[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER LAND MANAGE MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, TASK FORCE MEETING THURSDAY, MAY 21ST, UH, 2026.
UM, REGULAR MEETINGS, UH, MANY MEETING MINUTES FOR MARCH 26TH.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND REAPPROVE THESE BECAUSE WE HAD A CHANGE.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SECOND
A, UH, ITEM B THREE B, REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF OUR LAST MEETING.
SO, UH, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BUT FIRST, THERE WAS A REQUEST LAST WEEK THAT OUR LAST MEETING THAT WE WOULD DO A RUNDOWN, HAVE A RUNDOWN OF WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR WITH OUR TASK FORCE AND OUR TOWN MANAGER, MARK ORLANDO, IS GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN.
UM, WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TASK FORCE AND TO EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, BUT, BUT ALSO ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE APPEARED AND GIVEN, UM, SOME FEEDBACK AND SOME DIRECTION TO DATE.
WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS MORE OR LESS SINCE JANUARY.
UM, FOUR, FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS, PROBABLY FOUR, FOUR TOTAL MONTHS, A BUNCH OF MEETINGS.
UM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF TOPICS AND WHAT I CALL AS IT, IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT I THINK A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO I WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT AT LEAST I UNDERSTOOD ALONG WITH TREY.
TREY AND I HAVE COMPARED A LOT OF NOTES ON THIS AND, AND, AND HAVE, AND HAVE TALKED WITH, UH, CHAIR DE SIMONE AS WELL.
THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS ARE THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE THAT HAVE BECOME A PRIORITY, UM, REALLY BECAUSE OF THE CONSENSUS IN THE ROOM AND THE CLEAR DIRECTIVE IN THE ROOM.
I THINK IT IS VERY, UH, MUCH SOME URGENT MATTERS THAT WE CAN GET TO QUICK AND EASY AND BUILD SOME MOMENTUM AS WE, AS WE CONTINUE TO REFINE THE LMO.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TALK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING BASED UPON YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, ALSO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT, WHAT ISN'T BEING PUSHED DOWN THE ROAD.
JUST PUT ON HOLD FOR A LITTLE BIT WHILE WE WRITE THE CODE ON, ON THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.
SO WE WETLAND PROTECTIONS, WHILE NO POLL WAS TAKEN, THE TASK FORCE PROVIDED DIRECTION TO REPLACE WETLAND BUFFER AVERAGING WITH FIXED MINIMUM BUFFERS FOR MORE PREDICTABLE WETLAND PROTECTION STANDARDS.
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A, A MAJOR TASK.
IT SOMETIMES SEEMS SIMPLE, BUT IT DOES AFFECT IT, IT AFFECTS EXISTING PROPERTY AND IT AFFECTS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO WE APPRECIATED THAT NO POLL WAS TAKEN, BUT WE HAD SOME, SOME FEEDBACK AND YOU ALSO PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK TO FURTHER EVALUATE AND REFINE THE WETLAND MITIGATION AND WETLAND BANKING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO GO OFF AND, AND, AND WORK ON THAT TREE PROTECTION.
AGAIN, NO POLL WAS TAKEN, BUT THERE WAS STRONG SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN TREE PROTECTION STANDARDS AND REMOVE ONE SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISION EXEMPTIONS FROM TREE COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS.
AND, AND WHAT I BELIEVE THE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN FIGURE OUT AS A COMMUNITY PHASE CLEARING, AND WHEN YOU REMOVE A TREE, THAT THOSE FINDINGS ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THE BROADER USE OF TREE MITIGATION FUNDS BE ALLOWED.
AND THAT WE, WE LOOK, LOOK AT A TREE BOND ALSO AS A REQUIREMENT.
BUT WHEN WE TALKED, WE TALKED ABOUT PHASED CLEARING AT TIME OF PERMIT, RIGHT AT TIME OF SUBDIVISION, AT TIME OF C, CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE, I SHOULD SAY.
AND A TIME OF BUILDING PERMIT THAT WILL, THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE CLEAR CUTTING OF MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS LIKE WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS, RIGHT? I DON'T WANT TO JUST THINK THAT THE ONE PROJECT ON THE CORNER OF JONESVILLE AND SPANISH WELLS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT A DEVELOPER, A BUILDER, AN INVESTOR HAS DONE THAT.
[00:05:01]
OF OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO DO THAT.JONESVILLE ROAD, THE TASK FORCE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE JONESVILLE AREA AND, AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY GAVE US DIRECTION THAT THE AREA SHOULD REFLECT IT.
ITS EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER AS YOU POLLED, APPROXIMATELY 60% SUPPORTED A LOWER INTENSITY ZONING DISTRICT.
SIMILAR TO THE R SF FOUR, WE TALKED ABOUT 4, 6, 8 UNITS AN ACRE, ALSO, 85% SUPPORTED RETAINING THE ABILITY TO HAVE MULTIPLE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING UNITS ON ONE PARCEL AT THAT FOUR PER CALCULATION, BUT EXCLUDING LARGER ANY APARTMENT, CONDO, ANY, ANY, AS WE KNOW MULTIFAMILY USES.
SO FOR CLARITY THAT JONESVILLE AREA R SF FOUR SINGLE FAMILY AND REFLECT THE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY CHARACTER ADDED TO IT, THE TREE REMOVAL AND, AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER STANDARDS.
BRADLEY CIRCLE, SIMILAR TASK FORCE SUPPORTED MAINTAINING THE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY CHARACTER.
AND, AND AS, AND AS YOU POLLED APPROXIMATELY 82% SUPPORTED REMOVAL OF MULTIFAMILY FROM REZONING AND, EXCUSE ME, AND REZONING FROM RM EIGHT TO A NEW RSF EIGHT DISTRICT SUBDIVISION AND LARGE TRACT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
WE TALKED, I THINK ONE COMMENT WAS OF COURSE, BUT I THINK IT'S A BIG POLICY CHANGE WHEN WE ARE HAVING MUCH MORE STRICT STANDARDS ON SUBDIVISIONS.
SO YOU SUPPORTED REORGANIZING THE SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY AND ALIGNMENT WITH ZONING INTENT.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE, UH, THE GOOD FEEDBACK AND, AND THE WORK WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED INTO IS THAT IT, IT ALSO YOU SUPPORTED PROVIDING SUCH GREATER AUTHORITY TO STAFF AS THEY REVIEWED SUBDIVISIONS.
AND WE WILL BRING IN THE FUTURE AS THE, AS THE CODE GETS WRITTEN, WE WILL RECOMMEND THAT ALL MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS ARE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION AND AS WELL AS DRB FOR, FOR STRUCTURE TYPE AND DESIGN.
UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUBDIVISION AND LARGE TRACT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT REGS, IT'S THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LAYOUT, THE DESIGN, RIGHT? THE, THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE PARCELS, THE LOTS, THE STREET, THE BUILDING TYPOLOGIES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION STANDARDS, WETLAND PROTECTION, BEACH DUNE PROTECTION, HABITAT, NATURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT, DOCUMENTATION AND PRESERVATION PLANS, TREE PROTECTION GRADING AND CLEARING BUFFERS AND LANDSCAPING.
AND THEN ALSO SOME IMPROVED COMMON OPEN SPACE STANDARDS.
REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THE PAST OPEN SPACE PROVISIONS DIDN'T FORCE COMMON OPEN SPACE, BUT JUST CALCULATED OPEN SPACE.
SO AS WE, AS WE AMEND WE'LL, WE'LL IMPROVE, IMPROVE, UM, STREETS, PATHS, A REQUIREMENT OF PATHWAYS, A REQUIREMENT OF SIDEWALKS, IF THERE'S A SIDEWALK ON THE EXTERIOR, A REQUIREMENT TO IT, DRIVEWAYS, PARKING, AND A LOT OF THOSE DESIGN STANDARDS WHERE, AND HOW A TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS IS ASSESSED AND, AND, AND WHAT THAT THRESHOLD IS.
THAT'S ALREADY, THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT IT PER, THAT IT, THAT IT PREVAILS, UM, AND, AND IS REQUIRED DURING MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS AND LARGE TRACT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
STORM WATER, FIRE CODE, FLOOD ZONES, ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS, STORM WATER, UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE WILL, THE, THE, THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORK, THE HEAVY LIFT WILL BE MUCH, MUCH ENHANCED SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS.
SO THAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THE PRIORITY ONE THINGS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE COMPLETE CLARITY ON, AND THAT WE STILL HAVE TO DO SOME WORK.
AND I WILL SAY WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, WORK WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL, WORK WITH SOME PUBLIC INPUT, THE RESORT ZONING DISTRICT, THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT, THE MITCHELLVILLE ZONING DISTRICT, THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT.
WE TALKED LAST, I THINK IT WAS LAST MEETING OR ONE BEFORE, JUST HOW LARGE THAT RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT IS AND THE FEEDBACK ON LAND USE DENSITY DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT REGS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
SO I WILL CALL THAT, THAT, THAT GROUP OF WORK, PHASE TWO, ALTHOUGH WE'RE PROBABLY IN THE SIX PHASES OF CODE AMENDMENTS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, SOME NEXT STEPS ON, ON THE FIRST TRANCHE, THE TREES, THE WETLANDS, THE JONESVILLE ROAD, THE BRADLEY CIRCLE, AND THE SUBDIVISION IN LARGE TRACT.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO WORK FOR THE NEXT 60 DAYS.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS BLOCKED OFF NEXT WORK
[00:10:01]
NEXT WEEK TO WORK WITH TREY SEAN LEININGER CAME BACK TO WORK.LET THAT BE THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.
OUR DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER, WHO IS A, A VISIONARY AND VERY CAPABLE IN THIS WORK, UM, HE, HE IS BACK, UM, FROM, FROM A, A LONG DELAY BEING HERE.
HE AND I AND TREY, UH, WILL START SCOPING AND, AND, AND IMPLEMENTING A LOT OF THE, WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
UM, ONCE WE HAVE THE CODE WRITTEN, WE'RE COMING RIGHT BACK IN HERE, I'D IMAGINE ABOUT 60 DAYS FROM NOW.
SO I'M GONNA SAY LATE JULY AND AUGUST, DEPENDING ON SCHEDULES, UM, TO SHOW YOU AND PROPOSE TO YOU THE, THE CODE AS DRAFTED IN THE FRAMEWORK.
I JUST SUGGESTED, UM, TO TALK TO YOU THROUGH IT, TO TALK THROUGH AN EXEC SUMMARY TO SHOW YOU THE CODE ITSELF.
I THINK THE EXEC SUMMARY IS GONNA BE WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN HERE, BUT ATTACH THE CODE, WE WILL BRING THAT TO YOU AND WE'LL GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND WE WILL ASK FOR YOUR CONSENSUS AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
AND THEN AFTER OUR WORK IN HERE, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE, I WOULD IMAGINE SEPTEMBER PLANNING COMMISSION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE, MS. BECKER'S COMMITTEE WHERE, WHERE SHE CHAIRS AND THEN TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDERATION VIA ORDINANCE, WHICH ARE TWO READINGS.
AND SOMEBODY ASKED ME A REALLY GOOD QUESTION TODAY, WHAT, IF NOT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH WHAT YOU SAY? AND I SAID, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT I THINK ARE VERY CLEAR POLICY CHANGES AS IT PERTAINS TO DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? I I CALL IT THE STUFF THAT WE LOOK OVER OUR SHOULDER ON, WONDERING IF A NEW SUBDIVISION'S GOING TO COME IN AND THE OLD STANDARD'S GOING TO PREVAIL.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE GET THAT WORK DONE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF DISCONNECT BETWEEN PLANNING COMMISSION AND TOWN COUNCIL, RIGHT? THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL ON, ON SOME OF THAT GROWTH AND THAT MANAGED SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENT PROVISION.
AND THEN WHEN WE GET THROUGH THAT, WE CAN START WORKING ON SOME OF THE OTHER WORK I JUST MENTIONED.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, I CLARIFY WE'RE NOT IGNORING AND, AND CHAIR, CHAIR, STEVE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE, THE ROOM IS CLEAR ON, ON FIRST ROUND OF EDITS AND THEN WHERE WE GO FROM HERE ON SOME OF THAT OTHER WORK.
I MEAN, THE COUNCIL'S, UH, GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING WE PUT INTO THIS AND, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY BEHIND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND, AND PUSHING IT FORWARD THROUGH DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND, UH, LISTENING TO WHAT EVERYONE HAS TO SAY.
UH, BUT WE, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THE STAFF'S DONE, EVERYONE IN THE COMMITTEE, WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO GET US TO THIS POINT AT THIS TIME.
BUT WE'RE BE, WE'RE BEHIND THIS IN FORCE.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS, AND REALLY IT'S ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT IT HAS ON SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IN THE FOREST BEACH AREA AND IN THE JONESVILLE AREA.
THERE WAS, UH, JUST WANNA GET THIS OUT FRONT.
THERE WAS A LETTER THAT WENT OUT WITH SOME BAD INFORMATION AND IT PROMPTED A LOT OF COMMENT.
IT PROMPTED A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, A LOT OF EMAILS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN.
UM, IT WAS NOT, IT'S NOT THE INTENT OF THE TOWN, UH, IT WAS NOT UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE TOWN AND THE INFORMATION, IT WAS JUST FALSE.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MUCH INPUT, WE NOW FEEL THAT WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT DISCUSSION, UM, IN OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.
AND, UH, SO THE LETTER THAT WENT OUT, AND SOME OF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, IT WAS THE TOWN WAS TRYING TO ELIMINATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND, UM, I, FOR ONE, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS DISCUSSION AT ALL OF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT ELIMINATING SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UH, SO, UM, IF SOMEONE FEELS DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THAT, I'M SURE WE'LL HEAR IT TONIGHT IN OUR DISCUSSION, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S CHANGED THE WAY WE'RE GONNA GONNA END THE MEETING.
AND, UM, AND DENISE WILL, WILL POSE A QUESTION AND IT'LL ALL BE AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE THINK WE SHOULD HEAD AND HOW SHOULD WE FIX SOME OF THE, UH, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS DUE TO SHORT TERM RENTAL IMPACT.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BY THE WAY, THE LETTER ALSO WENT OUT TO EVERYONE APPARENTLY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MULTIFAMILY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, TREY, BEFORE, BEFORE YOU DO, JUST SINCE YOU, UM, SAID IF YOU FEEL DIFFERENTLY, I DO NOT FEEL DIFFERENTLY.
THIS IS NOT, THERE IS NO CONVERSATION ABOUT ELIMINATING SHORT TERM RENTALS
[00:15:01]
AND I WOULD BE AGAINST IT IF THERE WERE, I HAVE NOT PROPOSED GETTING RID OF SHORT TERM RENTALS AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE LETTER THAT WENT OUT.SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT, UM, WELL I HAVEN'T, THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE ACTUAL LETTER, BUT THE LETTER THAT WENT OUT HAS, WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF EMAILS ON AND IT'S DISCUSSED THE LETTER AND WHAT WAS IN THE LETTER.
SO I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY SEEN THE ACTUAL LETTER EITHER, EITHER.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE PROPOSED IN THAT LETTER IS NOT THE VIEW OF THIS TOWN COUNCIL AT THIS, AT THIS TIME.
UH, YOU READY, TREY? I'M READY.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UM, AGAIN, TONIGHT'S DISCUSSIONS FOCUSING ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS, UH, CAN EVERYBODY HEAR COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS ST.
UH, AND WHETHER ADDITIONAL LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE CONSIDERATIONS MAY BE WARRANTED IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL AREA AREAS OF THE ISLAND.
AND, AND TO ELABORATE ON WHAT CHAIRMAN DEAMON, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT, THIS DISCUSSION ONLY FOCUSES ON THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH.
IN THE R SF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF MAINLY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THERE IS ONE OUTCROP OF SOME MULTIFAMILY ON THOSE, THOSE ARE NOT PART OF THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
UH, ALSO JONESVILLE ROAD, THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ALONG JONESVILLE ROAD AND ACCESS OFF OF JONESVILLE ROAD IN THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT.
UM, SO WE'LL GO OVER THE, THE STAFF MEMO, WHICH STARTS ON PAGE 10 OF 27 IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG, UH, IN YOUR BINDER.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL, UH, TRANSITION INTO OUR ATTACHMENTS, WHICH START ON 18 OF 27 IN YOUR BINDER.
SO AT A HIGH LEVEL, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS TO INTENDED TO SEPARATE TWO DIFFERENT CONCEPTS THAT ARE OFTEN TOGETHER.
OPERATIONAL REGULATION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ADDRESSED THROUGH THE TOWN'S MUNICIPAL CODE AND ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, AND LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY ADDRESSED THROUGH ZONING AND A LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
THE CURRENT STR ORDINANCE ALREADY CONTAINS EXTENSIVE OPERATIONAL REGULATIONS, WHICH WE'LL GO OVER RELATED TO PERMITTING, PARKING, OCCUPANCY, TRASH, NOISE INSPECTIONS, ENFORCEMENT, AND LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
HOWEVER, THE LARGER POLICY QUESTION TONIGHT IS WHETHER THERE ARE CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHERE THE CONCENTRATION OF STR ACTIVITY DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT INTENSITY, OCCUPANCY CAPABLE DESIGN, PARKING DEMAND, AND NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE IMPACTS MAY WARRANT ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION REGARDING LAND USE COMPATIBILITY, NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND COM AND FUTURE CONCENTRATION PATTERNS.
TONIGHT'S REVIEW FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST FE TRIBE WITHIN THE RSF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT AGAINST SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND THE JONESVILLE ROAD AREA WITHIN THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT.
UH, THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A POLICY DISCUSSION AND STAFF SEEKING DIRECTION FROM THE TASK FORCE REGARDING WHETHER ADDITIONAL LMO REVIEW SHOULD OCCUR.
