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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
15TH, 2024.TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE, OH, WE HAVE, UM, MS. FRAZIER'S LATE.
I THINK SHE'S COMING, BUT SHE'S NOT HERE NOW.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, TALKING ABOUT REVIEW AND DISCUSSION FOR THE PROPOSED PARK IMPROVEMENTS AT BUCK WALTER PLACE, THE NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PARK.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT BUCK WALTER, PLACE PARK UPDATE AND DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PARK DISCUSSION FOR THE PAVILION AND NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PARK FACILITY RENTAL AND OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
[1. Review and Discussion of Proposed Park Improvements at Buckwalter Place and New Riverside Barn Parks. Pat Rooney, Capital Improvement Program Manager]
SO WE CAN GET STARTED WITH, UH, NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME'S PAT ROONEY, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT MANAGER FOR THE TOWN OF LEFT.
UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO, TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A COUPLE OF PARK PROJECTS, GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
THEY'RE UNDER DESIGN AT THIS POINT, I SUPPOSE TO ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS FIRST.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE TWO PROJECTS INDIVIDUALLY AND I'LL STOP AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER EACH ONE AND ASK FOR COMMENTS AT THAT TIME.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
BUCK WALTER PLACE PARK IS THE FIRST PROJECT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
WE BROUGHT A CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN TO YOU BACK IN JANUARY.
THERE WAS TWO CONCEPTS AND YOU SELECTED ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS.
YOUR COMMENTS WERE TO PROVIDE PRIORITY ON IMPROVING SAFETY AND COMFORT, UM, AND INCLUDE ENHANCED LIGHTING, RAISED CROSSWALK, MORE SHADE AND COOLING ELEMENTS TO THE PARK.
UH, COUNSEL ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE KIND OF DO THIS IN A PHASED MANNER AS OPPOSED TO ONE LARGE PROJECT OR A SINGLE CONTRACT.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT TO SHOW YOU A, A PHASING PLAN.
UM, OR ACTUALLY FISCAL YEAR 25, 26, AND 27.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE A FEW IMPROVEMENTS AT THE PARK.
WE ADDED SOME PALM TREES, CHANGED OUT THE SIGNAGE.
THAT KIND OF THING HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF, UH, WORKING ON DESIGN OF PHASE ONE.
THIS IS THE CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN THAT YOU APPROVED BACK IN JANUARY.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN, UH, FOR YOU, BUT I'LL GO THROUGH SOME SPECIFIC ELEMENTS WITHIN THIS PART.
THIS IS THE PHASING PLAN THAT WE'RE PROPOSING RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE RED IS PHASE ONE, BLUE PHASE TWO, AND GREEN PHASE THREE.
UH, PHASE ONE REALLY INCLUDES THE PERIMETER SIDEWALKS, UH, THE ENTRANCE OFF OF, UH, THE NORTHWEST CORNER TO ACCESS PARKING AREAS OF THE LEC AND EOR FOR PEDESTRIANS.
UM, THE RAISED CROSSWALK ACROSS INNOVATION DRIVE TO CONNECT, UM, BOTH EAST AND WEST PARKS TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SITE LIGHTING AROUND THE PERIMETER.
YOU HAD ASKED TO IMPROVE THE LIGHTING.
SO WE'RE PUTTING IN SOME AREA LIGHTING TO MATCH WHAT'S EXISTING OUT THERE.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM IN PHASE ONE IS THE, UM, RENOVATION ENLARGEMENT OF THE, THE RESTROOMS AT THE AMPHITHEATER BUILDING.
PHASE TWO IS THE PAVILIONS, UM, THE INTERACTIVE FOUNTAIN THAT WE DISCUSSED AT, UH, THE MEETING, UH, IN JANUARY.
PHASE THREE IS BASICALLY THE EXERCISE STATION WITH AN OVERHEAD SHADE.
UM, AND THEN SHADE STRUCTURES AROUND SOME OF THE SEATING AREAS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE.
I'M START OUT WITH THE RESTROOM.
UM, THIS IS IN PROGRESS PLANS.
THE GREEN SHADED AREAS ARE KIND OF THE EXPANSION OF THE RESTROOMS. IT'S BASICALLY A SHED ROOF TO MATCH EXISTING.
IT'S AN EXTENSION OF THE, UH, EXISTING RESTROOMS. AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE SINGLE TOILET IN EACH FACILITY.
WE'RE GONNA ADD TWO ADDITIONAL AND TWO SINKS TO BOTH SIDES.
SO, UH, IT'S AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE, UM, OF THE EXISTING RESTROOM.
ONE THING WE TALKED ABOUT AT, UM,
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THE, THE JANUARY WORKSHOP WAS Y'ALL DIDN'T WANT TO SEE A LARGE SCALE FLASH PAD AT THIS PART, BUT YOU DID SEEM TO ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF AN INTERACTIVE FOUNTAIN.OUR CONSULTANT IS WORKING ON THE DESIGN AND THEY CAME UP WITH TWO OPTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
WE'RE DOING ONE OF THESE OUT AT, UM, AT NEW RIVER BARN PARK RIGHT NOW IN THE PLAYGROUND AREA.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES TO THIS PARTICULAR INSTALLATION.
THERE'S NO DHE C PERMITTING REQUIRED.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF WATER, UM, AND A LOT, NOT A LOT OF EQUIPMENT, AND IT'S LESS EXPENSIVE AND, AND AGAIN, IT USES LESS WATER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ADVANTAGES TO THIS IDEA.
AND THIS IS FOR THAT CIRCLE AREA THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW THAT USED TO HAVE ECORE PARK WRITTEN ACROSS THE TOP OF IT.
IF YOU RECALL, THE OTHER IDEA THAT THE CONSULTANT CAME UP WITH WAS IT BASICALLY JUST FLUSH MOUNTED JETS LIKE YOU SEE AT KIG BEACH PARK.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY THESE THINGS ARE TREATED JUST LIKE A POOL, SO YOU DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL KINDS OF PERMITTING.
IT DOES REQUIRE MORE WATER, IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, UH, OPTION TO CONSIDER.
SO THERE'S TWO OPTIONS FOR THE INTERACTIVE FOUNTAIN.
THIS IS JUST A PLANNED VIEW OF THAT SHOWING THAT CIRCLE, SHOWING HOW YOU BYPASS IT WITH THE TRAIL, UH, WHERE IT WOULD FIT IN.
AND THEN JUST AGAIN, WE WOULD TRY TO ADD SOME DIFFERENT COLORED PAVEMENT, EITHER A COOL DECK OR PULLED IN PLACE PAVEMENT TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE LIVELY.
UM, BACK TO THE MISSING STATION, ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION WAS THE PHOTOGRAPH, UM, ON THE RIGHT THERE THAT SHOWS LIGHTING AT THE TOP OF IT.
SO ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT, UM, KIND OF MAKE THIS MORE INTERESTING IS THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE THIS LIGHTING AT NIGHTTIME AND PROVIDE SOME SORT OF VISUAL INTEREST AT NIGHT WITH THESE MISSING STATIONS.
PAT, IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT JUST MISSED ALL THE TIME? OR IT'S AN ON OFF WHEN YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH IT, YOU HIT A BUTTON OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? NO, IF YOU SEE THAT, UH, IN THE PHOTOGRAPH TO THE LEFT, YES, THERE IS A LITTLE SHORT BALLARD THAT'S A BUTTON TO ACTIVATE IT.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE ON ALL THE TIME.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'D HAVE TO BE, IT'S ON, ON CYCLE SAW FOR A MINUTE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR, YEAH.
THE OTHER THING, UH, THE CONSULTANTS HAD PROVIDED TO US ON THIS PARTICULAR PARK WAS PERHAPS USING A PRE-ENGINEERED PAVILION AS OPPOSED TO A STICK-BUILT CUSTOM.
UM, THEY PROVIDED TWO OPTIONS THAT FIT THAT SPACE.
ONE IS, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A HIP ROOF AND ANOTHER'S MORE OF A GABLE WITH SHED ROOFS ON THE SIDE.
AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE RELATIVELY IN COMPARISON TO CUSTOM BUILT, LESS EXPENSIVE AND MAYBE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR OP, YOUR, UM, OPINIONS ON THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE PROPOSED AND SOME SHADE, UH, STRUCTURES AROUND THE SITE, MOSTLY IN THE SEATING AREAS THAT, UM, THERE'S LIKE FIVE OF 'EM AROUND THE, THE LINEAR TRAIL.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A SHADE, UM, STRUCTURE THAT'S PROPOSED OVER THE EXERCISE STATION AREA.
SO THESE ARE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS THEY PROPOSED EITHER JUST SINGLE POST OR A CANTILEVER AN OPTION.
