Beaufort County Denies Golf Course Request and Settlement Offer

Beaufort County Council Denies Pine Island Golf Development

The Beaufort County Council has officially rejected the latest rezoning request from Pine Island LLC, effectively halting plans for a multi-course golf development on St. Helena Island.

The decision, handed down during a session at the Beaufort County Government Building, upholds a 27-year-old Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) that prevents golf courses from being built on the island.

According to WTOC, the council’s vote was not unanimous, reflecting a deep-seated divide over the future of the region’s land use. For the residents of St. The Helena Island decision marks a victory in a five-year struggle.

The Cultural Protection Overlay at the Center of the Dispute

At the heart of the conflict lies the Cultural Protection Overlay, a zoning instrument that prohibits the construction of golf courses on St. Helena Island. The CPO serves as a legal defense against land development that many locals fear would disrupt the community’s heritage and environment.

One resident addressed the council directly, stating, “We, the Gullah people living on St. Helena Island, are highly educated people, and we are tired of being insulted. We don’t have peanut brains; we see exactly what you are doing.”

The developers, Pine Island LLC, have spent five years attempting to secure approval for a project spanning more than 500 acres. Their proposal included three six-hole golf courses. Elvio Tropeano attempted to sway the council by offering to drop pending litigation, build workforce housing, and create new jobs if the proposal were approved.

“I respectfully request that this council move the item forward with a positive vote to preserve the opportunity for transformational change, to preserve the opportunity and actually, a mutually beneficial resolution,” Tropeano said.

Legal Standoff Continues

Despite the offer of a settlement, the council remained firm. Following the denial of the rezoning request, council members also voted against accepting the developer’s settlement offer. This refusal ensures that the existing litigation between Pine Island LLC and Beaufort County will continue in court.

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Kevin Dukes, the attorney representing the developer, argued that the county’s consistent rejection of the project reflects an unfair bias. “There is particular bias towards this particular application and this particular problem,” Dukes stated during the proceedings. Conversely, local speakers maintained that the offer of jobs and housing did not outweigh the established protections of the CPO.

The regulatory structure governing this land is stringent. Because the rezoning request was denied, Pine Island LLC must wait 365 days before submitting another rezoning request. As the case moves forward in the court system, the community of St. Helena Island remains focused on maintaining the zoning protections.

For now, the county has chosen to prioritize the existing land-use framework over the developer’s proposed settlement.

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