED TO GO AROUND A LITTLE BIT OF THE, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE SOME TRANSFORMERS AND SOME SIGNAL LIGHT BOXES, SO THEY SEEMED TO GO AROUND THAT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I WAS CHALKING IT UP TO PEOPLE WAITING TO QUEUE TO GO ACROSS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF POPE RATHER THAN THEY WERE NECESSARILY USING THAT PATHWAY.
UM, BUT I DO SEE ONCE IT'S THERE, I DO THINK PEOPLE WILL MAKE USE OF IT.
IT'LL TIE IN AT THE VERY WESTERN EDGE OF THIS POST PATH RIGHT THERE.
IT TIES INTO AN EXISTING PATHWAY.
YES, THERE'S EXISTING PATHWAY THERE NOW.
IT, IT LOOPED DOWN AND CROSSED LIKE THIS PRIOR.
NOW PEOPLE CAN MAKE A LEFT MORE EASILY WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING TO CROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A REAL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.
SO ON THE BOTTOM PART WHERE THE PATH IS, SO THE TOWN MANAGES OR MANAGES THAT RIGHT AWAY, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SHIPYARD PROPERTY? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? I'M JUST NOT, I DUNNO HOW IT WORKS.
THERE, THERE COULD BE, UM, A SHARED ACCESS EASEMENT, UM, PROVISION WHERE LIKE IT CROSSES A PARTICULAR SPACE IN THERE.
BUT IF IT'S A TOWN OWNED PATHWAY, WE MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE AN EASEMENT OVER.
SO THE, THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST ASKING.
SO THE EASEMENT GOES RIGHT UP TO SOME SHIPYARD PROPERTY.
IS THAT TYPICALLY
UM, SINCE I MANAGE THIS PROJECT, THERE WILL BE TWO EASEMENTS THAT WILL BE COMING, UM, TOWARDS COUNCIL FOR BETWEEN THE TOWN AND SHIPYARD FOR US TO MAINTAIN THE PATHWAY AND THE TOWN AND THE BANK AND BOTH SHIPYARD, POA AND THE BANK ARE AWARE AND I'M WORKING WITH THEM TO OBTAIN THE EASEMENTS.
DOES THIS ADDITIONAL PATHWAY, WHICH LOGICALLY WILL MAKE IT SAFER FOR TOURIST AND AND RESIDENCE TO AVOID THAT MAIN ARTERY RIGHT THERE, WILL IT ALLOW ACCESS TO THE, THE RESTAURANT, THE BANK, OR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A PATH THERE.
DOES IT TIE INTO IT THAT A DRY LINE, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A PATH OF SORTS THAT DOES CONNECT TO THE BANK THAT'S NOT REALLY SHOWN HERE.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN, BUT YES, THERE WILL BE A PATHWAY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS INSTEAD OF POPE AVENUE, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHERE THEY WILL.
BUT FOR THOSE THAT DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN TO POPE AVENUE, THERE'S ANOTHER POINT OF ACCESS FOR PEOPLE INTO THE BANK.
I MEAN, HAS THERE BEEN A STUDY TO SEE HOW MANY BICYCLE ACCIDENTS WERE AT THAT CORNER THERE OVER THE YEARS? I, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
DID A STUDY OR ANYTHING TO SEE HOW MANY BICYCLE
[01:10:01]
ACCIDENTS WERE THERE? WE DID NOT.AT THE, WOULD THE PEOPLE AT THE BANK BE ABLE TO PUT LIKE A BIKE RACK ON THE SIDE SO PEOPLE COULD TIE THEIR BICYCLES TO AND WALK TO THE BANK? THERE IS AN EXISTING, UM, BIKE RACK WITHIN THE BANK'S PROPERTY FOR BICYCLES TO, TO TIE UP TO.
SO WE WOULD ENVISION THEY WOULD JUST USE THIS PATHWAY TO GET EITHER TO THE BANK OR TO ANOTHER RESTAURANT THAT HAS A PLACE FOR THEM TO TIE UP THEIR BIKES TO.
BUT NOT ALONG THIS SECTION OF THE, AT THIS TIME WE DIDN'T ENVISION, UM, A BIKE RACK AT THIS TIME.
OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? MAY I ENTERTAIN THE MOTION? APPROVE
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED PASS UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE NOW AT SEVEN D.
THAT IS PPR 0 0 0 0 5 4 1 DASH 2024.
CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW APPLICATION FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO CONSTRUCT AN OPEN AIR STRUCTURE IN IMPROVEMENTS FOR ACCESSIBILITY AT FOLLY FIELD BEACH PARK.
AND WE WILL OPEN IT FOR A PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
AND, UH, LET'S HEAR FROM STAFF OR GUEST OF STAFF.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRESENT FIRST? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, RYAN WILLIAMS. I'M WITH THE 2024 HILTON HEAD CHAMBER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
UH, THE MISSION OF OUR PROJECT, WHICH IS CALLED WHEELS TO WAVES, IS TO ENSURE THAT MOBILITY CHALLENGE INDIVIDUALS CAN ENJOY THE SUN, SAND, AND SEA WITHOUT LIMITATIONS.
THIS ALSO AIDS IN THE PROMOTION OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND BEACHES TO BE A DA FRIENDLY.
OUR FIRST GOAL WAS TO HAVE WHEELCHAIRS THAT ARE RESERVABLE AND FREE TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
THESE WHEELCHAIRS WILL BE PLACED AT SEVERAL BEACHES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
OUR GOAL IS ALSO TO PROVIDE A STORAGE STRUCTURE LOCATED AT THE FOLLY FIELD BEACH PARK THAT WILL HOLD UP TO THREE OF THOSE BEACH WHEELCHAIRS.
THE STRUCTURE WAS DESIGNED BY THE TOWN'S ARCHITECT, ZENOS MORRIS, WHO IS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DIRECTOR.
ALL ASPECTS OF THE DESIGN, INCLUDING MATERIALS, PAINT COLORS, DO ALIGN WITH THE TOWN'S OVERALL NATURAL AESTHETICS.
THE PROJECT GOALS WILL EN ENHANCE THE CURRENT TOWN'S RENTAL BEACH PROGRAM, AS WELL AS WHEELS TO THE WAVES, ALIGNING WITH THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN STRATEGY NUMBER 15, WHICH IS IMPLEMENTING BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS.
WE HAVE RAISED FUNDS FOR BOTH THE BEACH WHEELCHAIRS IN WHICH WE HAVE PURCHASED SIX ALREADY.
AND THE STORAGE STRUCTURE AND SIGNAGE TO BE POSTED NEAR OR ON THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE ITSELF.
ONCE APPROVED, THE TOWN WILL BUILD THE STORAGE STRUCTURE AT FOLLY FIELD BEACH WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
THE PROJECT WILL THEN BE TURNED OVER TO MIKE DEMARIA, WHO IS THE BEACH OPERATIONS MANAGER IN ITS ENTIRETY.
I DO HAVE SOME SLIDES AS WELL, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS TO GO ALONG WITH THAT.
THIS IS OUR LOGO HERE, UH, FOR THE WHEELS TO THE WAVES PROGRAM.
THESE ARE THE 19 REPRESENTATIVES.
THE COMMUNITY LEADER LEADERS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, THE CURRICULUM BASICALLY FAMILIARIZES EACH OF US AS PARTICIPANTS WITH THE AREA CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE.
THE PROJECT THAT WE HAD SPOKE ABOUT IS IMPLEMENTING BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES 15, WHICH IS TO EXPERIENCE A SAFE AND CONSISTENT, CONSISTENTLY MEMORABLE DAY AT THE BEACH.