ALL RIGHT, SO TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION'S GONNA BE DIVIDED, AND THE THREE MAIN PARTS FIRST IS GONNA BE OUR ISLAND WIDE CONTEXT AS FAR AS SHORT TERM RENTALS GO.
UH, SECOND WE'LL MOVE INTO THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE FOR S ST WITHIN THE SRSF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT.
AND THIRD, WE'LL TRANSITION OVER INTO ZONE JONESVILLE ROAD AREA WITHIN THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT, UH, WHICH PRE IT PRESENTS A A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONTEXT IN POLICY DISCUSSION, WHICH WE'LL GET TO.
SO AGAIN, THIS ISLAND WIDE CONTEXT, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE CURRENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
IT'S CURRENTLY REGULATED THROUGH TITLE 10, CHAPTER TWO OF OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND THESE REGULATIONS APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES RENTED FOR PERIODS OF LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
AND EACH SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN NOT ONLY A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT, BUT ALSO A BUSINESS LICENSE.
THE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TONIGHT IS THAT THE CURRENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE PRIMARILY REGULATES OPERATIONS, CONDUCT PERMITTING AND ENFORCEMENT.
IT DOES NOT DIRECTLY REGULATE LAND USE CONCENTRATION, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY, REDEVELOPMENT INTENSITY, OR CUMULATIVE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS THROUGH THE LMO.
SO THIS IS OUR NEW SHORT TERM RENTAL ONE
[00:20:01]
PAGER THAT'S COME OUT.AND THE SLIDE BASICALLY SUMMARIZES, INCLUDES OUR ANNUAL PERMITS, PARKING LIMITATIONS, SITE PLANS, GUEST NOTICES, NOISE REQUIREMENTS, INSPECTIONS, OCCUPANCY ENFORCEMENT, AND LIFE SAFETY REGULATIONS.
THE TOWN ALSO MAINTAINS A 24 7 SHORT-TERM RENTAL RAPID RESPONSE HOTLINE THAT'S FIELDED BY THE TOWN'S DISPATCH CENTER, WHICH IS NEW, UH, DEDICATED SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UH, ENFORCEMENT STAFF, WHICH WE'VE JUST HIRED AND ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.
SO OPERATIONALLY, THE TOWN ALREADY HAS FAIRLY EXTENSIVE STR ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM IN PLACE.
ALRIGHT, SO SOME OF THE ALLEN ISLAND WIDE CONTEXT.
SO ISLAND WIDE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 7,300 ACTIVE STR PERMITS.
THAT'S APPROXIMATELY ONE IN FIVE RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON, ON THE ISLAND CURRENTLY CONTAIN AN ACTIVE STR PERMIT.
SOME AREAS ARE, HOWEVER, S SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED EVENLY ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON OUR MAP, THEY'RE PRIMARILY ON YOUR BEACH ORIENTED AND RESORT ORIENTED PROPERTIES.
UH, SOME AREAS CONTAIN VERY LOW CONCENTRATIONS WHILE OTHERS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
AND SEASONAL OCCUPANCY INTENSITY IS MUCH HIGHER IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
THAT DISTRIBUTION PATTERN BECOMES RELEVANT WHEN DISCUSSING ZONING, NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER REDEVELOPMENT, AND LONG TERM LAND USE PLANNING.
OKAY, SO WE'LL TRANSITION OVER TO OUR ST ON THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE AND THE RSF ZONING DISTRICT.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW TODAY IS TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF SINGLE FAMILY SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON THE LANDLORD SIDE OF FOREST BEACH OVER TIME.
SO FIRST WE WANNA START WITH THE PURPOSE, WHICH IS PART OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS FOR THE R SF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PORTION OR PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS DISCUSS THE IMPACTS ON OF SINGLE FAMILY ST ON THE LANDLORD SIDE.
UM, GET INTO MY PURPOSE STATEMENT HERE.
SO THIS, THIS DISTRICT IS INTENDED PRIMARILY FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AT DENSITIES UP TO FIVE UNITS PER ACRE.
WHILE DISCOURAGING USES THAT INTERFERE WITH THE QUIET RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD OR NATURE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, PURPOSE STATEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HELP ESTABLISH THE POLICY INTENT BEHIND THE ZONING DISTRICT.
THAT'S GONNA LEAD US INTO OUR ALLOWABLE PRINCIPAL USE TABLE FOR THE RSF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PRI THE PRIMARY, THE PRIMARY UH, USE IS STRUCTURED AROUND RESIDENTIAL SINGLE FAMILY.
THE, OUR STR THEMSELVES ARE NOT SEPARATELY IDENTIFIED AS A USE WITHIN THE, UH, WITHIN THE LMO AND INSTEAD, STR ACTIVITY GENERALLY OCCURS WITHIN HOMES ORIGINALLY APPROVED AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES.
AND THEN JUST FOR CONTEXT, THESE ARE THE DEVELOPMENT FORM STANDARDS IN THE LMO FIVE DWELLING U UNITS PER ACRE FOR RESIDENTIAL 6,000, UH, GR SQUARE FEET OF GROSS FLOOR AREA.
FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL, WE HAVE A 35 FOOT MAXIMUM HEIGHT, UH, 35 FOOT OR 35% MAXIMUM PERVIOUS COVERAGE, WHICH SINGLE FAMILY IS EXEMPT FROM.
AND MINIMUM COMMON OPEN SPACE FOR MAJOR RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS OF 16%.
SO RSF FIVE ON THESE PROPERTIES IS THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT.
THE PROPERTIES WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, THE SINGLE FAMILY, UH, PORTION OF THE RSF FIVE ZONING DISTRICT ARE ALSO, UH, ENCUMBERED BY AN OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICT THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL STANDARDS TO BE MET PRIOR TO ANY APPROVAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT.
AND WE'LL GET INTO THOSE NEXT.
SO THIS, UH, OVERLAY FOR NORTH OR FOR THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT WAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND RE REGULATE REDEVELOPMENT WITHIN FOREST BEACH.
THE OVERLAY INCLUDES REGULATIONS TO SETBACKS, BUFFERS, FLOOR AREA RATIO, PARKING, IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE, AND MINIMUM LOT STANDARDS.
THIS IS A DELINEATION OF THE DISTRICT, THE PAR PARCELS WE ARE FOCUSING ON TODAY.
FOR THOSE ON MY LEFT, I'LL GO FIRST.
[00:25:01]
FOR NORTH FOREST BEACH AND FOR SOUTH FOREST BEACH? THESE HERE AND THEN ON MY RIGHT, IT GOES ON BOTH.AND THEN ON SOUTH FOREST BEACH AGAIN HERE, RIGHT? ALRIGHT.
AT LEAST WE GET A LAUGH OUT OF IT, RIGHT?
AND THEN WE GET INTO THOSE DEVELOPMENT FORM STANDARDS, UH, SETBACKS, OUR BUFFERS, AND THEN OUR IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE FLOOR AREA RATIO, MINIMUM LOT SIZE AND WIDTH, AND OUR PARKING STANDARDS, WHICH ARE ADDITIONAL TO WHAT'S ALREADY REQUIRED BY THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT OF R SF FIVE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA GET INTO SOME OF THE CHARACTER OF THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE FOR THOSE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE RSF FIVE DISTRICT.
UH, THIS AREA IS CHARACTERIZED BY HISTORICALLY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, CONTINUED REDEVELOPMENT INTO LARGER HOMES, INCREASED BEDROOM COUNTS, EXPANSION OF PARKING DEMAND, OUTDOOR AMENITIES, AND SEASONABLE, OCCU AND SEASONABLE OCCUPANCY FLUCTUATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE ALSO OBSERVED INCREASING DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY PER PARCEL RELATIVE TO THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERN IN THIS AREA.
SO FOR CONTEXT, THIS IS A HEAT MAP FOR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, STR UH, ENFORCEMENT.
SO THESE ARE WHAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED OR CALLED IN OR ACT OR ACTIVELY BEING CALLED IN, UH, TO DATE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE YELLOW AREAS INDICATE, UH, AREAS OF HIGHER INTENSITY.
UH, WHILE THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE SLIGHTLY MORE INTENSE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NORTH FOREST BEACH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH AREA ARE BY FAR OUR MOST INTENSE AREA WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCEMENT.
AND THIS SLIDE'S NOT TO SAY THAT ALL STR ARE PROBLEMS, THIS IS JUST TO SHOW THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT ARE BEING HAD IN THAT AREA.
SO THIS IS, UH, THIS SLIDE ZOOMS IN ON THAT AREA THERE AND SHOWS YOU HOW IT RELATES TO THE R SF FIVE SINGLE FAMILY DISTRICT IN THE NORTH FOREST AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH AREA.
WE'LL TRANSITION OVER, AND THIS IS THE MAP OF OUR CURRENT PERMITTED SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS ON THE NORTH FOREST BEACH SIDE OF NORTH OR OF, OF FOREST BEACH.
AND THEN WE TRANSITION OVER TO SOUTH FOREST BEACH.
AND JUST FOR CONTEXT, SINCE, BECAUSE THE ASPECT RATIO WOULDN'T, UH, PAN OUT, I HAD TO ADD A LITTLE BIT LARGER SCALE.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE HOMES, OOPS, I'M SORRY, WRONG BUTTON.
THE HOMES IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE.
AND THEN TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, HERE ARE THE RAW DATA NUMBERS FOR THOSE AREAS.
NORTH FOREST BEACH WARD SIDE, HUN 187 TOTAL, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING UNITS, 88 OF THOSE ARE LICENSED SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH EQUATES TO 47%.
THE TOTAL IN NORTH FOREST BEACH, UH, IS 68.2% OF THE HOMES ARE CURRENTLY LICENSED FOR STR UH, IN SOUTH FOREST BEACH.
SIMILAR PERCENTAGE, 91 OF THE TOTAL SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING UNITS ON THE LANDWARD SIDE OF SOUTH FOREST BEACH ARE LICENSE.
OUR, OUR HAVE 43 LICENSED ST, WHICH ALSO EQUATES TO AROUND 47% IN TOTAL.
THERE ARE 600 SINGLE FAMILY TOTAL HOUSING UNITS, UH, IN THE SOUTH OR IN THE FOREST BEACH AREA, 390 OF WHICH ARE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UH, 65% OF WHICH ARE SHORT TERM RENTAL, THAT 65% OF THE HOMES IN THE AREA.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL MOVE INTO SOME OF OUR OPERATIONAL IMPACTS.
OPERATIONALLY, MOST COMPLAINTS CONTINUE TO INVOLVE NOISE, PARKING, OCCUPANCY, AND NEW, UH, NUISANCE RELATED CONCERNS.
THE TOWN'S OPERATIONAL ENFORCEMENT FRAMEWORK HAS IMPROVED COMPLIANCE OUTCOMES.
HOWEVER, OPERATIONAL ENFORCEMENT ALONE DOES NOT NECESSARILY ADDRESS RE REDEVELOPMENT INTENSITY, BUILDING SCALE, CUMULATIVE CONCENTRATION, OR LONG-TERM NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER CHANGES.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL TRANSITION OVER
[00:30:01]
INTO JONESVILLE ROAD.BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION.
AND AGAIN, TO REITERATE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SINGLE FAMILY, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN THE JONESVILLE ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE RM FA WELL FOR ZONING DISTRICT.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS PORTION OF THE REVIEW IS TO ASSIST THE TASK FORCE IN DETERMINING WHETHER SINGLE FAMILY SHORT-TERM RENTALS SHOULD BE RESTRICTED IN THE JONESVILLE ROAD NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT FOR THOSE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AGAIN, WE'LL GET INTO THE PURPOSE OF THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH, UH, INCORPORATES THE ENTIRETY OF JONESVILLE ROAD.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT POLICY DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS ZONING DISTRICT IS SIMILAR FOUR UNITS PER ACRE.
UH, BUT INSTEAD OF JUST FOCUSING AROUND SINGLE FAMILY RIGHT NOW, IT'S FOCUSED AROUND MULTIFAMILY WORKFORCE, HOUSING AND, UH, GROUP LIVING, UH, WHICH WE SEE ON OUR ALLOWABLE PRINCIPAL USES SCALE THERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE OTHER, UH, COMMERCIAL OR, UH, NON-RESIDENTIAL SCALE ACTIVITY THAT'S, UH, OR USES THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THIS ZONING DISTRICT AS WELL.
AND THEN THAT TAKES US TO OUR DEVELOPMENT, UH, STANDARDS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE IT'S FOUR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE UNLESS YOU GET INTO THE SLIDING SCALE DENSITY, WHICH WE'VE COVERED IN THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD TOGETHER.
UH, WE'VE ALSO, UH, THIS DISTRICT ALSO PERMITS BED AND BREAKFAST AT 10 ROOMS PER ACRE AND NON-RESIDENTIAL DENSITY SIMILAR TO RSF FIVE OF 6,000 SQUARE FEET OF GROSS FLOOR AREA.
SAME HEIGHT RESTRICTION OF 35 FEET, SAME IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE STANDARDS OF 35%.
AGAIN, THIS EXEMPT SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES.
AND THEN A MINIMUM COMMON OPEN SPACE FOR MAJOR RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS OF 16%.
I WANT TO GIVE THAT CONTEXT FOR YOU OF WHAT THAT DISTRICT, UH, REPRESENTS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE CONVERSATION.
THIS IS A, A MAP OF RM FOUR, OR SHOWING JONESVILLE ROAD AND HOW ALL THE PARCELS ARE RM FOUR.
AND THE STUDY AREA INCLUDES THE PARCELS LOCATED ALONG AND ACCESS OFF JONESVILLE ROAD, ALL WITHIN THE LOW TO MODERATE DENSITY RESIDENTIAL RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT.
AND THE RED CIRCLE IS OUR ATTEMPT TO ENCAPSULATE ALL.
THERE WAS ONE TO THE LEFT THAT, THAT DIDN'T GET CAPTURED.
A LITTLE DIFFERENT CONTEXT HERE.
CURRENTLY, JO JONESVILLE ROAD ONLY HAS THREE PERMITTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS OUT OF 184 HOUSING UNITS.
AND LET ME JUST CLARIFY, WHEN I SAY 184 HOUSING UNITS, THAT MEANS THE HOUSES THAT HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN, UH, HAVE THEIR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
SO THERE ARE MORE LOTS ON JONESVILLE ROAD THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED.
BUT THIS IS ONLY COUNTING THE ONES THAT HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
AND SO THAT, UH, ACCOUNT ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.6% OF THE CURRENT TOTAL HOUSING UNITS AND THAT HAVE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT.
THE EXISTING CHARACTER OF JONESVILLE ROAD REMAINS PRIMARILY ESTABLISHED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY, AND LOWER INTENSITY NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
UH, LIKE MANY AREAS OF THE ISLAND, JONESVILLE ROAD IS EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE SAME, UH, REDEVELOPMENT, UH, RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF LARGER HOMES.
HOWEVER, THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PATTERN REMAINS PREDOMINANTLY RESIDENTIAL AND NEIGHBOR OR UH, IN NATURE.
SO THIS AREA CONTINUES TO SHOW STABLE, LONG, LONG-TERM OCCUPANCY, SIGNIFICANT OWNER OCCUPANCY, AND RELATIVELY LOW TRANSIENT AC ACTIVITY COMPARED TO RESORT ORIENTED AREAS.
OPERATIONAL IMPACTS ARE SIMILAR BUT LOWER IN SCALE.
UH, MOST REPORTED CONCERNS ARE PARKING, NOISE, TRASH, AND OCCUPANCY DURING PEAK PERIODS.
UH, AND AT THIS POINT, THE ISSUE IS LESS ABOUT CONCENTRATED STR INTENSITY AND MORE ABOUT WHETHER THE TOWN SHOULD CONSIDER PROACTIVELY OR A PROACTIVE POLICY DIRECTION BEFORE ADDITIONAL STR GROWTH CON OUR, OUR GROWTH OCCURS, AND THIS IS OUR LAST SLIDE.
UH, WE'LL GO INTO SOME DISCUSSION, UH, ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS YOU NEED BEFORE WE GO INTO THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, DENISE WILL ASK US TONIGHT.
SO THAT WAS, UM, A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT TREY JUST WENT OVER.
SO FIRST, ARE THERE ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE INFORMATION OR DATA THAT, UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION? YES, SIR.
[00:35:01]
OKAY, GOOD.SOMETIMES IT'S GREEN, SOMETIMES IT'S RED.
UM, CLARIFYING QUESTION ON THE HEAT MAP, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE TASK FORCE IS LOOKING AT, UM, ACCURATE OBJECTIVE DATA HERE.
UM, 'CAUSE IT SHOWS THAT FORCED SPEECH IS THE HOTSPOT OF THE PROBLEMS, UM, AND THERE'S LESS HEAT WITHIN PUDS.
IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THERE IS LESS REPORTED ENFORCEMENT, UM, WITHIN SOME OF THE PUDS BECAUSE THEY HANDLE THAT THEMSELVES INTERNALLY? YEAH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS SOME ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AND, AND SEA PINES, UH, PALMETTO, DUN AND SHIPYARD RIGHT HERE.
BUT YES, IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THEY DO HANDLE, UH, PERFECT BULK OF THEIR, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MY ASSUMPTION WAS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TASK FORCE KNEW THAT THESE TWO AREAS ARE NOT THE SOLE ISSUE OF, OF, OF PROBLEMS ON THE ISLAND, IF THAT'S FAIR TO SAY.
AND, AND, AND AS I MENTIONED THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN IN NATURE THAT STR ARE AN ISSUE.
THIS IS JUST A MAP THAT WE HAVE SHOWING SOME DATA FROM CALLS WE RECEIVED.
