Tension over a controversial Beaufort Co. property leads to apology from Hardeeville
Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams says he will oppose a proposal that the city annex two controversial pieces of land in Beaufort County because he doesn't want damage relationships with his neighbors.
Still, Williams said he's committed to growing the city and, potentially, expanding its borders.
"We're not (generally) opposed to annexation," Williams said Monday morning. "We're pro-growth. This city has aggressively pursued growth and will continue to do so."
Williams wrote a letter to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette over the weekend after news of the proposed annexation of Malind Bluff and Malind Pointe — located east of S.C. 170 and north of the Okatie River, near Oldfield — caused an uproar last week among Beaufort County officials, who felt blindsided by the proposal and worried about its financial and environmental impact.
The Malind parcels total roughly 180 acres, 20 of which could be used for commercial purposes, according to master-plan documents submitted May 9 to the City of Hardeeville Planning Commission. While it's still preliminary and must be voted on by Hardeeville City Council, the project, if approved, would add about 700 homes to an area poised to grow immensely — the parcels are practically across the street from portions of the forthcoming East Argent community, planned for 9,500 homes.
Complicating matters is that Malind developers and landowners had been, for years, working with the county in an attempt to begin construction. County officials accused them of jurisdiction shopping — pitting Hardeeville against Beaufort County when they didn't get the deal they wanted.
Both county and city officials saw the potential for a lawsuit to decide whether any existing agreements with the county had to be honored.
"My concerns are long range planning, water quality and traffic," Beaufort County Council Chairman Paul Sommerville wrote in a text message Monday morning, when asked if he would be open to other potential Hardeeville annexation attempts in the county. "This is why all contiguous counties and municipalities must cooperate and communicate in these critical areas."
In his letter, Williams took responsibility for failing to call Sommerville after the May 9 planning commission meeting, during which city staffers recommended city council review the Malind proposal.
But Williams also said the project has merit, and that homes designed for working-class families could benefit the entire region.
"Although I believe this project has the worthy goal of greatly needed work force housing and should be pursued to conclusion," he wrote, "I have personally concluded that for the good of the City of Hardeeville and the Low Country, I will oppose the annexation ... and I will encourage my fellow Council Members to do the same."
When asked about the project, Hardeeville City Councilwoman Carolyn Kassel said: "I don't have an opinion at this point." She added that there were still "too many questions."
Council members David Spisso, Mike Sweeney and John Carroll could not be immediately reached for comment.
In his letter, Williams said he felt Hardeeville had been "vilified by many." When asked Monday what that meant, he pointed to a segment of May 14's Beaufort County Council meeting in which council members such as Jerry Stewart — whose district is home to the Malind parcels — said it was "unfortunate" that a neighboring municipality thought it better knew county residents' needs.
But Williams said he didn't want to "alienate" anyone over a, comparatively, small project, with large developments such as East Argent and Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head — both located in Hardeeville — looming.
He called those forthcoming developments "bright prospects."
"All of these projects are going to raise our tax base," he said.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Tension over a controversial Beaufort Co. property leads to apology from Hardeeville."