[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORD COUNTY.
IT'S, UM, FULL ON, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ONE MINUTE, UH, DELAY.
UM, BUT THAT WAS REALLY GETTING READY, UH, STAFF.
UM, ARE WE ON BROADCASTING? I THINK SO.
OH, WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
TO ORDER RIGHT NOW.I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UM, JASMINE SMALLS.
I'D LIKE FOR HER TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM HERE.
UM, WOULD YOU STAND WITH ME? JASMINE IS A JUNIOR AT BEAUFORT HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, AND, UM, SHE'S ACTUALLY, UM, LOOKING AT GOING TO LAW SCHOOL.
SHE'S GONNA LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TODAY, I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
BERG COMING FROM THAT, UM, THE PRESS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, UM, OF THIS TIME DATE OF THE MEETING, OF THIS, THIS MEETING, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, THEN WE ARE DOWN TO THE APPROVAL
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
OF THE AGENDA, AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - January 13, 2025]
MEETING, UM, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE ON THE 13TH OF JANUARY.I'LL MAKE THE MOTION, UH, MS. MCT MS. MOTION, AND I'LL SECOND THAT.
UH, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[6. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD]
COMMENT SECTION AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE A STATEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.UM, AND JUST BE NICE TO US AND WE'LL BE NICE TO YOU,
AND WHAT I HAVE HERE TODAY IS LISA LAMA, UM, LA MARCIA LAMAR.
AND SHE'S, UM, HERE TO TALK ON ITEM 12.
YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL WE'RE CLOSER TO THAT ITEM? IT'S OKAY.
UH, WE, MY HUSBAND AND I OWN PROPERTY IN CHERRY POINT, AND YOU'VE SEEN US HERE BEFORE, UH, REGARDING THE REZONING, THE, THE UPZONING OF 71 ACRES.
AND THAT HAS BECOME 121 ACRES, WHICH WAS A SURPRISE TO US AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH MR. SCHWARTZ, UH, WHICH I COMMEND HIM FOR REACHING OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, TRYING TO HAVE OUR INPUT INTO THIS PLAN.
AND THAT WAS GOING FAIRLY WELL UNTIL IT KIND OF MORPHED, UM, INTO 90 MORE RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND MORE COMMERCIAL.
AND, UM, THE ORIGINAL 258 APARTMENT PLAN CHANGED.
SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASKED ME TO RESCIND OUR SUPPORT, WHICH WE HAD SENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN I HAD TO GO AND RESCIND THAT.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT YES, THERE ARE A FEW PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE SCHOOL, UM, UH, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF INCREASING DENSITY TO WHERE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE INCREASED TO SUPPORT THE VILLAGE PARK OVERLAY.
[00:05:02]
THERE ARE NINE THINGS, UM, ITEMS IN, UH, SECTIONS 7.3 0.40 THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DECIDE ON TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.AND STAFF HAS DONE A BEAUTIFUL JOB OF EXPLAINING IT TO YOU.
UM, I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH MANY OF THE YES, UM, ANSWERS THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU.
AND I WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IT SAYS IT WOULD NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE LOTS OF WILDLIFE DISPLACED AND OR KILLED.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE WATER RUNOFF INTO THE RIVER.
I DON'T CARE WHAT THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT MANUAL SAYS THAT RIVER IS IN NEED OF HELP.
IT'S ALREADY SICK, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KILL IT SO NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO FISH OUT OF THE OKEE RIVER.
SO IF I HAD TO PICK ONE OF THESE ITEMS, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT.
WE'RE NOT FIXING SOUTH CAROLINA ONE 70.
LET'S TALK TO SOUTH CAROLINA, DOT ABOUT FIXING THEIR ROAD AND, UM, TELL THEM TO DO THAT.
AND THEN COME BACK AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AS PRETTY A DEVELOPMENT AS THIS MAY BE, IT'S THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.
AND I TOLD YOU THAT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.
UH, I COME HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION OF THE, THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, I'M SORRY.
UM, YOU WERE SPEAKING ON NUMBER 12 TOO.
UM, WE LOOK, WE, UH, JUST RECENTLY HAD A REFERENDUM THAT DID NOT PASS FOR THE, UH, TAX FOR THE ROADS.
AND MY BELIEF AND THE PEOPLE I'VE SPOKEN WITH, PART OF THAT IS, UH, SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
UH, PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S LIKE WE, UH, WE CREATED OUR PROBLEM AND THEN TRIED TO FIX IT LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD.
I BELIEVE THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL BE JUST MORE OF THAT.
THE, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT, UH, NOTED THE, UH, TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT'LL BE, UM, EXACERBATED ON ONE 70.
UM, IT'S, UH, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE ADDRESSED BY THE COUNTY IN, IN A TIMELY FASHION.
WE'RE LOOKING AT YEARS BEFORE ANY OF THAT FUNDING COMES THROUGH.
WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THE SCHOOL BEING PLACED AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY, UH, MOST PEOPLE ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT, UH, BASICALLY BECAUSE IT'S THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS THAT MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT COMING BACK THAT FAR AS WELL.
BUT WE ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THAT IS BEING DONE VIA A LAND SWAP BECAUSE THE SCHOOL ALREADY OWNED A PIECE OF PROPERTY UP BY THE CHERRY POINT SCHOOL THAT THEY PURCHASED WITH THIS SPECIFIC THING TO DO.
AND THEN THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND AND TRADED THAT OUT TO ALLOW MORE DEVELOPMENT THERE AND HAVE MOVED BACK HERE.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO IN SEVERAL YEARS IF THEY DECIDE THAT'S NOT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE ZONING THEN? AND WHEN THE SCHOOL SPOKE AT THEIR, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING, THEY SAID THAT 30 ACRES WAS THE BARE MINIMUM FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP, THERE IS WETLANDS RUNNING DEAD CENTER THROUGH THAT 30 ACRE PARCEL.
THERE'S A BIG DITCH, THERE'S A BIG WETLAND.
AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT, UH, IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT ANYTHING.
THAT DITCH IS GONNA HAVE TO GO AWAY,
I DON'T SEE HOW THEY'RE GONNA USE A BARE, BARE MINIMUM OF 30 ACRES WHEN IT'S BISECTED BY WETLANDS UNLESS THEY DO SOMETHING TO DESTROY THOSE WETLANDS.
UM, THEY'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT IN FRONT OF THE CHERRYPOINT ELEMENTARY FILLING IN WETLANDS, UM, AROUND WHERE THE BUSES ARE COMING IN.
IF YOU, IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION, THEY ASKED THEM ABOUT THAT, AND THEY ARE FILLING IN SOME OF THE WETLANDS UP THERE WHERE THE BUSES COME IN.
UM, I APOLOGIZE, BUT, UH, I'VE, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THERE'S THREE THINGS THAT ARE TRUE IN LIFE.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE TAXES.
YOU'RE ALWAYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH DEATH AND HEART RATE.
UM, CALMS GONNA GO DOWN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PREPARE SOMETHING.
SO I WASN'T ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING READY FOR THIS EVENING.
BUT THE, THE COMMUNITY HAS SPOKEN OUT, WE DON'T WANT THIS.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE FULL DEVELOPMENT FOR WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE BILLED OUT YET.
AND WE'RE SUFFERING MASSIVE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS BACK THERE IN THAT AREA.
SO THIS WILL JUST COMPOUND IT, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES
[00:10:01]
OVER.THAT'S AN OLD ONE N AT THE END.
UH, AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 12 TOO? YES, SIR.
UM, I HAVE BEEN AT THIS PODIUM SINCE 2006 ON THIS SUBJECT.
