* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. PERFECT. [* A portion of this video is without audio *] [00:07:19] THE OVERLAY [6.a. Request for Planning Commission Initiation of an Amendment to Title 16 of the Municipal Code, the Land Management Ordinance, to amend section 16-3-106 Holiday Homes Neighborhood Character Overlay District (HH-NC-O) to Modify and Add Regulations Pertaining to Setback, Buffers, Impervious Coverage, Floor Area Ration, and Parking.] WILL NOW BRING THAT DOWN TO 30 FEET OR A NET REDUCTION, FIVE FEET. UH, AND THEN WE WILL ADD A MAX STORY REQUIREMENT, WHICH CURRENTLY DOES NOT EXIST, BUT IN THERE COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS, WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO EMULATE WITH THIS TEXT AMENDMENT, HAS A TWO AND A HALF STORY MAXIMUM ON THAT. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT. UM, AS SHEA SAID, THIS IS THE ADOPTED CODE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW. UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE HAS PROVIDED YOU A VERSION IN YOUR PACKET THAT HAS BEEN, UH, TRACK CHANGE. SO BLUE STRIKE THROUGH REPRESENTS WHAT'S COMING OUT, AND THEN THE RED DOUBLE UNDERLINE WILL BE WHAT IS BEING ADDED. SO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT, UH, AND THEN ONCE WE GET THROUGH THAT, WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THESE CHANGES. ALRIGHT, SO FIRST IS THE APPLICABILITY AND PURPOSE STATEMENT FOR THE DISTRICT. WE'VE TAKEN THIS SECTION OUT AND WE'VE ADDED A NEW PURPOSE STATEMENT. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLIDAY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY IS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE DISTRICT IS INTENDED TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOTS IN A MANNER THAT MAINTAINS AND ENHANCES THE AREAS, AREAS, ARCHITECT ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY. UH, WE'VE ALSO ADDED IN HERE THAT NOTWITHSTANDING THE REQUIREMENTS OF 16 7 1 0 3 A FOR NONCONFORMING STRUCTURES. AND THEN THERE'S THE, AND IF THE EXPANDED COMPONENT OF THE STRUCTURE IS COMPLIANT WITH 16 3 1 0 4 D, WHICH IS THE ZONING DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS. AND, UH, 16 3 1 0 6 J, UH, OR ACTUALLY THIS IS THE OVERLAY I BELIEVE, AND THIS IS THE ZONING DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS HERE. ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL GET INTO THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF THIS. UH, WE ARE ELIMINATING THE FIRST WITH THE SIDE YARD SETBACKS, UH, WITH LESS THAN 50 FEET OF STREET FRONTAGE WHERE THERE WAS OR, OR LESS THAN 0.15 ACRES, AN AREA SHALL BE PERMITTED TO REDUCE SIDE YARD SETBACKS TO A MINIMUM OF FIVE FEET. SO WE'RE, WE'RE ELIMINATING THAT REDUCTION, UH, FROM THIS AREA OR, UH, FROM THE SIDE YARD SETBACKS. UM, AND THEN THE SETBACK ANGLES WE'RE JUST ADDING A PROVISION THAT APPLIED TO ALL SIDE YARDS AND BE A MINIMUM OF 65 DEGREES, WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE CODE. THIS IS THAT DRIVEWAY WIDTH REDUCTION WE TALKED ABOUT. WE'RE REDUCING IT FROM 24 FEET TO 22 FEET. AND IN THE EVENT THAT A HORSESHOE DRIVEWAY EXISTS, THE NET OR THE, OR THE GROSS [00:10:01] OVERALL DRIVEWAY CAN ONLY BE 22 FEET. SO ESSENTIALLY YOU COULD HAVE TWO ONE HORSESHOE DRIVEWAY THAT RUNS THROUGH THE BUFFER AND THE BUFFER WIDTH HAS TO MAINTAIN 11 FEET OR BE A COMBINATION THAT IS, IT ADDS UP TO 22 FEET. OBVIOUSLY. WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE MAX IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE, A NET REDUCTION IN 5%, 45 TO 50%, AND THEN THAT GROSS FLOOR AREA REDUCTION FROM 4,000 SQUARE FEET TO 3,200 SQUARE FEET. AND THEN WE ELIMINATED SOME OF THE EXCLUSIONS, UH, THAT WERE IN THERE. UH, ONE OF THEM WAS ENCLOSED AREA WHERE THE FLOOR LEVEL IS LOCATED BELOW THE REQUIRED BASE FLOOD ELEVATION, WHICH ARE USED SOLELY FOR PARKING AND STORAGE. SO NOW THAT WILL BE PART OF THE GROSS FLOOR AREA CALCULATION AND THAT 3,200 SQUARE FEET. AND THEN WE KEPT IN ATTIC SPACE AS DEFINED BY THE LATEST ADOPTED EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE. THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS WERE ADDING IN THAT GARAGES SHALL NOT BE USED FOR MORE THAN TWO CARS, AND THAT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THEIR COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS. IT SAYS THAT A DETACHED TWO CAR GARAGES ON THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TOWARDS IT BE HAVING TO BE DETACHED, BUT WE ARE MAKE LIMITED LIMITING IT TO TWO CARS. AND THEN MAXIMUM HEIGHT STRUCTURE SHALL NOT EXCEED 30 FEET IN HEIGHT, ACCORDANCE WITH SIXTEEN TEN ONE OH TWO C ONE. SO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW THE, UH, ZONING DISTRICT FOR THIS OVERLAY, THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT, UH, OVERSEAS HEIGHT, AND IT'S 35 FEET. THIS OVERLAY, UH, ADDITION WILL ADD IT OR WILL BRING IT DOWN TO 30 FEET, ADDING THIS 30 FEET, UH, HEIGHT RESTRICTION INTO THE CODE. AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AGAIN, DERIVATIVE OF THEIR COVENANT CURRENT COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE, BUILDINGS SHALL NOT EXCEED TWO AND TWO AND ONE HALF STORIES IN HEIGHT. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION, THE STORY IS THE PORTION OF THE BUILDING INCLUDED BETWEEN THE SURFACE OF ANY FLOOR AND THE SURFACE OF THE FLOOR NEXT ABOVE IT. OR IF THERE IS NO FLOOR ABOVE IT, THEN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE CEILING NEXT ABOVE IT, THE TOP MOST STORY OF A BUILDING IS COUNTED AS A HALF STORY WHEN IT IS COMPLETELY WITHIN THE ROOF FORM OF THE BUILDING. LESS THAN 50% OF THE FLOOR AREA HAS A CLEAR HEIGHT OF MORE THAN SEVEN AND A HALF FEET MEASURED FROM THE FINISHED FLOOR AREA TO THE FINISHED CEILING. AND DORMERS DO NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 25% OF THE FRONT, REAR OR SIDE BUILDING LENGTH. