Pair of Hilton Head plans could bring 133 homes, apartments to north end
Requests for new zoning on Hilton Head Island from two different landowners would have added 133 potential new homes and apartments on the island’s north end.
Both came before the planning commission Wednesday morning. One was approved unanimously; the other was sent it back to the developer for revisions. The votes are not binding and serve as an advisory to the Hilton Head Town Council, which will hear the approved plan with the committee’s recommendations.
Zoning requests are preliminary and don’t include any site plans.
The commission liked the proposal to relax zoning on two plots of land bisected by Fish Haul Road, allowing 74 units on 6.22 acres but restricting development to mostly residential. It rejected a plan to replace 15 duplexes with 59 housing units on about 5 acres by Port Royal Sound marsh.
The two plans represent an unorganized approach toward workforce housing, planning commission chairman Peter Kristian said.
On Wednesday, representatives from both projects said less restrictive zoning would help them create badly needed housing for the workforce.
In April, a seven-month study on Hilton Head’s housing for employees found that nearly 18,000 individuals working in 11 different industries on Hilton Head earn between $20,850 and $51,359 each year. Affordable rent for those workers, according to the consultant’s study, would be between $521 and $1,284 per month.
The consultant hired by the town made dozens of suggestions for workforce housing on Hilton Head. That report has not been formally adopted by Hilton Head Town Council yet, as staff is still reviewing it.
Approved: 74 units at Fish Haul Road
The application to rezone land bisected by Fish Haul Road next goes to Town Council.
Thomas Barnwell, who manages the land on behalf of the Ben White Land Trust, applied to change the zoning to allow 74 units on the 6.22-acre, square-shaped property.
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In the new zone, the ways a developer could use it are also restricted almost exclusively to residential uses, according to Taylor Ladd, senior planner for the town.
“RM-12 is much more narrow focused as far as what is allowed,” Ladd said of the requested zoning for 12 units per acre. “Workforce or not, the project will add more housing to this area. This would diversify the housing in the area by bringing multifamily homes in.”
The undeveloped property on Fish Haul is mostly surrounded by open space and single family homes. Its current zoning allows 40 units.
Denied: 59 units at Tidal Bluff
Conversely, the planning commission voted to deny a zoning request for the Tidal Bluff development to increase density on Dillon Road.
Michael Thomas, whose firm designed the existing 15 duplexes on the long, skinny property, applied to rezone for 59 units on the 4.96 acre property that backs up to the Port Royal Sound marsh.
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Planning commissioners decided the property was too narrow to accommodate more units without disrupting the nearby single family homes and Cotton Hope I.
Town staff recommended denying the request because the buildings would likely be 20 feet away from neighboring properties.
Thomas said the duplexes on the property could be demolished to build three-story apartment buildings.
Currently, Thomas said the Marriott and Sonesta hold master leases for all of the duplexes for employees of the resorts. He said he wants to expand the amount of housing because the Sonesta needs more housing for seasonal workers.
How to handle workforce housing
Kristian, the commission chair, pointed out that the board unanimously approved one zoning request but denied the other without a hard-and-fast guide to workforce housing.
“We’re kind of behind the curve here. Several folks that are going to be approaching us for higher density for workforce housing,” he said, “and that criteria has not been developed yet.”
Other commissioners agreed.
“There is great need,” Alan Perry said, “and every time we push back and slow down, we push those needs forward.”