UM, ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN, THE WATER TESTING STATION UP NEAR 2 78 IS DOWN, IT IS ABOVE 15 PARTS PER MILLION.
IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
UH, OFIELD RECENTLY HAS GONE DOWN.
CHERRY POINT TEST STATION HAS NOT GONE DOWN YET.
IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN WATCHING IT.
YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN TAKING TESTS AND THERE'S, IT'S CONTINUOUS BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S ALSO BEING, OUR LITTLE CREEK IS BEING FLOODED BY RUNOFF FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT DITCH COMES UNDER THE ROAD, UH, GOES THROUGH THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND THEN DROPS DOWN BACK BEHIND US AS WHERE IT DRAINS INTO THE OKEE.
UM, WE'RE SEEING SEAL TISSUES IN OUR CREEK.
I MEAN, I'M IN THAT CREEK QUITE OFTEN.
I I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S THERE.
I THINK THE, THE WORST THING ABOUT ALL THIS IS, IS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN GUARANTEE ME THAT WHATEVER IS APPROVED IS WHAT'S GONNA BE APPROVED.
BECAUSE I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.
I'VE DONE THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THERE WAS A, EVERYTHING WAS SAID AND DONE IN 2008.
Y'ALL GOT $6,000 PER UNIT ON THAT, AND YOU'RE NOW GETTING A THOUSAND OR 1500 OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
AND THAT WAS THE BEST DEAL EVER.
AND IN 2013, IN A, IN A BACK ROOM SOMEWHERE, EVERYBODY'S VOTE THAT VOTED ON IT OUT HERE WAS WIPED OUT.
AND WE GOT 320 MORE HOMES ON CHERRY POINT ROAD BECAUSE OF THAT.
BECAUSE IT WAS THAT, THAT WAS A SENIOR ONLY AREA THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW ON CHERRY POINT ROAD, BECAUSE TO PROTECT US, 120 COLLEGES, A THREE STORY BUILDING, GOOD SIZE BUILDING, BUT A THREE STORY BUILDING.
AND IT GOT CHANGED TO 320 HOMES IN APARTMENTS ON 63 ACRES.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MUCH, A LITTLE BIT MUCH WHEN YOU'RE ONLY ZONE FOR ONE HOUSE FOR TWO AND A HALF ACRES.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS TO PROTECT US RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE ON CHERRY POINT ROAD IS ACCESS FOR SEVEN, APPROXIMATELY 700 HOMES TO COME DOWN CHERRY POINT ROAD.
AND IT IS THE SAFEST WAY FOR THEM TO LEAVE TO GO TO BUFORT BECAUSE, UH, HILTON HEAD, BECAUSE THERE'S NO LIGHT ON THE OTHER END.
SO NO MORE, I MEAN, THE, THE SCHOOL PROPERTY WITH THEIR APARTMENTS, IF THAT GETS PASSED THROUGH, THIS GETS PASSED THROUGH.
WHAT ABOUT MAITLAND? THAT THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX IS ONE.
THEY WANNA PUT ONE IN THERE TOO.
CAN YOU TELL THEM NO IF THIS ONE GOES THROUGH? THANK YOU'ALL.
AND OUR LAST, UM, SPEAKER IS DEREK, UM, EDER.
I LIVE AT, UH, 1 69 CHERRY POINT ROAD.
I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 12.
UM, TO SUM UP MY NEIGHBOR'S COMMENTS, I THINK IT, IT'S ALL ABOUT RESPONSIBLE GROWTH.
AND RIGHT NOW IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE GROWTH IS OUT OF CONTROL.
UM, THE, WE DO, WE DO NOT HAVE THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, AND WE CONTINUALLY ALLOW ADDITIONAL GROWTH, ADDITIONAL GROWTH, ADDITIONAL GROWTH.
WE'RE GONNA THEN LOOK BACK AND SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE FIX IT? AND THAT'S WHY, WHY ARE WE DOING THAT TO OURSELVES? WHY ARE WE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO ADD ADDITIONAL STRESSES ONTO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY LOGICAL SENSE.
AND SO, AS FELICE HAD MENTIONED, THE PLAN IS A GREAT PLAN.
UM, IT'S JUST AT THE WRONG PLACE AND IT'S DEFINITELY AT THE WRONG TIME, UM, UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE GETS, IT GETS FIXED.
I DON'T THINK ANY ADDITIONAL BUILDING OR, UM, DEVELOPMENT SHOULD HAPPEN.
UM, THERE'S NUMEROUS CITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, THAT HAVE DONE, UM, MORATORIUMS ON DEVELOPMENT UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAN CATCH UP.
AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
[00:15:01]
MY TWO SENSES DEFINITELY VOTE NO ON THIS.UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY VOTED NO, UM, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS DUE TO THE TRAFFIC AND THE ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, THAT IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTING OUR WATERS.
AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR, UH, MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCES IN THE AREA.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US AT THIS TIME BEFORE WE MOVE THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE THE AGENDA.
UM, WE'RE DOWN TO ITEMS NUMBER SEVEN,
[7. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT]
THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT.SO AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, I LIKE TO, UH, AS PART OF MY A CA REPORT, BRING DEPARTMENTS FORWARD SO THAT THEY CAN SHARE SOME OF WHAT THEY DO AND GET INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
AND TODAY I'VE ASKED, UM, OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, ROB, ROB MERCHANT, TO PUT TOGETHER A FLOW CHART AND TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF USES, UH, AND APPLICATIONS THAT WE GET IN OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, UH, HOW THEY FUNNEL THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT, HOW THEY TOUCH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND, UH, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WORKFLOW AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT HOW ALL OF THAT WORK, UH, HOW THAT WORKS.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL INTRODUCE ROB MERCHANT.
SO WE'RE
UM, WELL, UM, UH, CHUCK HAD ASKED ME TO PUT TOGETHER A, UM, PRESENTATION THAT WOULD HELP MAYBE KIND OF BUILD ON WHAT WE PRESENTED BACK IN, IN NOVEMBER.
AND THAT IS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND I GUESS A D DEGREE TO HOW THOSE INTERFACE WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WHO'S THE DECISION MAKER.
AND, UM, IF I COULD BRING UP, I HAVE A REAL QUICK PRESENTATION.
THIS IS A, A DIFFICULT THING TO SIMPLIFY, UM, BUT I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF LIKE CATEGORIZE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROCESSES REALLY BASED ON WHO REVIEWS IT AND, UM, THE, THE LEVEL OF, OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE A TABLE HERE GOING FROM, I WOULD SAY AT THE TOP YOU HAVE THINGS THAT ARE MORE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
THESE ARE, THIS COULD BE ANYTHING FROM A SIMPLE BUILDING PERMIT, I MEAN SOMEBODY BUILDING A SHED TO A MAJOR SUBDIVISION.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND HANDLED AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
THEN THERE ARE ISSUES THAT THE ZBOA LOOKS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ULTIMATELY COUNCIL, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, COULD YOU TELL THE PUBLIC PLEASE WHAT ZBOA STANDS? OH, I'M SORRY.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S REALLY AWKWARD AND AFTER A WHILE YOU'RE SAYING IT ALL THE TIME AND YOU, I KNOW
UM, SO THIS TOP TIER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATION PROCESSES, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE USE TABLE AS EITHER PERMITTED OR CONDITIONAL USE.
AND THE WAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REALLY THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS IS THAT THE COUNTY GOES THROUGH A VERY, UM, RIGOROUS PUBLIC PROCESS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND THEN COMING OUTTA THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE HAVE A ZONING ORDINANCE THAT IMPLEMENTS THAT WITH, UM, DESIGNATING WHICH LAND USES OCCUR WHERE.