AND, AND ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE REPORTED ISSUES, JUST BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT DOES COME INTO CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE WITH IMPACTS, IS THERE A CERTAIN TYPE OF COMPLAINT THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE OF? IS IT, IS IT PARKING RELATED? IS IT NOISE RELATED? IS IT TRASH, YOU KNOW, IS WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S EVERYTHING, BUT IS THERE ANY DATA THAT CAN BE SHOWN EXACTLY WHAT THE TOP CONCERN IS OF THOSE OF THOSE AREAS? UM, AGAIN, I THINK LMO ENFORCEMENT NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN MUCH WITH TRASH, BUT AGAIN, IF IT'S PARKING, I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH LMO RELATED.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF, RIGHT.
SO IN OUR FIRST BULLET POINT ON THE OPERATIONAL IMPACTS, WE, WE WENT INTO WHAT OUR MOST BEFORE THIS AREA, WHAT OUR, OUR MOST, UH, REPORTED, UH, ENFORCEMENT ISSUE WAS.
OBVIOUSLY NOISE, PARKING, OCCUPANCY AND NUISANCE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
IT JUST SEEMED A LITTLE BROAD TO ME.
WE, WE WANNA ACQUIRE AS MUCH INFORMATION SURE.
AS WE CAN FOR YOU TO MAKE YOUR DECISION.
AND WE'VE, AND WE'VE BOB'S RIGHT HERE.
SO YEAH, BOB, IF YOU'D STEP UP TO THAT MIC, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
WHERE'S MOST, WHERE'S MOST OF THE ENFOR, UH, ENFORCEMENT APPLIED
UH, FOLEY FIELD, UH, BRADLEY CIRCLE.
UM, NORTH, SOUTH FOREST BEACH IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
WHAT TYPE COMPLAINTS, INFRACTIONS, WHAT'S THE HIGHEST TYPE OF INFRACTION? UH, PARKING WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WE SUBSTANTIATE THE MOST.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT TRYING TO NO, NO.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A GOOD SENSE OF SET THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION TO GET STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH.
MAY MR. SOEN, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
DOES THAT, UM, WHERE DID THE REQUEST TO PROHIBIT THE SDRS ON FOR SPEECH ORIGINATE? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY, SO I WAS ASKING WHERE, WHERE DID THE REQUEST TO PROHIBIT SDRS ON THE LAND SIDE OF FOREST BEACH? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SDRS EVERYWHERE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THE LAND SIDE OF FOREST BEACH? UH, WE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.
WAS IT AN INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION OR A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS? UH, I ASSUME IT WAS FROM THE FOREST BEACH ASSOCIATION AND MAYBE THEY'LL SPEAK TO THAT READING THE LETTER.
ANYWAY, IT WAS DEVELOPED BY SOMEONE AND SENT OUT BY THE ASSOCIATION.
SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I THINK, UM, MR. HOUSE, GO AHEAD ON A, A NUMBER OF THINGS I WANTED TO ASK, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK THE ONE, UM, KNOWING, LOOKING AT HOW A PERMIT IS ACTUALLY GAINED, UM, WHAT WAS THE, THE REGULATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIX SPOTS? DO WE, DO WE KNOW KIND OF HOW THAT CAME ABOUT? BECAUSE ANYTIME I'M DEVELOPING A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON THE ISLAND, PARKING IS ALWAYS A BIG THING, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH DENSITY, AND TYPICALLY YOUR PARKING IS A, IS A PRODUCT OF DENSITY.
SO DO WE KNOW HOW THAT SIX, SIX SPOTS CAME ABOUT? YEAH, I ALSO BELIEVE IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A RULE THAT'S USED IN PALMETTO DUNES SIX SPACES.
SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS SORT OF A BASELINE OF WHAT OTHERS WERE DOING.
[00:40:01]
KEEP IN MIND, THREE YEARS AGO-ISH, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SHORT-TERM RENTAL EXPECTATIONS IN PLACE.AND SO WE, WE SIMPLY LOOKED AT WHAT OTHERS WERE DOING ON OUR ISLAND.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT OTHERS WERE DOING IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE REGION, AND THE STATE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, AND IT REALLY WAS IN PLACE, UM, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INTEL FROM POMAN OF DUNES TO PUT A MAXIMUM THERE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE 10 PARKING, YOU DON'T HAVE 10 CARS IN YOUR FRONT YARD, THAT, THAT NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T BECOME PARKING LOTS.
THAT FRONT YARDS DON'T BECOME A SEA OF PARKING.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY DATA AVAILABLE THAT SHOWS WHERE THE TIPPING POINT IS, WELL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECOMES, UH, LESS OWNER OCCUPIED AND BECOMES MORAL RESORT DISTRICT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A PLANNING STANDARD ANSWER TO THAT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE CRUX OF THE COMMUNITY QUESTION.
UH, MR. CHRISTIAN, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NOT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT IN A CONDOMINIUM, IF IT GOES PAST 50%, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET AN INSURED LOAN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
YOU NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST 50% OWNER OCCUPIED IF IT FALLS BELOW THAT.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX IS NOW NOT SINGLE FAMILY.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY DATA OVER A PERIOD OF, OF YEARS OF HOW MANY SHORT TERM RENTALS THERE ARE? HAVE THEY INCREASED? HAVE THEY DECREASED JUST BECAUSE THEY PULL A PERMIT? UM, HOW MANY WEEKS DO THEY ACTUALLY SHORT TERM RENT? IS THE TREND OF RENTING WEEKLY GOING UP? IS IT GOING DOWN? UH, I I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX HERE.
DUNNO, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATE.
I DON'T, THE, WE, I MEAN, WE, I DON'T HAVE THAT IN AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON FIVE YEARS AGO OR IF IT'S GOING DOWN, IF IT'S GONE DOWN FROM AFTER COVID OR IF IT'S CONTINUES TO GO UP.
YOU KNOW, MY, MY GUT TELLS ME THAT AFTER COVID, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE JUMPED ON THE BANDWAGON, BOUGHT AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET AND PAID A VERY HIGH PRICE FOR THEIR HOME, PRETTY, A VERY HIGH PRICE FOR THEIR MORTGAGE.
AND THEN WHEN THE RENTAL MARKET DIDN'T SUPPORT THAT, THAT METRIC, UM, THEY'RE STARTING TO SELL OFF.
AND MAYBE THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THE MARKETPLACE TENDS TO BE A LITTLE EFFICIENT THAT IN THAT AREA.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE HAVE ANY DATA ON THAT.
WE'RE CLEAR ON YOUR, YOUR DATA QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DON'T HAVE UP HERE IS, IS A, IS A TRACKING OF THAT TREND, RIGHT? LET'S, LET'S REMEMBER, I, YOU KNOW, PRE AND POST COVID, WE DON'T, THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE FORMAL DATA PRE COVID BECAUSE WE, WE DIDN'T TRACK IT PRE COVID.
UM, BASED UPON SOME INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, LET'S JUST USE SOME ROUND NUMBERS, 3000 SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT WE KNEW OF.
WE DIDN'T HAVE PERMITS TO APPLY FOR.
UM, IT WENT FROM 3000 PRE COVID OI TO A PEAK, RIGHT? THE HOCKEY STICK.
AND I SAY THAT 'CAUSE THE MONTREAL CANADIANS PLAY TONIGHT.
UM, BUT THE, BUT THE TREND WENT SO FAR UP.
IT WENT FROM ABOUT 3000 SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO WHAT, WHAT CURRENT DAY IS SHOWING 7,300 ACTIVE PERMITS.
WE ASKED OUR, UH, HEAD OF REVENUE AND OUR BUSINESS LICENSE DEPARTMENT RIGHT BEFORE WE CAME IN THE ROOM.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING THIS YEAR IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE STARTING TO, TO SEE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S, THERE'S ACTIVE THERE, THERE'S 7,300 ACTIVE PERMITS.
UM, WE ARE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS OF RESETTING THOSE PERMITS FOR THE, THE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT FROM MAY 1ST THROUGH, THROUGH A A 12 MONTH CYCLE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA YET, BUT THAT IS OUR MOST ACTIVE, IF YOU GO BACK A COUPLE YEARS, THERE WERE 3000.
UH, ALL OF OUR REVENUES THOUGH THAT WE TREND AND TRACK, UM, AND WE ARE JUST GETTING THROUGH BUDGET.
OUR, OUR REVENUES ARE JUST STABILIZING.
UM, THE, THE, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL REVENUE IS, IS PROJECTED AS, AS STABLE THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX REVENUES ARE, ARE STARTING TO LEVEL OFF.
SO I, I WOULD LOOK AT IT AS A CONSTANT, RIGHT NOW, A NEW NORMAL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MARKET'S GOING TO DO THIS YEAR WITH STS, INSURANCE WENT UP.
[00:45:01]
TO RUN A, A RENTAL IN A, IN A CONDO.WE, WE KNOW ALL THAT, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT DATA.
WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE 7,300 ACTIVE PERMITS TOWN WIDE.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME, SOME CONVERSATIONS IN NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT IMPACTS, RIGHT? NOT, NOT JUST A RENTER, WHETHER YOU RENT A WEEK, TWO WEEKS, ONE MONTH, SIX MONTHS.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE ARE FEELING IS CLAUSTROPHOBIC AT TIMES.
UM, MORE FROM A CAPACITY, MORE FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT SIZE, MASS SCALE RENTAL, UH, TRASH COLLECTING TWICE A WEEK.
NOT, NOT ONCE A WEEK, YOU KNOW, OR, OR WHATEVER.
RENTERS COMING AND GOING EVERY WEEK.
SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THAT AND, AND I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA WE HAVE AND USE THE DATA WE HAVE.
IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL, MARK AT SOME POINT TO INTERFACE WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES THAT MANAGE TO, THEY DO THAT FOR A LIVING AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO TRACK THAT METRIC BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S MONEY IN THEIR POCKET.
AND IF A, UH, A, A UNIT IS NOT PRODUCING REVENUE FOR THEM, UM, THAT'S WHEN, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA ADVISE THE PROPERTY OWNER SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA CARRY YOU OR, OR SUPPORT YOU BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT IN OUR BEST INTEREST.
AND WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH THOSE FOLKS.
LIKE, PLEASE KNOW THAT FOR THE ROOM.
WE'RE NOT OPERATING BLIND HERE, THEN, THEN, THEN THE TOWN DOES.
'CAUSE ALL YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE PERMIT.
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT HOW MANY WEEKS ACTUALLY THEY RENT.
AND WE ARE, I I'VE, I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH.
I, I'VE SEVERAL, I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, ON THIS SUBJECT.
AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT BE 100%, HERE'S WHAT I GATHER BY TALKING TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS THAT AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW, RENTALS ARE DOWN.
OUR PERMITS DOWN, WE DON'T KNOW YET.
BUT RENTALS ARE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT PERMITTED.
BUT IN TALKING TO SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN, WHAT I FIND IS, IS WHAT WHAT'RE TRYING TO DO, WHAT THE TOWN FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS TRYING TO DO IS PRESERVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYONE IN THIS ROOM THAT'S HAPPY WITH WHAT HAPPENED ON THE OCEAN SIDE.
THERE MIGHT BE, BUT I KIND OF DOUBT IT.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE WHAT'S LEFT OVER.
AND THE WAY TO DO THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT CANCEL STR YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING MORE ABOUT MASS SCALE BECAUSE, BUT WHEN I TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, I ASK 'EM THESE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND IT'S, ARE YOU OPPOSED TO SOMEONE RENTING BESIDE YOU IN THE HOUSE THAT'S CURRENTLY BESIDE YOU? OR ARE YOU OPPOSED TO SOMEONE TEARING THAT HOUSE DOWN AND PUTTING A FOUR, FOUR STORY STRUCTURE IN ON BOTH SIDES OF YOU AND YOU GET SUNSHINE FROM 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AND 100%.
BUT I, MY FEEDBACK, AND OF COURSE I DIDN'T TALK TO EVERYONE, MY FEEDBACK IS YES, THAT'S, THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHAT I'M AFRAID OF HAPPENING.
THEY DON'T WANT THE HIGH RISE, THEY DON'T WANT THE MONSTERS BUILT AROUND THEM, BUT THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THE RIGHT TO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO.
SO THAT, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, AND THE TOWNS SO FAR THAT I'VE HEARD, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A DRIVER.
SHORT TERM RENTALS, IT'S A DRIVER FOR, FOR HILTON HEAD AND TOURISM'S A DRIVER.
AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SQUASH TOURISM, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SQUASH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PRESERVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
MS. BRYSON? YES, THANKS I A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND, AND REQUESTS.
UM, FIRST QUESTION AND AND PLEASE LEAVE THIS SLIDE UP 'CAUSE I DO WANNA ASK ABOUT THIS ONE.
UM, HAS TO DO, FOREST BEACH HAS AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, UM, AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE OVERLAY DISTRICTS IN THE LMO AND THE OLAY DISTRICTS ADD REQUIREMENTS TO THE UNDERLYING BASE DISTRICT.
UM, I, I HAVE NOT SEEN AN OLAY DISTRICT IN OUR LMO THAT, UM, THAT LESSEN THE RESTRICTIONS IN A BASE DISTRICT.
AND I, I JUST WANT TO KNOW A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT OVERLAY DISTRICTS IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO LESSEN THE RESTRICTIONS IN A BASE DISTRICT WITH AN OVERLAY DISTRICT OR IN SOUTH CAROLINA? CAN YOU ONLY ADD RESTRICTIONS IN AN OVERLAY DISTRICT? I MEAN, OVERLAY DISTRICT, YOU CAN SET DIFFERENT STANDARDS, YES,
[00:50:01]
BUT GENERALLY UP OR DOWN, RIGHT? UP OR DOWN.CAN YOU GIMME SOME EXAMPLES IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE YOU HAVE LESS IN THE RESTRICTIONS? AND I HAVE SOME REASONS FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION.
I MEAN, TYPICALLY AN OVERLAY DISTRICT IS MORE RESTRICTIVE.
TYPICALLY, WHETHER I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO ATTORNEYS TO THE LEGALITY OF THE OTHER WAY.
I CAN'T THINK OF A WAY IN WHICH AN OVERLAY DISTRICT WOULD DECREASE THE REGULATION TO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT THAT FAR, BUT I'VE JUST NEVER HEARD ONE.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? YES.
SO I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, I, I DON'T LIKE JUST THESE STRICT QUESTIONS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TODAY.
UM, MY QUESTION RELATED TO THIS MAP IS WHY DID WE CHOOSE JUST THE LAND SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH? AND THAT QUESTION'S ALREADY BEEN ASKED, AND WHY DID WE CHOOSE ONLY JONESVILLE? WHEN I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE AREAS ALONG THE, IT MAKES MY FOOT ITCH,
UM, BUT WHY DID WE JUST CHOOSE THESE AREAS? AND THE REA AND, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING ABOUT OVERLAY IS THAT THERE ARE DA NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOOLS TO REGULATE USES AND OVERLAY HAS BEEN ASKED ABOUT, UM, WE DO HAVE AN OVERLAY IN FOREST SPEECH, BUT IT'S MORE RESTRICTIVE.
SO I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE KIND OF TOOLS THAT COULD ADDRESS CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING.
I'LL ANSWER THE JONESVILLE ONE A LOT EASIER THAN THE FOREST SPEECH ONE.
UM, I THINK IT WAS JUST BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE RECEIVED, UM, THAT TOWN COUNCIL RECEIVED.
AND SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SURPRISE TO ANY OF US THAT THE JONESVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD, ESPECIALLY ON JONESVILLE ROAD, WHERE THE INTERSECT OF SPANISH WELLS IN JONESVILLE WITH NEW HOMES THERE, ESPECIALLY BAILEY'S COVE, AS AS, AS WE SAW, THAT THE RISK OF, OF NEW, LET ALONE EXISTING TURN INTO SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
IT IS A, A, A, A DIFFICULT INTERSECTION.
SPANISH WELLS ROAD IS, IS ALREADY BEYOND CAPACITY, ESPECIALLY AT PEAK HOUR.
AND, AND WE HAVEN'T GONE FURTHER IN ANY RM FOUR AREA TO TRY TO RESTRICT PRIVATE, PRIVATE RIGHTS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS OUTSIDE OF JONESVILLE, BECAUSE THAT, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, HAS BEEN THE LOUDEST, THE MOST CONSISTENT AND THE LONGEST ASK THAT THAT'S WHERE JONESVILLE CAME FROM.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS MADE TO TOWN COUNCIL AS WELL.
AND SO FOR THE ROOM, I JUST, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT THE NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH ONE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE HEAT MAP, AND IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH MORE, UH, IMPACT TO EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD LONG TERM.
AND I, AND HEARD MR. BROMAGE SAY ALSO FOLLY FIELD AREA IS A HOTSPOT.
SO ANYHOW, I, I WANTED THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I DIDN'T, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND JONESVILLE AND UNDERSTAND FOREST SPEECH IN GENERAL, NOT JUST ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
UM, BUT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DIDN'T INCLUDE OTHER AREAS.
I MEAN, I KNOW SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH CAPACITY, BUT, UM, BUT ANYHOW, I THINK WE OUGHT TO THINK MORE BROADLY THAN JUST THOSE TWO AREAS IN ADDRESSING QUESTIONS.
AND, AND THEN I COME TO MY REQUEST, UM, WE, WE HEARD THE STAFF PRESENTATION ON BOTH OF THESE AREAS, A LOT OF INFORMATION, VERY DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE.
UM, BUT WE CAN DO THAT IF WE GO STEP BY STEP IN THE PROCESS, WHICH TAKES SOME TIME.
UH, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, I, I WOULD REQUEST THAT WE TACKLE THOSE ISSUES SEPARATELY.