WE UNANIMOUSLY CHOSE THE WHEELS TO THE WAVES PROJECT AND IT'LL ALLOW US TO OFFER EVERYBODY THAT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY, ACCESS TO OUR ISLAND'S PRECIOUS RESOURCE.
KEY COMPONENTS OF IT ARE PROVIDING THOSE WHEELCHAIRS TO RESIDENTS, PROVIDING STORAGE FOR THEM, AND RAISING AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN ORDER TO PERMIT, IN ORDER TO AID THE PROMOTION OF BEACHES AS A DA FRIENDLY.
THIS IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE BEACH WHEELCHAIR THAT IS A PICTURE OF AN ACTUAL WHEELCHAIR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S VERY LARGE, VERY COMFORTABLE.
IT HAS FIVE RECLINING POSITIONS.
IT HAS FLOTATION TIRES ALONG WITH A SIX FOOT UMBRELLA AND A SAFETY BELT.
[01:15:01]
AS I SAID, WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED SIX OF THOSE WHEELCHAIRS.SLIDE SEVEN SHOWS US THE STORAGE ENCLOSURE.
THE DESIGNER WAS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DIRECTOR OF COST OF 19,800.
THOSE FUNDS HAVE ALSO BEEN RAISED TO THIS POINT.
THE BEACH ASSESSMENT THAT WE ARE LOOKING TOWARDS RIGHT NOW IS THE ONE AT FOLEY FIELD.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PARK COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN PUT THOSE STRUCTURES AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THE TOWN CONTINUES WITH AS A PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
UH, THIS IS THE FOLLY FIELD PICTURES KIND OF SHOWS WHERE EXACTLY THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE LOCATED.
UM, THE EXISTING CONDITION THERE IS ZERO WHEELCHAIRS WITH ZERO STORAGE.
SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE RAN INTO IMMEDIATELY WAS THERE WERE FIVE OR SIX AVAILABLE WHEELCHAIRS OF THE FIVE OR SIX, FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM WERE REALLY NOT AN EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITION.
SO WE REALLY WANTED TO IMPROVE THOSE WHEELCHAIRS A AND THEN PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED.
SO NOW EACH ONE OF THESE BEACH PARKS WILL ACTUALLY HAVE WHEELCHAIRS LOCATED AT THEM.
SO SOMEONE CAN GO TO THAT INDIVIDUAL BEACH PARK AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO GO TO ONE PARK INDIVIDUALLY.
THIS IS GOING TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GO WHEREVER THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE.
UH, THIS IS THE PARTNERSHIP LEVEL.
SO WE CREATED A WEBSITE AND WE PUT TOGETHER, AS I STATED, SOME OF THE PHOTOS, SOCIAL MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS, UM, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP LEVELS, THOSE PARTNERS WILL BE RECOGNIZED AND WILL BE PLACED ON A SIGN AT THE FOLEY FIELD LOCATION.
AND I BELIEVE AS WE FACILITATE THOSE, WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE SIGNS AT EACH, UH, LOCATION MOVING FORWARD.
LAST SLIDE THAT I'D LIKE TO SHOW IS THE ACTION NEEDED.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR PROVIDING ONE STORAGE ENCLOSURE, UTILIZING THE TOWN ARCHITECT'S DESIGN, SELECTING THE CONTRACTOR AT FOLEY FIELD BEACH PARK, WHICH IS AT 55 STARFISH, AND PROVIDING THREE RECOGNITION SIGNS AT FOLEY FIELD BEACH PARK AS WELL.
ONCE THE PROJECT IS FINISHED THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, IT WILL BE TURNED OVER TO MIKE, DEAN MARIA, AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH THE REMAINDER OF THE STORAGE ENCLOSURES AT THE REMAINING FOUR BEACH PARKS.
IF YOU COULD STAND BY, I'LL CALL FOR, UH, ANY PUBLIC, UH, COMMENTS ON, ON THIS TOPIC.
I'LL, IF YOU WANNA STAND UP AND STATE YOUR NAME AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MANY HANDICAPPED PARKING SPACES ARE EXISTING IN THE PARKING LOTS NOW? ARE THERE MORE THAN SIX? WELL, THERE WON'T BE SIX CHAIRS AT EACH LOCATION.
THERE'S, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO CHAIRS AT EACH LOCATION.
I HAVE NOT ASSESSED HOW MANY ACTUAL WHEELCHAIR AVAILABLE, OR, OR I SHOULD SAY HANDICAPPED SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR AT EVERY SINGLE LOCATION AT THE BEACH PARKS.
WHAT ABOUT, JUST DID A MAJOR RENOVATION.
THERE IS THAT STRUCTURE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK WHERE THEY JUST DID, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE ASKING RYAN TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE JUST WANT PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS POINT.
WE'LL, WE'LL CALL ON YOU WHEN, WHEN, YES.
JUST, UH, COMMENTS AT THIS POINT IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
I'M JIMMY REESE AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF FOLEY FIELD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND WE RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INFORMED ABOUT THIS EFFORT AND FIRST OF ALL, APPRECIATE, UH, LEADERSHIP HILTON HEAD.
I'M A 19 90, 88 GRADUATE, SO, YOU KNOW, YEAH, GOOD, GOOD WORK THERE.
BUT, UM, UH, THERE'S SOME REAL CONCERNS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S, UH, UH, WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT BETTER ACCESS TO WHEELCHAIRS FOR THE BEACH.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT FOR THAT.
OUR PROBLEM IN FOLLY FIELD, THERE'S JUST VERY LITTLE SPACE THERE.
UH, THERE'S A REAL COMPETITION FOR EXISTING SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO PAY TO PARK.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE HANDICAPPED, UM, AVAILABILITY IS THERE, BUT THERE'S VERY, VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR LIKE A BUS TO MANEUVER.
UM, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS WOULD HAVE TO BE, COME IN ON SOME SORT OF VAN.
WE'VE GOT COMPETITION RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH SIX WHEEL GOLF CARTS FROM THE, UM, THE, THE HIGH RISE TOWN HOMES, UM, BY, UM, LUCKY BEACH, YOU KNOW, BACK THAT AREA.
THERE A WHOLE LOT OF COMPETITION FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SPACE THERE.
[01:20:01]
ANYTHING, I'M TRYING TO ENVISION WHERE THAT SHELTER WOULD, THAT COVER WOULD GO.UM, RIGHT NOW, NOW THERE'S THE AREA THAT I SEE PEOPLE COLLECT THERE.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THE PLACE TO TOP YOUR BIKES, THERE'S A PICNIC TABLE, A COUPLE THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, IF THAT COULD BE A COVERED AREA THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NICE.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT I KNOW OF ADDITIONAL SPACE.
SO I'M ASKING THIS GROUP JUST TO MAKE SURE THE INFORMATION'S OUT THERE OF, OF EXACTLY.
I'M NOT, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE PROPERTY VERY WELL.
UM, 1991, WE DEEDED THAT PROPERTY ON THE STRAND.
UM, OUR FOLLY FIELD, POA, OWNS THE STRAND.
YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE, WE'RE NEIGHBORS SO TO SPEAK.
SO, UM, MY CONCERN BASICALLY TURNAROUND VEHICLES, BUSES, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH.
UM, SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH.
OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING N I'LL BRING IT BACK UP TO, UH, D UH, COMMISSIONERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UM, DOES FOLEY FIELD, DO THEY HAVE THE MAT FOR THE WHEELCHAIR TO GO TO, TO THE BEACH? I'M SORRY, I I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND MY, THE WHEELCHAIR MAT THAT'S ON THE BEACH, DO FOLEY FIELD HAS THAT? YES.