AND ALL OF THIS COMES OUT OF A PUBLIC PROCESS.
WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION OF THAT ORDINANCE, THOSE THINGS ARE HANDED HANDLED AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
AND PART OF THIS IS THAT ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF A ZONING ORDINANCE IS THAT IT PROVIDES SOME PREDICTABILITY, UM, NOT ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING, THEY HAVE SOME PREDICTABILITY ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF USES THE DENSITY THEY CAN HAVE IN THEIR PROPERTY, BUT ALSO FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A NEIGHBOR OF THAT PROPERTY, THEY KNOW, WELL, IF THAT IS ZONED C3, THEN THAT MEANS THEY CAN HAVE UP TO THIS MANY DWELLING UNITS.
UM, AND SO ONCE THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN WE RECEIVE AN APPLICATION AT THE STAFF LEVEL, WE'RE MEASURING IT AGAINST MEASURABLE METRICS IN THE ORDINANCE.
IS THIS A PERMITTED USE? DOES IT MEET THE STANDARDS? AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE OR SOMETHING VERY COMPLEX, BUT THOSE THINGS, DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT WE DO, UM, WHEN MAJOR LAND DEVELOPMENTS,
[00:20:02]
UM, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE ISSUING DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, WE POST PROPERTY.SO THERE ISN'T A NOTIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, WHEN A PERMIT IS BEING ISSUED IN THAT AREA.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE, UM, PORTAL, SO FOR MAJOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, UM, AND, AND MULTIFAMILY, WE HAVE THAT, UM, PORTAL THAT YOU CAN GO TO ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE AND SEE WHAT PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPROVED, UH, WHERE THEY ARE ARE IN THE PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND EVEN DOWN TO DRAWINGS AND, AND, AND, UM, ELEVATIONS AND SITE PLANS.
SO THERE IS A, A PUBLIC INTERFACE, BUT THE ONE THING THAT PUBLIC DOESN'T REALLY PROVIDE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT REALLY AFFECTING THE OUTCOME.
BUT WHEN WE GO DOWN ON THIS LIST, THEN THAT'S WHERE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GETS MUCH MORE CRITICAL.
UM, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT, AND, AND I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT MODULATION WE DO HAVE WITHIN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE MEETING CERTAIN CRITERIA, AND THIS HAPPENS A LOT WITH RIVER BUFFER, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE EXISTING LOTS OF RECORDS THAT CAN'T MEET OUR 50 FOOT RIVER BUFFER.
WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE TO MEET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CRITERIA, AND THEY COULD BE GRANTED AT THE STAFF LEVEL OF MODULATION, BUT ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT HAS TO GO TO OUR ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR VARIANCE.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SOME OR NEXT YEAH, THIS, UM, SOME USES IN THE USE TABLE ARE LISTED WITH AN S FOR SPECIAL USE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THESE USES MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE IN SOME AREAS OF THAT DISTRICT OR ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
BUT THE, UM, ULTIMATE DECISION MAKER IN THIS CASE IS THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
SO IF THERE'S A, UM, ONE RECENT EXAMPLE, UH, CAMP JUBILEE ON LADIES ISLAND THAT CAME IN, THEY WANTED TO DO A, UH, LIKE A SUMMER CAMP.
AND THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT SPECIAL USES.
ONE HAD TO DO WITH THE ACCOMMODATIONS IN T TWO RURAL AND THE OTHER ONE HAD TO DO WITH A MEETING PLACE, WHICH WERE TWO OF THE COMPONENTS OF THAT USE.
AND SO IT WENT THROUGH A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS, UM, TWO DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, AND THEN THEY GRANTED A SPECIAL USE.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO THAT LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, TYPES OF USES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE EVERYWHERE OR MIGHT HAVE AN IMPACT ON TRAFFIC OR THE ENVIRONMENT, THEN THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS LOOKS AT CERTAIN CRITERIA AND, AND, AND GRANTS OR, UM, DENIES A PERMIT, THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY.
UM, THE VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THAT IS GOING TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
THAT IS WHEN SOMEBODY CAN'T QUITE MEET THE STANDARDS IN THE CODES BECAUSE OF, UM, THERE'S A, UM, MAYBE A PHYSICAL CONDITION ON THE PROPERTY THAT CR CREATES A HARDSHIP WHERE THEY CAN'T NECESSARILY MEET A SIDE YARD SETBACK OR SOME ONE OF THE MEASURABLE CRITERIA IN THE CODE.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION HERE THAT THE FIRST THING WITH THE VARIANCE, IT STILL NEEDS TO MEET THE USE.
SO YOU CAN'T ALLOW COMMERCIAL IN A, IN A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT USING A VARIANCE.
BUT THE ZBO OR THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HAS A VERY, UM, SPECIFIC CRITERIA THEY USE IN GRANTING A VARIANCE.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S ALSO THE APPEAL PROCESS.
AND I THINK THE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT WHEN ITEMS ARE MOVING FORWARD TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, THIS IS A BOARD THAT COUNCIL IS APPOINTED.
UM, AND SO THERE IS A PROCESS LAID OUT.
AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN, UH, YOU RECEIVE CONCERNS FROM CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VERY EASY ANSWER IS, OKAY, WELL THE, THE MEETING'S THIS THURSDAY, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, WE, SETTING THAT PROCESS IN PLACE REALLY HANDLES ABOUT 90% OF THE ISSUE.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, OF WHEN IT GOES BEFORE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
UM, ROB, COULD YOU, COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE ZONING BOARDS OF APPEAL, HOW IT GOT, UM, LEGISLATED, WHY YEAH.
AND, UM, THE POWER OF THAT BOARD? YES.
AND THEY ARE UNIQUE BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE LEGAL TERM IS QUASI-JUDICIAL.
LIKE, UM, LIKE A COURT PROCEEDING, THEY HEAR EVIDENCE AND THEY MAKE DECISIONS.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE, UM, POWER AND, AND THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEGISLATION THAT'LL, THAT ENABLES THEM IS IN OUR STATE PLANNING, ENABLING LEGISLATION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND COUNCIL APPOINTS THAT BOARD.
THEY, YOU KNOW, SO THAT QUASI-JUDICIAL, IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET INTO APPEALS, BUT IN,
[00:25:01]
IN ANY CASE, UM, THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IS, IS, UM, CONTACTING MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE RECEIVED PHONE CALLS, IS IT OKAY IF I TALK TO THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS? AND THE ANSWER IS NO.AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IN ADDITION, THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE TALKING TO EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A, A, A PENDING ITEM COMING UP.
SO THERE'S A MUCH MORE RIGOROUS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEHAVIOR THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE, BUT ALSO THE INTERACTION WITH THE APPLICANT MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO FOR, UM, AND THEN FOR A VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN THEY MAKE A DECISION ON ESPECI USE OF VARIANCE, THEY'RE OUTLINING THEIR, UM, FINDINGS.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT JUST KIND OF STICKING A
YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY HAVE TO DEFEND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT, UH, GRANTING A VARIANCE.
SO IT'S A VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH OUR ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
I THINK THEY, THEY SEE SOME VERY DIFFICULT, UM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND THEY DO IT VERY PROFESSIONALLY.
AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I HAVE NO INFLUENCE OR SAY SO IN THEIR DECISION.