AND MY OTHER REQUEST, MR. CHAIR, IS THAT WHEN WE, UH, LET'S SAY FOR A SPEECH APPEARS TO BE THE FIRST ONE IN THE QUEUE, UM, THAT BEFORE THE TASK FORCE VOTES, WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
OKAY, UH, MR. I'M GONNA GO IN ORDER OF WHO I SAW WITH THEIR CARDS AT MR. CARSON'S.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, THE SIX PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST BEEN ADDED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR THE TOWN WILL CODE ENFORCEMENT BE, UH, I KNOW THE HOTLINE IS 24 BY SEVEN, BUT WILL THERE BE PEOPLE ENFORCING THE CODE IN THE TOWN 24 7 AFTER THESE PEOPLE GET UP AND GOING, STEP UP, BOB
THAT WOULD BE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RESPOND TO THOSE COMPLAINTS OVERNIGHT
[00:55:01]
AND WE'D PICK 'EM UP IN THE MORNING.THAT'S OUR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS ARE AT NIGHT AFTER 10 O'CLOCK.
AND I'VE SEEN, I SEE CCL FIX ALL THE TIME, AND BY THE TIME SOMEBODY REPORTS A PROBLEM AND CODE ENFORCEMENT GETS OUT THERE, IT'S OVER.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I WAS GONNA ASK IS IF IT WAS 24 7, ARE THEY GONNA BE DRIVING AROUND ENFORCING CODE? ARE THEY GONNA WAIT FOR A COMPLAINT? BECAUSE WE, GO AHEAD.
YOU ARE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
YES, WE'RE, AND HOW, OKAY, AND SO HOW MANY, SORRY, YOU CAN'T HEAR
HOW MANY TIMES IS THERE A COMPLAINT? AND BY THE WAY, RESIDENTS ARE TIRED OF COMPLAINING, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANNA COMPLAIN.
THEY WANT ENFORCERS TO SEE THE PROBLEM.
IT'S OBVIOUS IF YOU'RE OUT THERE.
SO HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU GET COMPLAINTS AFTER 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT WHEN NOBODY'S WORKING? GENERALLY, THOSE ARE THE NOISE COMPLAINTS THAT WE GET.
AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS ASKED TO RESPOND.
IF THEY RESPOND, THEIR COMPUTER, UH, NOTES SHOULD INDICATE THAT WHETHER IT WAS SUBSTANTIATED OR NOT, AND THEN WE COULD TAKE ACTION FROM THERE.
SO THEY, THEY WILL REMEDY THE PROBLEM THAT THEY SHOULD RIGHT THERE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN THAT WERE HOPING THAT THESE NEW EMPLOYEES WOULD BE 24 7 AND THEY WOULD BE MORE PROACTIVE BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CODE IS NOT BEING ENFORCED, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S HAPPENING, RIGHT? WHEN IT'S HAPPENING.
AND IF IT WAS, THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A TOWN AND MAYBE EVEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE PEOPLE 24 7.
THE OTHER THING IS I THINK WE DO NEED, AND I HOPE WHEN WE ASK QUESTIONS, WE'RE SEPARATING FOREST BEACH FROM JONESVILLE BECAUSE THEY'RE TWO VERY DIFFERENT.
AND JONESVILLE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TO STOP, STOP THE, UM, SPREAD OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS THERE.
BUT IN LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, I WOULD SAY IN THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SHORT TERM RENTALS, THE HORSE IS OUT OF THE BARN.
AND SO TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, UM, I CALLED THIS WEEK DOUG BLOOM.
I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU REMEMBER DOUG BLOOM.
I REMEMBER HIM, EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T BEEN THAT INVOLVED IN SHORT TERM REYNOLDS.
I REMEMBER HIM FOR YEARS COMPLAINING ABOUT FOREST BEACH AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN FOREST BEACH.
AND HE'S MOVED, HE DOESN'T LIVE ON THE ISLAND ANYMORE.
BUT, UM, I CALLED AND TALKED TO HIM AND THE COURSE, THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE SHOULD BE VOTING ON THIS, NOT THE TASK FORCE.
UH, AND I KNOW WE DON'T VOTE, WE POLL.
BUT, UM, THE OTHER THING IS THOUGH, IN GIVING HIM THESE NUMBERS AND SEEING HOW, I MEAN, IT'S 50, ALMOST 50% ON THE LANDLORD SIDE, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE OCEAN SIDE.
IF THERE WAS A VOTE, THEY WOULDN'T VOTE TO DO AWAY WITH SHORTTERM RENTALS BECAUSE EVERYBODY THAT OWNS THE SHORT TERM RENTALS GONNA VOTE FOR IT.
AND PEOPLE THAT, THAT DON'T, THAT LIVE THERE, SOME OF THEM STILL WANT SHORT TERM RENTALS TO KEEP THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME UP.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I FEEL LIKE THE WAY YOU'RE GONNA FIX THE PROBLEM IS ENFORCE THE RULES.
I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
AND, UH, OUR ENFORCEMENT TEAM HAS BEEN, UM, IT'S, IT'S ROBUST THIS SUMMER IN COMPARISON.
AND IT'S GONNA SAY A LOT IN, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR TOURISTS ARE GONNA START ROLLING IN HERE THIS WEEK, NEXT WEEK.
IT'S GONNA GET REALLY CROWDED AND BOB'S GOT A JOB CUT OUT FOR HIM.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE WHERE IT GOES.
AND IF HE NEEDS ADDITIONAL HELP, I'M SURE THAT WE'LL ALL HUDDLE UP AND, AND TRY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
BUT, UH, THAT'S THE INTENT TO HAVE A, A ROBUST ENFORCEMENT.
JUST SO EVERYBODY HEARS ME SAY THAT AS WELL.
I THO THOSE ARE THE VERY BEST QUESTIONS THAT TO ASK AND I, I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF 'EM.
[01:00:01]
WE'RE OUT THERE TILL NINE 30 AT NIGHT.BOB, BOB AND I HAVE REHEARSED THIS A COUPLE TIMES, UM, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS, AS THE TOWN COUNCIL HELPED TO PUT SHORT-TERM RENTAL CODE IN PLACE THAT GAVE US AUTHORITY.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, A SHORT-TERM RENTAL REVENUE STREAM IN PLACE THAT HELPED FUND THE INVESTMENT.
NOT COMING FROM PROPERTY TAX, NOT COMING FROM BUSINESS LICENSE, NOT COMING FROM SOME OF THOSE RECURRING REVENUES THAT WE KNOW THAT ALREADY FUND OPERATIONS AND ALREADY FUND PROJECTS.
AND SO, BOB, HOW MANY FOLKS ARE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT TODAY AND THE PUBLIC? SO BOB, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, BOB, BOB BROMAGE, UH, CAME FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WAS A CAPTAIN IN THE SHERIFF'S.
MAJOR, MAJOR, EXCUSE ME, ALREADY.
I GOT TWO MORE STRIKES, UH, BUT STRIKE ONE.
UH, BUT, BUT CAME WITH US AND SET UP A DEPARTMENT, UM, BRAND NEW, YOU KNOW, WHEN I ARRIVED WE HAD A CODE OFFICER, MAYBE TWO, MOSTLY ONE.
UM, AND THEY, THEY LEFT AT FOUR 30 EVERY DAY.
THEY LEFT AT FOUR 30 AND THEY WERE IN THE BUSINESS OF SIGNS AND LIGHTS AND TURTLE LIGHTS AND, AND, AND I CALL REACTIVE, NOT PROACTIVE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE DEPARTMENT TODAY? BOB? 12.
AND WE HAVE THREE, UH, PARKING ATTENDANTS AS WELL.
SO 50, RIGHT? SO THE THREE PARKING ARE SEASONAL AND THEN 12 THAT INCLUDES YOU? YES, IT DOES.
ALRIGHT, SO, SO BOB IS THEIR LEADER.
UM, WE ARE IN THE, THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT BUSINESS IN THE, THE BEACH BUSINESS, SO TO SPEAK.
WE ARE ON THE BEACH A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE ON THE BEACH.
UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS NOT ALWAYS ON THE BEACH.
WE ARE EYES AND EARS AND WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING, RIGHT? WE'VE HEARD TODAY IN A ROOM, WE SEE SOMETHING, WE SAY SOMETHING.
AND THAT HAS BEEN OUR, BEEN OUR JOB.
BOB IS A GREAT LEADER AND ALIGNED WITH INTEGRATED WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
WHEN WE GO HOME NOW, INSTEAD OF FOUR O'CLOCK, FOUR 30 WINDING DOWN, WE GO HOME AT NINE 30.
LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST BE FAIR.
AND, AND, AND I, AND I THINK I I CAN SPEAK, UH, OUT LOUD AND UPFRONT ABOUT THIS, ANYTHING AFTER NINE 30, I DON'T WANT MY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE DARK WITHOUT A BADGE IN THE, AND, AND IT, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AN EASY THING TO DO, BUT IT'S UNSAFE.
AND, AND MOST OF THOSE ISSUES AT NIGHT AREN'T A PARKING SPACE.
WE DEAL WITH THAT IN THE DAYTIME.
IF SOMEONE'S PARKING ON THE STREET AT AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, THE THE NEIGHBOR COULD REPORT THAT IN TO SEE CLICK FIX OR THE THE HOTLINE.
WE, WE NOTE IT, WE GO LOOK AT IT AS SOON AS WE GET TO WORK AND WE GET TO WORK BEFORE EIGHT O'CLOCK ON ON THESE MATTERS AND WE DEAL WITH IT, WE ARE DEALING WITH IT FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT STANDPOINT, FROM A CODE ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT.
SO WE, WE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE BUSINESS LICENSE.
WE, WE MAKE SURE THEIR, THEIR PERMIT'S INTACT.
WE, WE CAN COUNT THE CARS A LOT EASIER.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT EASIER TO GO DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND NO MORE THAN SIX.
AND THEY HAVE TO BE IN A, IN A PLANNED APPROVED SPACE.
UM, TRASH LOCATIONS HAVE TO BE IDENTIFIED ON THE PERMIT.
ALL OUR VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH COMPUTERS AND CAN PULL PERMITS.
AND, AND WE HAVE A PROCESS IN THE CODE THAT STRIKE ONE, STRIKE TWO, STRIKE REVOKING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR LICENSE.
I THINK THAT'S HELPED US A LOT.
WHAT, WHAT BOB SHARES WITH ME AND HE BRIEFS ME ON AND, AND MIKE, UM, WITH YOUR COMPANY, WE'RE FINDING THAT FOLKS WANT TO COMPLY.
THE, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES WANT TO COMPLY.
THE RENTERS GET HERE AND THEY'RE ON VACATION AND THEY'RE IN A GREAT MOOD AND, AND, AND THEY'RE NOT AS CONCERNED WITH THEIR, THEIR BUMPERS OVER THE STREET EDGE OR, YOU KNOW, LOUD MUSIC.
THEY'RE HAVING PARTIES, THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.
AND I THINK THAT THE PROACTIVE NATURE OF IT, WE NEED A FULL SEASON TO TRULY UNDERSTAND IMPACTS AND, AND, AND REALLY START SETTING THOSE EXPECTATIONS OF BEHAVIOR.
UM, AND, AND YOU SEE UP THERE NUISANCE NOISE, PARKING, TRASH, OCCUPANCY ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE DO, WE HAVE A 24 7 HOTLINE THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO OUR E 9 1 1 DISPATCH CENTER, AND THAT'S MANNED PERSONED, UH, AROUND THE CLOCK.
AND THERE'S A SPECIAL NUMBER FOR THAT.
YOU CAN SEE IT UP ON THE SCREEN, ALTHOUGH IT'S SMALL UP THERE.
UM, AND, AND I DO THINK THAT ONE SEASON TO REALLY KNOW THE IMPACTS OF, OF PUBLIC SAFETY MATTER.
BUT I, BUT I DON'T WANNA WALK AWAY FROM THIS ROOM TODAY THINKING THAT AN EASY SOLUTION IS JUST HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES WORK TILL MIDNIGHT OR JUST HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES WORK AROUND THE CLOCK AS AS TRUE PUBLIC SAFETY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY AFTER HOURS, YOU KNOW, LOUD NOISE THAT'S DISTURBING THE PEACE.
I CAN CALL BEAUFORT COUNTY TONIGHT IF MY NEIGHBOR'S BEING NOISY.
THAT'S NOT A SHORT TERM RENTAL COMPLAINT.
AND SO, UM, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM.
UM, AND UH, IT'S AN IMPORTANT SUMMER.
DOES THAT HELP, HELP CLARIFY THAT? ALRIGHT.
I JUST DON'T WANNA WALK OUTTA HERE WITH
[01:05:01]
THE EXPECTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, LONGER HOURS, MORE PEOPLE SOLVES WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW.NO, THERE'S A HEIGHTENED DANGER IN SENDING UNARMED NOT POLICE TRAINED FOLKS OUT TO THESE DISTURBANCE CALLS.
SO, UH, MR. MCM GOING TO GO A LITTLE BIT BACK TO MR. CHRISTIAN'S, UH, COMMENT OR SOME QUESTIONS THAT HE WAS ASKING, AND I THINK IT'D BE GOOD JUST TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE, UM, THE RENTAL BUSINESS HERE FOR, FOR ALL OF US.
UM, THERE'S REALLY TWO DIFFERENT, UM, COMPONENTS TO THE RENTAL RENTAL BUSINESS.
ONE IS, UM, THE NUMBER OF RENTALS WHICH YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO OCCUPANCY OR, OR ANNUALIZED OCCUPANCY OF VOLUME.
THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO EACH OTHER.
UM, WE SAW THE BIGGEST GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF RENTALS PROBABLY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS WITH THE OTAS, THE ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES, HERBO AND SO FORTH.
WHEN THOSE GOT ADDED, IT ALLOWED PROPERTY, UH, OWNERS TO LIMIT, BUT ALSO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES TO WHEN THEY WANTED TO SO THEY COULD TURN IT ON AND OFF AND NOT HAVE AN ANNUALIZED CONTRACT WITH A RENTAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
WE SAW A HUGE BOOST IN THE NUMBER OF RENTALS OVER THAT PERIOD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GROWN AT THAT PACE AFTER THE PANDEMIC, THE VOLUME HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT.
IT'S BEEN STATIC AND, UM, ALSO MAYBE EVEN SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A, A SLIDE DOWN IN, IN THE BUS.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERESTING BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS NOT NECESSARILY GONNA AFFECT THE VOLUME AT ALL.
IT'S ONLY GONNA AFFECT THE, UM, THE NUMBER OF RENTALS.
UM, I THINK TRANSITIONING OVER TO SOME OF THE OVERLAY DISTRICT COMPONENTS, I WAS LOOKING INTO THAT TOO, BECAUSE YOU, YOU REALLY, YOU FEEL LIKE WE OUGHT TO GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND NOT US, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN LEGALLY DO THAT.
UM, SO, UM, AND TO MISS DUNLAP'S COMMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD, IF YOU PUT IT UP TO A VOTE, IT'S 47 ON NEIGHBORHOODS, 65% ARE GONNA VOTE IN FAVOR, PROBABLY MORE.
SO, UM, I THINK THE WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS IS, UH, I APPLAUD THE TOWN FOR THE, UH, LICENSING PERMITTING AND, UH, ENFORCEMENT, UH, EMPHASIS THAT WAS PLACED OVER THE LAST YEAR.
AND I THINK JUST CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT AND, AND ON IT IS, UH, IS GONNA, I THINK AT THIS POINT IN THE, IN THE DISCUSSION, WE DO WANT TO FOCUS, I MEAN, WE, I THINK WE'VE BEEN PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT FOREST SPEECH, BUT I THINK WE DO WANT TO KIND OF FOCUS ON THAT NOW.
WE'LL SPEND A FEW MORE MINUTES TALKING ABOUT FOREST SPEECH AND THEN WE'LL SWITCH GEARS, TALK ABOUT JONESVILLE ROAD, UM, BECAUSE WE DO REALIZE THAT THOSE ARE, ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT, UM, SITUATIONS AND SCENARIOS.
OH, AND I HAD, AND MR. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF YOU WERE FIRST.
AND THEN I'LL ALSO SEE, OKAY, MR. RUSSELL.
SO JUST, JUST REAL QUICK AND I, I, UM, APPRECIATE THAT, DENISE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I, I JUST KINDA WANNA REITERATE TO SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'VE GONE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF KINDA THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF, OF, OF SHORT TERM RENTALS, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE TOWN IF POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND MARK, YOU HIT ON THIS PERFECTLY.
UM, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA, LIKE THE BASELINE REALLY NEEDS TO BE 2026.
HONESTLY, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO HIDE PAST MISGIVINGS OR WHATEVER, BUT WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS FOUR YEARS AGO, COUNCIL WAS ADVISED THERE WAS AS MUCH AS 11 TO 14,000 RENTALS OUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE CHAMBER IS ADVISED THAT THERE'S 3000, 4,000 RENTALS.
BUT AGAIN, THEIR, THEIR INTERFACE WITH OUR INDUSTRY IS MORE ON THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE, DIDN'T CAPTURE THE INDIVIDUAL OWNERS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, WE REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMEWHAT SKEWED BECAUSE YOU GUYS DO NOT GET REPORTING FROM, FROM PUDS INTO THIS MIX.
UM, WE'RE NOW ON OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SIX DAYS INTO THE LATEST ITERATION OF THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
BUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT WITH THAT IS THE TOWN IS FULLY MANAGING IT NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MANAGING THE HOTLINE, YOU'RE MANAGING EVERYTHING.
YOU'RE IN CONTROL OF THE DATA.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO I WOULD SAY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IF POSSIBLE, IF WE CAN JUST USE THE BASELINE AS 2026 WITH ANY DATA, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, UM, EDWINA, I, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ON ENFORCEMENT AND FROM A PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRY.
UM, I'VE BEEN ENGAGING WITH ABOUT 30 PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS THROUGH THIS WHOLE TASK FORCE PROCESS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I SPEAK FOR ALL OF 'EM, BUT I, I WOULD SAY MOST OF 'EM WOULD PROBABLY SAY WE WANT ENFORCEMENT TOO.
UM, DO WE LIKE REGULATION? NO.
UM, BUT WHAT IS PUT FORTH IN FRONT OF US FOR BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS, SAFETY EXPECTATIONS,
[01:10:01]
IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE.IT'S NOT UNFAIR, IT'S NOT UNMANAGEABLE.