UM, WHAT KIND OF EVALUATION WAS DONE FOR THE SPACE AND THE LOCATION OF THE STRUCTURE ITSELF? IN TERMS OF THE, THE TOWN OR THE PROJECT? THE PROJECT IN THAT PARTICULAR SPACE WHERE THE, WHERE THE STRUCTURE WOULD GO, WHAT KIND OF ANALYSIS WAS DONE, UH, FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT SPACE? I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE ANALYSIS WAS DONE.
THE PROJECT ITSELF WAS JUST FOR THE STRUCTURE AND THE WHEELCHAIRS ITSELF.
WE DIDN'T DETERMINE WHERE THAT WOULD GO.
WHO, WHO DETERMINED THAT IT WAS GONNA GO THERE.
UM, IF I COULD HELP, I THINK I CAN HELP ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, ALEXIS COOK, PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE RECORD.
UM, SO HOW THIS WILL WORK IS XENOS, OUR DIRECTOR OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAS WORKED WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW AND ZONING TEAM.
SO WE REVIEW DPRS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE ONE LATER TODAY.
BUT ANYTHING FROM A HORIZONTAL, UM, PLANE, YOU KNOW, PATHWAYS, UM, PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN ALSO WE REVIEW FROM THE DESIGN AND URBAN DESIGN ENVIRONMENT, ANYTHING THAT IS STRUCTURAL OR VERTICAL.
SO THIS STRUCTURE WOULD FALL UNDER THAT.
UM, SO THE SITE PLAN AND, UM, THE, THE VISUAL AESTHETIC LOOK OF THE STRUCTURE IS BEING REVIEWED.
IT'S IN THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
SO PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS IS THAT WE GO IN FRONT OF PLANNING COMMISSION AS A PUBLIC PROJECT.
UM, IF IT WASN'T A PUBLIC PROJECT, IT WOULD JUST FALL UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW AND THE DESIGN REVIEW.
AND SO TO GO INTO WHAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND THE AREA FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT, I'M GONNA GO TO THE SITE PLAN.
I'M GONNA JUMP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT HERE.
SO THE PHOTOS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ALIGN WITH THIS, UM, RED HIGHLIGHTED AREA HERE AT FOLLY FIELD.
CANNOT ZOOM IN, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN TRY ONE MORE THING.
SO AS PART OF OUR MAINTENANCE PROJECT FOR THE BOARDWALK IMPROVEMENTS, THERE WERE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXISTING BIKE RACKS THAT WERE IN HERE INTERIOR IN THIS PARKING LOT AREA.
I REALIZED WITH TREE COVERAGE THAT IT'S A LITTLE, OH, I APOLOGIZE.
WITH TREE COVERAGE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE.
THIS, UM, INITIAL PARKING LOT AREA THAT YOU WOULD PULL INTO HAS THOSE HANDICAP STALLS.
AND THEN AS PART OF THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION, WHICH THEY DID NAME THE CONTRACTOR, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME MINOR PINE STRAW THAT'S GOING TO BE MOVED AROUND.
I DON'T ENVISION ANY MAJOR GRADING OR CHANGES TO GRADING, BUT YOU DID SEE A PINE STRAW MEDIAN, THAT'S WHERE THE STRUCTURE'S GONNA GO.
SO A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WILL HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THE FOOTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS AND THAT THE STRUCTURE DOESN'T BLOW AWAY IN A BIG WINDSTORM.
UM, AND THEN I, WHEN WE REVIEW THE PLAN, WE WILL ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING MEETS A DA REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF THE STRUCTURE ISN'T RIGHT UP TO THOSE EXISTING A DA SPOTS,
[01:25:01]
THEN SOMETHING LIKE A PATHWAY NEEDS TO MEET THAT, UM, PERCENTAGE REQUIREMENT FOR A DA TO GO TO THE STRUCTURE SO THAT IF YOU ARE IN A WHEELCHAIR, YOU CAN SAFELY ACCESS THE STRUCTURE AND THAT YOU HAVE A GRACIOUS EXPERIENCE BASED ON THE, THE MEDIAN IS JUST PINE STRAW.I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN BUILD THE STRUCTURE WHERE IT IS ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING PARKING SPOTS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE AND CLARITY THAT YEAH.
AND I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED IT.
NO, NO PARKING SPACES WILL BE ELIMINATED IN, IN THAT.
BUT, WELL, THERE, THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT MAYBE IT DOESN'T FIT.
IS THERE ANOTHER, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER SKETCH THAT SHOWS HOW A BUS WOULD DROP OFF HANDICAP INDIVIDUALS? OR HOW, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY WORK? WHAT IS THE PROCESS WHEREBY THEY WOULD I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE A SKETCH THAT SHOWS, UM, THE SCALE OF A BUS.
I THINK WE HAVE A NICE SCALE OF A TRUCK HERE.
UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A RIGHT IN, UM, AN OUT HERE.
UM, WAS THERE ANY ANALYSIS? I I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY.
HOW WAS FALL FIELD FROM A BUS STANDPOINT? YEAH.
HOW WAS FALL FUEL BEACH DETERMINED? WAS THERE ANY OTHER BEACHES Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT? OR JUST THIS POINT? UM, I THINK EVERY TOWN OWNED BEACH WAS REVIEWED.
UM, THERE WERE A FEW THAT WERE NOT CANDIDATES.
AND, UM, EACH, I WOULD SAY EACH ONE IS TREATED EQUALLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S NOT A VERY GRACIOUS EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
AND YOU COME UP, I, I WAS TALKING TO XENOS ABOUT THIS.
YOU WANNA FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A PLACE.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR AND YOU'RE COMING UP AND SOMETHING IS CHAINED TO A TREE OR A BIKE RACK, YOU HAVE NO PLACE TO SIT DOWN.
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A BEACH WAGON.
LIKE THE INTENT OF THESE IS REALLY TO PROVIDE A GRACIOUS EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU COME TO THE BEACH AND TO BE, UM, SHELTERED FROM, OF COURSE THE ELEMENTS.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION.
THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS ONLY, UM, EIGHT AND A HALF TO NINE FEET IN DEPTH.
AND IT'S ONLY 14 FEET, UM, IN LENGTH.
SO THIS IS NOT A HUGE STRUCTURE.
UM, IF THAT HELPS AND IT WILL, UM, FIT WITHIN THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
AND WHEN THEY SUBMIT FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW, THEY HAVE TO SHOW THAT ON THE PLAN THAT THE STRUCTURE TO SCALE WILL FIT BACK HERE.
AND IF IT WON'T FIT FLUSH TO THE PAVEMENT, THEN WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET REQUIREMENTS WITH A PATHWAY CONNECTOR.
IT WILL ALSO HAVE SEATING ON THE BACK.
IF YOU COULD JUST SCROLL BACK OF COURSE ONTO THAT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE TO THE BOTTOM SIDE TOWARDS US, THERE WILL BE SEATING IN AVAILABLE AREAS THAT THEY CAN CHANGE SHOES, WHATEVER, WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE GUYS HERE? ONE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT THE BUILDING.
SO, SO THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE WILL HAVE THREE WHEELCHAIRS AND THE TOWN MANAGES, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM AT ALL.
SO THE TOWN MANAGES THE PROPERTY.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHEELCHAIRS? YEAH.
SO ONCE THE PROJECT IS DONE AND WE HAVE THE WHEELCHAIRS, THE STRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING PAID FOR THE TOWN TAKES OVER FROM THERE.
AND SO JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
SO GRANDMA WANTS TO TAKE A WHEELCHAIR? YEAH.
THE TOWN MANAGES THAT PROCESS.
SHE WOULD, SO SHE TOWN RESIDENCE OR ANYBODY, THEY, ANYBODY CAN GO ONTO THE WEBSITE AND THEY CAN RESERVE ONE FOR THAT PARTICULAR TIME AND DAY.