SO THAT'S THAT PARTICULAR PRESENTATION.
OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS.
PARDON? ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I, I KNOW I WASN'T HERE FOR THE JANUARY WELL UP HERE, UM, BUT GOING TO THE WATER, THE FOUNTAIN, UM, AS MUCH AS I KNOW HOW MUCH COUNCILMAN HAMILTON LOVES, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE JETS AND THINGS, I, I THINK THAT SPRAY OPTION FOR THAT PARK, UM, WOULD BE, UM, MY PREFERENCE.
UM, IN THE, AND THEN DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THE ONE ON THE POLES? YES.
THE ONE THAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN.
MIS MISTING STATION IS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE CALLING MISSING STATION.
UM, OVER THE JETS WITH WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE DH AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, BE NICE ADDITION FROM THAT, SIR.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WRONG FOR THAT, RIGHT?
YEAH, THAT'S DAN, THAT'S DAN AND BRIDGET PROJECT RIGHT THERE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, UM, I HIT THAT.
IT'S GONNA TAKE US A LONG TIME TO COMPLETE IT.
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I'M IN.I'M MORE IN TUNE WITH EMILY ON THE, UM, AND, AND I'LL GIVE THE REASON WHY FOR THE, UH, MISTING STATION.
ONE IS OVERALL EXPERIENCE, THE SECOND PART IS MAINTENANCE, UM, VERSUS THE OTHER ONE.
AND THEN WHAT I HAVE SEEN OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, I, I DO CHECK EVERY YEAR, TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR, IF NOT MORE, TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT THE PLAYGROUND.
I WAS ALWAYS CONCERNED WHEN WE PUT THAT ONE THERE, IT DOES GET UTILIZED, BUT NOT TO THE SCALE THAT WE SEE IN OUR OTHER PARKS.
SO I I I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A LITTLE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT.
MS. FRAZIER, UM, GREAT PRESENTATION.
I LOVE THE, UM, CONSIDERATION OF THE SHADE SEALS BEING ADDED.
I, UM, DO LOVE A GOOD SPLASH PAD.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, BUT I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF OPTION A, ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW WITH, UM, OPTION B IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE, THAT IT IS EXTREMELY COSTLY AS SEDIMENT AND OTHER THINGS OFTEN FIND THEIR WAY INTO THOSE GROUNDWATER JETS AND THE NIGHTMARE OF DIGGING ALL THAT UP.
AND, UM, I WOULDN'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, ADD A PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE JUST AS COSTLY TO UPKEEP AS IT WAS TO INSTALL.
SO I'M A FAN OF A AND FOR THE, UM, PAVILIONS THAT YOU HAD THERE, I KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, PRE-ENGINEERED ONES THAT ARE COMING IN.
I WOULD JUST ASKING A QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S UM, ALLOWED OR NOT, BUT IT'D BE NICE IF WE ARE GIVING LIKE A CONSIDERATION THROUGH OUR ART DISTRICT FOR ARTISTS TO BE ABLE TO COME ALONGSIDE AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE CULTURE DISTRICT.
UM, FOR THE PAVILIONS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR, UM, ER OR LOCAL CONTRACTORS TO MAYBE CREATE SOME TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP IN TERMS OF THEM, UM, MAYBE DESIGNING OR CONSTRUCTING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE PAVILIONS, YOU KNOW, IN LIEU OF HAVING MAYBE A NAME CARD OR SOMETHING ON IT THAT, UM, MIGHT BE AN OPTION FOR US IN TERMS OF LIKE LOOKING AT, AT COST WISE, I WOULD TEND TO, ARE YOU FINISHED? I'M SORRY.
I WOULD TEND TO GO WITH B, NOT FOR THE AESTHETICS, BUT THE CONCEPT THAT IT'S LARGER BECAUSE ALL THE PAVILIONS IN THE PARK GET LOTS OF USE.
UM, IS IT 24 BY 30? IT LOOKS LARGER, DOESN'T IT? IT'S LARGER BECAUSE I SEE MORE.
WELL, YES, NO, IT'S THE TABLES I WAS LOOKING, I WASN'T LOOKING AT THE DIMENSION, SO I STAND CORRECTED.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY IS I KNOW OUR PAVILIONS DO GET UTILIZED WELL, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND UH, SO THE MORE THE BETTER.
UM, I AGREE WITH ADOPTION B ON THAT.
AND THE, UM, EVERYONE ELSE ON THE SPRINKLERS, I'M GONNA COME BACK WITH FRED.
UH, DO WE HAVE, IT'S SHOWING US SOME COST HERE, PAT, FOR THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS, BUT DO WE HAVE A TOTAL COST FOR PHASE ONE OR A OR B OR WHAT? OH, WE HAVE BUDGETED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT THE PHASE ONE COSTS ARE ALREADY BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO I'M TALKING ABOUT THESE THREE PHASE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE THREE PHASES.
THIS IS THE PROJECT MANAGER ON THIS PARTICULAR GOOD EVENING.
I'M CONSTANCE COLLECTION YOUR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS PROJECT.
BUT THAT'S NOT ANY OF THIS STUFF WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, IT INCLUDES THE, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE PHASE ONE SLIDE? THE OPTIONS YOU WERE JUST LOOKING AT IN RED? THE ONLY THING THAT YOU SAW ON THE PLAN ON THIS PROJECTION HERE IS THE BATHROOM EXPANSION THAT'S IN PHASE ONE.
THE REST OF THE ITEMS ARE IN PHASE TWO AND THREE, BUT WE WANTED TO GET YOUR OPINION BECAUSE OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, ET CETERA.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I'M STILL NOT GETTING IT.
UM, PHASE WE HAVE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE.
SO PHASE ONE IS IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR.
IT'S OKAY TO DO EVERYTHING IN RED.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STYLES.
ONE BARN COST MORE THAN THE, I MEAN ONE.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENT NUMBERS HERE, BUT YES SIR, THERE'S AMPLE CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THE BUDGET IN THE EVENT YOU PICK UP THE HIGHER OPTIONS.
WHAT, WHAT IS, WE SHOWED YOU THESE OPTIONS BECAUSE THE CONSULTANT IS GONNA THROUGH, GO THROUGH AND DO A DESIGN FOR THE ENTIRE ALL THREE PHASES AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL SOLICIT BID BID SOLICITATIONS FOR EACH PHASE EACH YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ASKED FOR INPUT NOW AS WE WERE
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TRYING TO GET INPUT ON THE PAVILIONS AND THE, AND THE INTERACTIVE FOUNDING AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE IN PHASE TWO.UM, BUT REALLY ONLY THE RED IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS YEAR.
THAT'S BEEN, YOU GO BACK TO THE SHADE.
SO I KINDA LIKED B, BUT THEN I'M LOOKING AT WHERE A IS AND A SEEMS TO BE MORE PRACTICAL WHERE THE ACTIVITIES ARE TAKING PLACE FOR ME.
YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY I THINK A MAKES MORE SENSE AS, UM, FROM A USAGE STANDPOINT.
I'VE NOT SEEN MANY FOLKS, UM, SEEK THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A LOCAL PARK TO CATCH A 10.
AND I THINK MORE PARENTS OR THOSE WHO WITH KIDS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING, UM, SHADE FOR THEMSELVES OR EVEN THEIR CHILD WHO MIGHT BE PLAYING ON, ON SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S THERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK B WOULD BE THAT GOOD OF A, OF USE OF OUR TIME UNLESS WE HAD LIKE, SOME TYPE OF SWIMMING POOL OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT.
SO, SO THE, THE REASON PAT, THAT WE ARE DOING THIS IN THREE PHASES.
I UNDERSTAND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WILL ONLY ALLOW IN RED.
UM, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE COST IS GONNA BE FOR PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE.
IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE PROPOSED IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THOSE, THOSE LINE ITEMS WILL BE IN THERE.
WE ARE PROJECTING THE, WE ARE PROJECTING NUMBERS FOR THOSE, THOSE, UH, PHASES.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT HAVING THESE SELECTIONS MADE, WE PROBABLY WOULD JUST BE THROWING DARTS RIGHT NOW.
SO WE COULD DO, IF WE HAD THE MONEY, WE CAN DO PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE AND BE DONE WITH IT.
INSTEAD OF STRETCHING IT OUT FOR THREE YEARS.
THE, I I I HAVE TO ADD THE JANUARY WORKSHOP, IT WAS, I THINK WE WERE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF PARK PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, MOVING THROUGH 'EM AND THERE WAS KIND OF DISCUSSION AT THAT TIME AS WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO WORK, MOVE THAT FAST ON THIS ONE.
WE COULD KIND OF DO IT IN PHASES, BUT WE'RE, WE'LL DO IT EITHER WAY.