AND, AND ACTUALLY, AND THEN IF, IF SOMEBODY, THEY CAN APPEAL, BUT THAT GOES TO CIRCUIT COURT.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF, COUNSEL HAS THE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SET THE PROCESS IN PLACE, YOU'VE APPOINTED THE MEMBERS AND YOU'VE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRUSTING YOU TO DO THIS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SO FAR, I MEAN, IT'S WORKED VERY WELL IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, ONE THING I WILL MENTION WITH THESE APPEALS, AND WE SEE THESE OCCASIONALLY, IS THAT THE, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND PUBLIC CAN, COULD WATCH THE PROCEEDINGS, BUT IT'S LIKE A COURT CASE IN THAT IT APPLICANT IS, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S APPEALING A DECISION THAT WE MADE AND ISSUING A PER A PERMIT AT THE STAFF LEVEL, UM, THEY'RE NOT TAKING IN ANY MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT STAFF USED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S AN UNUSUAL PROCESS.
IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL HAVE A COURT REPORTER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF THEY, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE THE OUTCOME, THEY'RE PLANNING ON MOVING ON, MOVING AHEAD TO THE CIRCUIT COURT, SO THEY WANT TO TAKE GOOD RECORDS.
UM, THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL, THE ONE BENEFIT TO THIS IS THAT THERE IS A, UH, ALREADY A RIGOROUS PUBLIC PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE MOVING UP TO COUNCIL.
SO STAFF REVIEWS, WE WEIGH THE, AN APPLICATION BASED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE, THE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND, UM, THAT GOES TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY HEAR STAFF REPORT, THEY MAKE A DECISION REALLY BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THEIR, YOU KNOW, INTERPRETATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND, UM, THEY MAKE A RE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNCIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, COUNCIL HAS BILLED IN A COMMITTEE PROCESS TO FURTHER REVIEW AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO THERE'S A REALLY GOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, AT TIMES WE WISH IT COULD MOVE FASTER, BUT IT'S A DELIBERATE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CHANGING LAWS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S TAKEN A MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, COUNSEL, THEY'RE THE DECISION MAKERS, YOU KNOW, WITH ZONING MAP AMENDMENTS AND ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS.
SO I REALIZED THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS A LOT, BUT IT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE, THE DEVELOPMENT WORLD AND THE PERMIT WORLD, THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW AS A, AS A ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW, OF, UM, WHICH STAGE A PARTICULAR PROCESS IS WITHIN, UH, THESE DIFFERENT PERMIT OPTIONS.
ANY QUESTION FOR MR. MERCHANT
DONE A GOOD JOB OF EDUCATING US.
SO I DO WANT TO JUST ADD TO ONE THING.
YOU ASKED, UM, AT WHAT LEVEL DOES COUNCIL GET INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS? COUNCIL IS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BECAUSE COUNCIL HAS PUT IN PLACE ALL OF THE RULES THAT WE'RE ENFORCING THROUGH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT LAYERS.
AND THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF STATE LAWS THAT GOVERN HOW ZONING, UH, MATTERS HAVE TO BE, UM, I WOULD SAY APPEALED OR ISSUED.
ALL OF THOSE PROCESSES ARE PUT IN PLACE UNDER STATE LAW.
SO THE ORDINANCES COUNSEL HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THOSE, TO MODIFY THOSE, UH, BY ORDINANCE.
[00:30:01]
AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAW IN THAT FLOW CHART WOULD CHANGE AND ADAPT TO WHAT COUNCIL ADOPTS.SO IT ALL STARTS WITH COUNCIL.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, SINCE YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE, UM, THE RULES THAT YOU PUT IN PLACE OR THE ORDINANCES YOU PUT IN PLACE, IT REALLY DOES END WITH COUNSEL.
BUT FOR WHAT WE HAVE, UH, ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AS THAT PROCESS BEGINS AND PEOPLE APPLY FOR PERMITS UNDER THOSE RULES, UM, THAT'S, YOU COULD BREAK EACH LAYER OF THAT APART, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF HOW THAT WORKS.
IS, IS, ISN'T THE, UM, THE STRUCTURE OF THAT BOARD, UH, DICTATED BY STATUTE STATE LAW? YES, SIR.
IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT.
UM, WE, WE ARE DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER
[8. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PROCUREMENT, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, FOR FEE SIMPLE REAL PROPERTY LOCATED ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, KNOWN AS THE BEACH CITY ROAD TRACT (PIN# R510 005 000 0202 0000), NOT TO EXCEED THE REQUESTED AMOUNT ($250,000). FISCAL IMPACT: ($250,000) from the Green Space Program Fund Account #4706-10-0000-54400 (Land Acquisition) - Mike McShane, Chair of the Green Space Advisory Committee]
EIGHT.UM, AND, UH, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UM, AUTHORIZED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PROCUREMENT, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR FEE, SIMPLE REAL ESTATE PROPERTY, OR REAL PROPERTY LOCATED ON HILTON END ISLAND, KNOWN AS THE BEACH CITY ROAD, NOT TO EXCEED REQUESTED AMOUNT OF, UH, $250,000.
AND I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE.
UM, I WILL NOW TURN THIS OVER TO, UM, MR. ACHE WHO WILL THEN, UM, EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT THIS MOTION DETAILS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
FOR THE RECORD, I'M MIKE MCSHANE.
I HAVE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS YOUR GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, BUT I AM A RESIDENT OF CHARLESTON COUNTY.
IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO BE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY,
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE IF THAT WAS BY DESIGN OR I THINK IT'S EVERYWHERE.
UH, FIRST, IF I MAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK THE COUNCIL THAT, UH, TO FIND A SUCCESSOR OR TWO WHO HAD BEEN A VERY ACTIVE AND ENGAGED MEMBER REPRESENTING COUNCIL ON THE GREEN SPACE, CHAIRMAN HOWARD, AS WE NOW HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MCALLEN, AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE COUNCILMAN ON OUR COMMITTEE AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR, WITH THAT APPOINTMENT ON THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS A, UH, REAL PROPERTY FEE, UH, FEE SIMPLE ACQUISITION.
UH, TO GIVE YOU SOME METRICS, THE REQUEST OF THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT IS $250,000.
LI TENANT, HILTON HEAD HAS ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY FOR 1.1, AROUND 1.19.
THE APPRAISAL THAT WE DID UNDER YOUR DUE DILIGENCE CAME IN SLIGHTLY UNDER THAT.
SO THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT ANYTHING ABOVE THAT APPRAISAL WAS GONNA BE ALWAYS ON THEM, BUT THEIR APPLICATION WAS FOR LESS THAN THE VALUE ANYWAY.
SO THEY HAVE PROVIDED ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF LEVERAGE ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
AND THAT GREEN SPACE RECOMMENDS THAT WE FULLY GRANT IT BASED ON THE ORDINANCE OF THE FEE SAMPLE BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD FOR THIS.
UM, MR. MCGOWAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU WANNA MAKE ON MS? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THE, UH, ACREAGE, UH, MR. SHANE, IF YOU WOULD ON THAT PROPERTY? YES, SIR.
ONE, OR I THINK IT WAS 1.89 IS WHAT MY, I'M GOING, YEAH, IT SAYS IT IN THE SLIDE.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE THE SLIDES WERE UP.
ANYBODY, UM, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
IS UNANIMOUS, UM, MR. MACHE, STAY RIGHT THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE NEXT ONE AS WELL.
[9. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PROCUREMENT, OPEN LAND TRUST, FOR A FARMLAND PRESERVATION CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY KNOWN AS ESSEX FARMS (PIN# R700 029 000 0054 0000), NOT TO EXCEED THE REQUESTED AMOUNT (FISCAL IMPACT: $560,000 from the Green Space Program Fund Account #4706-10-0000- 54400) - Mike McShane, Chairman of the Green Space Advisory Committee]
YES, SIR.UM, IF I CAN GET A, A MOTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PROCUREMENT, OPEN LAND TRUST FOR A FARMLAND, UH, PRESERVATION CON PRESERVATION CONSERVATION.