UM, AND IF WE'VE GOT THE GUIDELINES, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO MANAGE IT.
BOB HAS THE STAFF NOW THAT IS ABLE TO RESPOND TO THESE THINGS.
I, I, I'D LIKE TO THINK WE HAVE A VERY GOOD CLIENTELE THAT IS, IS ARE REPEAT GUESTS TO OUR ISLAND.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S A FEW THAT GET OUTTA HAND, BUT OVERALL, I MEAN, THEY'RE VERY RESPECTFUL.
MOST OF 'EM END UP WANTING TO LIVE HERE.
UM, SO YES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ALCOHOL INDUCED ISSUES.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO PARK.
UM, BUT ALL WE WANT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THAT.
AND I THINK WITH OUR, OUR REPEAT GUEST RATE TO THIS ISLAND, GIVE IT A SEASON OR TWO, PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE GOING AFTER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE CAN GET A TRUE ASSESSMENT OF LIKE, WHAT'S THE SCALE? YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE 7400, 7300 SDRS MIGHT SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING SUCH A SHIFT IN DYNAMIC.
UM, WE ARE NOT GETTING AS MANY WEEKS AS WE DID DURING COVID I'M SEEING WITHIN MY OWN INVENTORY, MORE AND MORE HOMEOWNERS SHIFTING TO 10 WEEK OCCUPANCY, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA LIVE HERE MOST OF THE TIME, CLAIMANT IT AS PERMANENT RESIDENCE.
UM, AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, SOUTH CAROLINA ALLOWS YOU TO RETAIN YOUR 4% PERMANENT RESIDENCE TAX RATE AS LONG AS YOU DON'T RENT MORE THAN SEVEN TO TWO NIGHTS A YEAR.
UM, SO A LOT OF OWNERS ARE GETTING TO THAT SAYING LIKE, YEAH, I CAN MAKE 80% OF MY REVENUE IN 10 WEEKS AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE WEAR AND TEAR OR OTHER KIND OF ISSUES WITH THE HOME FOR THE REMAINING, UM, YOU KNOW, 42 WEEKS OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND, AND SO I THINK A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS SOLVING ITSELF AS, AS WE GO DOWN THIS, DOWN THIS ROAD.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CLARIFY THAT FROM AN INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT HELPS ANYBODY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
UM, YEAH, I WOULD ASSUME THE, UH, FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, A FAMILY OR FAMILY'S RENTING FOR A WEEK AREN'T AS CONCERNED WITH WHATEVER RAMIFICATIONS MAY HAPPEN WITH ENFORCEMENT, UM, AS THE RENTAL COMPANY AND OR THE HOMEOWNER WOULD BE AS IT GOES UP THE CHAIN.
UM, WILL THAT RUN UP THAT CHAIN SO THAT THE HOMEOWNER OR THE CONDO OWNER, WHOMEVER, UH, IS FULLY AWARE THAT THEY'RE ON THIN ICE IF THEY SEE A REPEATED PATTERN, UH, COMING, UH, THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT,
SO THE SUBSTANTIATE COMPLAINT S AN EMAIL FROM ME TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY INDICATING THAT THE SECOND SUBSTANTIATED COMPLAINT WILL BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION, WHICH IS 200 AND GOES TO, TO THE FOUR.
SO SECOND ONE, THE SECOND ONE'S 500, THIRD ONE'S A THOUSAND FOURTH ONE'S A THOUSAND AND A, A SUSPENSION OF YOUR LICENSE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO, SO THE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE POSED, AND THERE MAY BE MORE QUESTIONS THAT COME.
I'M SORRY MS. BRYSON, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, COMING BACK TO THE REASON I ASK ABOUT OVERLAYS, UM, CAN WE PUT UP THE, UH, OVERLAY DISTRICT PARTS FOR FOREST SPEECH? YEAH.
UM, THERE'S A SECTION ABOUT THE FOUR AREA RATIO AND EXEMPTIONS.
SO, UM, BUT THIS IS CALLED THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, UH, TASK FORCE.
UM, THE, THE BEHAVIOR, UH, QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING ABOUT ARE, ARE REGULATED UNDER THE MUNICIPAL CODE, AND YOU PROVIDED A COPY OF THAT.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TO LOOK AT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT STANDARDS.
SO THE REASON I ASK ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE FOREST BEACH HAS AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN PUT ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS IN AN OVERLAY DISTRICT.
THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION.
UM, AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THIS, THIS IS RS FIVE AND WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT A USE TABLE, WHICH IS VERY SHORT.
WHEN WE GET TO JONESVILLE AND WE LOOKED AT RM FOUR, THERE'S A LOT MORE USES ALLOWED THERE.
UM, BUT RM FOUR STRETCHES, AS WE SAW AT OUR LAST MEETING IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING, RM FOUR STRETCHES OVER A LOT OF AREAS, UM, OVER THE ISLAND WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
SO MAKING CHANGES TO RM FOUR, UH, AFFECT A LOT MORE SUBSTANTIAL LAND THAN DO RS FIVE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION.
SO IF WE LOOK AT FOREST BEACH OVERLAY DISTRICT AND WHERE THE CONCERNS, THE NOT NON BEHAVIOR CONCERNS, BUT THE CONCERNS ABOUT
[01:15:01]
THE MASS AND SCALE OF BUILDINGS, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BUILDING, UM, THE THE FLOOR AREA RATIO.UM, AND I WANNA READ TO YOU ABOUT, UH, A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED A COUPLE YEARS AGO ABOUT, UM, AFTER THE NEW FLOOR AREA RATIO WAS ADOPTED, UM, FOR FOREST BEACH AREA.
AND SO THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT A PARTICULAR HOME.
I'M NOT GOING TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATION.
UM, ALL THAT'S BEEN BUILT, AND I GUESS IT'S IN USE NOW.
UM, IT SAYS THE AREA BENEATH THE HOME IS USED FOR PARKING AND STORAGE 2,216 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS EXEMPT FROM BEING INCLUDED IN THE FLOOR AREA RATIO CALCULATION.
SO THE HOME HAD, HAS 1,872 SQUARE FEET ON THE FIRST FLOOR, 1,966 SQUARE FEET ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
SO IF YOU EXCLUDE THAT LOWER LEVEL, THE GROSS FLOOR AREA IS 3,838 SQUARE FEET WITH A RESULTING FAR BEING 0.28 INSTEAD OF 0.55.
SO I WANNA SUGGEST A COUPLE THINGS FOR THE TASK FORCE TO THINK ABOUT.
ONE IS FOR FAR SPEECH WOULD A WAY TO, AND I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT A TOOL TO ADDRESS ISSUES, WOULD A WAY TO ADDRESS, ISSUE BE TO, UM, ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE EXEMPTIONS IN THE FLOOR AREA RATIO? MEANING THAT THE ACTUAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE HOUSE WOULD BE WHAT IS ACTUALLY BUILT RATHER THAN A LOT OF EXEMPTION, SUCH AS THAT WHOLE LOWER LEVEL WAS TAKEN OUT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, THEN WHY NOT LOOK AT A DEFINITION FOR SDRS WITHIN THE LMO? 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ONE NOW.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS OTHER ZONING DISTRICTS WHICH DON'T HAVE AN OVERLAY, YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DEFINE THE USE.
SO WHY NOT DEFINE THE USE FOR OF AN SDR WITHIN THE LMO AND THEN FOR FOREIGN SPEECH, ADDRESS IT WITHIN THE OVERLAY BY ELIMINATING EXEMPTIONS AND APPLYING OTHER STANDARDS WITHIN THE OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE.
IT IS NOT TAKE OUT THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN STR, IT LIMITS THE MASS AND SCALE WITHIN FOREST SPEECH OVERLAY, WHICH AS I UNDERSTAND IS THE CONCERN.
SEPARATELY, WE'VE DEALT WITH ENFORCEMENT OF BEHAVIOR.
THIS DEALS WITH THE MASS AND SCALE AND THE IMPACT ON THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU, YOU TEED THAT UP PERFECTLY.
THAT IN FACT IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, STAFF IS, IS LOOKING FOR FROM THE TASK FORCE.
UM,
AND THE CONFLICT THAT HAS ARISEN HAS BEEN BOTH ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE AS WELL AS THE MASS AND SCALE SIDE.
UM, SO THAT IS IN FACT ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE SEEKING ADDITIONAL, UM, INPUT FROM THE TASK FORCE ON.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, FOREST BEACH IN PARTICULAR? YES, MR. KENARD IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, GARAGE SPACE OR THE UNDER HOUSE BEING, UM, EXEMPTED FROM THE FLOOR AIR RATIO, THAT SPACE IS THERE BECAUSE BUILDING CODES REQUIRE THE HOUSE TO BE ELEVATED FOR FLOOD INSURANCE PURPOSES.
AND TO MEET OUR FLOOD INSURANCE GUIDELINES AND TO MAINTAIN OUR CREDITS.
SO IT'S, SO IT'S NOT REALLY A USABLE SPACE AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT IN STANDARD WITH THE, UH, MORE ORIGINAL HOMES IN THE AREA THAT WERE SUBJECT TO.
WE'RE ABLE TO BUILD SLAB ON GRADE AT THAT POINT.
SO I THINK FROM A POLICY DIRECTION, FROM A POLICY, UM, LENS FEEDBACK FROM THE TASK FORCE OF THE NEW BUILDINGS OR REBUILDS ARE OUT OF SCALE THAT PROVIDE THEY'RE TOO LARGE OR THEY'RE TOO TALL, THOSE TYPES OF, UH, THAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK CAN BE VERY HELPFUL AND THE STAFF CAN GO BACK AND DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TOOL THAT WOULD HELP TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF, UM, ADDRESSING THE MASS AND SCALE ISSUES.
SO IF THAT IS HELPFUL AND DELIBERATE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON FOR SPEECH? OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO JONESVILLE.
WE'LL TAKE A VOTE AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BASED ON WHAT WE HEAR BACK FROM THE POLL, UM, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A MINUTE TO DO THAT.
BUT ANYTHING ELSE ON FOR SPEECH? IF NOT? YES, SIR.
DID YOU HAVE ONE, MR. OH, YOU'RE
[01:20:01]
READY.YOU'RE WAITING FOR JONESVILLE? NO, NO, I'M OKAY.
UM, ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE TO JONESVILLE.
SO AGAIN, ASKING FOR, UM, FEEDBACK ON THE, UM, SDRS IN ON JONESVILLE ROAD.
ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ON THE DATA OR INFORMATION TREY PRESENTED ON JONESVILLE? MR. MCMACKIN? I HAVE A, I JUST HAVE A QUICK ONE.
SO, UM, WOULD A CHANGE TO SDR, UM, SDRS BEING ALLOWED IN ON JONESVILLE, WOULD THAT AFFECT THE, UH, BED AND BREAKFAST, UM, USE THAT IT'S ALLOWED THERE NOW? WOULD IT, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE DIRECTION THAT WE GO, WHETHER IT'S CREATE A DEFINITION FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHETHER IT'S THE, AN OVERLAY, WHETHER IT'S, UH, RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE RM FOUR ZONING DISTRICT.
UH, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED EARLIER IN MARK'S SYNOPSIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE REZONING, UH, THE JONESVILLE ROAD AREA, UH, INTO A MORE SINGLE FAMILY CENTRIC ZONING DISTRICT AND, AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT PIECE LOOKS LIKE IN THERE.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER AS, AS, AS IT SEEMS. SO IT'S WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR, OUR QUESTIONS TODAY, THAT DIRECTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, OOPS, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON JONESVILLE ROAD? WE'RE GONNA
ALRIGHT, WELL, IF NOT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UH, MOVE FORWARD TO OUR POLLING QUESTIONS IF YOU'D LIKE TO MR. CHAIR, OR YOU WANNA, LET'S TALK ABOUT JONESVILLE ROAD.
OKAY, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.
UM, SO WITH EVERYBODY I'VE ENGAGED WITH, FROM A PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT, I'VE GOTTEN ZERO FEEDBACK ON JONESVILLE.
UM, IT'S NOT AN AREA THAT WE TYPICALLY OPERATE, SO I'M, I'M PERSONALLY CONFLICTED IN A WAY BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO SAY, YEAH, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE A PLACE THERE.
UM, BUT ALSO WE'VE GOT THREE OWNERS THERE, UM, AND I GOTTA THINK ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS AND HOW THEY WANT TO USE THEIR, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR PROPERTY.
SO I, I SAY THAT NOT, NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT IN ANY WAY, BUT IT'S ALSO, I I FEEL THAT WHEN JONESVILLE KIND OF CAME TOGETHER WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS, IT COINCIDED WITH COVID.
A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT WAS HAPPENING DOWN, DOWN JONESVILLE ROAD.
UM, PROPERTIES WERE SELLING SIX, $700,000.
PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY ORIGINALLY BOUGHT THESE HOMES THINKING THAT THEY MIGHT BE LONG-TERM INVESTMENT FOR LONG-TERM RENTALS, UM, COULD HAVE BEEN, AGAIN, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SPECULATING, IS THAT THEY LOOKED AND SAID, OH, I CAN MAKE $30,000 A YEAR RENTING IT LONG TERM, OR I CAN MAKE 70,000 DOING IT SHORT TERM.
SO I, I THINK IT WAS A, IT WAS, WAS A PERIOD OF OPPORTUNITY WHERE JONESVILLE KIND OF CAME UP.
AND I, I DON'T FORESEE THAT BEING LIKE, WE WOULD NEVER MANAGE SOMETHING DOWN THERE AS A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY.
NOT THAT IT'S INFERIOR PRODUCT, IT'S JUST NOT WHAT GUESTS I BELIEVE ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO THIS ISLAND.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOT 7,300, OR I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, 70 2097 OR 72, WHATEVER, IT'S, UM, LESS THREE, UM, OTHER UNITS THAT PEOPLE CAN RENT FROM.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE AT SOME POINT THIS, THOSE THREE UNITS WILL PROBABLY RESOLVE ITSELF AND WILL EITHER TURN INTO A SALE, TURNING INTO A FULL-TIME RESIDENCE, OR TURN INTO A RESIDENCE.
I JUST DON'T SEE THE DEMAND WITH THOSE THREE THERE AND, AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR JUST TRYING TO MAINTAIN PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR EVERYBODY IN THAT AREA.
UM, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I PERCEIVE THAT.
I THINK CURRENTLY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE'S THREE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN JONESVILLE ROAD.
YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO DO THE MATH IN MY HEAD, SAY, YOU KNOW, 7,300 LESS THREE, AND THAT WAS REALLY TOUGH FOR ME ON THE SPOT.
IT'S A REALLY SMALL PERCENTAGE,
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY THOUGHTS ON IT FROM A PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT.
THEY'RE SOON TO BE RETIREES MISSED.
THEY, THEY FIND A PROPERTY THEY LIKE, THEY GET IT WHILE THEY CAN.
THEY'RE IN A RETIREMENT TRANSITION PERIOD AND THEY'RE JUST COLLECTING WHAT THEY CAN UNTIL THAT HAPPENS.
UM, SO YEAH, I WOULD IMAGINE THE JONESVILLE FOLKS ARE GONNA BE YOUR NEIGHBORS EVENTUALLY.
SO JUST SO, SO WHEN WE PUT THE QUESTIONS ON, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA ASK ABOUT BOTH AREAS SEPARATELY,
[01:25:01]
UM, AND QUESTIONS WILL BE POSED.SO AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID MODIFY IT BASED ON, UM, THE LETTER THAT HAD AND THE EMAILS SENT TO COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME, ON THIS ISSUE.
SO WE'LL ASK IF, FOR THOSE TWO AREAS AS THE PREFERENCE OF THE TASK FORCE, UM, IN THE POLL TO ELIMINATE TO CAP OR TO ADDRESS, TO LOOK AT DESIGN AND SCALE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, CERTAINLY HAPPY TO TO ENTERTAIN THOSE ON JONESVILLE.
MS. BRYSON, SORRY, I FORGOT TO TURN MY MICROPHONE ON.
UM, I'VE GOT A GREAT PROXY, BUT, UH, HE'S THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE HAVING TO DO WITH THIS.
I KNOW GONNA COME UP WITH SOMETHING VERY CREATIVE IN A MOMENT, UM,
UM, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JONESVILLE ROAD AREA, IT, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS ASKING ABOUT BEFORE AND THAT IS THE USE OF OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
AND BECAUSE, UM, JONESVILLE IS LOCATED WITH, UH, R JONESVILLE AREA IS RM FOUR AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN RAISED ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUE.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, WHERE, UH, NATIVE ISLANDER PROPERTY IS LOCATED, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND UH, IF WE DO ALL OF JONESVILLE ROAD, IT'S RM FOUR AND WE SAY NO STRS THERE, THEN WHO, WHO HAVE WE IMPACTED? CAN WE CREATE DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS FOR DIFFERENT AREAS? YES.
WE ALREADY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS AND, AND IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP AND INCLUDES PD ONES, BUT NOT PD TWOS,
UM, SO WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND I DON'T LIKE KEEPING ADDING MORE SMALL DISTRICTS, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
SO IF WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT, UM, NOT ALLOWING STR WITHIN THE JONESVILLE AREA, THEN DO WE CREATE A NEW DISTRICT AND WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE GULLAH PROPERTY THERE WHERE FOLKS MAY WANT TO HAVE AN STR? SO DO WE INSTEAD CREATE SOME SORT OF OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH ALLOWS CERTAIN USES PROVIDED YOU COMPLY WITH CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME OTHER TOOLS TO LOOK AT AS OPPOSED TO JONESVILLE ROAD, RM FOUR SCRS ARE PROHIBITED.
