Parking, dock ramp among planned Oyster Factory Park improvements

Bluffton's Oyster Factory Park is getting a makeover worth nearly a million dollars.

After a work session last month, town officials have updated plans for long and short-term upgrades to park.

The first phase of improvements is set to begin in November and wrap up by early next year.

It will widen the boat dock ramp to the May River, allowing two boats to enter or exit the water at the same time.

It will be "a lot easier for novice boaters to use," Mayor Lisa Sulka said Wednesday.

The parking area in the northwest portion of the park will be cleaned up and expanded to include spaces for 52 cars and 26 boat trailers, according to the town's Oyster Park Master Plan.

The first phase of improvements also calls for the construction of a new day dock for small boats, kayaks and "people who just want to walk out and enjoy a look at the river," Sulka said.

Stabilization of the Garvin House, which is located within the park, is included in the first phase.

The earliest-known home owned by a freed slave along the May River, the Garvin House was built by Cyrus Garvin in 1870 with materials spared after Union troops burned Bluffton seven years earlier.

This year the town will also begin construction of a walking path around the perimeter park and from the parking lot to the docks.

Councilman Larry Toomer, who owns the nearby Bluffton Oyster Company, has a particularly strong interest in the park given its proximity to his business.

Toomer said improving walkability is a "public safety issue."

"When (the park) is really busy there are cars driving and people walking all around the same area," he said. "(The new walkways) will help people get around the park more safely."

Aesthetic improvements like new lighting, landscaping and signage are also planned throughout the park.

The town budgeted nearly $900,000 fiscal year for phase one.

The funds come mainly from grants and hospitality tax revenues, according budget documents.

Long-term, the plan allows for a potential fishing and crabbing dock in the southeastern portion of the park and a centrally located children's play area. Funding for these projects has yet to be identified and a timeline for construction hasn't been established..

Follow reporter Lucas High at twitter.com/IPBG_Lucas.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Parking, dock ramp among planned Oyster Factory Park improvements."