WE HAVE NO, SO LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
IT USED TO GET ASKED FREQUENTLY, UM, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAYOR'S SAYING AND I, I LIKE THE CONCEPT.
UM, SO IF WE MOVE A CIP PROJECT AHEAD OF SOME OTHER CIP PROJECTS, DOES THAT IMPACT IN ANY WAY OTHERS? THE OTHER PROJECTS, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE, WE'VE ALREADY, IT'S A QUESTION FOR US.
WHEN WE GO THROUGH THAT BUDGET PROCESS, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD BE PROPOSING TO DO IT EITHER IN A PHASE CONCEPT OR DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
SO THEN THAT'S A DECISION THAT Y'ALL WILL BE MAKING DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT EARLIER YOU SAID COUNCIL DECIDED TO DO THE PHASES.
THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD IN THE NOTES.
I, I RECALL SOMETHING, UM, ABOUT THIS NOT BEING AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY AS THE NEW RIVER SIDE.
WE HAD A LITTLE, I THINK WE ALL KIND OF GAVE THAT CONSENSUS THAT WE WANT TO GET, MAKE PLANS TO DO THIS, BUT THIS WASN'T RIGHT.
AND WE DECIDED THAT IN THE COUNCIL MEETING, I THINK SO I THINK I REMEMBER US, I REMEMBER IT WASN'T A VOTE MORE SO THAN JUST A DISCUSSION LIKE THIS AT A WORKSHOP.
YEAH, I REMEMBER WE WERE GIVEN A LIST OF CIP, UM, PROJECTS AND WE WERE ASKED PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF WHICH WERE GONNA TAKE PRECEDENCE.
AND I DO REMEMBER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PHASE OUT APPROACH.
SO YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS FOR US AT NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS.
LET'S REVISIT, LET'S REVISIT SEE WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT.
ESPECIALLY IF THE BARN IS PRETTY CLOSE TO HAVING, UM, HAND HANDLE ON WHERE WE ARE AS FAR AS COMPLETION, RIGHT? YEAH.
MM-HMM,
THAT'S THE NEXT PROJECT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
UH, YOU MAY RECALL WE, WE PRESENTED A CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN TO YOU IN OCTOBER OF 2020 THAT WE'VE BEEN USING AS A GUIDE FOR THE DESIGN FOR ALL THE WORK FROM, FROM THAT POINT ON.
PHASE ONE WAS, UH, CONTRACT WAS EXECUTED FOR ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN 2021.
AND THAT'S A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, THAT'S ROADS AND UTILITIES AND SUCH.
UH, PHASE TWO, UM, THAT'S THE CONTRACT WITH NICKS, WHICH IS A CONTRACT MANAGER AT RISK,
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WHICH IS ALL OF THE BIG ITEMS. THE PLAYGROUND, THE, THE RESTROOMS, THE BARN, ALL OF THAT.OUR PLAN IS TO COMPLETE THE PLAYGROUNDS, RESTROOM AND PARKING BY THE END OF THIS, UH, CALENDAR YEAR AND HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A RIBBON CUTTING SOMETIME RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST FIRST OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THE BARN IS GONNA GO ON CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT 25 AND BE FINISHED BEFORE THE END OF, UH, 20 25 1.
PUT IT BACK ON THAT LAST SCREEN.
OUR, OUR CONTRACT WAS WITH NICKS, NOT JS.
WE HAVE TWO, WE HAD A PHASE ONE, WHICH WAS PARKING, UH, UTILITY SEWER, WATER, UH, THE, SOME OF THE, THE PATHWAYS THAT WAS A PHASE ONE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT IN 2021 THAT GOT THE SITE READY SO THAT NICKS CAN DO THE LARGER CONTRACT.
SO THERE WAS AN INITIAL CONTRACT WITH JS AND THEN HIS, HIS WORK'S COMPLETE AND NOW IT'S ALL IN NICK'S HANDS TO, TO COMPLETE THE, THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
THIS IS A MASTER PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED BACK IN 2021 FOR THAT, UH, INITIAL CONTRACT.
UM, BASICALLY ALL OF THE, LET'S SEE IF THIS WORKS.
YES, I GOT MY MOUSE WORKING HERE.
BASICALLY EVERYTHING IN THE CLEARED KIND OF AREA, THE OPEN FIELDS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT WASN'T IN, UH, JS OR N'S CONTRACT WAS THESE NATURE TRAILS, WHICH WE, WE PROPOSE THOSE AS A FUTURE PLAN.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THE COMPLETION OF THIS, THIS DOCUMENT RIGHT HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, SIMPLIFY IT, THOSE TRAILS ARE STILL A FUTURE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION ITEM.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD DISCUSSIONS.
UH, THE TRAILS ARE UNDER DESIGN NOW AND, AND, UM, AND THE FUTURE MAINTENANCE BUILDING IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH DESIGN ON THAT RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
THERE'S ONLY ONE ITEM IN HERE THAT, UM, THAT WAS NOT DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY AND THAT'S WHAT'S THIS FUTURE EVENT PAVILION.
IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, AS STAFF GOING OUT THERE AND, AND INVESTIGATED THE SITE.
SAW THIS AS A, AN OPPORTUNITY.
THE ALL OF THE SLOPE SLOPES UP TO THE BARN SLOPES UP TO THE, TO, UM, HIGHWAY 46, 1 70.
UM, SO IT'S PERFECT SPOT FOR A PAVILION SLASH BANDS LAND TYPE TYPE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I, I REMEMBER ORIGINALLY YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD, WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT THE BARN WOULD BE ABLE TO BE OPENED UP AND HAVE LIKE A SYMPHONY MUSIC RIGHT THERE PROJECTING OUT TO THE EVENT LAWN.
OF COURSE NOW, AS YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT IT, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN OPPOSITE WHAT IT NEEDED TO BE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, SO THIS EVENT LAWN, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S THE SCALE OF THAT? WHAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD YOU ENVISION THERE? UM, I, I HAVE NUMBERS.
I CAN'T GIVE 'EM TO YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD 'CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, BUT I, YOU CAN PUT LIKE 4,000 PEOPLE IN THAT AREA, SO LARGE.
IT'S A, IT'S A BIG AREA THAT TO ME MAKES FAR, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU SEE, SEE PEOPLE.
SO THE PAVILION THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT WOULD BE OPEN LIKE A PAVILION, ALL OTHERS OPEN AND IT'D BE OPEN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS SO THAT IT ACTUALLY SERVICES THE EVENT LAWN ADJACENT TO THE BARN OR THE BIG MEADOW THAT, THAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE BIG ENOUGH TO PUT A SIZE BAND UNDERNEATH IT.
IT'S NOT, THE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY SLOPING WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE RIGHT WAY.
WE'VE LOOKED AT A FEW OPTIONS HERE AND THE EXECUTIVE STAFF HAS KIND OF MOVED TOWARDS AN OPEN PAVILION AS OPPOSED TO A LARGE SCALE AMPHITHEATER.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IF LIKE A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COMES OUT, GENERALLY THEY'LL BRING THEIR OWN STAGE, THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT.
THEY DON'T NEED A HUGE FACILITY FOR THAT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE FORESEE FOR OUTDOOR WEDDINGS, FAMILY REUNIONS, UM, MUSIC EVENTS.
THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE TWO PAVILIONS WE HAVE ON SITE ARE IN THE PLAYGROUND.
THOSE ARE REALLY MORE FOR KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES, CHILDREN EVENTS, YOU KNOW, SO IF THERE'S NOTHING REALLY FOR KIND OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS OR, OR FAMILY REUNIONS OR, OR LIKE YOU SAY A SMALL BAND, THAT KIND OF THING
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TO, TO SET UP FOR THE, FOR CONCERT AND THE EVENT LAWN.SO WHAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU NOW IS TWO OPTIONS FOR A PAVILION.
UM, THIS ONE SHOWS A PARTIALLY OPEN, PARTIALLY CLOSED PAVILION WITH SOME STORAGE ON THE SIDE AND ABOUT A 32 BY 38 OPEN AREA IN THE CENTER.
UM, IT PICKS UP SOME OF THE DETAIL OF THE BARN IN TERMS OF, OF THE SIDING AND THAT TYPE OF THING AND THE, AND THE TYPE OF ROOF STRUCTURE AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO THAT'S ONE OPTION WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THIS ONE, THE DIFFERENCE ON THIS ONE REALLY IS IT'S GOT A LITTLE LESS FLOOR SPACE UNDERCOVER AND MORE STORAGE ALREADY BUILT, BUILT IN FOR, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, AV ANY KIND OF EQUIPMENT THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED OUT HERE.
