Plan to extend docks on The Point into Beaufort River resurfaces
Five years after a homeowner last made a similar request, a resident of The Point neighborhood is asking to extend his dock across a creek to reach the main channel of the Beaufort River.
Scott Sonoc of Port Republic Street is seeking permission from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management to lengthen his dock from 104 feet to 306 feet. Some residents farther up the creek say the plan would limit their access to the creek, as only one end of the channel is deep enough for most boats to pass, particularly at low tide, according to neighbor Katherine Kinghorn.
"I feel that to string a dock far out into the Beaufort River at this location would be an eyesore and it would also block access in and out of our creek for everyone," she said.
State law states "all navigable waters shall forever remain public highways" that are free to access, but the contractor who would build the dock, Robert D. O'Quinn III, said the extensions would be constructed so that smaller vessels could still pass underneath.
The creek parallels the Beaufort River and is visible from the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge. Engineers have noted that the channel is silting, making it shallower, narrower and more difficult to navigate. Extensions would give dock owners access to deeper water.
Attempts to reach Sonoc for comment were unsuccessful. However, O'Quinn, his builder, said he is trying to convince neighbors to approve a management plan that would allow those along the creek to extend their docks to the main channel, as well.
Maps indicate six docks now lead to the creek. Owners of two other properties bordering the creek have received dock permits but have not built them, according to O'Quinn, who believes they are hesitant to build because they fear the creek eventually will fill in.
O'Quinn did not know how many owners of the seven affected properties would have to support the dock master plan for it to move forward. He said four have already done so, but he declined to identify them.
The master dock plan is separate from Sonoc's permit. It was not clear what steps would be necessary to pass the plan. Attempts to reach an OCRM spokesman were unsuccessful.
If OCRM approves Sonoc's dock extension, the city of Beaufort's Historic District Review Board still would have to sign off before construction could begin, O'Quinn said. Although the public-comment period for the OCRM permit request ended June 16, the public would have another opportunity for input before the Historic District Review Board.
In 2008, Applied Technology & Management created a master dock plan for the 750-foot-long creek when another Port Republic Street resident, James Mozley, asked to extend his dock to the main channel, O'Quinn said. That plan also would have allowed other owners to extend their docks.
At a public hearing five years ago, an Applied Technology & Management engineer argued silting was making the creek shallower, narrower and thus more treacherous to navigate. The extension would make for safer boating.
Some residents supported the plan; others protested loudly. The permit request eventually was withdrawn, and the issue seemed to disappear.
Then, OCRM published a notice June 6 that Sonoc wanted to extend his dock. In mid-July, O'Quinn sent a letter to nearby property owners, including Kinghorn, asking for their support of the dock master plan.
"Due to the silting of the small creek, it would be in everyone's best interest if this (dock master plan) were approved and give everyone the option to access deeper water if they choose to do so," O'Quinn's letter states.
Follow reporter Erin Moody at twitter.com/IPBG_Erin.
Related content:
- Homeowner wants to extend dock about 270 feet over small creek, Sept. 23, 2008
- Permit Amendement Public Notice for dock at 500 Port Republic St.
This story was originally published August 12, 2013 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Plan to extend docks on The Point into Beaufort River resurfaces."