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE, UH, ELIMINATIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THIS, UH, OVERLAY DISTRICT. AND NOW WE WILL GO TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. OKAY. BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS I WANT TO ASK THE COMMISSION, IT'S OKAY IF I, UM, INVITE PUBLIC COMMENT AND BEFORE WE BRING IT BACK UP HERE FOR DISCUSSION. IS THAT FINE? OKAY. AND I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF THE MEETING. I DON'T KNOW. AND WE'RE ESTABLISHING THAT, THAT WE ARE ASKING THAT, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATE THIS TEXT AMENDMENT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY. I, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE SAID THAT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WASN'T HERE. SHE, SHE COVERED THAT. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. UM, FIRST OF ALL, IS THERE ANYONE FROM HOLIDAY HOMES A SPOKESPERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UM, TO, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THIS? YES. WHICH ONE OF US, NOT ONE YOU ALL VOTE FOR? AND AND WE CAN HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TOO, BUT I'M JUST ASKING IF THERE'S A SPOKESPERSON OR SHOULD YOU JUST WAIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? WE, YEAH. GET YOU . I APPOINTED HIM. HI, MY NAME'S MATT VOICE. I LIVE ON FIVE A IN THE HOLIDAY HOMES AREA. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR HEARING THIS FOR US TODAY, UH, FOR THE TOWN STAFF ESPECIALLY FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE TO HELP US IN GETTING TO THIS POINT WITH, UH, WITH OUR REQUEST. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS ON THE, UM, ON THE CHANGES, AND A COUPLE OF THINGS. I HEARD DURING THE, DURING THE, UH, PRESENTATION, THERE AREN'T ONLY 34 HOMES IN HOLIDAY HOMES. THERE'S 57 BUILDING LOTS. OKAY. THE, THE, THE, UH, SLIDE THAT YOU SAW, I BELIEVE WAS THE ORIGINAL PETITION THAT WE PUT OUT. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE SIGNED IT OUT OF THOSE 57? AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS 34 FOR THE CHANGES, WHICH IS NOW UP TO 42. OKAY. AND, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 18, UH, 17 OR 18 SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE VERY HARD TO GET AHOLD OF. AND I HAVEN'T HAD RESPONSE BY SOME, AND I'M STILL TRYING TO GET THAT RESPONSE. WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, WE HAVE EIGHT. EXACTLY. UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID THEY JUST DON'T WANNA SIGN ANYTHING. OKAY. UH, THREE [00:15:01] OF 'EM WERE, WERE SAYING THEY DIDN'T WANT SIGN ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO FORM A POA OR AN HOA AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. AND THE REMAINDER WERE JUST DIDN'T WANNA BE INVOLVED. THEY, THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY AGAINST IT, BUT THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED. UM, JUST TO REALLY QUICK, I, I HAD A, SOME MORE, UH, PICTURES IF I COULD SHARE 'EM WITH YOU THAT DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN WHAT'S GOING ON. UH, I ONLY BROUGHT ONE BECAUSE MY PRINTER STOPPED WHILE I WAS PRINTING THEM TODAY. PASS, YOU CAN PASS 'EM AROUND. IT. IT'S A FIVE SLIDE PRESENTATION. UH, THAT FIRST SLIDE, UH, SHOWS SOME OF THE HOMES THAT, THAT ARE IN THE AREA THAT WERE SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU JUST SAW UP HERE. UM, THE NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU, GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TREE WORK THAT WAS DONE AND THE TEAR DOWN IN THE AREA IN ORDER TO BUILD THESE HOMES AND GET 'EM INTO THE AREA THAT THEY'RE IN. UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEVEN BEDROOM, FIVE BATH HOMES AND A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS THE BIGGEST HOME, HAS FOUR BEDROOMS IN IT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT OUR MAYOR'S DESIRE TO, TO KEEP THE, UM, THE, UH, ISLANDS, YOU KNOW, GREAT. UH, THE, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? CHARACTER, CHARACTER OF OUR ISLAND. THANK YOU. UH, IN CHECK. AND SO, UH, WE FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT OUR, ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, THIS THIRD SLIDE WILL GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THOSE THREE HOMES LOOK LIKE TO THE HOME NEXT DOOR, AND, UH, WHAT OUR NEIGHBOR MARGIE'S GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, IN THE FUTURE. UH, THAT FOURTH SLIDE IS A PICTURE OF SAND CASTLE COURT ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UH, ACROSS HOLLY FIELD ROAD FROM, UH, OUR HOLIDAY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S 60 SOME ODD HOMES IN THAT AREA THAT IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN OUR HOLIDAY HOMES, FIVE STREETS. AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE LOVE OUR TREES AND WE LOVE, WE LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN. THAT'S WHERE MOST OF US MOVE THERE. AND THAT LAST ONE IS JUST AN OPEN VIEW OF HOLIDAY HOMES. UH, I WAS SANTA CASTLE TODAY, AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT HOLIDAY HOMES TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. OKAY. UM, JUST A, JUST A REAL BRIEF STATEMENT 'CAUSE I, I DID START ONE, UH, AND, AND I'LL JUST READ IT OFF NOW. UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY IN AN EFFORT TO DO IT, OUR PART AS CONCERNED CITIZENS TO HELP OUR MAYOR PERRY KEEP TO HIS VISION TO