EASEMENT ON, ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, KNOWN AS ESSEC FARMS, NOT TO EXCEED THE REQUESTED AMOUNT, UH, OR $560,000.
I BELIEVE A MAP WILL BE UP YES.
UH, AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU, UH, TO GIVE YOU A QUICK, UH, ZOOM IN ON THE PROPERTY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY UP THERE, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT MAP? I BELIEVE THAT YES.
KINDA GIVES A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT SURROUNDS, UH, ABOVE,
[00:35:01]
UH, IN NORTHERN COUNTY, UH, THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, OFF 21 IN THE DALE COMMUNITY AREA.YOU'LL SEE, AND THIS PROJECT IS, UM, 900 PLUS OR MINUS ACRES AS YOU, AS YOU WERE TOLD, THIS IS A FARM PRESERVATION CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
I RECOMMEND YOU THINK OF IT AS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
IT OPERATES VERY MUCH THE SAME WAY.
BUT IN YOUR ORDINANCE, WE WERE SEPARATING, LOOKING SPECIFICALLY WHERE THERE WOULD BE FARMING ACTIVITY.
THIS IS ACTIVELY FARM IN, IN SILVER CULTURAL OPERATIONS.
AND THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE BY THE APPLICANT, OPEN LAND TRUST ON HIGHLY LEVERAGING THIS.
AND I POINT OUT OUR FRIENDS AT DOD, WHICH I BELIEVE ONE OR TWO MEMBERS MAY BE BEHIND ME HERE, WHICH WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF.
AND FRANKLY, YOUR COUNTY IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT YOU SEE COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, PARTICULARLY COLONEL BOR WHARTON, UH, AND HIS STAFF THERE.
THE STATE CONSERVATION BANK, WHICH FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, I SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF, HAS MADE A GRANT, UH, HAS VOTED ON.
AND, UH, FOR A GRANT OF THE EQUAL AMOUNT TO GREEN SPACE OF $560,000, THE LANDOWNER HAS ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN VALUE BARGAIN SALE ON THAT AS WELL.
SO THIS IS AN IDEAL TEXTBOOK CASE OF LEVERAGING DOLLARS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES TO PRESERVE NEARLY, UH, A LITTLE OVER 900 ACRES IN AN AREA THAT IS, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SYNERGY OF THAT AREA BASED ON THAT MAP OF THE WORK BOTH THE COUNTY HAS DONE, THE STATE AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS HAVE DONE IN THAT AREA IS ACTUALLY, AS I POINTED OUT TO MARK WITH GREAT, UH, RESPECT MARK.
THERE'S ACTUALLY OTHER PROPERTIES THERE THAT ARE PROTECTED AND NOT ONLY THAT MAP AS WELL.
SO GLAD TO SEE THAT AND THE GREEN SPACE RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT GRANT AS RECOMMENDED.
UM, MR. MIGUEL, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NOTHING TO ADD.
I THINK THIS IS GREAT TO SEE HOW THIS IS BEING LEVERAGED FROM OTHER RESOURCES, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LAST SENTENCE THERE, OR SECOND LAST PRESERVATION OUTCOME FOR THIS PROPERTY.
WE ACHIEVE SEVERAL GOALS OF GREEN SPACE.
I WANT US TO ALWAYS HAVE THE GOALS OF THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM IN FRONT OF US SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE VOTED TO SPEND THESE FUNDS FOR.
AND THIS IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM VICE CHAIRMAN.
WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO JUST MAKE THAT AS PART OF OUR STANDARD, THAT WE DEMONSTRATE THOSE IN OUR NARRATIVES GOING FORWARD? THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC MONEY, AND THIS IS JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE THEN TO, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, OKAY.
THOSE WHO FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
UH, THAT'S THE QUICKEST TIME YOU GOT OUT HERE.
UM, WE ARE DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER 10,
[10. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP FOR 3.28 ACRES LOCATED AT 64 JAMES O CT (R600 036 000 0022 0000) FROM T3 EDGE (T3E) TO MAY RIVER COMMUNITY PRESERVATION (MRCP) - Rob Merchant, AICP, Director, Beaufort County Planning and Zoning]
AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UM, UH, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING, AMENDING THE ZONING MAP FOR 3.28 ACRES LOCATED AT 64 JAMES OLD.IS THAT COURT, UM, TO MAY RIVER COMMUNITY PRESERVATION, OH, I'M SORRY.
LOCATED AT 64 JAMES OLD COAT, UM, FROM T THREE EDGE TO MAY RIVER COMMUNITY PRESERVATION, WHICH IS, UM, M-R-R-C-P.
AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
UM, LET'S GET MR. MERCHANT YES.
UM, THIS ITEM WAS SUBMITTED TO THE, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER.
UH, YOU KNOW, WENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN THEY MADE A RECOMMENDATION, AND NOW IT'S HERE BEFORE THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT THIS PARTICULAR APPLICATION HAS BEEN MADE BY THE PROPERTY OWNER AS, UM, UM, TO RECTIFY A, A ZONING VIOLATION.
UM, THERE IS A APPROXIMATELY A 3.2 ACRE PARCEL.
THIS IS LOCATED IN PRITCHARD, UM, ON THE EASTERN END OF THE COMMUNITY AS YOU'RE DRIVING ON 46 GOING TOWARD BLUFFTON.
[00:40:01]
BUTS A SUBDIVISION, AND I'M NOT SURE THE NAME OF IT, BUT IT'S, UH, JAMES O.CORD IS ONE OF THE STREETS IN THAT SUBDIVISION, UH, WHERE THIS PROPERTY, UH, HAS ACCESS.
UM, THE ZONING OF THE PROPERTY IS T THREE EDGE.
AND SO THE OWNER HAS BEEN OPERATING, UH, ANIMAL PRODUCTION OR, YOU KNOW, ANIMAL AGRICULTURE USE ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT CURRENTLY IN THE T THREE EDGE DISTRICT IS NOT A PERMITTED USE.
AND SO, UM, THEY WERE CITED WITH A CODE VIOLATION, AND THEY, TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, THEY'RE REQUESTING TO CHANGE THEIR ZONING TO MAY RIVER CP, WHICH IS A DISTRICT THAT DOES ALLOW ANIMAL PRODUCTION AS, AS A PERMITTED USE.
AND AS YOU COULD SEE ON THE MAP, MAY RIVER CP, THAT'S THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN BLUE, UM, THAT ABUTS THIS PROPERTY.
SO JUST SOUTH OF THE PROPERTY IS, IS A PROPERTY THAT'S ALREADY IN MAY RIVER CP.
UM, SO, AND, AND SO THE T THREE EDGE DISTRICT, THAT'S PRIMARILY A, UH, LOW DENSITY KIND OF SUBURBAN SCALE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
IT PRETTY MUCH JUST ALLOWS SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES WITH A, UM, MINIMUM LOT SIZE OF 75 FEET BY 150 FEET, SO APPROXIMATELY QUARTER ACRE LOTS.
AND, UM, IT ALLOWS, UH, PLANT AGRICULTURE, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS THE GROWING OF CROPS, BUT IT DOES NOT ALLOW, UM, ANIMAL PRODUCTION, WHICH IS A SEPARATE USE, UH, IN OUR USE TABLE UNDER RURAL USE OR AGRICULTURAL USES.
