Hilton Head considers giving $300,000 to help private beach

Hilton Head Town Council is considering giving $300,000 to help halt erosion on a private beach in Hilton Head Plantation.

But some council members argue it’s not the town’s problem to fix.

“It’s a private beach that isn’t available to tourists and all of our citizens,” said Hilton Head Mayor David Bennett via text message. “I didn’t and don’t agree with the argument presented by (Hilton Head Plantation) relative to the storm and water retention and neither do those on town staff responsible for the stormwater management.”

Tuesday, Town Council will discuss its budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, which includes the $300,000.

Leaders of Hilton Head Plantation say erosion on its Pine Island Beach could jeopardize the town’s stormwater system, and town dollars are needed to protect it.

The neighborhood hopes to soon undertake a beach renourishment project that would add about 30,000 to 40,000 cubic yards of sand in the next three years to the beach, which juts out like a thumb from the Dolphin Head recreation area at the confluence of Skull Creek and the Port Royal Sound.

“If there is a breach, (water from) the Port Royal Sound would come into that pristine marsh and not only damage the ecosystem and put ... homes in danger but also hurt the town’s stormwater management system,” said Peter Kristian, Hilton Head Plantation’s general manager. “(Town leaders) are protecting a financial asset of theirs.”

The town’s wastewater system is made up of an extensive lagoon system, according to town officials. A majority of water flows without pumps due to elevation differences between the lagoons. Water surges from the ocean could change the elevations causing the lagoons to flood.

Hundreds of homes could also be flooded in the process, Kristian said.

An October storm damaged about an acre of marshland when the ocean surged past the sand barrier, Kristian said.

“That marsh is important,” Kristian said. “It slows the velocity of water down. It is needed to protect the area.”

Kristian also said the beach, located behind Hilton Head Plantation’s gates, is not totally private because the public can access it via boats. And he added that the town has provided money for renourishment projects at other beaches accessed by foot or bike, including beach property in Port Royal Plantation in 2007.

Hilton Head Plantation residents have been covering the cost of renourishment projects at the beach since 1998, including three renourshiments and several minor projects. Residents have spent about $6 million in project since 2000, he said.

Town staff, like Bennett, isn’t convinced that the erosion of the beach is an immediate threat to the town’s stormwater system.

“I don’t believe it is a concern but we have not conducted an investigation,” said Scott Liggett, the town’s director of facilites.

Bill Harkins, town council member, said he supports the project.

“Overall beach renourishment is critical to the entire island,” Harkins said. “There is a breach in that barrier (from October) where salt water can get into the wastewater system. Once that salts gets into the lagoon system, it can do damage.”

Council should not only look at funding this project but adding the beach area to future islandwide beach renourishment projects, Harkins said. The town renourishes public beaches islandwide every eight to 10 years, including a nearly $21 million project expected to get underway Wednesday.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Hilton Head considers giving $300,000 to help private beach."