ESTABLISH CAREFUL PLANNED HOUSING ON THIS ISLAND AND PROTECT OUR ISLAND CHARACTER. UH, HE SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS HE, AS HE, UH, CAMPAIGNED. UH, WE BELIEVE IT. AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THAT, KEEP THAT MINDSET AS WE, UH, MADE THESE CHANGES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THESE CHANGES ARE SOMEWHAT MINOR. UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT THAT BIG. UH, ONE OF THE ONES ABOUT THE DRIVEWAY WAS A CLARITY THAT WE ASKED FOR BECAUSE IT STATED 24 FOOT DRIVEWAYS, AND IF IT WAS A HORSESHOE, IT COULD HAVE 22 FOOT OPENINGS AT THE, AT THE BUFFER. AND THAT, THAT GAVE US AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT COULD BE INTERPRETED. THAT YOU COULD HAVE 40, 42 FEET OF, OR 44 FEET OF DRIVEWAY OPENING. AND MOST OF OUR LOTS DON'T HAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, 60 TO 90 FEET OPENING. AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AN ENTIRE DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE IF YOU HAD A HORSESHOE DRIVEWAY. AND SO WE JUST ASKED FOR THAT IN CLARITY. UM, UH, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY HOMES WITH LESS THAN ONE FIVE ACRES, 0.15 ACRES AND, UH, AND LESS THAN 50 FOOT OF, UH, FRONTAGE. SO, UM, WE MADE A DECISION WITH THE TOWN TO REMOVE THAT ONE AS WELL. UM, AND I, I SHARED THE, THE SLIDES WITH YOU AND, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE BEHIND US. UH, THEY MOSTLY WORK DURING THE DAY, SO THEY'RE NOT HERE MOST OF THE TIME. THEY DID SHOW UP TO THE, UH, A LOT OF 'EM SHOWED UP TO THE COMMISSION MEETING, UH, THAT BROUGHT US HERE TODAY TO, TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND JUST WANNA, WANNA LET YOU KNOW WE REALLY, UH, SUPPORT THIS AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT PUSHED TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? HI, MY NAME'S ED ERNST. I'VE BEEN AN ISLAND RESIDENT FOR 42 YEARS. I'VE OWNED A HOME IN HOLIDAY HOMES FOR 35 YEARS. UH, THE WAY A LOT OF THIS STARTED WAS [00:20:01] THE HILTON HEAD, PSD INITIATED CONSTRUCTION OF A SEWER LIFT STATION FOR CARABAS RESTAURANT, IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THAT. AND AT THAT TIME, THEY CAME TO THE HOMEOWNERS OF HOLLY HOMES AND SAID, WE COULD PROVIDE YOU SOURCE SERVICE BECAUSE OF THIS LIFT STATION. IF YOU WANT TO SIGN ON, OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE AT YOUR EXPENSE. AND THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEOWNERS DID DO THAT AND OPTED FOR THE SOURCE SERVICE. ONCE THE SOURCE SERVICE WAS PROVIDED TO THE AREA. ONCE YOU REMOVED YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEMS, IT GAVE YOU LARGER BILLABLE AREAS ON THE LOT. SO AT THE TIME, THE TOWN APPROACHED THE NEIGHBORS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS, COUPLED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON ACROSS THE STREET IN SANDCASTLE. SO WE WOULD, IF, WITH YOUR APPROVAL, WRITE AN LMO PROVISION TO HELP PROTECT THE NET CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, AGAIN, THE HOMEOWNERS, THE MAJORITY SAID TO THE TIME, SAID TO THE TIME, LET'S, LET'S GO AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. UH, SO THE TIME INCORPORATED THE OVERLAY DISTRICT INTO THE LMO. NOW SINCE THEN, WE'VE OBSERVED FAILURE OF SOME OF THESE ORDINANCES AS FAR AS PROVIDING THE PROTECTION THAT WAS PROMISED. THE VARIOUS WRITTEN SAFEGUARDS HAVE PROVEN INEFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF DETRIMENTALLY OVERSIZED HOUSES IN THE HOLIDAY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS FAILURE CAN BE OBSERVED WITH THE PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION OF OVERSIZED HOUSES AT 35, 37, AND 39 OLEANDER STREET. THE TOWN STATED POSITION FOR YEARS HAS BEEN, IT IS THEIR INTENT AND POSITION TO PROTECT THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE ISLAND. TOM CONSUL STATED IN JANUARY, 2023, THAT SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD MASS SCALE PARKING DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE HOUSES SAFETY AND PREVE PRESERVATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE TOWN HAS FOR YEARS STATED, IT IS THEIR INTENT TO REVISE THE LMO TO CORRECT MISTAKES OF PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS. TO DATE, THE PROMISED CORRECTIONS TO THE LMO HAVE NOT BEEN CODIFIED, APPROVED, OR IMPLEMENTED. THE TOWN ELIMINATED THE PROVISION IN THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS, ASKING IF PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION CONFLICTED WITH COVENANTS OF SUBJECT AREA. THE TOWN IGNORED THE APPLICABILITY AND PURPOSE STATEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL OVERLAY AND ALLOWED THE PERMITS TO BE ISSUED FOR THESE OVERSIZED HOUSES. UH, THE TOWN ISSUED PER OH, I DID THAT. THE HAWLEY HOMES OWNERS FILED AN APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS RELATIVE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE THREE NON-COMPLIANT HOUSES ON OLE STREET. THE BOARD'S INITIAL MOTION SUPPORTED OUR POSITION, HOWEVER, IT WAS REVERSED AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY. THE TOWN SHORTLY THEREAFTER REMOVED THE COVENANT QUESTION FROM THE BUILDING APPLICATION PROCESS AND ELECTED NOT TO ENFORCE PRIVATE COVENANTS. THE THREAT TO THE CHARACTER OF THE HOLIDAY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD IS INTIMATE, CONTINUING OR IMMEDIATE CONTINUING AND ONGOING. THERE IS NO GUARANTEED SCHEDULE FOR APPROVAL OF LMO UPDATES OR IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSED PROTECTIONS AT THIS TIME. THEREFORE, WE HAVE APPROACHED THE TOWN TO REVISE THE OVERLAY TO TRY TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I GUESS