Native islanders won't have to move out as new Hilton Head townhouses rise. Here's why

A townhouse community proposed for the north end of Hilton Head Island on a piece of heirs' property will allow native islanders already living there to stay, according to documents submitted to the Town of Hilton Head Island.

The project, preliminarily named "Squire Pope Village," will have about 42 homes for purchase, according to the project's developer, James Moore with the Moore Realty Group, Inc.

The project site is on about 20 acres of land on Squire Pope Road. But the property is bisected by tidal water, and not all of it will be developed, according to documents submitted to the town.

Two acres will be set aside near Indian Pipe Lane for the eight mobile homes of the families who currently live there, according to those documents.

"What we’ve tried to do is accommodate the residents who are living here," Moore said during Monday's pre-application meeting. "There’s family heritage on the land."

The Greens are one of the native families living on the property. Shani Green said her family has been on the land since the early 1900s.

"We want to preserve our heritage and remain on the land that we were born and raised on," Green said. "That's all the Green family knows. So we wanted to stay on the property."

Heirs' property is land co-owned by many people and was likely purchased by freed slaves, according to the Center for Heirs' Property in Charleston. At some point, the land was either passed down without a written will or without being probated, according to the center.

Years ago, an out of state relative of one of the families who lives on the property decided to sell, Green said.

Through a quiet title action — a judicial process to determine who has interest in the property — 188 heirs were identified, according to Green and Maria Parker, a real estate attorney working with the Green family.

The piece of land in question was sold with the consent of the Beaufort County Master in Equity, according to documents submitted to the town. At that time, the judge asked that the purchaser attempt to "provide relief for the current residents."

Because of that request, and the developer's desire to work with the families, those living on the property can stay on it, Parker said.

Green said town staff offered native families on the property some concessions, including not charging fees for the relocation of some mobile homes.

Green sees the agreement as an example of the town listening to the concerns of the Gullah community. She also praised the work done by Parker and Lauren Martel, the Green family's general litigation attorney.

Martel, in turn, praised Green.

"It was a real honor working with the heirs," Martel said Monday. "It's very important that their rights are protected. It was a big effort. At times, it felt like an upward fight."

Green said she is also thankful to Moore, who has been dedicated to working with the families.

Moore hopes to break ground as soon as possible, he said. He expects the project to take three years to complete. There is no projected cost of the project at this time.

The townhouses will likely sell for anywhere from $275,000 and a little more than $300,000, Moore said. Though, prices have not yet been determined.

The community may be gated, according to documents submitted to the town.

Two styles of townhouses have been proposed:

▪ "The Augusta" will be about 2,443 square feet — not including the two-car garage — and include a master bedroom with a master bathroom, three additional bedrooms, a loft, an additional two and one-half baths and an open kitchen.

▪ "The Firestone" will be about 1,993 square feet — not including the garage — and include a master suite, three bedrooms, a loft, two and one-half baths and an open kitchen.

This story was originally published March 26, 2018 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Native islanders won't have to move out as new Hilton Head townhouses rise. Here's why."