AND THEN THEY GO TO THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF WHICHEVER BEACH PARK AT THAT TIME HAS THE CHAIR AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THEY CAN RESERVE THAT PARTICULAR CHAIR AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN THEY JUST GO AND THEY'RE GONNA BE GIVEN A CODE THAT CAN UNLOCK THAT CHAIR AND OH, I SEE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UM, REALLY QUICK.
I DID NOT GET TO FINISH THE PLANNING PRESENTATION, BUT THIS IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LMO AS THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC PROJECTS WERE.
JUST SO YOU DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION WITH CONDITIONS, UM, THAT
[01:30:01]
THE PROJECT SEEMS GOOD, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE PARKING AREA NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED A LITTLE BIT MORE.SO I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL WITH A LITTLE MORE ANALYSIS AROUND THE PARKING.
PARKING AND DRIVING THE PARKING AND DRIVING, SORRY, THE PARKING LOT.
I'M PARKING AND HOW YOU DRIVE AND TURN DRIVING ACCESS, BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING THAT IT MIGHT BE TIGHT THERE.
SO IT'S, THE CONCEPT IS A SOLID CONCEPT.
I'M SUGGESTING THE TOWN COUNCIL GETS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, AND WE DO ABOUT THE THROUGHPUT PROCESS.
OKAY, SIR, THERE'S A SECOND FOR THE AMENDED MOTION, UM, TO MOVE IT FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL WITH CONDITION THAT MORE DATA BE PROVIDED ON, YOU KNOW, PARKING, PARKING, PARKING AND THE, AND THE DRIVE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE THROUGHPUT.
THAT MOTION HAS BEEN A LITTLE MORE, UH, PROOF OF CONCEPT.
THAT MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
AND STAFF IS GONNA TELL ME, SORRY, UM, I'M SORRY I WALKED OUT FOR A MINUTE.
SCHAFER FOR THE RECORD, UM, THIS, THIS APPLICATION IS A DECISION, UM, BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IT DOES NOT GO FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL.
SO YOU CAN, UM, YOU CAN AMEND YOUR MOTION TO ADD CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, BUT IT IS THE, IT IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
WHAT WE SAY GOES, UH, IS THERE ANY NEED TO CHANGE THAT MOTION GIVEN THE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM STAFF? CAN YOU COME BACK TO US AT THE NEXT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING WITH THAT DATA? IS THAT POSSIBLE SO WE DON'T HOLD IT UP OR, SO LET'S ASK STAFF IF, IF THIS CAN BE REPRESENTED WITH AN UPDATED, UH, PLAN FOR ACCESS.
SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S ROLE IS, UM, AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LEVEL, AND YOU'RE REVIEWING THESE PROJECTS AS TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN TERMS OF LOCATION, EXTENT AND CHARACTER.
AND SO THIS ISN'T A DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW AS MS. COOK WAS EXPLAINING THAT WHEN THIS PROJECT IS TURNED IN AT A MORE DETAILED LEVEL, THIS IS A CONCEPT LEVEL REVIEW AGAIN, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ITS IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS A MASTER PLANNING DOCUMENT.
SO WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THIS, WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT FINAL PLANS HERE.
THIS IS A CONCEPT FOR PUTTING THREE, UM, BEACH ACCESS WHEELCHAIRS IN A, IN A 14 BY NINE FACILITY.
UM, DO WE LIKE THAT CONCEPT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO SAY, GRACE OVER IT'S LOCATION, EXTENT AND CHARACTER.
SO YES, THE LOCATION OF WHERE IT IS AT THE PARTICULAR PARK, THE EXTENT OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS A, A, A MINOR STRUCTURE IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE APPROVAL TODAY.
THEN YOU COME BACK TO US WITH THE FINAL, WHEN WE BRING, UM, WHEN WE GET AN APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW, IT GOES THROUGH THAT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, REVIEW PROCESS.
SO WE, BUT THIS NEVER REALLY COMES BACK TO US.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR THIS ONE, WE CAN BRING THIS ONE BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS WE BRING, WE DO BRING MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEWS AND MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS, BUT IN THIS CASE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO, WE CAN CERTAINLY BRING THAT BACK IN, UM, FOR YOUR REVIEW WHEN IT IS TURNED IN AS AN ACTUAL PLAN.
SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, UH, TODAY? YEAH.
UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED APPROVES UNANIMOUSLY.
OKAY, WE ARE NOW AT SEVEN E, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS STDV 0 0 5 1 3 DASH 2024.
CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR NATHAN STIR OF STIR ENGINEERING.
UH, PROPOSES TO NAME AND ACCESS EASEMENT LOCATED OFF THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
THE AFFECTED PARCELS ARE RR 5 1 0 0 0 7, 0 0 0 0 8 1 8 0 0 0 0.
AND R 5 1 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0.
AND R 5 0 1 0 0 0 7 TRIPLE 0 0 4 7 2 0 0 0 0.
[01:35:02]
AND R FIVE ONE OH DOUBLE OH OH 7 0 0 0 0 4 5 9.AND I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, JOH FISTER, UH, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF, I AM GOING TO TALK TODAY ABOUT, UM, THE NAMING OF THIS ACCESS LOCATED OFF OF THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
UM, THOMAS, WE ARE PROPOSING TO, UH, NAME IT THOMAS COHEN LANE.
AND I WILL TALK ABOUT, UM, THE NAMING AND THE ADDRESSING CONVENTIONS A LITTLE BIT INTO THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT IT WILL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO HOMES ON MULTIPLE PARCELS.
IT WILL SERVE, IT CAN SERVE A MAXIMUM OF 13 HOMES.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU APPROVE THE APPLICATION BASED UPON THE CRITERIA THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT OR ORDINANCE AND IN OUR STAFF REPORT.
UM, THE PROPOSED STREET NAME IS THOMAS COHEN LANE.
IT WAS CHOSEN AS THE STREET NAME AS A WAY TO CONTINUE TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE LATE THOMAS COHEN, WHO WAS A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE HILTON ISLAND COMMUNITY AND TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO THAT ARE COMING FORWARD THAT ARE OFF OF, UM, THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF HOUSES WITH A LOT OF SMALL ACCESSES THAT COME OFF OF THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
AND, UM, THERE IS SOME PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THAT IS FURTHER, UM, BACK.
AND SO THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY THAT IS GOING TO HAVE ACCESS FROM WHAT WILL BE THOMAS COHEN LANE.
AND THIS IS THE, THE, UH, SIX HOMES THAT WILL BE PLACED AT THE END.
AND THEN THIS ONE SHOWS, UH, THAT IT CORRESPONDS TO THE NEXT ONE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW THIS IS, WE ARE PROPOSING TO CALL THIS THOMAS CO COHEN LANE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, THIS IS THOMAS COHEN DRIVE AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE HOUSES THAT COME OFF OF THAT THAT MAKES IT HARD IN OUR RESPONSE TO JUST HAVE CONTINUING ADDRESSES THAT ARE COMING OFF OF THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
WE ALSO, UM, DON'T HAVE NUMBERING TO GIVE ADDITIONAL HOMES BACK THERE.
AND, UM, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING FOR BOTH THIS ONE AND THE NEXT ONE, THAT EVERYTHING OFF OF THOMAS COHEN DRIVE WOULD BE IN THE ZERO TO 100 RANGE.
UM, THE, THE NEXT PRESENTATION AFTER THIS IS THOMAS COHEN PLACE.
THOSE WOULD BE IN THE TWO HUNDREDS.
AND THOMAS COHEN LANE WOULD BE IN THE THREE HUNDREDS SO THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY COM CONFLICTS OF WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IS IT 83 THOMAS COHEN DRIVE? IS IT 83 THOMAS COHEN LANE, OR IS IT 83 THOMAS COHEN PLACE.