SECOND OPTION THAT WE GOT SHOWN HERE IS A, A PAVILION THAT'S BASICALLY THE SAME SIZE, BUT IT'S ALL OPEN.
THERE IS NO, YOU KNOW, STORAGE AREA IN THE BACK, UM, OR ON THE SIDE.
SO YOU SEE THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THIS CASE.
UM, AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE BOTH SHOWN WITH, ONE WAS SHOWN WITH KIND OF A SMALL BAND PLAYING IN IT.
THE, THE OTHER ONE IS WITH, UM, A WEDDING CEREMONY WHICH COULD TAKE PLACE INDOOR OUTDOOR OR YOU KNOW, IN THIS CASE IT'S GOT A LITTLE LARGER FLOOR AREA YOU COULD PUT UP, SET UP FOR A PRETTY GOOD SIZE WEDDING.
UNDERNEATH THERE IT'S ABOUT 35, 42, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S REALLY, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF THROW OUT THE IDEA OF THE PAVILION, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING IN THAT AREA.
I, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THIS SITE AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, HOW IT'S KIND OF SET UP PERFECTLY FOR A TYPE OF A BANDSTAND TYPE OF THING.
UM, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE YOUR OPINION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OPINION ON THE TWO OPTIONS? MM-HMM.
UM, I LIKE OPTION TWO BETTER THAN OPTION ONE ONLY BECAUSE I THINK OF SOME OF THE OTHER PAVILIONS THAT WE HAVE LIKE, UH, OYSTER FACTORY PARK AND OSCAR FRAZIER AND UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD A NEED FOR STORAGE FOR LIKE AV OR OUTSIDE ELECTRICAL USE, BUT I KNOW THAT HAVING THAT WIDE OPEN SPACE HAS BEEN GREAT IN THE EVENT LIKE SOMEONE WHO IS PLANNING AN EVENT ON THE GROUNDS WE'RE ABLE TO COME UNDER THAT PAVILION FOR COVERAGE AND YOU KNOW, EVEN THE OYSTER FACTORY PARK THAT, I DON'T KNOW THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THAT, BUT THAT SPACE HAS BEEN GREAT TO ACCOMMODATE THINGS LIKE THAT AND I CAN EASILY SEE, UM, PEOPLE PREFERRING THE OPTION FOR THAT.
'CAUSE OPTION ONE SEEMS MORE SUITED TO ACCOMMODATE JUST THE BAND AND WHEREAS OPTION TWO UTILIZES OR COULD BE MULTIPURPOSE FOR, WHETHER IT'S, UH, AN EVENT SETTING UP HAVING THEIR ENTERTAINMENT UNDER THERE OR SOMEONE, UM, HAVING AN EVENT AND NEEDING TO HAVE A BACKUP OPTION TO HAVE SHELTER UNDER RAIN OR JUST SOMEONE WANTING TO STAGE MAYBE THEIR PICNIC OR REUNION UNDER IT.
I SEE OPTION TWO BEING, UM, MORE USED OPPOSED TO OPTION ONE WOULD BE MY, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE OPTION TWO.
I HAVE A VERY PROFOUND THOUGHT.
DAN, FRED, MY THOUGHT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PROFOUND THAN DANS
I LIKE THIS WHETHER YOU HAVE THE UM, OPTION TWO.
UM, SOME OF THE FACADE OF OPTION ONE I WOULD LIKE.
I AGREE LIKE THE RED TO MATCH THE BARN AND THE COPPOLA BEING A LITTLE DIFFERENT LIKE THAT BUT OPEN.
I THINK OPTION TWO LOOKS A LITTLE MOUNTAINY.
UM, AND SO WHETHER IT'S BRICK ON INSTEAD OF THAT LOOKS LIKE STONE, MAYBE BRICK INSTEAD OF THAT AND I THINK THE RED, BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT, THEY MIGHT HAVE, I ASKED THEM ABOUT THAT AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT MIGHT BE TABBY AND TELL 'EM THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T LIVE HERE.
I THINK OPTION ONE THOUGH GIVES THAT MATCH TO, UM, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON AND COUNCILMAN BIRD'S POINT.
IT GIVES THE RUSTIC FEEL OF A BARN AND DEFINITELY MAKES IT MORE COHESIVE IN TERMS OF AESTHETICS THAN OPTION TWO DOESN'T MESH WELL.
[00:30:01]
LOOKS OF BOX OPTION TOO AS WELL, BUT I WISH WE COULD HAVE SOME STORAGE IN OPTION TWO HAVE THE SAME LOOK BECAUSE STORAGE FOR TABLES AND CHAIRS ARE SOMETHING THAT EVERY EVENT NEEDS ARE PRETTY MUCH.IS THERE STORAGE IN, YOU SEE THE PEOPLE SITTING THERE, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY STORAGE ON THE PROPERTY, THERE'S NO OTHER STORAGE ON THE PROPERTY.
WELL, I GUESS WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO, UM, AND WOULD THIS BE ASSESSABLE BY A, YOU KNOW, LIKE A TRUCK DELIVERING TABLES AND CHAIRS? YEAH, WE, WE'VE SET IT UP SO THAT THE, BASICALLY THE FOOD TRUCK DROP OFF ALSO HAS REMOVABLE BALLARDS THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW THAT OUT TO THE, TO THE EVENT LAWN AREA, RIGHT? SO YES, THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF WORK, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO HAUL TABLES AND CHAIRS THAT UM, THAT WOULDN'T BE, TO YOUR POINT, UM, MAYOR TOMER, THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY FROM THE UTILIZATION OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, OUTSIDE OF RCC WHERE WE DO HAVE TABLES AND CHAIRS PROVIDED OUR OTHER PAVILIONS, UM, FOLKS CONTRACT THEIR OWN VENDORS TO COME AND DELIVER AND PICK UP AND DROP OFF AND SET UP THOSE TABLES AND CHAIRS.
SO THAT'S WHY STORAGE, I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE THAT STORAGE WOULD BE A BEST USE OF, OF AN ADDITION TO TAKE AWAY SPACE FROM A PAVILION AS WE WOULDN'T BE THE ONES WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO THEY'D BE LOOKING FOR FOR AN OUTSIDE, UM, SPACE LIKE THIS.
AND WE, WE HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION TO GO ALONG WITH THAT WHEN WE WERE KIND OF TALKING INTERNALLY ABOUT THE MUSIC AS WELL BECAUSE PART OF THE OTHER ONE WITH THE STORAGE WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME SOUND COMPONENTS IN THERE.
BUT IF A BAND'S GONNA COME, THEY USUALLY BRING THEIR OWN SPEAKERS, THEIR OWN MIXERS, THEIR OWN, ESPECIALLY LIKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OR A BIG CONCERT THEY'RE GONNA WANT, IF WE BUILD IT TO MEET WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS, THEN IT'S GONNA BE WAY OVERBUILT FOR 90%.
SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK WITHOUT THE STORAGE, IT FALLS ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING IT TO SET IT UP THE WAY THEY WANT IT.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO SHOW BOTH OPTIONS.
BUT UM, WE'VE HAD THAT SAME CON CONVERSATION ABOUT MUSIC AS AS WELL.
OKAY, SO IT SEEMS THE CONSENSUS IS OPTION TWO WITH FEATURES OF OPTION ONE.
KIND OF WORKED IN WITH THE RED BARN LOOK.
BRING YOU OWN TABLES, EXCUSE ME.
BRING YOUR OWN CHAIRS, BRING YOUR OWN TABLES,
[2. New Riverside Barn Park Facility Rental and Operating Policies and Procedures. Lyndee Simoneaux, Special Events and Welcome Center Manager]
UP NEXT WE'VE GOT TWO NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PARK FACILITY RENTAL AND OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURE MS. LINDY SEMINAR.GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M WENDY SEMINO, I'M THE SPECIAL EVENT MANAGER AND THE WELCOME CENTER MANAGER WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO GET YOUR DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OPERATIONS IN THE RIVERSIDE BAR AND PARK AS FAR AS FACILITY RENTALS AND FEES.
SO THE BARN PARK IS COMING QUICKLY AND IT'S NEARING COMPLETION.
SO WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE ARE EXCITED AND THEY ARE READY TO RENT THIS FACILITY, ALL PARTS OF IT.
SO I'M GONNA JUST MOVE FORWARD HERE, UM, AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE, THE PARK, WHICH YOU'VE ALREADY VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
BUT THE TOWN PURCHASED THIS FACILITY BACK IN 2018 AND THE 37 ACRE PARCEL HAS AN ICONIC BARN FEATURE.