THIS IS A DISTRICT THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THE HIGHWAY 46 CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE PRICHARD COMMUNITY AND THE OLD TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
AND THIS, THIS IS A DISTRICT THAT CAME OUT OF A COMMUNITY BASED PROCESS.
IT'S VERY LOW IN DENSITY, VERY SIMILAR TO OUR T TWO RURAL.
IT ALLOWS, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, NORTH OF 46, IT'S ONE UNIT PER THREE ACRES.
AND SOUTH OF 46, IT'S ONE UNIT PER FIVE ACRES.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LOW DENSITY INTENDED TO PRESERVE THAT KIND OF RURAL STRETCH BETWEEN PRITCHARD V AND OLD TOWN BLUFFTON.
AND ALSO THAT, YOU KNOW, IS DESIGNATED AS A SCENIC BYWAY.
SO THERE, THERE WAS A ALSO AN INTEREST IN PRESERVING THE QUALITY OF THAT CORRIDOR.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE TWO DISTRICTS WHEN STAFF REVIEWED THIS.
UM, SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT.
UM, ONE IS THAT FROM A MAPPING STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES, IT DOES ABUT LAND THAT'S ALREADY ZONED MAY RIVER CP.
SO IT DIDN'T REALLY PRESENT A SPOT ZONING CONCERN.
UM, IT ALSO, IN THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN, THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON PROMOTING AGRICULTURE AS A VIABLE USE IN THE COUNTY.
HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S CONCERNS ALREADY WITH THE NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE IN THAT SUBDIVISION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS USE ON THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO FOR THESE REASONS, STAFF RECOMMENDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT IF, IF THIS WERE, THIS REZONING WERE TO TAKE PLACE THAT WE RECOMMEND IN THE MAY RIVER CP DISTRICT THAT THEY ADOPT A 100 OR A BUFFER STANDARDS, WHAT WE RECOMMENDED WAS 50 FEET, UM, FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTION USES, UH, IN THAT DISTRICT TO, UM, MITIGATE THE IMPACT, ESPECIALLY, UM, WHERE IT, UH, ABUTS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIALS.
SO WE MADE THIS PRESENTATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, AT THEIR, UM, THIS WAS AT THEIR JANUARY MEETING, AND THEY, UM, DID NOT AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, AND THEY RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT.
UM, AND SO THIS IS NOW COMING BEFORE THE, THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
SO THAT, WITH THAT, I'M, I'M WILLING TO ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
LET ME YIELD TO THE, UM, MAKE OF THE MOTION IN A SECOND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION OR COMMENTS.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY IT SHOULD GO BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE, TO CHANGE IT, WHY ISN'T THAT DONE BEFORE WE'RE CONSIDERING THIS? AND I MEAN, IF, IF YOU PUT THE, UM, PICTURE BACK UP, IF YOU ARE LIVING NEXT TO THIS MM-HMM
SO WHAT PREVENTS ANY MORE OF THIS HAPPENING? IF YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, YOU'RE LIVING IN THOSE HOUSES, NOW YOU'RE CHANGING IT TO MRCP AND THEY CAN HIT RAISE ANIMALS AND SO ON.
SO WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? WELL, SO ONE THING IS THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A DOWN ZONING.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A REDUCTION IN DENSITY, BUT IT DOES ALLOW AGRICULTURAL USES.
YOU KNOW, WHICH THERE ARE SOME CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IMPACTS
[00:45:01]
OF HAVING AGRICULTURE NEXT TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.THE, THE, THE BLUE PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THERE IS ALREADY ZONE RIVERS, MAY RIVER CP.
SO THIS USE COULD OCCUR THERE, WHICH ALSO ABUTS THE SAME SUBDIVISION.
SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE CREATING A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S MORE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT, UH, IT ADJOINS THE MAY RIVER CP AND IT DOES ALLOW MORE AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT PROPERTY.
SO HOW DID THOSE WERE VIOLATION COME TO LIGHT? OTHERS COMPLAINED? YES.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MOST ZONING VIOLATIONS ARE RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, US RECEIVING A COMPLAINT.
NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I WAS AT THE MEETING WHEN, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL, UH, RESIDENTS THAT LIVED CLOSE TO THIS, THAT SPOKE AGAINST IT BE, AND THEY WERE SOME OF THE PEOPLE I THINK WHO HAD COMPLAINED INITIALLY.
UM, I, I DON'T, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR THIS BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T THINK A 50 FOOT BUFFER IF YOU'RE RAISING, UM, ANIMALS THAT MIGHT PRODUCE, UM, NOT ONLY NOISE, BUT PARTICULARLY ODORS.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT PROTECTS THE NEIGHBORS THAT WERE AT THAT MEETING FROM THIS.
AND THEY, AND THEY WERE THE ONES WHO WERE COMPLAINING AND THE OWNER WASN'T AT THE MEETING, WHICH I, I UNDERSTAND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE.
BUT, UM, I'M, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR THIS CHANGE E EVEN THOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S PROMOTING AGRICULTURE IN AN AREA.
BUT, UM, I THINK BY HAVING, UH, THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS THAT THEY MAY BE ALREADY HAVE ON SITE, IT MAY BE A OKAY.
ANY OTHER, SO WHAT HAPPENS IF COUNSEL DENIES THIS? THERE ARE ANIMALS ON THERE MM-HMM
WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS? ALL I CAN ADDRESS.
SO THAT'S AN ENFORCEMENT ACTION THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ENFORCING IT.
THEY ALREADY HAVE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
UH, WE'RE IN THAT PERIOD WHERE WE HAVE EDUCATED, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THEY DECIDED TO SEEK THE REZONING.
IF THEY DON'T GET IT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SUMMONS.
AND, UH, THEY WILL HAVE A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET THE ANIMALS OFF.
IF THEY DON'T, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, SO THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING THERE AND THE PUBLIC HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UM, MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN.
AND ROB, WERE YOU THERE AT THAT, UH, MEETING? WERE YOU THERE, CHUCK? I WAS AT THE PLANE.
WHAT WAS THE MAJORITY OF THE, UH, OF THE COMMENTS? WAS ANYONE SPEAKING FAVORABLY TO, UH, ALLOW THIS? NO, NO, SIR.
SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS, I THINK A HUNDRED PERCENT IN OPPOSITION BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED IMPACTS OR IMPACTS THAT ALREADY EXIST BECAUSE OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE THERE.
AND THEN THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS, UH, MADE BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONCERNED WITH STORMWATER RUNOFF.
AS IT RELATES TO, UM, AGRICULTURE, ANIMALS, LIVESTOCK.
UM, THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT, UM, SPECIFIC LIKE DATA, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WAS RAISED A NUMBER OF TIMES ALSO BY PLANNING COMMISSION IS THIS, IS THIS PROPERTY, UH, CLOSE TO A TRIBUTARY OF ANY KIND? IT'S, I WOULD SAY, WHAT, A QUARTER MILE FROM THE MAY RIVER.
SO IT'S OFF OF 46 BEHIND THIS, A FEW LOTS IS WHERE THE MAY RIVER.
AND I BELIEVE THIS GRAVITY DRAINS TOWARDS THE MAY RIVER.
UM, THEN THE, UH, THE COMMISSION DID NOT AGREE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION TO PUT IT A 50 FOOT BUFFER? CORRECT.
IS THIS THE, UH, PROPERTY WE'VE BEEN GETTING, UH, A GREAT DEAL OF COMMUNICATION ON? YES, SIR.
WHAT? WHAT'S THAT? IT'S ONE OF THEM.