SO, UM, AND IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THERE IS A LARGE LOT THAT IS BACK HERE AND AT, IF AT SOME POINT THAT COMES IN FOR DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL CHOOSE ANOTHER STREET NAME FOR THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT IS, UH, WE ALSO MET WITH, UM, ALL OF THE, WE SENT OUT A LETTER TO ALL OF THE AFFECTED PARCELS AND ASKED FOR THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THE NAMING WOULD BE.
UM, THERE WERE SOME OTHER PROPOSED NAMES, BUT THE CONSENSUS OF ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THAT AREA WAS TO CONTINUE TO USE THE THOMAS COHEN NAME.
AND GENERALLY WE DO NOT WANT IT TO BE A DUPLICATE, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY, LIKE WE WOULD NOT WANT THOMAS COHEN DRIVE HERE AND THEN SOMEWHERE ON THE SOUTH END TO HAVE THOMAS COHEN LANE BECAUSE THEY DON'T GO TOGETHER.
WHERE IN THIS IT IS ALL, UM, THE SAME AREA.
AND THEN CHOOSING THE DIFFERING NUMBERING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TELL WHICH GOES WHERE.
SO I HOPE THAT KIND OF EXPLAINED WHY WE ARE KEEPING IT THE, WITH THE SAME NAME BUT A DIFFERENT ENDING.
AND SO, AS DESCRIBED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THE STREET NAMES WERE VETTED AND THEY MEET OUR CRITERIA THAT'S SET OUT IN THE LMO.
AND IF YOU ALL, UM, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
ALRIGHT, AT THIS POINT WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
DOES ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, UH, WISH TO OPINE? OKAY, HEARING NONE, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT BACK UP HERE FOR DISCUSSION AMONGST
[01:40:01]
COMMISSIONERS.QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION FROM MR. LOBAUGH SECOND CAMPBELL SECONDS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE OTHER ONE, UM, IS ON BEHALF OF THOMASINA COHEN FIELDS AT, SHE CURRENTLY LIVES AT A THREE THOMAS COHEN DRIVE.
UM, THIS THOMAS COHEN PLACE WILL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO, UM, MULTIPLE HOMES ON THE PARCEL.
IT WILL SERVE A MAXIMUM OF FIVE HOMES.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE APPLICATION BASED ON THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS THAT SAME, UM, CONCEPT THAT THE, WHEN WE MET WITH EVERYBODY, THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO USE THE THOMAS COHEN NAME, UM, TO MAINTAIN THE, THE NAME AND THE CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THIS IS THE PARCEL THAT, UH, WILL HAVE THE ACCESS ON IT AND THE ACCESS WILL COME, UM, THROUGH FROM THOMAS COHEN DRIVE, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE ACCESS TO A LOT BEHIND IT.
UM, THERE IS A EXISTING, UM, HOME ON THE, THE LOT.
AND, UM, BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER HAVE THE, UH, THEY'RE BOTH OWNED BY THE SAME PERSON AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FIVE HOMES ON, UM, THE LOTS COMBINED.
UH, AND SO AGAIN, IT IS COMING OFF OF THOMAS COEN DRIVE.
UM, WE ARE ASKING THAT IT BE NAMED THOMAS COHN PLACE AND IT WOULD PROVIDE ACCESS TO, UM, THESE RIGHT NOW, UM, THERE IS A HOME THAT IS, UH, IN THE WORKS TO GO ON THIS LOT AS WELL RIGHT NOW.
AND SO AS, UH, WE DESCRIBED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THE STREET NAMES HAVE BEEN VETTED AND THEY MEET THE CRITERIA.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO
CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT UP TO THE DAAS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO SO MOVE.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
AND YOU HAVE ONE MORE FOR US? ONE MORE.
SO, UM, THIS ONE IS, I LEFT OUT THE EYE OF HER NAME, BUT IT'S FOR AMANI JOHNSON, WHO SHE IS THE AGENT REPRESENTING THE PARCEL OWNER.
AND IT PROPOSES TO NAME AN ACCESS THAT IS OFF OF CO COIA COURT.
UM, THE PROPOSED NAME IS NTY PLACE.
UH, IT WILL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO HOMES ON MULTIPLE PARCELS, AND IT HAS THE, UM, IT CAN SERVE A MAXIMUM OF 13 HOMES.
STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE APPLICATION BASED UPON THE CRITERIA IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
UM, THE PROPOSED STREET NAME, NDY PLACE WAS CHOSEN AS THE, THE NEW STREET NAME AS A WAY FOR THE FAMILY TO PAY HOMAGE TO THEIR, TO THE LATE CHARLES RENARD NARDI MILLER.
UM, IT, AGAIN, WE MET WITH, UH, THE TWO FAMILY MEMBERS.
UM, THERE WERE MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WERE PROPOSED, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY AGREED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
UH, THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
IT IS, UH, IT COMES IN OFF OF COIA COURT AND, UH, THIS IS THE APPLICATION THAT IS IN.
AND WE, AGAIN, DID NOT HAVE ADDRESSES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE HOME, UM, OFF OF COIA COURT, BUT IT ALSO, UM, WITH AS MANY HOMES AS ARE COMING OFF OF IT AGAIN, LIKE CONTINUING TO GIVE IT AN ADDRESS OFF OF COIA COURT MAKES IT HARDER TO FIND WHO'S THE OWNER OF THIS? EXCUSE ME.
WHO'S THE OWNER? UM, THIS, THE, THE REPRESENTATIVE IS AMANI JOHNSON FOR, IT'S FOR THIS PARCEL.
UM, THEY ARE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL HOME, UH, TO THAT
[01:45:01]
LOT.UM, SO CURRENTLY THE NAME, THE STREET NAMING WILL AFFECT, UH, TWO HOMES THAT ARE RIGHT HERE THIS LOT.
UM, THERE IS A CURRENT HOME AND THEN THERE IS ALSO A HOME HERE.
THIS LOT COULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL HOME, UM, FOR, AS PART OF ITS DENSITY AND AS WELL AS THE, THE LOT THAT 34 34 WILL STAY COIA COURT, IT FACES COIA COURT AND HAS ITS ACCESS, UM, FROM THERE.
SO AS DESCRIBED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THE STREET NAME WAS VETTED.
IT MEETS THE CRITERIA THAT'S SET OUT IN THE LMO.
AND IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
I THINK YOU FLIPPED IT TO THE WRONG NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY PLACE.
UM, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE THAT WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL BRING IT UP HERE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANY, NONE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVE FOR MR. LOBAUGH.
MR. CAMPBELL, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RIGHT HAND OPPOSED PASSES.
AND LET'S SEE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WE ARE, UH, AT NUMBER EIGHT COMMISSION BUSINESS AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS ANY ADDITIONAL COMMISSION BUSINESS, UH, CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
I REALLY WANT IT TO BE ALL ON PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA TODAY.
SO THIS PRESENTATION PACKET STARTS AT THE STAFF MEMO TO DESCRIBE THE INTENT OF SEEING A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW.
WE ARE BRINGING NOW ALL MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND ALL MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS IN FRONT OF PLANNING COMMISSION TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LMO TO, UM, INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND TO PRESENT OUR MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH TO THE ISLAND.
SO WE HAVE A VERY EXCITING PROJECT HERE TODAY.
THIS IS A NEW PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OFF OF NEW ORLEANS ROAD.
27 IS CURRENTLY AN UNDEVELOPED PARCEL AND WE WILL GET INTO, UM, THE SITE AND THE MAP HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS HERE WITH US TODAY, SO IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO MY PRESENTATION, THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME UP.