IT'S SEEN FROM HIGHWAY 46 AND ONE 70 AND THE TOWN FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THIS VERY, UH, FAST GROWING SECTION OF BLUFF IN THEIR OWN PARK TO CREATE A COMMUNITY PARK WHERE ALL AGES COULD ENJOY.
OKAY, THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR OVERALL SITE PLAN HERE OF THE PARK AND I'M GONNA TRY TO FIND MY MOUTH LIKE PAT HAD.
OKAY, SO I'M JUST GONNA POINT OUT SOME FEATURES HERE.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A WALKING TRAIL HERE THAT'S ALREADY COMPLETED AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THE PERIMETER OF THE ACTUAL, LET'S SEE, WHERE ARE WE HERE? SORRY, THIS IS THE LARGE EVENT LAWN HERE.
AND THIS WALKING TRAIL FOLLOWS THE PERIMETER OF THIS.
AND IF YOU COME OVER HERE, THE LITTLE DOTTED LINES HERE ARE GONNA BE THE SECOND PHASE OF THE WALKING TRAIL.
THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA ADD AN EXTRA HALF A MILE LOOP THEN THAT IS STILL UNDER THE DESIGN PHASE.
AND UM, WE'LL GO INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026.
IS IT EXISTING WALKING TRAIL IT A HALF A MILE? IT IS A THIRD.
SO A THIRD OF A MILE AND THEN WE WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, HALF A MILE ONCE THAT COMES
[00:35:01]
INTO PLAY.AND THEN YOU HEARD PAT DISCUSSING THE FOOD TRUCK AREA HERE.
THIS FOOD TRUCK, UH, AREA IS ALSO GOING TO BE A DROP OFF AREA FOR THE PAVILIONS AND THE PLAYGROUND.
AND IT'S CURRENTLY STAGED FOR FIVE FOOD TRUCKS TO BE ABLE TO PULL IN THERE.
THEY HAVE FIVE PEDESTALS WITH 30 AMPS, SO THE FOOD TRUCKS WILL BE ABLE TO PLUG IN THERE EASILY AND WE WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GENERATORS AND THERE WILL BE BOLLARDS THERE TO, UH, MAKE A VERY DISTINCT, UM, DEFINING LINE BETWEEN WHERE THE P PEDESTRIANS WILL BE ABLE TO BE IN VEHICULAR AREA WITH THOSE BALLARDS.
THEY'RE ALSO RETRACTABLE, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT AREA AND HEAD RIGHT INTO THE LARGE EVENT SPACE IN CASE YOU HAVE A, A LARGE EVENT THAT FOOD TRUCKS WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS.
AND LET'S SEE HERE, WE'RE GONNA DO, WE HAVE THE PARKING, THE PARKING LOT HERE, WHICH HAS ABOUT 120 PARKING PLACES.
AND THEN OVER HERE WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED PARKING SPACES HERE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF OVERFLOW PARKING HERE, JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, BEHIND THE, THE BARN PARK AREA FOR ADDITIONAL BIGGER FACILITY, UH, FACILITY RENTALS OR BIGGER EVENTS.
THIS IS JUST YOUR, UH, OVERALL VIEW OF THE SITE OF THE BARN.
AND THIS IS JUST GONNA SHOW YOU THE BARN HAS GOT A NICE DROP OFF PAD HERE TO BE ABLE TO ENTER.
THERE'S A NICE ENCLOSED COURTYARD HERE.
THIS IS A REALLY NICE UP TO DATE CATERING KITCHEN.
I WAS JUST OUT TO THERE TODAY AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS FACILITY.
AND THEN RIGHT THROUGH HERE IS THE LITTLE WALKWAY WITH A LITTLE, UH, FIRE PIT AND AN OYSTER PIT AREA.
AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE BRIDGEWAY HERE THAT YOU CAN CROSS OVER AND GET TO THE WALKING TRAIL.
SO BEFORE I JUMP IN AND ASK YOUR INPUT ON HOW YOU WANT TO SEE THIS AREA MANAGED ON A DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION, I'VE JUST PUT THIS SLIDE UP HERE JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT THE ACTUAL PARK HAS RIGHT NOW.
IT'S COMING ALONG REALLY, REALLY WELL AND IT'S GONNA BE QUITE A STATE OF THE ART PLAYGROUND.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE AROUND HERE.
SO PEOPLE WILL BE COMING FROM ALL AREAS OF BLUFFTON TO ENJOY THIS.
JUST A SAMPLE OF ONE OF THE PAVILIONS HERE.
AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO, LET'S SEE, I'VE ALREADY GONE OVER THE PARKING AND THEN THE, THIS IS JUST A PICTURE OF THE BARN AND THE BARN IS COM UH, ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF DECEMBER, 2025.
THIS AREA WILL ACTUALLY BE ROPED OFF SO THE PUBLIC CAN NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT WHILE IT'S BEING COMPLETED IN CONSTRUCTION.
THIS IS GONNA HAVE A 2,700 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, WHICH WE WILL FORESEE BANQUETS, WEDDINGS AND ALL OTHER TYPES OF MEETINGS.
AND RIGHT NOW THE APPROXIMATE, UH, CAPACITY IS FOR 170 PEOPLE AND THE BARN WILL HAVE CATERING, KITCHEN, OUTDOOR PORCH, COURTYARD, OYSTER COOKING AREA AND BATHROOMS. AND THE INSIDE OF THE BARN IS GONNA HAVE A COTTAGE STYLE FEEL.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TONGUE AND GROOVE, WHITEWASH, VAULTED CEILINGS, EXPOSED WOODEN BEAMS, CHANDELIERS, AND THE WALLS WILL BE SHIPLAP AND IT'LL HAVE LUXURY VINYL PLANT FLOORING.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE SO FAR.
AND SO I'M REALLY HERE TONIGHT TO SEE WHAT YOUR INPUT AND YOUR GUIDANCE ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BARN AND THE OTHER FACILITIES OUT THERE RUN AS FAR AS RESERVATIONS, MANAGEMENT RENTALS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
IF YOU FORESEE THIS BEING MANAGED BY TOWN STAFF OR IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS OUTSOURCED TO A THIRD PARTY.
SO, UM, I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR DISCUSS THIS.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE THE TWO OPTIONS IF WE DO MANAGE IT IN-HOUSE WITH STAFF, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE HAVING TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE FULL-TIME PERSON AND PROBABLY TWO PART-TIME PEOPLE OUT THERE.
AND IF IT'S MANAGED BY AN OUTSOURCED UM, COMPANY, THEN WE WOULD JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER, UM, OVERSIGHT ON ACTUALLY THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OVER THERE.
AND THEN THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE FACILITIES.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT IS TO KIND OF PICK YOUR BRAIN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU SEE MOVING FORWARD WITH HOW YOU WANT THIS TO BE HANDLED.
PARDON COMMENTS? UM, SHOULD I JUST GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND GO OKAY.
YEAH, JUST WE'RE JUST, UM, IT'S JUST CONVERSATION.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S VERY EXCITING.
IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AND IT REALLY SEEMS, YOU KNOW, THE CLOSER WE GET TO OPENING, UM,
[00:40:01]
IT'S REALLY NICE.UM, SO I THINK IT'S, I AGREE THAT IT'S GONNA BE HEAVILY, I MEAN, RENTED ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS.
UM, MY INITIAL THOUGHT IS FOR THE RENTALS, RESERVATIONS AND MANAGEMENT TO BE, UM, OVERSEEN BY THE TOWN JUST SO WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER IT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE MY OPINION, UM, ON THAT.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO RESERVE WITH A FEE AND I WOULD SAY YES.
I THINK A FEE FOR, UM, THE BARN, THE EVENT LAWN OF WHICH I WOULD THINK THAT IF WE DO THIS PAVILION, IF SOMEONE'S RENTING THE BARN, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPTION TO RENT BOOKS EXACTLY.
JUST SO IT'S NOT TWO DIFFERENT WEDDINGS GOING ON MM-HMM.
SO I WOULD SAY YES TO UM, RESERVING WITH THE FEE, ALL OF THOSE.
UM, NOW LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WITH THE FOOD TRUCKS, CAN THEY GO OUT THERE? I MEAN, CAN YOU RENT A FOOD TRUCK SPOT ANYTIME YOU WANTED TO? SO THAT WOULD HAVE, THE WAY IT IS NOW, THE FOOD TRUCKS HAVE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.
SO, SO THEY CAN'T JUST SHOW A SHOW UP FRIDAY NIGHT, THEY CAN'T JUST SHOW UP, I MEAN PAY THEIR FEE, RESERVE IT, BUT GO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SAY, UM, LIKE THE FARMER'S MARKET OR THE ART AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, IT HAS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ACTUAL EVENT PERMIT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP AND, AND SELL FOOD.
