This is a follow up to Board Update #67 concerning the housing for students of the University of South Carolina, Beaufort's, New River Campus.

 

You might recall that in Update #67 the Beaufort County Planning Commission denied a recommendation for a zoning change associated with the project from suburban to urban.  The Commission then passed a recommendation that the project be created as a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which it felt offered more protection for us residents of Sun City.

 

A subsequent meeting was conducted by Beaufort County Council's Land Management Committee on Tuesday, January 20.  There were approximately 30-35 Sun City Residents in attendance, a group large enough to cause the meeting to be moved from a conference room to the Council Chambers, a good early sign of our community's interest and involvement.

 

After much discussion, the recommendation for a zoning change was tabled for further consideration in favor of a DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT to be negotiated by the landowner, D.R. Horton, and Beaufort County.  Land Management Committee members felt a DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT would be a faster solution than a PUD.  It also attempted to illustrate to the attendees that, if successfully negotiated, the DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT would bring the same safeguards as a PUD to the 47 acres being developed.  

 

Following the meeting, Sun City residents were concerned with the following specifics:

 

    A.  There is some protection in the DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT because construction must be completed in five years or any zoning change would revert back to the original; in this case if there were a zoning change, it would revert to the current suburban zoning.  However, if the construction is completed, any zoning change would remain in place.

 

    B.  There were no specifics regarding the length of the process.

 

    C.  There were no specifics regarding what construction is being proposed.

 

    D.  There was no feeling of security that what will be built will be satisfactory to SCHH

          residents. 

 

    E.  There was concern that the switch from the PUD recommendation to a DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT appeared to have been discussed and choreographed behind closed doors, i.e., prior to the meeting attended by the residents.

 

    F.  There was concern that the dirving force of any agreement might be speed rather than what might be best for both the landowner and Sun City's residents.

 

Following the meeting, I spoke to a number of residents, and we all agreed that the Sun City Community must stay on top of this issue. 

 

Subsequently I conversed and/or exchanged e-mails with a number of residents including Margaret Griffin, a resident of Sun City and our representative on Beaufort County Council.  She in turn asked Mr. Peter Lamb, who represents the Council's 4th District to call me.  Peter, like Margaret, represents Beaufort County south of the Broad River.

 

During our conversation, Mr. Lamb appeared to be most knowledgeable about zoning generally, as well as the specifics of this situation and how they relate to PUD and DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.  He explained that DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS lock in specific terms for developing the land, but do not offer developers as much leeway to negotiate their own rules for development as would be possible with a PUD.  In effect, it is a contract that allows for more specifics regarding the height of buildings, road access, density and other such issues that a PUD doesn't accomplish.  The various steps in the negotiation process are public, and any resulting zoning changes would have to be approved by County Council.  That approval requires three public readings. 

 

Peter Lamb has offered to meet with us, along with Margaret Griffin, to not only help us to understand the process, but also to help us to understand the specifics of any agreement that comes out of the negotiations.  In that way we will be able to express our views, and if necessary, bring those views to the table or to Beaufort County Council.  He has already been in contact with Mr. Ken Hull, Sun City's General Manager, regarding space for such a meeting(s).  I will follow up with Mr. Hull to set a specific date that allows time for there to be adequate notice to our community.

 

Please note that in the meanwhile a meeting has been scheduled by a group of the residents who have been involved in monitoring this situation from the beginning.  Margaret Griffin will be attending, as will Mr. Joe Fragale, who along with along with Phyllis Giglinto will be appointed by the CAM Board as Co-Chairs of Sun City Hilton Head's new Government and Business Affairs Committee.  Please note that Phyllis is traveling, but that upon her return she too will be invited to attend.

 

A follow up meeting by this same group is scheduled with the project's architect in an attempt to secure and understand the current specifics of the plan.  This information will be very beneficial to our conversations with Peter Lamb and Margaret Griffin, and will be of help to Joe Fragale and Phyllis Giglinto in their efforts with Beaufort County. 

 

Currently this is not a CAM Board issue, but I am hopeful that that the above outlines the current status of the project, and confirms the belief of many, that as concerned residents we need to remain on top of the situation.  That will help to ensure that whatever results come from negotiations or zoning changes reflect our opinions.  As such, we will you advised as best we can to accomplish that.