UM, BUT IT IS FOR ALL JOY DONUTS, WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF THE ALL JOY DONUTS IN BLUFFTON IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE.
AND A BIKE RENTAL, UM, STORAGE FACILITY.
UM, AND TO BE CLEAR WITH THAT, IT IS MORE OF A, UM, STORAGE WHERE BIKE RENTALS WILL BE BROUGHT AROUND THE ISLAND, NOT A FACILITY WHERE PEOPLE WILL COME TO IT AND RENT BIKES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, SO YOUR PRESENTATION STARTS OFF WITH THE EXACT SAME THING THAT STAFF SEES FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
THIS IS YOUR EXISTING CONDITIONS OF YOUR SITE, UH, ANY SITE SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT H HELPS THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW.
SO I'M NOT GONNA DIVE INTO EACH ONE OF 'EM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOUR REVIEW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I'M GONNA JUMP INTO ATTACHMENT B.
WE'VE GOT, UM, A FEW OF OUR SITE PLANS HERE.
AND I, UM, THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE, UM, WELL HOLD ON ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
SO I'M GOING TO START WITH THIS SITE PLAN.
I, I WILL LET THE APPLICANT ADD IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS, UH, DPR REVIEW, THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN THEIR STAFF LEVEL REVIEW AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE HAPPENING IN TANDEM.
THERE'S BEEN A FEW CHANGES HERE TO PRESERVE THE TREE CANOPY, BUT JUST TO ORIENT YOU OFF OF NEW ORLEANS, UM, NEW ORLEANS IS ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE HERE.
UH, SORRY FOR ALL THE CLICKING.
NEW ORLEANS IS HERE ON YOUR RIGHT.
UM, ACROSS THE STREET YOU HAVE A CRANES AND NUNCIO,
[01:50:01]
JUST TO KIND OF ORIENT YOU WHERE WE ARE, THERE'S A NICE TOWN PATHWAY HERE THAT, UH, THIS UH, UM, FACILITY WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO CONNECT TO IT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM.UH, THEY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, UH, LIVE OAK HERE.
I THINK IT'S 57 INCHES WITH A GORGEOUS CANOPY.
SO THEY'RE PROPOSING A NICE LAWN HERE.
UM, AND THE DONUT FACILITY WOULD BE IN THE FRONT.
THE BIKE STORAGE WAREHOUSE WILL BE IN THE BACK.
UM, IT'S A TWO LANE ENTRANCE WITH PROPOSED PARKING.
UM, THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.
STAFF HAS BEEN COMMUNICATING WHAT IS, WHAT WE FEEL IS OUR MAJOR CONCERN, WHICH IS PARKING.
UM, WE KNOW AND ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN BLUFFTON AND THAT PARKING IS ONE OF THEIR, UM, CONCERNS AND ISSUES AS WELL.
SO THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, ADJACENT, UH, BUSINESSES THAT DON'T OPERATE IN THE MORNING HOURS AND HAVE OPEN PARKING LOTS AND THEY'RE WORKING ON A SHARED PARKING AGREEMENT, WHICH IS COMMON PRACTICE, UM, AND IS CODIFIED IN OUR LMO, UM, WHICH WILL HELP WITH THE, UM, PARKING.
THEY DO MEET LMO PARKING REQUIREMENTS AS PROPOSED HERE.
UM, AND WE, WHEN I SAY THAT THERE ARE A FEW CHANGES FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, THIS PINE TREE, UM, IS PROPOSED TO BE KEPT.
IT IS A SPECIMEN PINE TREE AND WE, UH, WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT.
THEY'VE SHIFTED A FEW THINGS AROUND TO POSSIBLY ADD IN A FEW PARALLEL PARKING SPACES.
UM, I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU DON'T SEE THAT HERE, BUT THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THIS OVERALL LAYOUT AND HOW THE SITE WOULD, WOULD FUNCTION.
IT JUST WOULD CHANGE THE PARKING SLIGHTLY.
BUT OVERALL WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, HOPEFULLY I'VE SPOKE TO IT AND IF THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING THERE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ROY DURDA.
UM, I THINK SHE COVERED IT PRETTY WELL.
I COULD PRETTY MUCH ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BUT THE DONUT SHOP REALLY IS A FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY BUSINESS.
SO IT'S, UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY OPEN FROM SEVEN TO ONE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE ON THE ISLAND.
AND THEN THE BIKE RENTAL BUSINESS IS GONNA BE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, IT'LL JUST BE IN THE BACKSIDE AND IT'S ALL DELIVERING.
THERE'LL BE NO SIGNAGE FOR THE BIKE RENTAL COMPANY IN THE BACK.
IT'LL JUST BE DELIVERED TO VILLAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THE ISLAND.
WHAT WAS THE, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BIKE RENTAL AREA? IT, THE WHOLE BUILDING IS LIKE OH, 2300 SQUARE FEET, SO IT'S NOT LARGE AT ALL.
WE HAD TO SHRINK THE BUILDING DOWN TO KEEP THE TREE
SO THE BUILDING'S NOT BUILT YET, RIGHT? NO, IT'S, WE'RE GONNA BUILD IT.
FIESTA FRESH, IS THAT NEARBY? IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, UM, THAT WAY MAYBE SEVEN LOTS.
YOU GOTTA GET PAST, UM, THE TAVERN AND ALL THAT AROUND THE CORNER THERE.
YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE BEARINGS OF WHERE THIS LOT IS, YOU KNOW WHERE, UM, D**E BY THE BIKE DOCTORS IS.
YEAH, THAT'S, THERE'S ANOTHER LOT.
EMPTY LOT JUST UP ON THE TOP OF THAT BIKE DOCK IS NEXT AND LOW C BIKE RENTALS RIGHT NEXT TO US.
AND THEN CRANES IS ACROSS LIKE LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET THAT VACANT LOT NEXT TO THE LAUNDROMAT KIND OF, YEAH, ALMOST.
WELL, THERE NO I DON'T, THERE'S LAUNDROMAT, THERE'S, THERE'S LOW C BIKES.
THERE'S THIS PROPERTY EMPTY LOT, WHICH IS FOR SALE AND THEN THERE'S A YOGA AND.BIKE DOCTORS IN ONE BUILDING TOGETHER.
AND THEN, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT'S AFTER THAT.
THE UM, THE BIG THING WITH THE SUSHI RESTAURANT OR WHATEVER.
SO YOU ACROSS THE STREET FROM LIKE RE MAX OR, UM, YES, RE MAX IS THERE.
SO IF I CAN JUST ADD MAJOR APPLICATIONS WILL COME IN FRONT OF YOU FOR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, AND THEN, UM, IT'S REALLY JUST AN APPLICATION REVIEW, NO VOTING OR, UH, JUST, JUST A, A PASSING COMMENT.
THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL IS PERFECT.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THE PREVIOUS ONE.
WITH THE HANDICAPPED WHEELCHAIR STORAGE.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT IN THE FUTURE WITH THE LMO OVERHAUL TO ADD IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL INTO OUR PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW RIGHT NOW IN THE, UH, REVIEW PROCEDURE, HOW STAFF IS, UM, REQUESTED IN PUBLIC PROJECT REVIEW TO PRESENT TO YOU.
IT'S ONLY A FOCUS ON LOCATION, CHARACTER AND EXTENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION FOR THE LMO OVERHAUL.
THE SHARED PARKING THAT YOU ALL REFERRED TO, UM, THAT'S WITH, UM, IS IT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, UH, NEXT DOOR? YEAH, SO WE HAVE IT SITUATED WITH CRANES AND SO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS DOING LIKE AN A DA, LIKE A BLOCK WAY ACROSS THE STREET, WHICH IS A DA REQUIRED OR WHATEVER DESIGNATED.