UM, DO YOU WANT THE EVENT LAWN AND FESTIVAL LAWN TO BE AVAILABLE RENTED PRIOR TO THE BARN OPENING? I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
GO AHEAD AND LET, UM, THE RESIDENTS START USING IT.
REDUCED FEES FOR NON-PROFIT? UM, I WOULD SAY YES TO THAT AS WELL.
PROVIDING TABLE SHARES, I WOULD SAY NO THAT FOR RENTING THEM, UM, THEMSELVES.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD ALLOW ALCOHOL ON THIS PARK.
I KNOW SOME OF THE PARKS CAN AND CAN'T, BUT WE RIGHT.
SO, UM, ANY SPECIFIC RULES TO THIS PARK? UM, I GUESS THAT WAS MY MAIN QUESTION.
AND THEN AT 10 O'CLOCK IS WHEN IT, THE EVENTS WOULD HAVE TO END, IS THAT RIGHT? WELL THAT CURRENTLY IF IT'S IN THE, IF IT STAYS THE SAME AS THE SPECIAL EVENT ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO CHANGE IT TO EITHER BEING OPEN LATER OR IF YOU HAD A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, IF YOU'RE GONNA RENT THE BARN, YOU HAVE TO RENT IT FOR THREE DAYS OR, OR WHAT WHATEVER YOU SEE FIT IS IT CAN BE, IT COULD BE CHANGED OR IT COULD STAY THE SAME.
I GUESS OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, ARE WE GONNA GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT TONIGHT THOUGH? LIKE WHAT TIME FOR IT TO CLOSE AND HOW MANY HOURS? UM, WE, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT LATER.
JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON TOWN STAFF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE OPERATION PLAN OR HAVING IT OUTSOURCED.
I DID WANT TO GET YOUR OPINION RIGHT NOW THE PAVILIONS AT THE OSCAR FRAZIER PARK AND THE BOSE PARK ARE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE AND WE'LL HAVE THE TWO PAVILIONS OUT THERE BY THE PLAYGROUND AND THE RESTAURANT RESTROOMS. DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON WHETHER THOSE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE OR DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BE RESERVABLE BUT WITH NO FEE OR RESERVABLE AND FOLLOW THE FEE, YOUR RENTAL PROCESS? I MEAN, I THINK IT'D BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO RESERVE IT WITH A FEE FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK IT'S, UM, IF YOU PLAY IT BY EAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE A BIRTHDAY PARTY, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE ONES DOWNTOWN GET USED FOR A LOT.
FREQUENTLY IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD.
UM, SO RESERVED WITH A FEE WOULD BE
MR. HAMILTON? I, I LOVE TO SEE STAFF, HOWEVER, HOWEVER WE HAVE TO ARRANGE, UH, UH, EMPLOY, UM, I LIKE TO SEE STAFF CONTROLS IT.
UM, I THINK WE, UM, HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH STAFF THUS FAR.
I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE SHOULD DEVIATE FROM WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO WELL.
UM, THE LAST QUESTION YOU JUST ASKED, UM, MS. BURDEN WAS SHOULD WE LEAVE, UM, PAVILIONS TO FIRST COME FIRST SERVE WITH, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD AND I ALSO THINK THAT IF SOMEONE WANT TO BE PRESERVE IT, THEN WE, UM, WE CAN HAVE A, A FEE FOR SOMEONE BECAUSE MOST, MOST OF WHAT I SEE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A, UM, A PARTY OF LESS THAN 25, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESERVE IT.
SO, BUT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HAVE A LARGER EVENT, THEN WE CAN UM, SAY THAT THIS, THIS PART OF THE PARK IS ALREADY, UH, RENTED AND PUT SIGNS UP THAT SAYS THAT IT'S,
[00:45:01]
UM, IT'S RENTED FOR TODAY.AND SO YOU, SO NO ONE CAN'T JUST SHOW UP AND USE IT.
UM, AND, AND YES TO EVERYTHING THAT EMILY SAID SO FAR.
SO, AND, AND I'M JUST GOING OFF THE SIZE WITH WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO HAVE THESE TOGETHER AS WE TALKED ABOUT ANOTHER PAVILION THAT WOULD BE BIGGER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
SO WOULD A FEE, WOULD IT BE REASONABLE TO SAY LIKE MAYBE THE SMALLER ONES BY THE PLAYGROUNDS WOULD BE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE THEN IF SOMEBODY HAS A BIGGER EVENT LIKE MORE THAN 25, THEN THEY WOULD NEED TO RENT THE OTHER ONE LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT FOR A BIGGER EVENT KIND OF VENUE? I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S MANAGEABLE THE WAY YOU JUST EXPLAINED IT, THAT THAT, UM, WE WOULDN'T WANT THE BIGGER VENUE TO BE A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT WOULD ALWAYS BE MORE THAN TWO FIVE.
AND, AND, AND SO REALLY IF THE OTHER ONES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, IF IT'S GONNA BE A BIGGER ONE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED TO BE EITHER BOTH OR MOVING TO A BIGGER ONE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE, MAKE NOTES BEFORE I GO INTO THE REST OF COUNCIL.
I'M JUST GONNA THROW SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN HERE.
WHAT I HAVE SEEN THAT HAPPENS, LIKE, AND I GO TO A LOT OF BIRTHDAY PARTIES,
OKAY, MEET US AT SHRIMP BOAT PARK PARTY STARTS AT TWO O'CLOCK AND YOU GET THERE AND THERE'S SOMEBODY ALREADY THERE AND YOU GOT 40 KIDS COMING TO YOU, YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY IN NO FACILITY.
THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD OBSERVE IT.
YOU SAYING FIRST COME FIRST CERTAIN NO.
I SAID IF SOMEONE RESERVE IT, THEN WE PUT A NOTICE UP THAT IS PRESERVED IS RESERVED FOR THIS DAY ON THIS AND THIS TIME.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE A PLACARD OR SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME AND CHECK.
AND, UM, MR. WOOD, I, UM, HOW'S THE ROTARY BUILDING MANAGED? SO THAT IS OKAY.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WHO MANAGES TOWN STAFF? SO YES, YES, YES.
SO WE'RE NOT USING A THIRD NOT FOR ANY TOWN FACILITIES CURRENTLY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS PART WILL BE IMMENSELY USED.
AND SO I THINK IT'S GOOD IN THE BEGINNING TO START OUT WITH STAFF
AND THEN AGAIN, IF IT GETS TO BE MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE DOWN THE ROAD, THEN YOU JUST HAVE TO COME BACK AND LET US KNOW.
YOU'LL LEARN A LOT THE FIRST YEAR.
THE, UH, REGARDING THE PAVILIONS, I'M, I LIKE THE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE CONCEPT.
I SEE IT ALL THE TIME ACROSS THE STREET.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PAVILIONS TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY AND WE NEVER WILL.
I'VE SEEN THREE TO FOUR BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, LAST WEEKEND AND THE WEEKEND BEFORE, THERE WERE THREE BIRTHDAY PARTIES SIMULTANEOUSLY AT DUBBOS PARK.
THEY, THEY GO TO ONE SIDE OF THE PARK AND THEY HAVE THEIR BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD, THE SECOND PAVILION, I CAN SEE THAT ONE BEING DIFFERENT.
SO WHAT I'M REALLY SAYING IS I WOULD THINK THE PAVILION NEAR WHERE THE KIDS AND THE FAMILIES ARE AT FIRST COME FIRST SERVE FOR ME.
THE OTHER PAVILION, I CAN SEE WHERE THAT COULD BE USED MORE FOR EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT EVEN STILL A, A FAMILY DOING A BIRTHDAY PARTY COULD RESERVE IT IF THEY WANTED TO.
UM, THE OTHER PART, I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE EVENT, UH, AND FESTIVAL LAWNS BEING RENTABLE.
I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR, I KNOW AT UH, WRIGHT FAMILY PARK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME WAS THAT WE REALIZED IT'S A PUBLIC PART AND NOT TO CLOSE DOWN THE PUBLIC PART FOR PEOPLE COMING IN AND PAYING MONEY TO TAKE IT OVER LIKE WE WERE ABLE TO DO AT A, A OYSTER FACTORY PARK.
IT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL, IT'S SEGREGATED, IT'S, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
SO I HAVE A LITTLE, I DON'T KNOW, I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ON THOSE, THAT TOPIC AS TO THE BARN.
UM, I THINK THE BARN HAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OVERUSE IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL.
UM, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REAL PARTICULAR ON HOW WE LET THE BARN BE RENTED.