THAT'S IT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M RICK LAWSON. I'M OF COURSE HOLIDAY HOMES, UH, RESIDENT FOR OWN HOUSE FOR 35 YEARS, I GUESS. LIVED ON THE ISLAND FOR ABOUT 50. UM, WHAT ED SAID WAS KINDA THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING, HOW, HOW WE GOT THE INITIAL OVERLAY, UM, AND ACTUALLY STARTED A LOT EARLIER THAN THE, THAN THE SEWER THING. WE, WE, UH, [00:25:01] WENT TO THE TOWN IN THE, IN OUR TOWN. UM, COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME HELPED US. WE WERE LAYMAN ALL LAYMANS ABOUT IT, AND IT, IT WAS GREAT. BUT WE'VE REALIZED NOW WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT WE WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE WE WANTED. UM, AND THEN WHAT MATT SHOWED YOU WAS WHAT LED UP TO THIS THING WITH THE LARGER HOMES, SOME OF THE OTHER CHANGES THAT, THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO FIT OUR OVERLAY. AND A LOT OF THAT IS SUBJECTIVE, AND THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH IT. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST READ A REAL SHORT EMAIL THAT I SENT TO THE, TO TAMARA'S COMMISSION, UH, WHEN WE FIRST MET. TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A SYNOPSIS OF THE WHOLE THING. UH, THE EXISTING HOLIDAY HOMES PROTECTIVE OVERLAY IS SLIGHTLY CONTRADICTORY WHEN COMPARED TO THE HOLIDAY HOMES COVENANTS OF 1957. ALSO, THE EXISTING PROTECTIVE OVERLAY INCLUDES SOME TERMINOLOGIES THAT'S DEPENDENT ON INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION. FOR THESE REASONS, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF HOLIDAY HOMES, ALONG WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HELP FROM THE TOWN STAFF, HAVE DRAFTED THIS NEW PROTECTIVE OVERLAY THAT IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE EXISTING HOLIDAY HOME COVENANTS AND IS LESS SUBJECTIVE. THIS NEW PROTECTIVE OVERLAY WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE TOWN STAFF AND HOLIDAY HOMES RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND ENFORCE FOR THESE REASONS, WE TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS NEW DRAFT OF THE HOLIDAY HOMES OVERLAY AND HOPE IT PASSES THROUGH THE TOWN PROCESS PROMPTLY WITH FLYING COLORS. THAT'S BASICALLY A SYNOPSIS OF WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND YOUR, YOUR SERVICE TO THE TOWN AND THE TOWN STAFF HAS BEEN GREAT ON HELPING US. AND I SAID LAST TIME, IT'S BEEN A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW, I HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT AGAIN ANYTIME SOON, BUT IT'S BEEN REAL EDUCATIONAL. THANKS AGAIN. THANK YOU. OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE I BRING IT BACK UP TO THE D? OKAY. UH, BACK UP TO US COMMISSIONERS. ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF, UH, COMMENTS? WHO WANTS TO START US OFF? CAN YOU JUST TAKE US THROUGH THE NEXT STEPS? SO, UH, WE'RE INITIATING IT TODAY, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? AND, UM, WHAT ROLE WILL WE PLAY? BECAUSE I'VE HEARD THAT THE TOWN HAS GONE THROUGH SOME OVERLAY WORK WITH THEM BEFORE, UH, IT WENT TO HIS ZONING BOARD OF, OR I GUESS IT'S SOME SORT OF BOARD OF APPEAL AND THE TOWN REVERSED ITSELF AND DOESN'T ENFORCE COVENANTS. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US HOW THIS WILL CORRECT OR PROVIDE COMFORT TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD? THANK YOU. WELL, SO THIS HAS BEEN IN COLLABORATION WITH, WITH THE GROUP BEHIND US, AND THEY REPRESENT A SMALL PORTION OF WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT WE DID NOT KNOW EXISTED UNTIL, UH, EARLIER LAST YEAR, UH, ARE CAPTURED IN THE CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT THAT WHEN IT WAS CREATED DID NOT TAKE THOSE INTO ACCOUNT. SO BY DOING THAT, THIS IS GONNA GIVE THEM MORE COMFORT THAT THE INTENTION OF HOW THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DESIGNED TO, UH, EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE WILL BE MAINTAINED. SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW THAT'S GONNA GIVE THEM THAT COMFORT AND, UH, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THERE BE THERE RESTRICTIONS, BECAUSE AS SHEA MENTIONED THAT RIGHT NOW THE MECHANISM DOESN'T EXIST TO EN ENFORCE THOSE, WHICH WOULD BE THEIR OWN A RB. THEY DON'T HAVE THAT. SO THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING IT IN OUR CODE THROUGH A TEXT AMENDMENT SO THAT THEY'RE CAPTURED AND THAT THEY'RE ENFORCED. UM, NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, UH, FOR YOU ALL TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE ARE GONNA INITIATE THIS, THIS, THE TEXT AMENDMENT, UH, THROUGH THE TOWN THAT'S EITHER GOTTA COME FROM THE TOWN MANAGER OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. UH, SO WE'RE ASKING YOU, UH, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH THIS AND, AND, UH, MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION. THEN I BELIEVE WE'LL PROBABLY GO BACK TO, COMES BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION YEP. FOR PUBLIC HEARING. YEP. THEN IT'LL COME BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN, THEN, THEN TO, UH, CDPS, UH, MS. BECKER'S BOARD. AND THEN IT WILL GO, UH, FROM THERE TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR TWO READINGS AND, AND HOPEFULLY ADOPTION. THANKS, TREY. OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER LOBALL? I JUST HAVE A QUICK CLARIFICATION. THIS WOULD ALL APPLY TO NEW CONSTRUCTION MOVING FORWARD, CORRECT? IT WOULD NOT AFFECT ANY HISTORIC OR LONG-TERM HOMEOWNER. HOMEOWNERS WOULD NOT HAVE TO CHANGE ANYTHING THEY HAVE IN PLACE CURRENTLY. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO ANY, ANY NONCONFORMITIES THAT ARE CREATED BY THIS AMENDMENT WOULD BE VIEWED AS AN EXISTING [00:30:01] LEGAL NON-CONFORMITY PER OUR CODE, PER THE LMO. UM, SO DOES THAT ANSWER THAT COMPLETELY? OTHER ARE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER DUBAL, I APPRECIATE THE COMING FORWARD AND THOSE WHO SPOKE TODAY HAVE THE, HAVE ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS OR THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS, BEEN NOTIFIED OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE? I WAS NOT PART OF THAT PROCESS, BUT, UH, DEPUTY TOWN MANAGERS, SEAN LEININGER, THE HOLIDAY HOMES RESIDENTS HAVE, UH, AS THEY'VE MENTIONED, ATTEMPTED TO REACH ALL 57 LOT OWNERS. THEY'VE GOT 42 SIGNATURES IN SUPPORT RIGHT NOW, EIGHT MEMBERS WHICH REFUSE TO SIGN ANYTHING, WHETHER FOUR OR AGAINST, SO THEY'RE PLAYING SWITZERLAND. THAT BRINGS US TO 50. AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S SEVEN. WE HAVE JUST NOT HEARD. WELL, THERE'S REALLY FIVE BECAUSE THREE LOTS. OKAY. SO THERE'S REALLY, THAT MAKES SENSE. 55 OWNERS TOTAL. SO THE LAST FIVE OF 'EM, I, I KEEP REACHING OUT ALL HIS ADDRESSES. I JUST KEEP REACHING OUT. RIGHT. BUT SPECIFICALLY AS OF THIS PROCEEDING HERE TODAY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION IS EVERYBODY TO YOUR MIND TRADE, EVERYONE'S BEEN NOTIFIED. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER REDMOND. TWO QUICK QUESTIONS IS, IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT THE OVERLAY LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE BEING BEING PROPOSED WILL SUPERSEDE A PRIVATE COVENANT? UM, SINCE THE TOWN APPEARS NOT TO NECESSARILY ENFORCE A PRIVATE COVENANT, THESE CHANGES WILL ALLOW US TO USE THE CODE FOR ENFORCEMENT AND NOT RELY ON THAT COVENANT IN THE FUTURE. IT WILL NOT SUPERSEDE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CO PRIVATE COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS WILL ALWAYS RUN WITH, WITH THOSE LOTS. WHEN THEY WERE CREATED IN THE FIFTIES, THEY BECAME A, AS YOU WILL DEED RESTRICTION THAT FOLLOWS THE, UH, IN PERPETUITY, UH, WITHOUT THE MECHANISM OBVIOUSLY TO ENFORCE THEM. THE CODE THEN BECOMES THAT MECHANISM SO THAT IT, THEY ARE BEING ENFORCED TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY THROUGH OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT MECHANISM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND THEN THE SECOND CLARIFICATION ON THE, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LOTS THAT, THAT MEET GRANDFATHERING A COUPLE WAYS, WHICH I, I SAW IN THE, UH, IN THE, THE WRITEUP, WHICH WAS GREAT. UM, IF ONE OF THOSE LOTS WERE TO GO TO A FULL KNOCKDOWN STAGE, THAT WOULD DROP OFF AND IT WOULD NOW BE UNDER THE NEW OVERLAY STANDARDS. SO THERE ARE, WE HAVE A SECTION FOR NON-CONFORMING, UH, OR NONCONFORMITIES WITHIN THE CODE. UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS. UH, THE CODE RIGHT NOW AS IT READS ANYTHING UNDER O OVER 50%, UH, IF IT'S TAKEN DOWN, SAY IT'S A COMPLETE REBUILD, YES, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BUILT BACK TO THE STANDARDS OF, OF THESE, UH, UH, THIS TEXT AMENDMENT AND, AND THEN THE PRIVATE COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS SHOULD BE ENFORCED IN THOSE. BUT, BUT THIS AGAIN CAPTURES THAT, UH, IN THE EVENT THAT IT IS DESTROYED BY NATURAL DISASTER, THERE ARE MECHANISMS IN PLACE IN THAT NON-CONFORMITY SECTION THAT ALLOW THEM TO BUILD BACK IN THAT FOOTPRINT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CORDES. UH, JUST A PROCEDURAL QUESTION, BECAUSE IT'S ALL TEXT AMENDMENTS, YOU'VE WRITTEN THEM ALREADY. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S CODE OVERLAY MAP EFFORT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. THIS SHOULD BE RAPID. IS THAT, I MEAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT I'M ASSUMING WE'LL SEE IT AGAIN WITHIN A MONTH AND THEN THE BOARDS WILL SEE IT FOLLOWING THAT. GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHEN THIS THING COULD BE APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL. UM, WELL, SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, UM, NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET BY CODE AND BY STATE LAW. SOME OF THEM ARE 15 DAYS, I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE 30 DAYS, UH, FOR COUNCIL. SO, UH, IN REALITY IF WE GO THROUGH TODAY, WE COULD SEE THIS, UH, THE, THE NEXT MARCH. MARCH, YEAH. AND WE COULD SEE THIS IN MARCH. UH, SO ANTICIPATE LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER THAT IT COULD BE ADOPTED. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER HEWITT, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M NOT CLEAR ON IS, IS THE GREATEST CONCERN THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE, THE USE OF THE HOUSE FOR THE AESTHETICS OF THE HOUSE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE HOUSES, COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD? I'M NOT CLEAR IF ANY ONE OF, IF THERE'S A PRIORITY IN TERMS OF AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER. UH, UH, HEWITT DID SEND A QUESTION ABOUT THE TWO AND A HALF STORIES, SO I'LL KIND OF PARLAY THAT INTO THIS, THE ANSWER TO THIS RESPONSE AS WELL. UM, MAINLY IT IS A MASS IN SCALE ISSUE. UM, WITH THE CHARACTER BEING ONE STORY, RANCH HOMES, [00:35:01] TWO STORIES WITH A SIDE LOADED GARAGE. THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT'S BEEN IN THIS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN THE, IN THE FIFTIES. UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS FLOOD REGULATIONS HAVE CHANGED. PEOPLE WANT THAT FINISHED OR THAT UNFINISHED GARAGE, UH, UNDERNEATH, AND THEN TWO STORIES ABOVE WHICH CREATE THESE ALMOST CHARLESTON STYLE HOMES. THEY'RE KIND OF OUT OF