[01:55:01]
PROBABLY BE RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THAT RED LINE IS JUST LIKE ON THE DRIVEWAY, JUST SOUTH ON THE PATH BECAUSE IT WILL OUR, OUR LOT KIND OF OVER, LIKE, IT'S HOW I EXPLAIN LIKE OUR DRIVEWAY ISN'T DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THEIR DRIVEWAY.SO, AND THEN THERE'S A SPACE NEXT TO IT.
SO WE'D WANT TO PUT THE SIDEWALK KIND OF RIGHT ABOVE LIKE ON THE LOT LINE TO THE, WAS THAT THE SOUTH AND THEN CROSS THE ROAD AND THEN YOU'LL GO RIGHT INTO CRANES.
BUT IT'LL BE NEXT TO LIKE THEIR, THEIR ENTRYWAY.
SO IT WON'T GO INTO THEIR DRIVEWAY, WHATEVER.
SO YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH LIKE A, I RUN THAT LOT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THAT AREA.
UM, AND CROSSING THE STREET IS THERE, THERE ARE NO CROSSWALKS.
WOULD WE LOOK AT UH, AS A TOWN PUTTING SOME CROSSWALKS FOR PEDESTRIANS IN THAT SECTION? 'CAUSE THAT IS A, A TOUGH STREET FOR YEAH, I THINK THERE'S NONE RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.
I WILL BRING THAT TO OUR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER AND I'LL GET AN ANSWER BACK TO, THAT WAS MY ONLY OBSERVATION WITH THE SHARED PARKING.
WE'D WANNA MAKE SURE OUR CITIZENS ARE SAFE CROSSING.
WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT SOME ON OUR SIDE OF THE STREET I TALKED TO YESTERDAY, THE GUY THAT MANAGES THE BIGGER FACILITY, THAT BIG GRAY THING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED.
UM, BUT HE SAID HE COULDN'T 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA ELIMINATE THEIR SHARED PARKING AGREEMENTS WITH ALL THE OTHER RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ON THAT STREET.
DO YOU TAKE THAT? I MISSED THAT.
WHO? PARDON? WHO'S ELIMINATING THEIR SHARED PARKING? IT'S THE BIG, UM, IT'S WHERE PANCHI IS PKIS IN THERE AND OH, AROUND MICHAEL ANTHONY, MICHAEL ANTHONY'S, YEAH, THEY HAVE SHARED AGREEMENTS THAT THEY WANT TO REMOVE SO THEY CAN GET PARKING FOR THEMSELVES IN THERE.
AND SO I WAS ASKING THEM IF WE COULD DO SHARE PARKING.
'CAUSE AS FAR AS I COULD TELL FROM SEVEN TO ONE, NO ONE'S IN THE OUR SIDE OF THE PARKING AND THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET.
SO, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL HAVE LOW SEA BIKES, WHICH WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
BUT IT'S A COMPETITOR POTENTIALLY.
AND THE BIKE DOCTORS I THINK IS TOO SMALL.
THAT PARKING LOT MAY BE HOUSES, LIKE FIVE CARS OR SOMETHING.
AND WHAT IS, JUST, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATED FLOW IN THE MORNING OF CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE OF OUR SPECTRUM? AS FAR AS LIKE WHEN THEY SHOW UP? NO, AT NUMBER OF UH, UM, BLUFFTON LOCATION, IT GETS BUSY AT TIMES, BUT UM, A LOT OF IT IS GOLF CARTS, WHICH WE WON'T HAVE HERE.
UM, OUR PARKING LOT THERE HAS, IT'S KIND OF A WEIRD PARKING LOT THE WAY IT'S SITUATED.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE END UP ON THE ROAD.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS PARKING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A BIG LOT, A LOT OF IT'S DOUBLE SPACE BECAUSE OF TREES.
AND THEN TECHNICALLY THERE WE HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE OR THAT PARK THEIR OWN CARS IN THERE TOO, WHICH IS A PROBLEM 'CAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE TO PUT 'EM.
SO THE IDEA IS TO USE THE CRANE PARKING LOT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN YOU REALLY HAVE ALL THESE SPACES OPEN AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS EMPLOYEES IN THIS BUILDING.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE IN THE BACK BEHIND, HOW DO I FIGURE THIS OUT?
SO THIS SPACE BACK HERE IS JUST GONNA BE LIKE A GRAVEL AREA.
SO WE ALSO CAN PUT EMPLOYEES BACK THERE IF WE NEED TO.
IT'S JUST TO GET A, YOU KNOW, A RENTAL TRUCK, A PICKUP TRUCK IN AND OUT TO GET THE BIKES OUT.
AND THE IDEA RIGHT NOW IS ON THE BIKES THEMSELVES.
WE'RE PLANNING ON, IT'S GONNA BE ALL AUTOMATED.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE 'EM FROM THE LOCATION TO LOCATION.
SO WE'RE HOPING NOT TO BRING MANY BACK HERE.
UM, SO THEY'LL GO FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION ON, ON SITE AND THEN UNLESS THEY NEED REPAIRS, THEN THEY'LL COME BACK.
SO HOW BIG A TRUCK ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING TO USE? JUST LIKE A SMALL PICKUP TRUCK.
LIKE A, I THINK IT'S A RAM OR WHAT IS IT? A RAM TRANSFER SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT LIKE A NO, A SMALL PICKUP TRUCK PICKUP.
GLAD YOU'RE COMING TO THE ISLAND
AND UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE, THE CROSSWALKS AND THE SAFETY CONCERNS ARE WARRANTED BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND UH, I THINK WHATEVER NUMBERS YOU, YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE, PROBABLY HAVE TO TRIPLE 'EM.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK WE'LL GET A LOT OF, WE HAVE IN THE FINAL DESIGN, THERE IS A TURNAROUND WHERE THAT KINDA WHERE THE A DA IS.
WE FIGURE WE'LL GET UBER DRIVERS IN AND OUT AND WE'LL GET BIKE TRAFFIC 'CAUSE IT'S GOT THE BIKE PATH AND THERE'S TONS OF BIKE TRAFFIC THERE.
WE PLAN ON PUTTING 28 BIKE RACK STALLS IN THERE, SO THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF BIKE PARKING.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT'S A LOT OF IT.
WE MIGHT GET SOME FOOT TRAFFIC.
I JUST DUNNO HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL WALK.
SO HOPEFULLY THE CARS WILL BE LESS
BUT TYPICALLY PEOPLE DON'T STAY VERY LONG.
I MEAN, THEY COME GET THEIR DONUTS AND THEY LEAVE, ESPECIALLY IN BLUFFTON.
BUT HERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE MORE LIKE OUTDOOR SPACE THAN THE, WE HAVE THAT WHOLE PORCH, WHICH IS COVERED IN BLUFFTON.
WE, WHEN PEOPLE, THEY LITERALLY STAND OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN.
YEAH, THERE'S NO LOCATION THERE.
YOU ALSO ALSO, UM, OFFER DELIVERY TOO, RIGHT? WE DON'T RIGHT NOW.
IN BLUFFTON WE'RE WORKING ON DOING A WEBSITE THERE FOR, AND WE MIGHT DO UBER DELIVERIES FROM THAT.
WE HAVEN'T QUITE, WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO STAFF OR, YOU KNOW, FACILITATE THE ORDERS THAT BE THE DAY BEFORE.
IT CAN'T BE LIKE AN ON DEMAND BECAUSE THAT WILL COULD
[02:00:01]
WIPE OUT THE DONUT SHOP FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STANDING IN LINE KIND OF THING.UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER STAFF REPORTS? YES SIR.