UH, I CAN SEE WEDDINGS THERE, I CAN SEE SOME VENUES THERE, MAYBE EVEN A SMALL FAMILY REUNION.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT IS, AND MAYBE I'M WRONG WHEN I SAY THIS, UM, BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME OF OUR PARKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE BELIEVE IN PUBLIC USE AND WE'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN NONPROFITS HAVING ACCESS TO OUR, OUR FACILITIES.
BUT SOME PEOPLE USE THEIR BUSINESS MODELS TO DOMINATE OUR
[00:50:01]
PARKS.AND SO THAT IS ONE THING I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HERE.
UM, AND I THINK AT SOME POINT WE GOTTA GET A GRASP ON THAT.
UM, IT'S GETTING AWAY FROM THE MISSION OF WHAT THE PARKS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT.
UH, I THINK WE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL ON THAT BARN AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE MANAGE IT, BUT ALSO DON'T LET IT BECOME OVERUSED.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE, UM, THE FIRST QUESTION, I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF UM, KEEPING THE GOVERNANCE AND OPERATION OF THE BARN AND THE FACILITIES THERE WITHIN, UH, THE TOWN'S PURVIEW.
UM, HOWEVER, I DO FORESEE ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE EXPANDING THE PARKS THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, IN THE TOWN AND WE ARE EXPANDING THOSE ASSETS THAT DO REQUIRE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE AT SOME POINT, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A NEED FOR IT TO HAVE ITS OWN DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT AND UM, AND NOT OPERATE IN A SENSE AS IT IS NOW BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT.
UM, PLANNING ONE EVENT IS A LOT AND TO ADD A YEAR OF PRIVATE EVENTS AND TOWN SPONSORED EVENTS, UM, IT'S EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY, UM, DAUNTING.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY, THAT'S MY THOUGHT ON THAT.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IN TERMS OF KEEPING IT UNDER TOWN, UM, GOVERNANCE IS JUST THAT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT COME TO PLAY.
UM, WHEN I SAW A QUESTION HERE ABOUT, UM, THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATIONS OF THE FACILITY AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WELL IF MAINTENANCE NEEDS COMES UP, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO DO THEY REPORT TO FOR THAT AND ARE THEY BEING ACCURATE IN TERMS OF KEEPING US, YOU KNOW, UPDATED ON WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON THERE? WHAT IS ISSUES, UM, ARE BEING HOUSED THERE.
UM, BECAUSE WHATEVER HAPPENS AT THAT SPACE BECOMES A REFLECTION STILL IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND NOT THE PERSON WHO WE MIGHT BE CONTRACTING OUT.
AND I COULD EASILY SEE IT BECOMING A, WELL I'M JUST DOING MY JOB THING.
THAT'S A TOWN OF BLUFFTON ISSUE.
SO, UM, WE CAN KIND OF PREVENT THAT BY KEEPING IT UNDER, UM, UNDER OUR UM, CONTROL ALSO.
UM, JUST LOOKING AT ALSO LIKE IF THERE BECOMES, YOU KNOW, AN ISSUE.
I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RESIDENTS HAVE ENJOYED IS BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S AN EMERGENCY CONTACT AND IT'S NOT JUST A NUMBER THAT GOES, YOU KNOW, TO LIKE A, A DEAD HOLE SOMEWHERE.
THEY GET SOMEONE EITHER YOU OR SOMEONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS IS ABLE TO COME OUT AND ADDRESS IT.
SO, UM, THAT FOR ME WOULD BECOME A CONCERN IN CONTRACTING IT OUT IS WILL WE STILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE AT AN EVENT AND IF YOU GET THERE AND LIKE THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY AND THAT THIRD PARTY PERSON'S LIKE, I'M NINE TO FIVE, I'M NOT ANSWERING AFTER HOURS, YOU KNOW, THEN I JUST THINK OF LIKE ALL THOSE ISSUES THAT COME UP AND WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OUTSIDE OF SAYING, WELL YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COMPANY AND YOU'D HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEM FOR THAT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO QUESTION TWO, I THINK ALL THE SPACES SHOULD BE, UM, RESERVED WITH THE FEE EXCEPT FOR THE, UM, PAVILIONS ONLY IN A SENSE OF WHATEVER WE DO NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
AND SO TO HAVE USE AT OUR OTHER PARKS WHERE WE DO HAVE A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT OR GO BACK AND REVISIT THEN IF WE ARE GONNA CHARGE SOMETHING.
JUST TO, TO SAY THAT LIKE WE UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DISCRIMINATING IN TERMS OF ONE PARK FROM THE OTHER.
UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LARGER ONE THAT UM, PAT PRESENTED WE GAVE QUESTIONS ON.
I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE SMALLER ONES WE SEE PEOPLE USE FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
AND SO I THINK UM, IF IT'S BEING USED FOR THAT PURPOSE OF COURSE, BUT IF IT'S SOMEONE JUST COMING UP AND SITTING UNDER IT, YOU KNOW, THAT DYING OR HAVE A PICNIC WITH THEIR FAMILY SHOULDN'T BE A CHARGE.
UM, BUT IF IT'S AN EVENT IT DEFINITELY SHOULD BE.
RARO, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION WITH THE NUMBER OF SPACES.
UM, MY UH, FEW QUESTIONS ON THAT IS, I KNOW THERE'S ELECTRICITY SET, IS THERE ALSO WATER ACCESS ALONG THAT AREA? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
PAT, DO YOU KNOW IF WE HAVE WATER THERE?
SO FOR VENUE SPACES SIZE, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING, UM, TO CONSIDER, UM,
[00:55:01]
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO.UM, AND WITH THE FOOD TRUCKS, I THINK TO BE ABLE TO LIKE MAKE SURE THAT ONE PERSON DOESN'T DOMINATE OR HAVE A A MONOPOLY, UM, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD NECESSARILY BE LIKE A DAILY FEE TO BE THERE.
I THINK THEY DEFINITELY SHOULD BE A LICENSED, YOU KNOW, TRUCK WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFF AND HAVE THEIR PERMITS, BUT THEY SHOULD BE GOING THROUGH, UM, WHOEVER IS MAINTAINING THAT SCHEDULE, UM, IN TERMS OF HAVING THE PERMISSION TO BE THERE AND SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF TIME WHO'S COMING AND IT'S NOT JUST LIKE A FREE FOR ALL RIGHT TYPE THING AND WE'RE ABLE TO ROTATE THAT.
AND FOR THE LAST YOU MEAN YOU HAVE MORE, I MEAN THIS CONSIDER THIS LIKE, LIKE DAN LOOKING AT A REPORT ABOUT LIKE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES,
SO LIKE IF, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION AROUND THAT AREA IS LIKE FREE AND CLEAR AND IT'S GOOD TO DO IT.
UM, 'CAUSE AS YOU POINTED, PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY DYING TO GET IN THERE.
UM, FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT IT, UM, IN A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S A MEETING SPACE THAT NONPROFITS HAVE FOR OUR EXISTING, YOU KNOW, THINGS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, IF IT'S AN EVENT OF A LARGE SCALE, I THINK LIKE TCL AND SUN CITY HAVE GREAT MODELS WHERE YOU'RE NOT GETTING LIKE A 70% REDUCTION TO USE IT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A A 10%, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, I THINK THE AMENITIES IN THIS SPACE ARE JUST SO MUCH LARGER THAN OTHERS.
YOU CAN'T LOOK AT IT WITH THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL THERE.
SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF THE MAINTENANCE AND NEEDS FOR THAT SPACE.
UM, YES TO TABLES AND CHAIRS, I THINK TO HAVE FOR THAT PARTICULAR BARN VENUE SPACE, IT'S GONNA BE RENTED.
UM, I THINK THAT BECOMES A JUSTIFICATION IN WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE CHARGING IN TERMS OF FEES KNOWING THAT, UM, THAT IS PROVIDED AND IF WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THE FULL TABLES AND CHAIRS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT OCCUPANCY OF ONE 70, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE HALF ONLY BECAUSE WE AT TIMES USE IT FOR TOWN STEPS.
SO WHO'S TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT HOSTED FOR STRATEGIC, YOU KNOW, WORKSHOP OR SOME TYPE OF, OR OUR THANKSGIVING, YOU KNOW, EVENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE TABLES AND CHAIRS, UM, I THINK WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, AND THE ONLY, UH, RULE I THINK, UM, WELL I DIDN'T HAVE A RULE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED TO END THAT PARK AND THAT'S IT FOR ME.
COULD YOU GO BACK TO ONE FOR ME? THERE YOU GO.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE ON, WHEN WE GET INTO THE RENTAL OF THE BARN, WE NEED SOME COMPS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IT COST IN BUFORD, WHAT'S IT COST ON HILTON HILL SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS TO HELP US.