I'M WONDERING IF, IF THERE'S A, THERE'S A WAY, JUST LIKE YOU HAD SAID WITH THE MASS AND SCALE DISCUSSION ON, ON UH, NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH, WHY CAN'T WE ADDRESS A AND NOT PROHIBIT STR IN THE JONESVILLE AREA, BUT LOOK AT MASS AND SCALE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO THE TYPE HOUSING THERE AND WHAT STR WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THEY, IF PEOPLE STARTED TO REDEVELOP AND REMAIN AND CONTINUE TO REMAIN, UH, THAT PROPERTY, THOSE PROPERTIES IN, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL, UH, CAPACITY AS I, AS I SEE THEM NOW, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
I THINK, I THINK THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA.
STAFF'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF DESCRIBING THAT AND, AND THE TRENDS.
SO THE TREND IS STILL SINGLE FAMILY.
SO IF WE ALLOW S STRS THROUGHOUT THE AREA SUBJECT TO MASS AND SCALE, UM, THEN THERE MAY BE SOME ENCROACHMENT INTO THOSE SINGLE FAMILY, TRADITIONAL SINGLE FAMILY AREAS THAT MAY NOT BE WARRANTED.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, THE GROWTH OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UM, WITH THE NEW SUBDIVISIONS.
SO I DON'T THINK THE TOOL WORKS QUITE AS WELL THERE DUE TO THE EXISTING CHARACTER AND, AND THE DESIRE OF THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE JONESVILLE AREA TO PROTECT THAT CHARACTER.
MR. KIN QUESTION FOR TREY, UM, WITH JONESVILLE, 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SUBDIVISION GOING ON THERE.
DO ANY OF THOSE ALREADY HAVE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS IN PLACE THAT PREVENT STR OR ARE WE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, ARE WE JUST DEALING WITH A SLIVER OF JONESVILLE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF, OF A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT THAT, THAT, THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY LIKE RESTRICTIONS IN IT? YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN THERE, DO THOSE HAVE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD PREVENT SHORT-TERM RENTALS OR ARE THOSE ALSO KIND OF OPEN TO, TO ANYBODY TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT? I'M NOT AWARE OF EVERY ONE OF THEIR, UH, COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS, BUT I DO KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS DOWN THERE THAT, THERE, THERE ARE A FEW THAT I KNOW OF THAT DO HAVE, UH, COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT DISALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTALS CURRENTLY MISSED ON THAT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE EXISTING SUBDIVISIONS ON JONESVILLE ROAD, NOT THE NEW ONES, BUT THE
[01:30:01]
EXISTING ONES DO HAVE COVENANTS AGAINST SHORT-TERM RENTALS.UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT, UM, THE TWO NEW SUBDIVISIONS, BAILEY'S COVE AND SANDY OAKS, UH, HAD THEY SET UP THEIR COVENANTS TO HAND OVER TO THE OWNERS AND IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THEY COULD PUT NO SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THOSE SUBDIVISIONS? THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION IS I LOOK AT BAILEY'S COVE AND I LOOKED AT, UM, THE HOUSES THAT I KNEW HAD BEEN SOLD AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE, ARE FOR PRIMARY OWNERS, RESIDENTS THAT ARE LIVING THERE.
NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SO FAR THE ONES THAT HAVE SOLD A LOT OF THEM, THE MAJORITY OF THEM, AND I THINK WHAT IF PEOPLE STARTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN THERE AND PEOPLE CAME IN TO PARTY, THOSE HOUSES ARE ONLY ABOUT FIVE FEET APART.
CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING VACATIONERS PARTYING NEXT TO YOU AND YOU'RE A WORKING FAMILY? SO I'M VERY CONCERNED FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT IN THERE AS PRIMARY OWNERS.
SO DO WE KNOW, I MEAN, I I KNOW THE DEVELOPER HANDS THAT OVER AT SOME POINT AND THEN THE HOMEOWNERS, YOU KNOW, CAN DECIDE WHAT THEIR COVENANTS ARE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE THAN THAT ABOUT THAT THAN I DO.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE BIG WORRY IN JONESVILLE IS IS THOSE NEW SUBDIVISIONS THAT ARE, THE HOUSES ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER AND THERE'S SO MANY OF 'EM.
DO YOU KNOW MR. CHRISTIAN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE DEVELOPER, UNTIL HE TURNS THAT PROPERTY OVER TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN CHANGE THOSE COVENANTS WITH A SIGNATURE OF HIS OWN WITHOUT ANY INPUT WHATSOEVER.
BUT ONCE HE TURNS IT OVER, IT'LL TAKE THE VOTE OF THE COMMUNITY TO BAN SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN, JARVIS CREEK CLUB, WHICH WAS NOT ON JONESVILLE ROAD, BUT DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THAT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.
WHEN THE DEVELOPER TURNED IT OVER, WE TOOK A VOTE AND WE VOTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS OUT.
UM, AND IT'S WORKED VERY, VERY WELL.
IT CAN LONG-TERM RENT, BUT THAT JONESVILLE ROAD AREA DOESN'T SEEM TO ME TO SUPPORT SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
NUMBER ONE, THE TRAFFIC THERE IS ALREADY HORRENDOUS AND PUTTING SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN THERE, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE WHEN ALL THOSE PEOPLE MOVE IN BECAUSE TRAFFIC ALREADY BACKS UP ALL THE WAY DOWN SPANISH WELLS ROAD.
UM, IF YOU PUT SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THERE AS WELL AND THEY'RE GONNA MAKE DAILY TRIPS TO THE BEACH OR SOME OTHER, IT IS JUST GONNA BE A DISASTER.
SO THAT, THAT'S NOT THE PLACE, IN MY OPINION, FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO HAS THE TOWN HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS AND COULD THEY, AS A PART OF THEIR COVENANTS, PUT NO SHORT TERM RENTALS? THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A QUESTION FAR.
I THINK THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE, THE CRUX OF THE DISCUSSION FOR JONESVILLE ROAD FROM THE TOWN'S PERSPECTIVE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE TASK FORCE.
BUT, UM, AS THE TOWN MANAGER SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK ON A, A NUMBER OF THESE ITEMS. OKAY.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE TO, TO WRAP UP THIS SECTION OF OUR MEETING? MR. CHAIR, ANYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE? UH, NO.
UM, KIM, HOW MANY ON THE SUBJECT? THEY'RE ALL ON THE SUBJECT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING, DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT ON THIS SUBJECT TONIGHT? UM, YOU WANNA DO THE POLLS BEFORE OR AFTER? YEAH, WE'LL DO THE, WE'LL DO THE QUESTIONS AFTER THE PUBLIC SPEAKS.
ARE YOU READY FOR YES, PLEASE.
I OBVIOUSLY GOT THAT LETTER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AND CAME LOADED FOR BEAR
UM, I DID WANNA MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS.
HEAT MAPS ARE A SCARY THING TO USE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF EVENTS OVER A LARGE AREA.
RED TWO EVENTS CAN LOOK LIKE THAT MAP AND MAKE IT A FOREST BAR.
SO I WOULD, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL COMMITTEE'S DONE.
IT HELPS ME, THIS PERSON, I OWN A HOUSE THERE.
I'M THERE FOUR MONTHS, A YEAR AT LEAST.
BUT WHEN I'M NOT THERE, I LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT'S PROTECTED ME FROM PEOPLE DOING BAD THINGS AT MY HOUSE.
[01:35:01]
BUT A HEAT MAP IS A SCARY TOOL.I WORK WITH DATA MY WHOLE LIFE AND YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S CAUSING IT.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAD, RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOT 247 INCIDENTS FOR 2005 ACROSS 7,000 POTENTIAL PLACES.
IF THEY OCCUR ONE EVENT AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE HOUSES IN NORTH FOREST BEACH OR SOUTH FOREST BEACH, IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE.
BUT IT'S REALLY SMALL EVENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE COURSE OF 365 DAYS A YEAR.
SO THE DATA'S GREAT, BUT I'D BE CAREFUL HOW YOU REPRESENT IT.
HEAT MAPS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO SHOW DATA.
NOW IF THAT WAS A DRILL IN MAP, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO PUT THAT UP, BUT IF IT WAS A MAP THAT YOU COULD DRILL IN AND SEE THERE'S REALLY ONE HERE OR TWO THERE THAT MIGHT CALM PEOPLE OR IT MIGHT SAY, OH MY GOD, THIS REALLY IS A SCARY THING.
BUT JUST SHOWING RED AND YELLOW IN THAT KIND OF SPACE IS NOT A GOOD USE OF THE DATA.
AND IT, AND IT'S, IT WILL INFLAME PEOPLE LITERALLY.
UM, THE OTHER THING ABOUT DATA, I LIVE IN NORTH FOREST BEACH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTH AREAS.
I'M ON THE, WHAT YOU CALL THE LAND SIDE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY RULES FOR RESIDENTS ABOUT TRASH AND PARKING.
WE DO HAVE RULES FOR PEOPLE THAT RENT THEIR HOUSE FOR TRASH AND PARKING.
I'M THERE, I'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
I SEE PARKING, PEOPLE PARKING ON GRASS.
IF I WALK OUT OF MY HOUSE TODAY, I CAN SEE STANDING IN MY YARD, TWO EXPOSED TRASH BARRELS.
I SEE A CAR IN THE GRASS AND I SEE A TRAILER PARKED ACROSS THE STREET IN THE GRASS.
DO I CARE? YES, I PREFER NOT TO SEE IT.
DO I HAVE A RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT? I TRY TO ENFORCE IT.
WE DON'T HAVE A RULE AGAINST IT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE AREAS AND INCLUDE TRASH AND PARKING AS VIOLATIONS, THEY'RE REALLY MISDEMEANORS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, THE HOMEOWNERS MAKE THEIR LIFE BETTER AND ALLOW THEM TO JOIN THEIR PROPERTIES.
THEY'RE THE ONES COMMITTING MORE OF THESE OFFENSES THAN RENTERS BECAUSE WE HAVE RULES.
WE'VE HAD TO PUT UP FENCES, WHICH I LIKE TO HIDE OUR TRASH AND WE HAVE IMPROVED PARKING.
BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE IMPACT OF THOSE THINGS IS COMING PROBABLY MORE FROM RESIDENTS.
I'VE BEEN THERE 13 YEARS, I RIDE BIKES ALL AROUND IT.
I WALK ALL THOSE STREETS AND I JUST BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU BUMP IN THOSE KIND OF EVENTS.
IN AREA THAT ALLOWS THOSE EVENTS.
UM, I'M ALSO, UH, A 40 YEAR BOARD MEMBER OF THE FOREST BEACH OWNERS ASSOCIATION.
WE DO HAVE A STRONG ASSOCIATION, BUT I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY AS A 52 YEAR RESIDENT OF FOREST BEACH.
UM, I PURCHASED MY PROPERTY IN FOREST BEACH BECAUSE OF THE SINGLE FAMILY DESIGNATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'VE WATCHED IT TRANSFORM FROM OCCUPANCY BY LONG-TERM FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS TO DIFFERING GROUPS OF VISITORS EACH WEEK.
AND MANY OF THEM THAT PARTY ALL NIGHT LONG DISTURB THE QUALITY, THE TRANQUILITY OF OUR LIVES.
AND I AM A FREQUENTLY AWAKEN AT TWO IN THE MORNING BY NOISE.
SO NOISE IS MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT.
THE NORTH FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD IS FILLED WITH OVERSIZED MANY HOTELS AND OCCUPANCY IS MAXIMIZED EVEN IN THE SMALLER STRUCTURES.
AND YET FOREST BEACH IS CLASSIFIED AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
AND TO ME, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IS NOT 22 AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS OR A FRATERNITY HOUSE.
SO, UM, THE DESIGNATION SHOULD BE APPLIED TO OCCUPANCY AS WELL AS OWNERSHIP.
WE HAVE RESORT DISTRICT, COMMERCIAL AND SINGLE FAMILY DESIGNATIONS, AND IT'S OVERLAY DISTRICT OFFERS SOME PROTECTIONS, BUT IT NEEDS UPDATING.
PLEASE DON'T SEPARATE THE LANDSIDE AND THE, AND THE, UH, OCEAN SIDE IS TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
THE TOWN IS FINALLY ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND I THANK YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND I ESPECIALLY THANK THE COMMENTS FOR INPUT FROM THOSE OF US WHO LIVE THERE.
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS.
THESE MAY NOT BE REAL POPULAR, BUT THE TOWN ALREADY REQUIRES A BUSINESS LICENSE TO OPERATE A-A-S-T-R.
AND SO AS SUCH, TREAT IT AS A BUSINESS, A SEPARATE FEE FOR WATER AND SEWER AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ROAD.
AND IT COULD BE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN THE HOME, NOT THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TOWN LICENSES IN THE FOREST BEACH AREA.
[01:40:01]
HAVE 68% OF ALL THE STRUCTURES LIMITED TO 50%.AFTER YOU GET, UM, ALL THE APPLICATIONS, PUT EVERYBODY INTO A LOTTERY AND CHOOSE 50% SO THAT IT ADDS UP TO 50% OF THE AREA.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE FINANCIALLY DRIVEN.
TOWN FEES COULD CHANGE BEHAVIOR, THERE COULD BE SOME TOWN CREATED INCENTIVE INCENTIVES FOR CONVERSION TO LONG-TERM RENTALS.
FOREST BEACH DOES HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT TODAY IS THE SIZE AND THE NUMBER OF THEM.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT NUMBERS ARE DOWN, BUT THIS IS FOR PROTECTION FOR THE LONG TERM OUT OF TOWNERS WOULD NEVER TOLERATE THIS SITUATION IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BACK HOME.
SO FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S BECOME SO SEASONABLY CROWDED.
THANK YOU, MS. HONOR, ADAM FOR SPEECH THAT IT'S E EVEN NEGATIVE FOR THE VACATIONERS.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THIS, THIS TASK FORCE.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT AN EASY TASK.
MOST OF YOU IN THIS ROOM KNOW THAT I AM A SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNER ON THE ISLAND AS WELL AS A 37 YEAR RESIDENT AND HAVE FAMILY THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 50 OR 60 YEARS.
UH, FOREST BEACH IS A VERY WELL LOVED PART OF MY FAMILY'S COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE WE CAN BE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROFESSIONALS, WE ALSO DO WANT THE CHARACTER AND THE OVERLAY DISTRICTS TO MAINTAIN.
I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS SET TODAY THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT IN MORE OF A MASS AND SCALE, ESPECIALLY ON THE LANDSIDE OF FOREST BEACH, WHERE WE DO STILL HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF RANCH STYLE HOMES.
IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN RESTRICTING RENTALS.
AND I'M GLAD THAT IT WAS STATED THAT THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT.
I'VE SAID IT MANY TIMES IN THESE MEETINGS AS BIG WORDS LIKE MORATORIUM HAVE COME UP.
ONCE IT GETS OUT OF THE GATE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING BACK IN AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I'VE SPENT A TON OF TIME THIS PAST WEEK SPEAKING WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS AND TRYING TO, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE RESTRICTION OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS WHERE THIS IS GOING, BUT MORE THE, UH, THE TYPE OF REMODELS AND THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE ON, ON WHAT IS BEING REBUILT IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT JONESVILLE ROAD SHOULD BE IN THE SAME CONVERSATION OR EVEN EVEN IN THE SAME MEETING DISCUSSION AS FOREST BEACH.
JONESVILLE ROAD IS NOT A PORTION OF HILTON HEAD THAT I SEE AS WHAT I WANT TO REPRESENT FOR OUR VACATIONERS TO COME SEE.
I SEE THAT AS A RESIDENTIAL TYPE AREA.
UM, WE WANT OUR GUESTS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO OUR, OUR AMENITIES AS BEACHES AND PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO REALLY SHOULDN'T BE IN A FOREST BEACH CONVERSATION IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER.
BUT AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT LIMITING THE NUMBER OF RENTALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, LET'S LOOK AT THE MASS AND SCALE THAT WE HAVE.
UH, IT WAS MENTIONED BY MIKE AS WELL.
WE MIGHT NOT SEE IT THIS WEEKEND AS WE GO INTO A HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
THAT WOULD TRADITIONALLY BE A VERY BUSY WEEKEND ANYWAY.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT A FULL YEAR OF RENTALS ON HILTON HEAD, IT HAS BEEN A VERY BIG STRUGGLE.
OUR SUMMER IS NOT FULL IN A LOT OF OUR HOMES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN RENTED, AND THOSE THAT ARE RENTED ARE A LOT OF THE REPEAT GUESTS THAT WERE MENTIONED THAT DO END UP COMING BACK AND EVENTUALLY BEING OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS DISCUSSION.
WE ARE NOT IN A PRE COVID CONVERSATION.
THE TIME PERIOD FOR MASS BUILDING AND LARGER HOMES ON THESE SMALLER LOTS IS LIKELY NOT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN UNLESS WE GET ANOTHER GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WHICH KNOCK ON WOOD IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS JACK DALEY AND, UH, ME AND MY FAMILY LIVE IN A HOTSPOT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CHAIRMAN DESIMONE FOR MAKING THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR ABOUT THE ISSUE OF IS THIS, UM, A PROPOSAL OR WOULD THERE BE A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD AFFECT PROPERTY RIGHTS? AND WHEN YOU LOOKED AT WHAT CAME OUT IN JANUARY, AND HERE WE ARE MEMORIAL DAY, THERE WAS LIKE A POSTAGE STAMP PIECE IN THAT LONG, LONG LIST OF THINGS TO DISCUSS THAT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE COMPLETE SENTENCES THAT LEFT IT OPEN TO INTERPRETATION WHERE YOU COULD EASILY THINK, ARE WE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK? ARE WE NOT? THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE COULD READ THAT AND THEN WRITE A PARAGRAPH ABOUT IT AND ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS.
UM, BUT STEVE, WITH VERY CONCISE, NO DECLARATIVE SENTENCES MADE THAT CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT IS AN ISSUE.
UM, AND YES, MASS AND SCALE CORRECTLY ARE THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED, UM, BUT ONTO ENFORCEMENT AND HOTSPOTS.
