Bluffton aims to make renting Oyster Factory Park simpler, possibly cheaper
Throwing a party at Bluffton's Oyster Factory Park could soon be simpler and, in some cases, less expensive.
A new proposed rental fee schedule for the park was released earlier this week as the town prepares to take over the operation and maintenance of the facility from Beaufort County.
The proposal, developed by town staff over the past year, "simplifies (the county's current fee schedule) a little bit" by charging renters a flat rate of $600 per day for access to the entire eastern portion of the park where the pavilion, oyster roast tables and fire pits are located, director of engineering Kim Jones said earlier this week.
Currently, the county charges $500 per day to rent the facility, but additional costs could be tacked on depending on the size and type of event, as well as which amenities the renter wants access to.
A simple standard fee would help eliminate confusion for renters, staffers say.
Jones said the proposed rental rates were determined after staff "gathered information from surrounding communities that have facilities that may be similar in character and style to Oyster Factory Park."
Shelter Cove Park on Hilton Head charges $750 renters per day, and public parks in Savannah cost between $300 and $600 for a three-hour event, according to town documents.
Bluffton's plan includes a discount for nonprofit organizations, which is not part of the county's current fee schedule.
So long as "all ticket, food, beverage, and other revenue generated from the use of the facility is returned to the nonprofit organization," those groups would only be charged $200 per day to rent the park, according to town documents.
Mayor Lisa Sulka said giving nonprofit organizations a break is important because "some of these smaller groups couldn't afford to rent (town facilities) even though" such facilities are built to be used by the community.
The town and county have been sharing responsibility for park operations since 2004, but late last year the two came to agreement giving the town full control.
But a new rental fee schedule must be approved by town council before that agreement goes into effect, town manager Marc Orlando said.
Councilman Fred Hamilton said while town staff "has done a good job giving us a platform to work from," it would be "premature" to approve new rental fees without more discussion both from council members and the public.
The council will likely discuss the issue at a workshop later in the month and a formal ordinance establishing the fee schedule is expected to be introduced in February or March.
The public will have opportunities for input as the ordinance makes its way through the council approval process.
Assuming the new fee schedule is approved, the town is targeting early April for the full takeover of park operations, Jones said.
Follow reporter Lucas High on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Lucas.
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This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Bluffton aims to make renting Oyster Factory Park simpler, possibly cheaper."