I DON'T MIND BEING A LITTLE CHEAPER, BUT WE CAN'T BE TOO CHEAPER.
WE'RE GONNA ALLOW IT TO BECOME COMMERCIALIZED AND IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE TO USE.
SO, UM, THE, I DEFINITELY WANT IT UNDER THE CONTROL OF TOWN STAFF IF WE NEED MORE PEOPLE.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIND MORE PEOPLE AND MORE MONEY TO PAY 'EM IN MY OPINION.
UM, THE RESERVATION, UM, I I DON'T KNOW HOW LINDY, YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DEAL WITH NOW AND I KNOW LIKE BRIDGET SAID IT, I KNOW WE'RE IN THE SIMILAR BUSINESSES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PARTS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST GO ON A, ON A CERTAIN, ON OUR WEBSITE AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE LIKE WE DO NOW.
SO I GET BOTH, I GET A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, A LOT OF EMAILS, JUST ASKING IF THE VENUE IS AVAILABLE ON A CERTAIN DATE.
AND THEN I GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT JUST GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE AND READ THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
AND ON THE CALENDAR WE HAVE LIVE UP TO DATE CALENDAR, WE'LL PUT A REQUEST IN AND THEN I GET A NOTIFICATION.
SO I'LL GO AND RESPOND TO THAT WITH AN EMAIL AND SEND THEM THE FACILITY RENTAL PAPERWORK.
UM, SO WHEN YOU RENT A PLACE, JUST SAY THE OYSTER FACTORY PARK OR WHATEVER TO WHOEVER US OR WHOEVER.
[01:00:01]
SO IF SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MEETING OR A, OR A BIRTHDAY PARTY OR WHATEVER, AND THEY GO IN AT NINE OR 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE THERE, AND THEN THERE'S A SCHEDULED EVENT WHERE SOMEONE'S ALREADY RENTED THE PARK.DO YOU SEE THAT OFTEN? UM, NO.
I HAVE SEEN IT BUT I'M NOT, I DON'T REALLY, SO I WOULD SAY THE ONLY TIME I'VE SEEN THAT MAYBE IF SOMEBODY GOES TO THE OYSTER FACTORY PARK PAVILION, RIGHT.
AND THEY HAVE HEARD THAT THE PAVILIONS ARE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, RIGHT.
AND THAT PAVILION WHOLE SIDE AREA IS ALREADY RENTED.
BUT USUALLY THE PERSON THAT'S RENTING IT JUST SAYS SIMPLY, HEY, WE'VE RENTED THIS FOR A WEDDING AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, AND THE PERSON GETS UP AND MOVES AND GOES TO THE OTHER PAVILION.
SO I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
I WOULD JUST IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THAT COULD BE BLACK OR, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD, THAT COULD, BUT, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO HOW YOU YEAH, I HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
I'M GOOD WITH THE, THE LAWN FOR AN EVENT.
I THINK IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA DAMAGE ANYTHING.
UM, BEFORE I FORGET THOUGH, WE DEFINITELY NEED WATER.
AS BRIDGET WAS SAYING, UM, I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA BE RUNNING LANDS, UM, IRRIGATION, BUT NEED WATER JUST TO BE ABLE TO WASH THINGS DOWN.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GONNA, KIDS ARE GONNA TURN OVER FRENCH FRIES AND CATCH UP.
THEY'RE GONNA BE ON THE, ON THE WALKWAY.
UM, AND I, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE UNDER THOSE SMALLER PAVILIONS, I, WE NEED PICNIC TABLES OR SOMETHING.
'CAUSE A MOM THAT'S GONNA BE PUTTING ON A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR 10 OR 12 KIDS PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE A PICKUP TRUCK AND MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH HELP.
AND PICNIC TABLES LIKE WE HAVE IN OUR, YOU KNOW, AT DU BOIS PARK AND OYSTER FACTORY PARK, SOME SHOULD BE THERE.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE PLAN FOR THOSE.
THE ONLY ONE WITH THE NEW ONE WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT NOT PROVIDING THE TABLES AND CHAIRS.
AND BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD KIND OF WITH COUNCIL UP HERE TONIGHT IS THE ONES BY THE PLAYGROUND WOULD HAVE THE, JUST BE LIKE ALL THE OTHER ONES.
AND THEN THE BIGGER ONE WOULD BE A, A FOUR RENT SPACE THAT SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO PLAN AN EVENT FOR.
SO I THINK WE, I THINK EVERYBODY SEEMED CONSENSUS ON THAT.
AND THOSE, THOSE PAVILIONS PAT AS WELL, THEY NEED WATER.
YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A HOSE BILL THAT SOMEBODY CAN, WE CAN KEEP IT LOCKED OR, OR WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO.
I DON'T, I DON'T GUESS WE'RE, WE ARE GETTING INTO HOW MUCH MONEY FOR ANY OF THAT TONIGHT, RIGHT? NO, THE, SO FOR TONIGHT, WHAT, UM, WE REALLY WANTED AND, AND WHAT LINDY WAS TRYING TO GET TO, IS JUST KIND OF SOME OF THE OVERLAPPING THEMES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN SOME OF THE OTHER PARKS, HOW WE WANT TO TREAT THIS ONE, MAYBE COMPARED TO HOW WE TREAT ROTARY CENTER COMPARED TO OYSTER FACTORY.
SO WE CAN THEN GO AND START PUTTING THE RULES TOGETHER, THE RENTAL RATES.
'CAUSE ALL THAT WILL BE APPROVED, THE RENTAL RATES WILL BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND WE NEED TO GET THE OPERATING PROCEDURES AND POLICIES PUT IN PLACE TO BRING BACK TO Y'ALL.
AND WE'LL GET INTO THOSE DETAILS THEN, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE HOURS, THE RENTALS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
JUST BECAUSE, UM, WE'LL WANT TO HAVE THOSE IN PLACE SO WE CAN START ADVERTISING IT OUT FOR RENT AND HAVE THE EVERYTHING READY FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN AND BE WILLING TO AGREE TO.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TO HAVE EVERYTHING FINALIZED, WORKS AND READY TO BE IN PLACE SO WE CAN ADVERTISE IT FOR RENTAL.
SO THAT MEANS A COUPLE MONTHS TO BRING BACK SOME DRAFTS, ADOPT THE, THE FEE SCHEDULE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND BE READY, SAY LIKE JULY ONE TO START ADVERTISING IT FOR USE IN 26.
AND YOU'RE GONNA USE COMPS TO BRING, BRING US SOME COMPS SO THAT YES.
I JUST WANNA ADD ONE MORE, UM, THING WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, RENTAL SCHEDULE AND AS YOU'RE LIKE PUTTING SOME THINGS TOGETHER, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE PARK AND BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY, UM, SPACES THAT COULD BE RENTED, I THINK IT SHOULD BE, UM, A CONSIDERATION TO HAVE LIKE A, UM, A SEPARATE PRICING SCHEDULE COURSE FOR, FOR EACH OF THOSE.
UM, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT, WELL, IF SOMEONE DECIDED TO RENT ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, AT ONCE, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? RIGHT.
AND, AND IN OUR LINE OF THINKING, ALSO, WE HAVE TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THE REAL WORLD, YOU KNOW, THE PLACES THAT HAVE WEDDING VENUES, YOU KNOW, THAT DO THAT FOR A LIVING.
UM, SO WHILE WE WANT TO PROVIDE A SERVICE TO
[01:05:01]
OUR CITIZENS, WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO HURT OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE MAKING A LIVING.DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BY BEING TOO CHEAP, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNSEL? I THINK THAT'S ALL ON OUR AGENDA.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THANK YOU.
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 BEAUFORT 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 HA 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 SOUTH.
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 ENTRADA, 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 CANON AID, 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 SHOOT.
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 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.
[01:10:02]
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, BUT 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 THE 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 HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON, UH, HEAD BEFORE NOW.
IF I COMPARE 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 1860.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR AND 1890 IN 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 SO, 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, 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 ARE 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.
THE ADVANTAGE 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 PORT OIL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARAS 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 NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN 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
[01:15:01]
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, UM, 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 AN 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.
THEY IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL IN THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ON THE LIST.
BUT BEAUFORT 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.
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, UN ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD 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 GO 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 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.
[01:20:01]
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 FOR NANCE 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 NANCE 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 INDIGO 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 WHERE 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 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 A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION IN THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
[01:25:01]
THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT.AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, PENN 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 UP 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, THE 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 BEFORE 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 BEAUFORD COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORT.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
THE AVERAGE TEXT TAKES YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR NEARLY FIVE SECONDS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
THAT'S ENOUGH TIME TO TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.
STOP THE TEXTS, STOP THE WRECKS.