IF WE LOOK AT THE HOTSPOT MAP FOR SOUTH FOREST BEACH,
[01:45:01]
I'VE LIVED ON THE SAME STREET FOR OVER 20 YEARS.A LOT OF THOSE, UH, REQUESTS ARE PARKING.
AND BOB'S DONE A WONDERFUL JOB.
HE ALWAYS HAS PEOPLE THERE WITHIN ABOUT AN HOUR TO, UH, ADDRESS PARKING.
NOW, UH, HOW CAN WE HELP? WHAT CAN WE DO? UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, ON MY SIDE OF THE STREET, THERE'S ONE SIGN ABOUT THIS BIG THAT SAYS, NO PARKING ANY TIME.
DO YOU HAVE FOUR SIGNS? WOULD THAT REDUCE THAT HOT SPOT TO A COOL SPOT? PROBABLY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE TACTICAL THINGS AT THE VERY NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
IF THE TASK FORCE WANTS TO REACH OUT INTO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND FIND THOSE LITTLE DETAILS OUT THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE VERSUS, OH, THIS LOOKS GREAT, IT'S A HOT SPOT, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT SOME REAL DATA THERE WHEN YOU REALLY DON'T.
SO LET'S BE CAREFUL TO ASK LOCALLY, TACTICALLY, AND DRILL DOWN ON THESE THINGS SO WE GET THE CORRECT ANSWER.
AND UH, AND BOB DOES A GREAT JOB.
I'VE HAD ONE NEIGHBOR CALLED ABOUT A NOISE COMPLAINT AND BEFOR COUNTY CAME OUT AND IT WASN'T A COMPLAINT FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
SO I'VE HAVE RENTALS ALL AROUND ME.
IT'S MOSTLY PARKING ON A STREET THAT WAS DESIGNATED, NO PARKING.
UM, SO WHAT WAS NEXT? YES, UM, USES OF THESE HOMES WILL CHANGE OVER TIME.
I COULD SHOW YOU HOUSES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WERE BUILT TO BE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
ECONOMY WENT DOWN, PEOPLE STEPPED IN.
IT WAS THEIR CHANCE TO LIVE OCEAN FRONT.
SO THEY DID, BOUGHT 'EM FOR $2 MILLION.
OCEAN FRONT BIG HOUSES, PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP.
THEY CUT 'EM LOOSE FOR FOUR AND 5 MILLION BACK WHEN COVID CAME THROUGH.
AND, AND RENTALS WERE IN DEMAND, RIGHT? SO NOW THEY'RE RENTALS.
IF RENTALS GO DOWN, ECONOMY COMES UP AND DOWN, BOOM, THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE AFFORDABLE.
THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENS IS JUST A ROLLERCOASTER OF VALUES AND THE USE WILL CHANGE OVER TIME.
BUT IT IS CORRECT TO CONSIDER MASS AND SCALE AS PERMANENTLY CONDITIONING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE A CERTAIN WAY, TO LOOK A CERTAIN WAY, RIGHT? TO BE, YOU KNOW, PERMANENT, PERMANENT CHARACTER FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LIVE IN, UH, 13TH DUB STREET IN NORTH FOREST BEACH IN THE AREA OF, UM, AT THE CENTER OF ONE OF THOSE HEAT MAPS.
UM, UH, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, IT'S QUIET, IT'S FRIENDLY, AND I HAVE FIVE SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN 500 FEET OF ME.
I'VE HAD ONE INCIDENT THREE YEARS AGO.
I CALLED THE OWNER UP, IT WAS SPRING BREAK.
THE KIDS TOOK THE PORCH PARTY OUT TO THE BEACH.
I LIKE THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE IT, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST NOT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE.
IT'S, UH, THE NUMBERS OF CONFIRMED COMPLAINTS ARE VERY, VERY LOW FOR THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM RENTALS WE HAVE VERY, VERY LOW PERCENTAGE.
I THINK DURING THE, UM, MEETING THAT WAS, I WOULD CALL IT THE MORATORIUM MEETING, GLEN STANFORD, WHO WAS ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME WHEN THEY PUT THE, UM, ORDINANCE INTO EFFECT, HE SHOWED UP AS A CITIZEN AND SAID HE WAS SHOCKED AT THE LOW NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, THERE'S ONE OTHER POINT, I THINK ANOTHER GENERAL BROUGHT IT UP.
I WORKED FOR 30 SOME YEARS AS AN ENGINEER, RESEARCH SCIENTIST, BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE AN ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THAT HEAT MAP AND KNOW THAT IT'S STEEPLY FLAWED.
I THINK WE CAN MAKE ONE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE TOURIST BEHAVE THE SAME AND NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH, AS THEY DO IN SEA PINES OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE ISLAND, WE DON'T HAVE SPECIAL TOURISTS IN NORTH FOREST BEACH.
AND I THINK YOU KNOW WHY IT'S FLAWED.
IT SHOULDN'T EVEN BE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S THAT SERIOUSLY FLAWED BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER-REPORTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE SECONDARY INSECURITY, PEOPLE WHO, WHO BASICALLY TAKE CARE OF THINGS.
SO WE HAVE MISBEHAVING TOURISTS, VERY SMALL NUMBER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ISLAND.
IT'S NOT SO NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH, THOSE, THAT HEAT MAP IS VIRTUALLY MEANINGLESS IN A RELATIVE SENSE.
AND I THINK ANYBODY WHO'S HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH STATISTIC, WELL YOU DON'T NEED, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A STATIST STATISTICIAN OR A RESEARCH ENGINEER TO KNOW THAT.
SO JUST I THINK LEAVE IT ALONE.
[01:50:01]
MY PROPERTY VALUES, UH, DIMINISHED BY NOT BEING ABLE TO SELL IT TO, TO A WI WIDER VARIETY OF PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY WANNA LIVE THERE FULL TIME OR WHETHER THEY WANT TO SHORT TERM RENT.SO DON'T HARM MY PROPERTY VALUES.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF FOREST SPEECH FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE FOREST SPEECH ASSOCIATION FOR 30 SO YEARS AND, AND A BOARD MEMBER FOR 10.
UH, MY FAMILY HAS LIVED IN FOREST BEACH, MULTIPLE GENERATIONS.
BEEN FOUR GENERATIONS OF US ON FOREST BEACH TODAY.
WE STILL OWN FOUR HOUSES THERE.
UH, MY CHILDREN LIVED THERE, MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE BEING RAISED THERE.
MY CHILDREN WERE RAISED THERE.
UH, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A RENTAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD VACATION RENTALS AND WE'VE HAD LONG-TERM RENTALS.
WE HAVE HAD VERY FEW PROBLEMS WITH VACATION RENTALS.
WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, HEY, NOTHING WRONG WITH FOOD AND BEVERAGE PEOPLE, BUT THEY CAN GET OFF WORK AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, HAVE A GOOD TIME.
THEY RAISE MORE HELL THAN THE VACATION RENTAL PEOPLE DID OVER THE YEARS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A GOOD THING GOING IN FOREST BEACH.
WE HAVE THE OCEAN SIDE WITH LARGE HOMES.
WE HAVE THE, THE INLAND SIDE WITH SMALLER HOMES.
IF WE CAN KEEP THOSE HOMES ON THE INLAND SIDE, SMALLER, KEEP THEM DOWN, CUT DOWN THE SCALE FROM 35, 40 FEET, GET IT DOWN TO WHERE THESE HOMES IS A SLAB ON GRADE, OUR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VALUABLE AND PEOPLE LOOK AT THEM AS VALUABLE HOMES.
WE'VE RENOVATED A DOZEN OF THOSE HOMES, SLAB ON GRADE, UH, SOME OF THOSE HOMES RECENTLY.
ONE SOLD FOR CLOSE TO $2 MILLION.
IT'S A FIVE BEDROOM, A 2,500 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE SLAB ON GRADE.
IF WE CAN LOWER THE SCALE, WE CAN HELP PREVENT HAVING THOSE 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOMES NEXT TO COTTAGES.
AND IF WE DO THAT, WE, WE HELP OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD QUITE A BIT.
BUT OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
DON'T DAMAGE OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS HERE.
THEY KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE LOSE OUR RENTAL RIGHTS.
OUR PROPERTY VALUES WILL CLIMB UP.
HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOWER THE SCOPE OF THESE HOMES BY THE, BY DROPPING THE ELEVATION, LEAVE THE SETBACKS ALONE.
TAKE THE FAR OUT OF THE PICTURE.
THE FLOOR AREA RATIO DOES NOT HELP ON THE, ON THE INLAND SIDE OF FORCE BEACH, THE LOTS ARE TOO BIG.
THE HOME STILL CAN BE 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO PLEASE LEAVE OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS ALONE.
HELP US OUT A LITTLE BIT BY DROPPING THE ELEVATION AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE JUST FINE.
GREG'S GOTTA GO WATER THAT OAK TREE.
YEAH, IT'S GOTTA SING TONIGHT.
UM, MY NAME IS YOLANDA COY MCKINNEY AND I AM A SIXTH GENERATION NATIVE ISLANDER.
AND I'M JUST PROUD TO BE FROM, UH, LINEAGE OF SUCH GREAT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WERE HERE, UM, AS SLAVES.
LIKE MY, UM, GRANDFATHER'S GRANDFATHER, CAESAR JONES WAS OWNED BY THE KIRK FAMILY, UH, ON ROSE HILL PLANTATION.
AND HE ESCAPED WITH HIS WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN ON A BAD TOE AND MADE IT TO THE BEACHES OF MITCHELLVILLE.
AND, UM, JUST GIVING Y'ALL A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON.
BUT, UM, AND UM, FROM THERE, THE, UH, UNION ARMY UNION ARMY WAS, UH, STATIONED THERE.
HE IMMEDIATELY ENROLLED AND SERVED HIS COUNTRY.
AND, UM, WITH THE MONEY HE BOUGHT OVER 125 ACRES ON HILTON HEAD.
AND, UM, HE ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED, UH, THE JONESVILLE COMMUNITY FOR HIS HOMESTEAD, FOR HIS FAMILY.
AND THAT'S WHERE JONESVILLE GOT ITS NAME.
AND, UM, SO WHEN LOOKING AT THE JONESVILLE COMMUNITY, HOPEFULLY, UM, THERE WON'T BE A COOKIE CUTTER SOLUTION, BUT MAYBE LOOKING AT A, ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
UM, ALSO I REPRESENT THE SMALL NUMBER OF NATIVE ISLANDERS WHO OWN SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND, UM, DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE MAY THINK, UH, THERE ARE TOURISTS, THERE ARE, UH, GUESTS COMING TO HILTON HEAD LOOKING OFF TO BE OFF OF THE BEATEN PATH.
AND, UM, I HAVE RECEIVED MANY, MANY COMPLIMENTS ABOUT MY CHORE TERMINAL IN WILD HORSE ROAD.
UM, WHICH IS ALSO A PART OF THE PROPERTY THAT, UH, CAESAR JONES PURCHASED.
I WAS ABLE TO RECLAIM THAT PROPERTY AND, UM, I'M BLESSED TO HAVE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT I'M USING
[01:55:01]
FOR THAT PROPERTY.AND SO, JUST ASKING TONIGHT THAT THE TOWN RECOGNIZED AND THE LMO TASK FORCE RECOGNIZED THAT ALL SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE NOT THE SAME.
AND SOME OF US ARE USING THESE PROPERTIES TO PRESERVE FAMILY LAND TO PROTECT OUR GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE AND TO CREATE MEANINGFUL CULTURAL TOURISM EXPERIENCES THAT SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL EDUCATION AND FOR FAMILIES, NATIVE FAMILIES, SUCH AS MY OWN AND A COUPLE OTHERS.
UM, ON ONE, SPECIFICALLY ON JONESVILLE ROAD, UH, THIS INCOME ALSO HELPS US PRESERVE ANCESTRAL PROPERTY IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING ISLAND ECONOMY.
SO I ENCOURAGE BALANCED POLICIES THAT PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS, GULLAH GEECHEE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHILE ALSO PROTECTING THE CULTURE, IDENTITY AND HISTORY THAT MAKES HILTON HEAD ALLEN UNIQUE AS IT IS.
UH, I, I LIVE IN, UH, THE PLANTATION DEVELOPED BY, UM, CHARLES RAZER AND LIVED THERE SINCE THE END OF 2000 WHEN WE MOVED IN, OVER 75% OF THE PROPERTY WERE RESIDENT OCCUPY.
IT'S NOW SOMEWHERE AROUND ABOUT 20, 25%.
THERE'S OVER 2,100 SHORT TERM RENTALS IN, UH, IN SEA PINES.
IT'S, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY'S, UH, IS PLEASED WITH THE CHANGES.
UM, I THINK NOSTALGIA AND ANECDOTAL BA BASIS ON WHICH TO PLAN REGULATIONS AND LMO IS IS, UH, NOT WISE.
I HAD SOMEBODY LAST WEEK, UH, PREVIOUS MEETING READ OUT CHARLES FRASER'S SEVEN GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
THEY WERE ABANDONED YEARS AGO AS CLIFF WILL UH, TESTIFY.
UM, IT'S NOT MENTIONED THAT CHARLES RAZER HAD MANY SIDES.
HE, FOR EXAMPLE, INTRODUCED TIMESHARE TO THE ISLAND.
HE OPENLY ADMITTED HE BUILT A, A GOLF COURSE TO SELL PROPERTY.
HE OPENLY ADMITTED THAT HE BUILT A, UH, WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT? THE LIGHTHOUSE, NOT BECAUSE IT'S A LIGHTHOUSE, BUT TRACKS TOURISTS.
BUT IN 1992, HE DID WRITE TO THE TOWN AFTER HAVING HAD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN SUX PINES AND ELSEWHERE AND WARMED THE TOWN ABOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT CONGESTION, INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS AND SO ON.
EASY THING TO DO AFTER YOU'VE MADE YOUR MONEY.
SO OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS I'VE BEEN TO EVERY MEETING I'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, COMMENTS, A A LOT OF REMARKS, PERSONAL OPINIONS, VERY LITTLE SUBSTANTIVE DATA, AND THE ISLAND'S CHANGING.
AND NOT ALL OF US LIKE THE CHANGES AND ONE MAN'S METER OF THE MAN'S POISON.
YOU COULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS, TAKE WHAT'S HAPPENED ON THE LEG OF MUTTON AND SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY THEY'RE NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE ISLAND.
WHAT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE ISLAND? I HEARD SOMEBODY COMPLAIN SOME WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE SIZE OF PROPERTIES BEING DEVELOPED NEAR THE BEACH.
THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO MADE THE COMMENT IS THE PERSON THAT SIGNS OFF EVERY DEVELOPMENT IN THAT PLANTATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, UM, THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FUTURE, UH, FOR THEMSELVES, FOR THEIR FAMILY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS COME TO MIND.
LIKE, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR ONE MAN MEET ANOTHER MAN'S POISON AND IT IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, AND DON'T TRY TO ACTUALLY AS THIS COMMITTEE, UH, SET WHAT THE FUTURE SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'D LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE TOWN MANAGER.
I THINK THE PROGRESS IS MADE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO TO STOP THE BOMBER NATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN 2004.
MY NAME IS DI JEANETTE BERNIE SINGLETON.
I REPRESENT MYSELF AS A FIFTH GENERATION GULLAH NATIVE OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL A POEM THAT I WROTE.
[02:00:02]
OUR WAYS MUST OFFEND THEIR POSH ISLAND BRAND.SEE PINE'S FOUNDER FRASER WOULD BE APPALLED.
SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IMPLIED AT A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING, HANDWRITTEN ROADSIDE SIGNS, ADVERTISING WATERMELONS FOR SALE OR IMAGINE GET YOUR GULLAH FRIED CHICKEN, HAIR GOT TO BE IMMACULATE AND STYLISH.
NO MYRTLE BEACH SLOUCH ON THEIR WATCH.
EVEN NOW, THE ONES WHO PRAISE OUR GOSPEL SINGING AT ONCE A YEAR FESTIVAL TIME WOULD LIKELY VOTE DOWN DOMESTIC OTHER PROJECTS TO KEEP THEIR ISLAND CLASSY AND POMPOUS.
THEY DON'T PUSH WHAT'S BEST FOR THE MASSES, ONLY WHAT'S AESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO THE ULTRA ELITE.
WHAT WE HAVE IS A CONFLICT OF VALUES.
BUT WHO SETS THE STANDARDS? COUNSEL, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND OUR GULLAH BRAND IS RESOURCEFULNESS.
CREATE A MOUNTAIN FROM A MOLE HILL.
GIVE AN INCH, IT WILL MAKE A YARD.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HORSE RIDE A MULE, AS DAD USED TO SAY, USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.
IT APPEARS THEY DON'T WANT US IN THEIR PARADISE UNLESS WE CONFORM AND COPY THEIR COME YOUR WAYS.
THEN WHAT? WE LOSE OURS, OUR DOWN TO EARTH, OUR HUMBLE GOD-GIVEN CULTURE.
DANIEL ANTHONY, I AM DANIEL ANTHONY, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE JONESVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
AND FOR ALL YOU HERE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT ASK THAT MARK WAS SAYING ABOUT JONESVILLE AND THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL RESTRICTIONS, THAT WAS MINE ON BEHALF OF THE MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS IN JONESVILLE.
AND WE HAVE KEPT THE FIGHT UP.
JONESVILLE IS NOT A PLACE FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
I DON'T, I I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY ANYBODY'S RIGHTS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THEIR LAND.
OKAY? BUT WE HAVE TO BE PRUDENT WITH THIS.
JONESVILLE HAS NOTHING FOR THE TOURISM.
IT DOESN'T, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU'VE BEEN ON JONESVILLE, IF YOU'VE SEEN BAILEY'S COVE AND SANDY OAKS, SEE WHAT THEY'RE LIKE.
YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT IF THERE WERE SHORT TERM RENTALS THERE.
SOMEBODY MADE THE COMMENT, WE'LL NEVER GET OUTTA JONESVILLE.