CHARACTER WITH WHAT WAS INITIALLY BUILT IN, IN THERE. UM, AND THEN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE STORIES, RIGHT NOW, OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE DOES NOT DEFINE A STORY OR HALF STORY. UH, THE NEW LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, UH, MAY. SO AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THAT, UH, WE COULD SEE THAT BECOME IN THERE. SO IN THIS ONE, IN THIS AMENDMENT, WE ALL, WE HAVE OUR HEIGHT RESTRICTION NOW ADDED IN, WHICH IS A NET REDUCTION IN FIVE FEET FROM WHAT THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT ALLOWS. AND THEN AT THE TWO AND A HALF STORIES, THEY'VE TAKEN IT ABOVE WHAT YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST SAYING IT'S GOTTA BE TWO AND A HALF STORIES. AND THEY'VE GIVEN THE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS THAT IT HAS TO MEET TO, TO MEET THAT TWO AND A HALF STORY. SO IT'S EASY TO ADMINISTER WHEN WE HAVE THE CODE IN FRONT OF US TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS, THIS MEETS THE DESIGN CRITERIA, THE TWO AND A HALF STORIES, OR DOESN'T MEET THAT UNTIL WE DEFINITIVELY GO IN AND, AND ADD STORIES IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE. SO WAS THERE A CONSIDERATION OF WHAT THE LIVING SPACE WOULD BE? UM, IF SOMEONE STILL DECIDED TO PUT THE GARAGE BELOW THE LIVING SPACE? IT WOULD STILL, SO IT'D STILL HAVE TO, IT HAS TO MEET THE TWO AND A HALF STORY REQUIREMENT, 30 FOOT OR 30 FEET IN HEIGHT REQUIREMENT. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IN THE, ALRIGHT, WHERE ARE WE AT HERE? I GUESS MY QUESTION IS GOING TO STOP RIGHT HERE. SO THIS IS WHERE WE ELIMINATED EXACTLY THAT. SO THAT WOULD NOW BE PART OF THE 3,200 SQUARE FEET. OKAY. SO YOU, YOU APPROXIMATELY EAT INTO THE FLOOR AREA RATIO WITH THE GARAGE SPACE? IF I, IF A PERSON WERE TO BUILD IT UNDERNEATH THE LIVING SPACE? CORRECT. OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? OKAY. UM, SO WE HAVEN'T HEARD, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE NOTE IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU. ABSOLUTELY. SO WITH REGARD TO THE SCHEDULE, UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO, HI, UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. I'VE SPOKEN, UH, WITH MAYOR PERRY AND WITH OUR TOWN MANAGER, MARK ORLANDO. AND SINCE, UM, THIS MATTER HAS COME BEFORE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE NOW TWICE, I BELIEVE, AND WE HAVE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED IT, IT WILL NOT HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK THROUGH US AGAIN. SO THAT WILL HELP WITH REDUCING THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT'LL TAKE TO GET IT FINALIZED. I HOPE THAT HELPS. THANKS. SO THEN WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US, IF IT COMES BACK TO US IN MARCH, THEN IT WOULD GO DIRECTLY IF WE APPROVE IT, GO TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR FIRST READING, SECOND READING, AND THEN IT'S CORRECT, BLESSED. CORRECT. OKAY. UM, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPPOSITION OR WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM ANY OPPOSITION FROM WHAT WE KNOW, THERE IS NO OPPOSITION ALL PLAYED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. SO THE, THE TWO, THE THE TWO CONSIDERATIONS THAT I, I WOULD SUSPECT A POTENTIAL OPPONENT TO HAVE WOULD BE, UM, REDUCING THE MAXIMUM FLUOR AREA RATIO FROM 4,000 TO 3,200 SQUARE FEET. IS THAT TAKING SOMETHING THAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE? HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE? AND THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE MAXIMUM HEIGHT GOING FROM 35 TO 30 FEET. UM, AGAIN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAD I BOUGHT A, A VACANT LOT EXPECTING THAT I COULD, UM, BUILD THE 35 FEET AND NOW I CAN'T. UM, IS, IS THAT, IS THAT AN ISSUE THAT, THAT WE MIGHT MAYBE NOT THIS, BUT HAVE TO FACE IN THE FUTURE? I WANT, I WANT, UH, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO WHAT'S ALREADY THERE, BUT THERE IS NO OPPOSITION HERE TO SAY THAT IT IS TAKING AWAY THEIR PROPERTY RIGHT AS IT IS RIGHT NOW. SO THEREFORE I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION DEFINITIVELY THAT THERE ARE SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT IT MAY, UH, MAY FIND THIS AN OFFENSIVE CHANGE TO THEIR CURRENT PROPERTY RIGHTS. OKAY. THERE ARE NO VACANT LOTS. YEAH, THERE ARE NO VACANT LOTS, JUST SO YOU KNOW. OKAY. IT WOULD AFFECT ABOUT POTENTIAL REMODELS [00:40:01] OR TEAR DOTS OR TEAR KNOTS. OKAY. UH, ANYTHING ELSE THOSE, DO YOU KNOW, HAS THE TOWN MANAGER, I, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM EARLIER IS THAT THE TOWN MANAGER OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN INITIATE THIS. CORRECT. HAS THE TOWN MANAGER DEFERRED OR DECLINED OR DO YOU KNOW, HAS HE BEEN PRESENTED? HE IS AWARE THAT THIS IS, IS GOING THROUGH HOWEVER IS TI IT'S NOT TYPICAL FOR US TO TAKE THIS OR TYPE OF TEXT AMENDMENT. UH, WHEN IT'S CITIZEN DRIVEN FOR THE TOWN MANAGER, IT'S TYPICAL. WE TAKE IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEIR SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, HEARING NO OTHER QUESTIONS, CAN, UH, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO, UM, PRESENT A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PROCEED WITH ALLOWING THE TOWN TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THIS AS PRESENTED. DO HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER LEAL FIRST AND SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OPPOSED. ALRIGHT, PASS UNANIMOUSLY. AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AT THIS POINT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY NON AGENDA ITEM? UH, COMMENTS, SEEING NONE, UM, COMMISSION BUSINESS? UH, WE HAVE NONE TODAY. CHAIRMAN'S [9. Chairman's Report] REPORT. FIRST I'D LIKE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER HEWITT AND COMMISSIONER LOBALL FOR BEING, UH, SELECTED TO THE GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE. CONGRATULATIONS. I KNOW YOU'LL REPRESENT US AND THE TOWN WELL ON THAT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, THE OTHER THING IS I HAVE BEEN, UH, ASSIGNED TO THE NEW LMO TASK FORCE BECAUSE OF MY, UM, POSITION HERE AS CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. UH, WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M, I'M ON THAT, UM, TASK FORCE TO REPRESENT ALL OF YOU. SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND WE'D CERTAINLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS, UH, AS YOU'D LIKE. AND, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE INFORMATION, UH, INFORMATION SOURCE FOR THAT. AND FOR THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MICHELLE. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, CHAIRMAN HENS. COMMISSIONERS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MICHELLE MEER FOR THE RECORD. I AM HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE, UM, A WEBSITE ON OUR TOWN PAGE, SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO THE LMO TASK FORCE. IT'S GONNA BE VERY PUBLIC FACING, HELPING THE PUBLIC NAVIGATE THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, PROVIDING THEM WITH RESOURCES AND THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH OUR TASK FORCE MEETINGS. SO, UH, REAL QUICK, JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION. HERE'S OUR HOMEPAGE. YOU CAN FIND THE TASK FORCE PAGE IF YOU SCROLL DOWN AND CLICK ON THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TASK FORCE TAB HERE. CLICKING ON LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LMO TASK FORCE, OR A SECONDARY WAY IS GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT TAB AT THE TOP AND NAVIGATING OVER TO THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TASK FORCE. UH, IMMEDIATELY YOU'LL SEE A BRIEF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. YOU'LL SEE THE STAFF CONTACT OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, ZACH GORDON HERE AND HIS CONTACT INFORMATION. AND THEN YOU WILL ALSO, UM, UPON SCROLLING DOWN, SEE THE MEETING DATES BELOW. IF THE PUBLIC WERE INTERESTED IN DIGESTING SOME OF THOSE MEETING MATERIALS IN ADVANCE, THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE IF YOU CLICK ON THE BLUE BANNER INDICATING THE MEETING DATE, WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND THE AGENDAS AND MEETING MATERIALS, PRESENTATIONS, ET CETERA. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT EACH MEETING WILL RUN FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM THERE WILL BE DE DESIGNATED PUBLIC COMMENT TIME DURING THE MEETINGS. UM, THAT'LL BE ESTABLISHED AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE ONSET OF THE MEETING. UH, YOU CAN ALSO NAVIGATE TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND VIEW THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE, WHICH ARE ALL LISTED HERE BY NAME. WE HAVE 21, UM, MEMBERS HERE AND RESOURCES, WHICH I THINK IS GONNA BE THE MOST VALUABLE COMPONENT OF THIS PAGE. UH, WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY A LINK TO OUR LAND MANAGE, OUR CURRENT LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, UM, OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE LMO TASK FORCE. I'M GONNA GO BACK ONE MORE PAGE BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT I FOUND VERY HELPFUL, UM, TO BE CENTRALIZED ON THIS PAGE. AND THAT IS UNDER RELATED PAGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS PLAN. THIS TAKES YOU TO A SITE WHERE, UM, OR A PAGE WHERE OUR PRESENTATION FROM SEPTEMBER, 2024 IS MADE AVAILABLE, [00:45:01] A VIDEO TO THAT ENTIRE WORKSHOP KICKING THINGS OFF AND REALLY ESTABLISHING THE NEED FOR AMENDMENTS TO SOME OF, UM, THE LMO PRIORITY AMENDMENTS THAT WERE CHERRY PICKED TO ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING, UM, BEFORE WE ADVANCE THIS LMO REWRITE. AND THOSE RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND, UM, AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SECTION. YOU CAN REVIEW THAT PRESENTATION HERE, THE WORKSHOP, AND ALL OF THOSE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS. UH, LASTLY, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING A PUBLIC COMMENT, I WOULD DIRECT YOU TO THE, UM, PAGE WHERE YOU CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK AND YOU CAN DESIGNATE, UH, THE MEETING WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TALK, SUBMIT YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, ALL OF THE DETAILS PERTAINING, AND THEN SUBMITTING THAT COMMENT FORM. SO WE ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO GET ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. UM, AGAIN, THE 21 MEMBERS OF THIS TASK FORCE, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG GROUP THAT HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED AND WE'RE EXCITED TO WORK WITH THEM. