Petition launched to keep tennis courts away from these Sea Pines animals

At least 1,700 pounds and 18 hands tall, “Harley,” a Clydesdale, stands at the entrance of Lawton Stables on Greenwood Drive in Sea Pines, eating carrots that visitors bring in grocery bags.

The descendant of the Anheuser-Busch horse line was never a Budweiser Clydesdale himself, according to records at the stables, but looks like he could have been.

For now, he is the “mascot” of Lawton Stables, said Natalie Lieberman, a client of the stables and a Sea Pines resident. She fears, though, that if a controversial referendum to add 90 rooms to The Inn & Club at Harbour Town passes, Lawton Stables might disappear, which would mean the snack-seeking Harley and his regular visitors would be gone, too.

That is why, Lieberman said, she launched a petition this week on Change.org to encourage Sea Pines Resort to find a place other than the stables property for the proposed relocation of tennis courts at The Inn & Club.

If that doesn’t work, she said she will encourage residents to vote “no” on the referendum, tentatively set for this fall.

Lieberman said she hopes the petition drive will help people realize “what a gem Lawton is.” As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 40 people had signed the petition.

The effort to pass the referendum includes a proposal to use up to eight acres of the 21-acre Lawton Stables for as many as 18 tennis courts that would need to move to allow the hotel to more than double its current number of rooms, according to resort and Smith Stearns Tennis Academy officials. Resort officials have said their goal with the expansion project is to turn the hotel into a “five-star” resort.

Steve Birdwell, president of Sea Pines Resort, said Monday the Lawton property is just one possible relocation site for the tennis courts if the referendum passes, and that the resort is researching others. Lawton, however, is listed on Enhancing Sea Pines, a website created by the resort and aimed at generating support for the referendum, as the designated relocation site.

Lieberman said she was shocked to learn that Lawton was being seriously considered for tennis courts, adding she had been assured by others it was only a rumor.

“Every bit of property — all of the 21 acres — is used,” she said. “There is not one bit that’s not used.”

Lieberman said there may be a misconception that some of the land is not used, because horses often graze at night depending on the season. Intense heat and bugs make it difficult for the 46 trail horses and horses of boarders to comfortably graze on summer days, which is why some pastures sit empty during the day, she said.

Zara Kelly, who runs an international riding program at Lawton, said she fears a “domino effect” would result if tennis courts are relocated there, contending the stables eventually would be unable to maintain its boarding facility, animal farm and trail-riding program.

Construction of a tennis facility would cause issues with the horses, which are easily spooked and like routine, Lieberman contended.

Even if sound-proof barriers are installed after the courts are built, the motions and sounds of people playing tennis might cause horses to panic, Lieberman said, noting that just the sight of someone casting a fishing rod is enough to startle “Blue,” her 9-year-old Rocky Mountain horse.

With tennis courts in the way, it also would be difficult to take riders on trail rides, said Cheryl Clements, a trail guide, because the horses would have to pass by the tennis facility to cross the street.

“If the horses go away, I’m not sure people would go to Sea Pines,” Clements said.

In a prepared statement initially released earlier this month to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, and recently resent after follow-up inquiries by the newspapers, Lawton Stables officials said they “are aware Sea Pines has been considering using part of the stables for a tennis facility, but have been told that no decision has been made at this time.”

Lieberman said she can’t support the referendum if resort officials aren’t more transparent about their plans.

“I would think a five-star resort would want a five-star equestrian stable,” she said.

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Petition launched to keep tennis courts away from these Sea Pines animals."