WE HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING OUTTA JONESVILLE NOW.
AND NOW THAT EVERYBODY COMES FROM THE SOUTH END AND USES, UH, SPANISH WELLS AS A SHORTCUT TO GET TO THE TRAFFIC JAM.
WE CAN'T EVEN GET HOME IF WE'RE ON THE SOUTH END.
YOU KNOW, NOT UNLESS WE WANT TO BE DARING AND TAKE THE BIKE PATH WITH OUR TRUCKS, BUT IT'S JUST NOT A PLACE FOR IT.
UM, UH, SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS DOWN THE ROAD OUTSIDE OF BAILEY'S COVE IN SANDY OAKS.
EVERY DEVELOPMENT DOWN THERE HAS WRITTEN INTO THEIR BYLAWS.
NO SHORT TERM RENTALS EXCEPT FOR TWO THAT I KNOW OF.
AND I THINK THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT NOW.
UH, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ASKED FOR SIR, ABOUT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, THE PROBLEMS, HOW MANY THERE WERE THIS OUT THERE? YOU CAN GET THAT OFF THE WEBSITE.
I DID IT JUST BEFORE I GOT HERE TODAY.
UM, BUT IN CLOSING, LET ME SAY THIS, I HAVEN'T TALKED, I'LL BE HONEST, I HAVEN'T TALKED WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON JONESVILLE.
I HAVE KNOCKED ON EVERY SINGLE DOOR, BUT I WILL.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO, AND WE DID A SURVEY ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO, THEY DO NOT WANT SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN JONESVILLE POINT BLANK.
AND I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE MADE THE COMMENT, SHOULDN'T THE COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE MAKE THE DECISION? AND I STAND BY THAT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN I HAVE TWO SHOULD ONE WAS PUT ONLINE.
IS IT NAING? YEAH, IT SAYS AGENDA ITEM.
IS IT IT IS A NON AGENDA ITEM.
RIGHT? WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT AT THE END, RIGHT? OKAY.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, HEATHER? THANK YOU.
COUNCILMAN DESIMONE, UM, CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
UM, IT WAS INTERESTING, UH, WHAT FRANK SAID ABOUT THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE WORKERS, UM, FOR SPEECH BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THEM 25 YEARS AGO, LIVING ON MALLARD AND HAVING A HELL OF A GREAT TIME AND CAUSING ALL
[02:05:01]
RUCKUS.AND THAT HAS NOW, UH, CHANGED, UM, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
BUT IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE STILL YOUNG WORKERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, GROWING UP AND UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE STANDING IN FRONT OF THIS COUNCIL AND THIS COMMITTEE IN ANOTHER 25 YEARS.
UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I'VE ADVOCATED FOR LIVING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC USE AND RESIDENTIAL USE OF TENNIS COURTS, RESIDENTIAL USE OF BOAT LANDINGS, RESIDENTIAL USE OF, UM, OUR PUBLIC SPACES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE PRIMARILY THERE FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, TRAFFIC MITIGATION, ROADWAY SLOWING, SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, TURTLES, DUNES MANAGEMENT, UM, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
I MEAN THE LIST JUST KIND OF GOES ON AND ON OVER THE 25 YEAR CAREER THAT I'VE HAD IN OUR AREA.
AND I'M READY TO KIND OF SAY THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD.
AND THAT IS, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE READY FOR OUR OWN POLICE FORCE.
THAT IS WHAT I AM COMING TO THE CONCLUSION OF.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT, I WANTED TO GET IT ON THE RECORD.
IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WAS PLANNING TO SAY TODAY.
I HAVE TO GO PICK UP THE KIDS FROM SWIM PRACTICE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ARE AT THAT POINT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRMAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU'RE WELCOME.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA TALK ON THIS SUBJECT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA ADD THE OTHER, GOTTA GET TO A PRACTICE.
THE OTHERS, UM, AFTER WE SUPPLY THE, UM, I'M SORRY,
SO WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OUR TWO POLLING QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, SO IF YOU WILL, UH, GO AHEAD AND LOG ON USING YOUR QR CODE.
UM, THE FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, GO AHEAD.
WHAT CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO STR REGULATIONS ON THE WARD SIDE OF NORTH AND SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 17 POLARS PEOPLE, SORRY, POLARS, POLARS,
SO 13 OF OUR 17 POLARS HAVE RESPONDED FOR ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
WE'LL GIVE JUST ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO FOR OUR OTHER FOLKS TO REGISTER.
ANYBODY HAVE ISSUES WITH THE LOGIN? OKAY.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY CLEAR 94%, UM, IN FAVOR OF ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR NORTH AND SOUTH FOR SPEECH DRIVE.
WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
UM, WHAT CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO THE S TWO R REGULATIONS FOR JONESVILLE ROAD? ELIMINATE STR CAP, STR OR ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS? OH,
[02:10:01]
SO WE'RE WAITING ON ONE MORE.SO WE'VE GOT JUST OVER HALF, UH, FAVOR, ADDITIONAL DESIGN STANDARDS, ABOUT 40% ELIMINATE AND 7% CAP.
IN CASE YOU WANNA CHANGE YOUR VOTE, YOU'RE CAPPING THREE
ANY, UH, CLOSING COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE ON THE RESPONSES? MR. CHRISTIAN
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, EVERYTHING ON FRIDAY NIGHT IS EIGHTH OF THE WEEK BECAUSE SURGEON COUNTS NUMBER OF PIZZAS ORDER AT THREES TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA DO IN THEIR RESTAURANTS FOR THE WHOLE WEEK.
'CAUSE THAT SOURCE WOULD COME ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
BUT THEY DO IT IN OTHER RESORT COMMUNITIES AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE CAN'T DO IT HERE.
AND IT JUST CUTS DOWN ON THE TRAFFIC, CUTS DOWN CONGESTION AND GROCERY STORES OF THE RESTAURANTS, THE WORKERS WHO HAVE TO PREPARE ALL THESE THINGS AND CHECK THEM IN.
IT'S GOTTA BE A WAY TO DO THAT.
NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THAT.
SO YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD IT FROM THESE 20 TIMES S THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD
I SEE YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, NANCY? YEAH.
SO IS THAT OUR LAST QUESTION? YES, MA'AM.
THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS BECAUSE THE FINAL THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, ANNETTE, IS WE STILL HAVE WHAT TO DO ABOUT JONESVILLE.
IT LOOKS LIKE SLIGHT EDGE ADDITIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO DEFINE STRS IN THE LMO.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AFTER THAT, I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE AREAS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE ZONING DISTRICTS, SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED RM FOUR, WHICH IS ISLAND, WHICH IS ALL OVER THE ISLAND.
AND SO IF WE DEFINE STR AND WE ADD THOSE REGULATIONS TO RM FOUR, HOW ARE WE IMPACTING NATIVE HONOR GULLAH LAND, OR HOW ARE WE IMPACTING OTHER AREAS, UM, WITHIN RM FOUR? UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE AREAS AND WE NEED TO DECIDE, AND I DON'T WANNA, AS I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T WANNA HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE ZONING DISTRICTS, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME OVERLAYS THAT WE CAN USE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, BUT LOOK AT DIFFERENT TOOLS TO DO THAT.
AND THEN ONCE WE DO THAT, THEN DECIDE WHAT ARE THE APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR MASS AND SCALE, UM, FOR THOSE AREAS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S STILL THE DRIVING THING.
WE'VE GOT THE MUNICIPAL CODE FOR BEHAVIOR AND WITH THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT LOCATION AND MASS AND SCALE.
I MEAN, CURRENTLY MUNICIPAL CODE SAYS 30 DAYS OR LESS, BUT, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD, UH, REAL, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE.
WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY BE GETTING BACK TOGETHER IN AUGUST, MAYBE AUGUST.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE VACATIONS AND THINGS, SO IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, YOU ARE.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT, UM, WE'LL TRY HARD TO, UH, INFORM YOU IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT, UH, SO THE, THE STAFF'S GOING TO DO THEIR THING NOW, AND WE'RE GONNA GET SOME CODE AND THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER DISCUSSIONS AND THIS IS GONNA MOVE RIGHT ON UP THE LADDER AND, UH, AND WE'LL RECONVENE SOMETIME IN AUGUST.
MR. CHAIR, I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER.
I THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS.
I JUST, YEAH, I KNOW, BUT I FIGURE WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED SPEAKING WE CAN, WE CAN ADJOURN.
UM, ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY HOW GREAT YOU FEEL AND HOW GOOD THIS WAS AND HOW WE'VE BROUGHT ALL THE PUBLIC IN AND EVERYONE'S HAD THEIR SAY.
WHAT'D YOU SAID? WHAT? I SAID.
HAVE MANAGEMENT COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR JOINING
WELL, THIS COMMITTEE WAS PUT TOGETHER FOR THE PURPOSE
[02:15:01]
OF CONVENING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS.TRY TO GET GOOD INFORMATION AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
WHO DO WE HAVE LEFT? UH, YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEAK.
NON AGENDA ITEMS. SKIP HOAGLAND, WINDMILL HARBOR.
WHY IS THIS TASK FORCE MOSTLY CHAMBER MEMBERS IN SECRET, GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL? OUR TOWN SEEMS TO BE INFLUENCED BY AN UNDERGROUND GOVERNMENT, NOT ABOVE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT FOR ANOTHER TOTAL DIFFERENT REASON TO ASK COUNCIL TO VOTE.
TO CREATE A CITY DOGE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MADE UP OF LOCAL VOLUNTEER CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS.
THIS COMMITTEE WOULD NOT MAKE LAWS.
IT WOULD NOT RUN THE TOWN, IT WOULD NOT REPLACE THIS COUNCIL.
IT WOULD DO ONE THING, ONLY INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF HOW PUBLIC MONEY IS SPENT.
EVERY YEAR, THIS TOWN AND COUNTY SPENDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IT'S DISAPPEARED, NOT ACCOUNTED FOR.
ACCOMMODATION TAX, HOSPITALITY TAX, TOURISM, MARKETING CHAMBER, DMO, ILLEGAL CONTRACTS, BUDGETS, YEAR END AUDITS.
NO INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT.
TAXPAYERS ARE FORCED TO RELY ON THE SAME LAWYERS WHO DRAFT THE ILLEGAL CONTRACTS AND COMMIT MALPRACTICE.
THE SAME STAFF WHO PROCESSES THE ILLEGAL CHECKS AND THE SAME RECIPIENTS WHO RECEIVE THE ILLEGAL MONEY.
THIS IS CIRCULAR SELF-POLICING.
THE CITY DOGE COMMITTEE FIXES THAT LEGALLY, ETHICALLY, AT ZERO COST TO TAXPAYERS.
THE DRAFT ORDINANCE I SUBMITTED DOES THREE THINGS THAT IT POINTS INDEPENDENT LOCAL VOLUNTEER CPAS GIVES THEM ACCESS TO OUR FINANCIAL RECORDS AND REQUIRES THEIR FINDINGS TO BE MADE TO THE PUBLIC UNDER FOIA.
TRANSPARENCY IS NOT ATTACK ON SMALL GOVERNMENT.
IT'S A FOUNDATION OF GOVERNMENT.
A DOGE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE LIKE MUSK INTRODUCED TO US, HE WAS ONE OF MY HEROES, BY THE WAY, IS NOT RADICAL.
WE NEED A YOUNG IN-HOUSE LAWYER, LOCAL RESIDENT, OUR BEST INTEREST IN MINE, OR WE PUT AN AI ROBOT AND COLTRANE'S CHAIR.
I DON'T EVEN USE LAWYERS ANYMORE.
I GRADUATED FROM CHAD GP LAW SCHOOL WHO NEEDS A LAWYER? SO TONIGHT I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AS COUNCIL PLACED A CITY DOGE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ORDINANCE.
ON THE NEXT AGENDA, EITHER YOU VOTE YES AND EMBRACE TRANSPARENCY.
YOU VOTE NO AND EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHY INDEPENDENT CPAS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SEE HOW YOU, HOW THEY SPEND YOUR MONEY.
GO TO CITY DOGE.COM AND READ ALL ABOUT IT.
A FORMER FBI JUST SAID TO ME, CITY DOGE IS A GAME CHANGER.
AND THEN 90% OF CORRUPTION ON HILTON HEAD, EVERY CITY GLOBALLY.
JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY TIED TO THE SCANDAL.
VOTE FOR HONESTY, NOT FRIENDS AND FAVORS.
I WAS HOPING THIS WAS THE RIGHT SIZE.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE.
I AM A RESIDENT LANDOWNER AND LANDLORD IN THE MITCHELLVILLE COMMUNITY, AND I AM PROUD TO STAND BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING ALONGSIDE MY FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS.
FIRST I WANT TO EXTEND AND SINCERE THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS TASK FORCE AS WELL AS THE TOWN LEADERSHIP WHO HAS REACHED OUT TO MY BROTHER BRUCE CHAPLIN TO BEGIN A DIRECT DIALOGUE ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE TRULY WELCOME THIS APPROACH.
HAVING THE ACTUAL VOICE OF MITCHELLVILLE HEARD AND HAVING OUR TRUE DESIRE FOR OUR COMMUNITY GENERALLY CONSIDERED IS EXACTLY HOW WE BUILD A PRODUCTIVE PATH FORWARD.
AS SOMEONE WITH DEEP ROOTS ON THIS LAND, MY VISION FOR MITCHELLVILLE IS TWOFOLD.
ON ONE HAND, I WANT MY COMMUNITY TO REMAIN FIRMLY ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN OUR RICH GULCH, GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURE.
THE HERITAGE IS SACRED AND IT MUST BE PROTECTED AT THIS TIME.
AS A PROPERTY OWNER, I WANT THE ABILITY TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF MY LAND.
I WANT TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE ZONING ALLOWS US TO PURSUE MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT BENEFIT OUR FAMILIES AND EARS.
[02:20:01]
RECOGNIZE THE, HIS HISTORIC USES OF OUR PROPERTY.FOR INSTANCE, MY GRANDMOTHER OWNED A GENERAL STORE RIGHT HERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND BY THE WAY, THE BUILDING FOR THAT STORE IS STILL STANDING IN THAT SPOT TODAY.
THESE TWO GOALS DO NOT HAVE TO COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING HARD WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES TO IDENTIFY THE EXACT MECHANISM AND USES THAT WILL ACHIEVE THAT PERFECT BALANCE, PRESERVING OUR HISTORY WHILE UNLOCKING OUR ECONOMIC POTENTIAL.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THOSE IDEAS AND WORKING, WORKING IS TRUE, WORKING TRUE PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU.
UH, I'M SORRY WITH YOU TO MAKE THEM A REALITY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR CONTINUE COLLABORATION.
SO AGAIN, THANK THANK EVERYONE FOR, UH, BE OKAY.
NON ITEMS, YOU GOT 30 SECONDS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, JUST A OBSERVATION AND A COMMENT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IN GENERAL TO ELECTED OFFICIALS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COALITION MEMBERS, ANYONE THAT DOES WORK FOR A MUNICIPALITY.
I THINK WE HAVE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WHENEVER WE MENTION THE TERMS MORATORIUM CAPS ELIMINATION, AND WE DO IT IN A PUBLIC WAY ON AN AGENDA, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WHAT YOU DON'T HEAR GOING ON IS THE REACTION THAT OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND PEOPLE THAT RELY ON OUR TOURIST AND YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE REACTING.
THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS THAT HERE, I I CAN'T LOOK AT THAT HOUSE NOW.
HILTON HEADS BECOMING NONT TOURIST FRIENDLY.
THEY MIGHT PUT CAPS ON THINGS THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT MORATORIUMS. I I THINK IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO THROW THESE WORDS JUST OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO CONSUME AND THREATEN THE VERY INDUSTRY THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO PRESERVE SO MUCH LAND ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND HAVE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT WE LOVE AND YOU NEED TO ALL UNDERSTAND.
I JUST WANT YOU TO REALIZE WHEN THOSE WORDS GET TOSSED AROUND, EVEN IF YOU DON'T ACT ON 'EM, EVEN IF IT CHANGES DOWN THE ROAD IN CONVERSATION, YOU AFFECT BUSINESSES AND THE REAL ESTATE, UM, ECONOMY AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THOSE.
AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING, HOW THEY COME ABOUT, WHO INTRODUCES THEM, AND IS IT WISE SOMETIMES, UH, TO HAVE THEM.
I, I I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE, UM, ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PERSONALLY, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
MY COLLEAGUES, MS. BRYSON, MS. BECKER.
AND AGAIN, JUST LIKE LAST MEETING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, MAYOR PERRY, COUNCILMAN BROWN, COUNCILMAN ALFRED AND WITH, BECAUSE SHE HAD A COMMITMENT TONIGHT.
MS. HUNTER'S NOT HERE, BUT WE ALL SHOW UP.
UM, AND WE DO OUR JOB FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND MOST OF ALL THE STAFF.
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS PUT INTO THIS KIND OF STUFF THAT YOU DON'T SEE HUNDREDS OF HOURS.
AND THEN THERE'S DOZENS OF MEETINGS ABOUT THIS, THE LMO MEETINGS OTHER THAN THESE MEETINGS.
SO THIS STAFF WORKS REALLY, REALLY HARD.
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE BINDER, RIGHT? AND IT'S BEEN REPLACED FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, SO SEEMS LIKE EVERY MEETING I GO TO, I GET A NEW BINDER.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, ALL YOUR EFFORT, ALL YOUR HARD WORK, AND I KNOW IT'S JUST STARTING, BUT WE'RE ON A PAUSE HERE AND WE'LL SEE EVERYONE IN A COUPLE THREE MONTHS.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND 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
[02:25:01]
LIFE.SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY, THE COUNTY UNIT AND 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 KEISLING, 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 K 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 FOREST.
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 A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT 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 SEMINARS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BUTT 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, ASPECTS OF, BUT COUNTY 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 SALE.
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.