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HENS FOR BEING A PART OF THAT GROUP. AND, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT THESE MEETINGS WILL END AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. SO , ANY QUESTIONS FOR MICHELLE? YEP. UH, FOR EITHER MICHELLE OR COMMISSIONER HENS, DO YOU KNOW YET WHAT THE IMPACTS WILL BE IN TERMS OF HOW LMO WILL BE DELIVERED TO THIS COMMISSION FOR THE FIRST VOTE? IS IT, IS IT IMPACTING SCHEDULE? IS IT IMPACTING HOW YOU'RE GONNA BREAK IT UP? ANY OF THAT KNOWN YET? WELL, WE'LL COME HERE FOR A VOTE. WE, WE, I KNOW THAT. YEAH. AND NOT, NOT SURE WHEN, UH, YOU ASKING FOR A TIMEFRAME. NO. UM, IS THIS GOING TO CHANGE THE PROCESS OR THE WAY IT'S DONE? ARE WE GONNA, IS THERE, TALK ABOUT BREAKING IT UP INTO COMPONENTS TO BRING FORWARD. HAS ANY OF THAT BEEN DISCUSSED YET? I KNOW THAT THE TASK FORCE WILL BE, UM, GOING THROUGH CHAPTER BY CHAPTER ALL OF THE DRAFT CODE, THE PATH TO ADOPTION. UH, WE'RE AIMING FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, AND I THINK THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE ESTABLISHING WITH THE TASK FORCE ARE GOING TO DIRECT A LOT OF THAT. SO THE PROGRESS THAT'S MADE AT THOSE MEETINGS, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, IT, IT WILL ALL DICTATE THE, THE PATH FORWARD TO ADOPTION. BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WITH THE GROUP ASSEMBLED AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, IT WILL BE AN EFFICIENT, UH, PROCESS. MEET HERE. UH, YES, WE'LL MEET HERE. YEP. 21 PEOPLE PLUS AUDIENCE. YEAH. ALL OF YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. YEP. COMMISSIONER WILLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST FOLLOW UP ON MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER'S QUESTION. SO THE SAME THING HAS GONE THROUGH MY HEAD. THIS IS GONNA BE A LOT OF MATERIAL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS ENGAGED EVEN IF WE SHOW UP IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, TO THE, OR THE STRUGGLE THAT WILL HAPPEN, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. THE PROCESS. SO I THINK IT'S FAIR FOR US WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE EXPECTED TO ALL OF A SUDDEN AT THE END SEE A BOOK AND HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO ANSWER THAT. THAT'S SORT OF LIKE A RHETORICAL QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED. UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I'VE CHATTED WITH, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER HENS AND SHAY, AND I DON'T THINK I'VE, I MENTIONED IT, I DON'T THINK TREY WAS AT THE LAST MEETING, IS, UH, WE'VE COMMITTED TO DISTRICT PLANS, CORRECT? CORRECT. WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS. WELL, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE FOR DISTRICT PLANS IS YET? WE ARE IN THE FINAL EDITING STAGES. UH, BUT THE DISTRICT PLAN ADOPTION THAT WILL BE SEPARATE FROM THIS. SO THIS WILL NOT BE A COMPONENT OF THE LMO TASK FORCE'S CHARGE, BUT IT WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE LMO TASK FORCE IS COMING TO THEIR CONCLUSION SINCE IT PROVIDES THE CONTEXT OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? THAT'S A FAIR STATEMENT. THE DISTRICT PLANS WILL BE FINALIZED BEFORE THE LMO TASK FORCE IS COMPLETE. THANK YOU FOR THAT SEGUE. UH, MICHELLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. UM, THE LAST ITEM ON [10. Staff Reports] THE AGENDA IS STAFF REPORTS. UH, DISTRICT'S UPDATE, UH, SHAY GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, WELL THAT'S THE MAIN PART OF THE UPDATE, UM, IS THAT YOU CAN EXPECT THE DISTRICT PLANS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WE ARE, UM, IN THE PROCESS. AS YOU RECALL, WE HAD THE PUBLIC MEETING SERIES, UM, BACK FROM JANUARY THROUGH MARCH. UM, WITH YOU ALL AS INTEGRAL TO THAT. UM, WE ARE PLANNING OUT A PROCESS FOR BRINGING THOSE PLANS THAT ARE NEARLY DRAFTED TO COMPLETION [00:50:01] BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC. UM, THAT PRO THAT THAT PROCESS IS STILL BEING REFINED. UM, BUT IT WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. UM, SO YOU WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. UM, BUT AS MICHELLE NOTED, THE WE ARE EXPECTING THAT DISTRICTS ARE COMPLETED AND ARE BEING FED INTO THE CHANGES MADE TO THE LMO AS THEY SHOULD. THANK YOU, SHAY. AND WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY. THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA. TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE. SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY. THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT. IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY. BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KAISER LING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON. AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN. HARRIET KLIN WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORD COUNTY. WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO BACK THERE ON WEST STREET. AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES. YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE. COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY. THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FORESTS. THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES. ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS. I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED. I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WAS LOOKING FOR A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE SO THERE AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY. COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN. I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT. UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY. INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT YACHT TYPE BOAT. AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BE COUNTY [00:55:01] LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH. SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL. THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE. HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.