SO THERE'S PRITCHARD FARM ROAD, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES ON 46, THEN THERE ARE SOME DOWN PRITCHARD FARM ROAD, AND THIS IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S ALL PART OF, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY HAVE A NUMBER OF CONCERNS THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT UP.
AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE PROPERTY.
AND HOW MANY, UH, ANIMALS ARE ON THE PROPERTY? I, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER.
I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER, BUT IT'S, THEY'RE HORSES.
I THINK THERE ARE GOATS AND COWS, AS I RECALL.
MR. DID, DID THE PERSON PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY RECENTLY AND ESTABLISHED THIS ANIMAL FARM? IS THAT I, I THINK THEY'VE OWNED IT FOR A WHILE.
THEY CAME IN ORIGINALLY AND TALKED TO ZONING, AND THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT HAVING A FEW
[00:50:01]
ANIMALS, I THINK IT WAS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPERTY, UM, GOATS TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY, TO HAVE THEM ON THERE.SO YOU GO FROM A, A FEW TO DO A CERTAIN TASK TO NOW WE'RE RAISING ANIMALS AND IT BECOMES MORE OF A, A FARM.
MY, MY MY, MY QUESTION OR MY CONCERN WAS REALLY, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT MR. PASSMAN ASKED, UM, HOW LONG HAS THIS OPERATION BEEN GOING ON? UM, UM, WAS HE, WAS HE DEAD BEFORE THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OR HE CAME IN AFTER? NO, THIS IS NEW AND, AND YEAH, YOU ANSWERED THAT.
UM, UM, I AM, I AM DEFINITELY, UM, LIKE MRS. HOWARD, UH, PREFER TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE.
UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU GOTTA BE VERY SENSITIVE TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
UM, I'VE RAISED ANIMALS ON, ON MY PROPERTY, UM, AND I MADE SURE THAT, UM, THEY WERE FAR AWAY FROM THE NEIGHBORS AS POSSIBLE.
BUT EVEN AT THAT, UM, YOU STILL CAN RUN INTO SOME, SOME DIFFICULTY.
YOU KNOW, SOUTH CAROLINA IS A RIGHT TO FARM STATE, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, OLDER AND, AND NOISE CAN BE A FACTOR.
AND IF YOU KNOW THAT GOING IN, UH, YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL HOW LARGE YOU GET.
BUT IF YOU WERE THERE BEFORE THE NEIGHBORS GOT THERE, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK, WAS ORIGINATED BACK IN THE 1980S.
AND THIS HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE.
ANY OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS, UM, COMMENTS? UM, NOW, AND THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW, IS IN FAVOR OF PERMITTING THIS TO HAPPEN.
UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE NO VOTE IS A GOOD VOTE.
SO THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND, WE HAVE TO DO, I KNEW THESE GONNA STAND UP STEPS.
IT, THE MOTION IS A POSITIVE MOTION.
YOUR MOTION'S GONNA BE TO FORWARD TO COUNSEL, AND YOU'RE EITHER RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OR DENIAL, AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NINE CRITERIA IN DOING THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNSEL, AND YOU WANNA RECOMMEND DENIAL, I NEED A MOMENT WITH, UH, MR. MERCHANT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE CIRCLE THE RIGHT CRITERIA TO HELP COUNSEL OUT WITH THAT MOTION.
SO IF SOMEONE COULD START THE MOTION WITH EITHER RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DENIAL, AND THEN ONCE THEY GET TO SECOND YOU HAVE IT.
IS THERE A SECOND? AND I'LL SECOND THAT.
YOU MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE? NO, JUST TO, TO DISMISS.
NOW WE DENY AND I THINK IT'S THESE THINGS.
WELL, I, I CIRCLED SOME OF THEM.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE, IT DEPENDS WHY WE'RE DENIED IT.
YOU HAVE THE, UH, STAFF REPORT AND THE, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, YOU WANT ME TO TAKE A CRACK AT IT? OKAY.
ONE IS, IS NOW IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN.
SO IT'S TWO IS BRIAN, I'M JUST GOING TO DO IT.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH ALL NINE OF 'EM.
IS NOT, IT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS AND POLICY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CODE AND THE PURPOSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH PROVISIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE AND OUR CODE OF ORDINANCE.
IT DOES NOT ADDRESS A DEMONSTRATED COMMUNITY NEED.
WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT DOES, IT DOES ADDRESS IT.
IT DOES NOT, IT IS NOT REQUIRED BY CHANGING CONDITIONS.
IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING, UM, AND PROPOSED USE OF LAND SURROUNDING THIS LAND.
IT WOULD NOT, UH, IT WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT NEARBY LAND.
IT WOULD NOT RESULT IN LOGICAL AND ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY RESULT IN ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, WATER, AIR, NOISE, STORM WATER, ET CETERA.
AND IT WOULD NOT RESULT IN DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC FACILITIES.
UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE? WHAT THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND MOTION.
[00:55:01]
IT, IT IS UNANIMOUS.UM, MR. MERCHANT, UM, THE, UH, UH, MR. ATKINSON, YEAH.
UH, THE PERSON WAS PERMITTED TO HAVE SOME ANIMALS ON THE LAND, JUST NOT AT THE SAME AMOUNT.
RIGHT? SO YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE PETS IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT IT, WHEN YOU GO OVER AND YOU START AN OPERATION WHERE YOU'RE BREEDING ANIMALS AND YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF THE ANIMALS, THAT'S WHERE IT GOES INTO THE DEFINITION OF, UM, FARMING AND RAISING ANIMALS.
AND I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME TO READ, BUT THAT WAS SORT OF THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND THIS WILL BE FORWARDED TO COUNSEL, UM, FOR FINAL APPROVAL OR DENIAL.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, EVEN, UH, HAVING A FEW, UM, HENS, UM, LAYERS AND STUFF, EVEN IN THE TOWN IS PERMITABLE MM-HMM
THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY CAN YOU HAVE AND WHAT THE IMPACTS OF THOSE ARE.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE AGENDA.
[11. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP FOR 49.16 ACRES (R600 029 000 0005 0000, R600 029 000 0143 0000, R600 029 000 1194 0000, R600 029 000 0002 0000, R600 029 000 008A 0000, R600 029 000 008C 0000, R600 029 000 0006 0000, R600 029 000 0026 0000) LOCATED ON OKATIE HIGHWAY FROM T2 RURAL (T2R) TO NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED USE (C3) - Rob Merchant, AICP, Director, Beaufort County Planning and Zoning]
NUMBER 11.UM, I'M MOTION TO POSTPONE NUMBER 11.
THERE'S A MOTION TO POSTPONE NUMBER 11.
NOW, THE MOTION TO POSTPONE IS TO THE NEXT MEETING UNTIL MARCH, 2025.
UM, ANY QUESTION OR DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION, MR. KINSON? SO, JUST FOR THE GOOD OF THE, UH, ORDER AND FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION, WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT, UH, TO DO THIS, TO POSTPONE IT UNTIL THE MARCH MEETING.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[12. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP FOR 121.43 ACRES (R600 013 000 0008 0000, R600 013 000 0050 0000, R600 013 000 0105 0000, R600 013 000 0104 0000) LOCATED ON OKATIE HIGHWAY FROM T2 RURAL (T2R) TO T4 NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER (T4NC) AND T3 NEIGHBORHOOD- OPEN (T3N-O) USING A VILLAGE PLACE TYPE OVERLAY (PTO) - Rob Merchant, AICP, Director, Beaufort County Planning and Zoning]
12.UM, MRS. BROWN, YOU WANT TO RECUSE YOURSELF ON THAT, OR ARE YOU GONNA STAY? YES, I ACCUSE MYSELF.