WE'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR ANNUAL TRAINING REQUIREMENT THAT'S DUE 30TH.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TOWN.
ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? MOTION TO ADJOURN.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV PORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
PORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BUFORD CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT.
LA PUNTE DE SANTA ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRATA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861 IN A FOUR HOUR CANNONADE, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN CHUTE.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
IT WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON
[02:05:01]
HEAD.UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BEAUFORD AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT IT'S TECHNOLOGY'S GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL, UH, TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL AND A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO A SHOT.
BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUTTING THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON I HAD BEFORE.
NOW I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY IF I CAN.
THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN.
UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING WE HAD IN 1860S.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR AND 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP AND SORT OF LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE 'EM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, BIG BATTLESHIPS OR THE THREAT OF THE ERA.
AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT, ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT FORT ROYAL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARIS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVYS OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN
[02:10:01]
AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY AND THIS IS GOING ON, UH, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATION AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL.
AND THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ARE ON THE LIST, BUT BUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, CAPTAIN SBY.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS, THE CREW WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT TO 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED, THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN, AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREEMAN.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH GONE NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR
[02:15:01]
GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UM, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BA BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR A ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FORMANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE, AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOR WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE INDEGO ERA ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN, IN PRACTICE SKILLS, IN ARTILLERY MIND, LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND, UH, DRILLING SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE
[02:20:01]
A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION AND THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN, IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900, WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, A DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING, AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
OH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE BEGINNING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF A, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CHARGING TRAILER.
WE BROUGHT THE TRAILER HERE TO THE BARNWELL COUNTY CAREER CENTER.
MET WITH RON STILL, AND, UH, HIS GROUP OF, UH, FINE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
WE HAD DONE ONE FOR BARNWELL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND BEAUFORT ASKED US ABOUT DOING ONE FOR, FOR THEM DURING THE OCTOBER, 2015 FLOODS.
[02:25:01]
ROGER RILEY, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF BARNWOOD COUNTY, AND I ARE GOOD FRIENDS, AND WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION DURING FLOODS.HE HAD BUILT A TRAILER SIMILAR TO THIS.
UH, IT WAS UNIQUE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THAT, THAT SPARKED AN IDEA.
AND NOT VERY LONG AFTER THAT, WE HAD A SITUATION, A STORM IN BEAUFORT, UH, JUST A, A THUNDERSTORM, BUT IT KNOCKED OUT POWER TO ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS DOWNTOWN FOR ALMOST 48 HOURS.
PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING THEY COULDN'T CHARGE THEIR DEVICES, THEY COULDN'T GET ANY INFORMATION.
HE CAME UP, TOLD ME ABOUT THE BARNWELL TECHNICAL SCHOOL AND HOW THEY HAD BUILT HIS ON THE TRAILER THAT HE BOUGHT, TRAINED FROM HIM JUST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO I STARTED SCORING THAT IDEA, FUNDED IT THROUGH WHAT WE CALL AN L-E-M-P-G GRANT THAT THE STATE, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GIVES US FOR LOCAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
GOT THE TRAILER ALL HOURS OF THE EQUIPMENT.
GOT WITH THE FOLKS HERE AT PARTNER TECHNICAL SCHOOL, TOLD 'EM WHAT WE WANTED.
WE GOT THE GRAPHICS DONE AT SEVEN, UH, SIGNS AND GRAPHICS IN BUFORT.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH BARE WALLS, UH, GENERATOR.
WE GOT THE SOLAR PANELS, WE GOT THE INVERTERS AND SOME OF THE OTHER DEVICES.
IN ADDITION, OUR PLAN IS TO INSTALL, UH, TELEVISION FOR THE PURPOSE OF RELAYING INFORMATION, PHOTOS, MAPPING ANYTHING THERE, WHICH CAN AID OR ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE SYSTEM OF BEAUT COUNTY.
WE INSTALLED THE, THE MAIN BREAKER PANEL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET POWER FROM THE GENERATOR INTO THE PANEL, INTO THE TRAILER.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, A SOLAR POWER THAT WE CAN CONNECT IN HERE AS WELL.
EVERYBODY'S THINKING GREEN THESE DAYS.
HOW DO YOU GET MORE, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT? BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUNNY DAYS.
WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM SEEKING THE SUN, SO WE DECIDED TO GO WITH THE ALTERNATE SYSTEMS, AND WE'VE GOT IT BUILT INSIDE DUAL SYSTEMS. THAT'S THE WAY THE FOLKS THAT THE KIDS UP HERE AT BARNWELL BUILDING PARK.
WE'LL DEPLOY THE SOLAR ANTENNAS OUT THAT WILL MEET MOST OF OUR ENERGY NEEDS.
AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO STAY LONG TERM, THE GENERATOR CAN DO IT OVERNIGHT.
WHILE WE'RE RECHARGING THE SOLAR BATTERY, WE'LL BRING IN THE CARPENTRY INSTRUCTOR, UH, WHERE WE WANT TO TRY TO BUILD SOME TABLES FOR THE TVS TO SIT DOWN ON AND GIVE YOU SOME STORAGE SPACE UNDERNEATH.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN COME UP WITH A GOOD ENGINEERING SOLUTION TO, UH, THE TVS BEING MOUNTED, UH, RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AND TAKING IN, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION FOR BUMPS AND, AND TURNS AND SO FORTH, WHERE, UH, THE, THE TVS AREN'T DAMAGED AT THE SAME TIME.
REAL TICKLED WITH THE WORK THAT THESE KIDS DID FOR US.
THESE ARE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND THEY'RE LEARNING A TRADE AND DOING SOMETHING VALUABLE TO A COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT EVEN COMMUNITY THEY LIVE IN.
THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR STUDENTS.
THEY, THEY REALLY HAVE TO KIND OF WORK AS A TEAM.
THEY HAVE TO KIND OF, UH, I LEAVE A LOT OF THIS STUFF UP TO THEM.
THAT EXPERIENCE IS SOMETHING THEY CAN TAKE INTO, YOU KNOW, FAR AS FROM HERE INTO THE WORKING SECTOR OF THE WORLD.
SO THEY REALLY ENJOYED THE CHALLENGE AND, AND THEY ENJOYED DOING SOMETHING FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, KINDA GETTING OUT OF THE BON AREA, THAT THEY CAN GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SEE THIS MAYBE, UH, SOMEWHERE AND, AND REALLY BE, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN IT.
WE WISH WE'D HAD IT DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW, BUT WE WEREN'T READY FOR IT YET.
BUT NOW, ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS WHERE THE POWER IS KNOCKED OUT, WE CAN BRING IT INTO A COMMUNITY, SET IT UP.
FOLKS CAN RECHARGE THEIR DEVICES.
WE'VE GOT THE TELEVISION MONITORS HERE.
WE CAN PUT UP PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, OR WE CAN RUN LOCAL NEWS OFF THE INTERNET, WHATEVER WE NEED TO.
PLUS WE HAVE THE AMPLIFIER SO THEY CAN GET CELL PHONE SIGNALS.
WE'RE GONNA USE IT AT LOCAL FESTIVALS LIKE WATER FESTIVAL AND THAT SORT OF THING, JUST AS A CONVENIENCE AND TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE THAT THIS IS ANOTHER TOOL THAT SHERIFF'S OFFICE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION HAS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US RESPOND BETTER TO ANY TYPE OF SITUATION THAT COMES UP.
IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE 46 COUNTIES AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS, UH, ALL, WE ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME.
AND SOUTH CAROLINA GETS CRITICIZED IN THE NATION FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WE'RE SECOND FROM NONE.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF PARTNERSHIPS LIKE ROGER AND I AND AND THE OTHER COUNTIES WORKING TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.