DO I NEED TO STEP OUT? WELL, THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL INTEREST INTEREST IN THIS AT ALL? THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF.
WELL, I'VE TALKED TO THREE ATTORNEYS AND THEY ALL RECOMMEND THAT I, IT'S OUR POINT.
I MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE NUMBER 12 TO THE MARCH.
WELL, WE NEED TO EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE FOR NUMBER 12.
YOU'RE GONNA POSTPONE WHAT HAPPENED LIKE AT THE LAST MINUTE.
BRIAN, DO YOU WANNA COME UP AND SPEAK PLEASE? THANK YOU.
CAN I GET A SECOND AMENDMENT? THIS A SECOND.
WHAT WAS THE MOTION? POSTPONE TO POSTPONE THIS.
THIS AFTERNOON I GOT AN EMAIL FROM WALTER NESTOR, WHO'S A LOCAL ATTORNEY ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT.
AND HE ASKED ME, UH, TO ASSIST HIM IN GETTING THIS POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT MONTH, UH, MEETING, BECAUSE THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DISAPPROVAL AND PART OF IT DEALT WITH THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. SO THEY'RE ASKING THE, UH, TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO REVIEW, UH, THE TRAFFIC PLAN.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION READY FOR THIS MEETING.
SO THEY WENT, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING IN MARCH FOR IT TO BE HEARD THEN.
SO IF YOU WOULD POSTPONE IT TO THE MEETING IN MARCH, THEY WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
AND THAT'S AT THE REQUEST OF THE ATTORNEY FOR THE APPLICANT.
AND TO BE CLEAR TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE WAS WAITING, THIS CAME IN THE LAST MINUTE, IS THAT CORRECT? THIS AFTERNOON, RIGHT BEFORE THE, UH, THE, UH, SO THEY CAN POST, POSTPONE IT AT ANY TIME.
LIKE THERE'S NOT A TIMEFRAME THAT THEY HAVE TO REQUEST.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT POSTPONING IT, IT'S UP TO COUNCIL WHETHER TO POSTPONE IT OR NOT.
SO A MOTION, THE MOTION POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING A REQUEST.
IT'S A REQUEST FROM THE ATTORNEY.
IT IS UP TO COUNCIL TO DECIDE YES OR NO.
AND WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT TO GET A TRAFFIC STUDY? THE PROPOSED REZONING REQUEST DID NOT RECEIVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION LAST MONTH.
ONE OF THE PRIMARY ISSUES WAS TRAFFIC.
THE APPLICANT HAS ASKED ITS TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO REVIEW, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION READY FOR THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE THIS AFTERNOON.
WE HAVE ASKED THIS STAFF TO REMOVE IT FROM THE AGENDA, BUT HE'S REACHING OUT TO ME TO CONFIRM THE STAFF STATUS, THE AUTHORITY, WITHOUT, UH, MORE TO REMOVE IT.
UH, AND THEN HE ASKED ME TO ASSIST IN POST GOING TILL THE NEXT MONTH.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND TO YEAH, POSTPONE.
AND THEIR COMMENTS STILL STAND.
THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY, THEY'RE WAITING ON THEIR TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO REVIEW THE TRAFFIC STUDY PLAN, UH, TO WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST INFORMATION POSSIBLE TO, UH, MAKE A DECISION.
WE HAVING A DISCUSSION? YES, WE ARE.
WHY DIDN'T THEY ALREADY DO THIS? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
WELL, THEY MAKE NO OFFER OF AN EXPLANATION.
THEY'RE JUST SAYING WE NEED MORE TIME.
WELL, THEY HAD PLENTY OF TIME.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD, WHY THEY WOULD TAKE AN ACTION AT THE LAST MINUTE TO ASK US TO POSTPONE A VOTE FOR SOMETHING THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE.
A, AND I'M NOT BLAMING YOU, BRIAN.
[01:00:01]
AT YOU, BUT I'M NOT REALLY ANGRY AT YOU.I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING ROUNDS OF I KNOW THAT.
THE DEAL IS THOUGH, WHAT ARE WE WASTING ALL THIS TIME FOR? THEY HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE A PRESENTATION FOR A TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO POSTPONE THIS SO THEY CAN, SO WE CAN WORK ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
YOU'RE NOT OBLIGATED LEGALLY TO POSTPONE IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE? LET ME, YEAH, THEY, NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE'RE NOT GONNA OPEN UP TO THE PUBLIC NOW.
UM, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO POSTPONE TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION, IF PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
I ACCUSING MYSELF IN THIS VOTE.
UM, YOU ARE CRU THOSE IN OPPOSITION? I'M NOT VOTE.
NO, I'M, I'M ASKING OPPOSITION.
AND IT IS FOUR TWO, IT'S POSTPONED.
UM, COULD WE GET THAT, UM, REQUEST, UM, IN WRITING? VOTE ON THAT? HMM.
I WILL PROVIDE A COPY OF THE EMAIL TO THE CLERK TO COUNSEL, TO INSERT INTO THE RECORD.
AND IF YOU LIKE, I CAN ASK THE ATTORNEY TO SUBMIT A FORMAL REQUEST, UH, IN A LETTER, UH, TO ADD TO THE RECORD AS WELL.
FOLLOW ON THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD WITH, I DIDN'T HAVE A CONVERSATION.
YOU RECEIVED IT AS AN EMAIL? YES, SIR.
JUST MAKE THAT A PART OF THE RECORDS AND STUFF.
UM, ONE MORE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[13. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MARC FEINBERG TO THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY BOARD FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF REAPPOINTING MARK, UM, UH, FEINBERG TO THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY, 2029.I'D LIKE TO MOTION, MOTION FOR THAT.
DO YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT? SECOND? WHO'S WHOSE MOTION? PAULA JUST MADE SECOND.
UM, HOW MANY FOLKS DOES THIS PERSON MEET? AND HE'S RECOMMENDING TO COUNCIL? YES, SIR.
AND THEN AT COUNCIL HE'LL, BECAUSE SHE'S, HE'LL NEED 10 OF THE 11.
THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SET TO COUNCIL, PLEASE.
THERE IS A NEED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND, UM,
[14. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A.UM, TWO RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE WHERE THE LEGAL ADVICE RELATES TO CONTRACTUAL TERMS AND, UH, POTENTIAL CLAIMS. AND THIS IS THE MITCHELLVILLE PROPERTY PURCHASE.
AND PROPERTY APPRAISAL FOR IS COMING FROM THE GREEN SPACE APPLICATION.
IS THAT A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION, MR. OKAY.
IT'S BEEN PROPERTY SECONDED IN DISCUSSION.
THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE ABOUT RAISING YOUR HAND.
WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION THERE IS, THERE MAY BE MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IF SO, WE'LL COME OUT BACK IN THE OPEN TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
[15. MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION]
UH, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, I MOVE THAT WE FORWARD TO COUNSEL THE VALBRIDGE APPRAISAL OF THE 26.69 ACRE MITCHELL HILL PROPERTY DATED JANUARY 31ST, 2025 FOR CONSIDERATION, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE REPORT AND PAYMENT TO THE TOWN HILTON NET ISLAND.
THE AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE INCREASE IN VALUE IS SET FORTH IN THE APPRAISAL AND THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT WE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THE PRIOR APPRAISAL.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO WELL, YEAH.
UH, ANYBODY GOT A QUESTION ON THE MOTION? OKAY.
UH, THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
THERE'S A LOT OF ALLITERATION IN THAT MOTION.
[01:05:01]
YES, IT WAS THE POWER GONE.