A Bluffton contractor has a new subdivision for Old Town.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the next step for the development proposal. The developer must submit a stormwater plan to the Town’s Watershed Management Division. Once that is approved, the developer is required to submit an application to town staff.
A new residential neighborhood could be coming to Old Town Bluffton.
The Bluffton Planning Commission unanimously approved Wednesday night that town staff consider a preliminary subdivision plan for 12 homes — called Moss Subdivision by property owner and longtime Bluffton resident Garfield Moss. The plan would require the construction of a paved street as well as water and sewer installations.
The proposed project would include a loop street and parking on a 4-acre site at the northeast corner of Wharf and Lawrence streets, just behind the Bluffton Police substation on May River Road. Moss lives on the site with his wife and two of his adult children and said his family plans to build the 12 homes according to the Town of Bluffton Unified Development Ordinance. Moss said the homes will be between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet and cost between $450,000 and $750,000.
A two-story gray and white home with a wrap-around porch owned by Moss’ eldest daughter is a model for how the 12 homes will look, Moss said. His 4 acres — hidden behind thick groves of trees — is “Bluffton’s best kept secret,” he said.
“I keep hearing that everyone wants to live here, but there’s no space in Old Town,” he said. “This spot offers privacy, we don’t get the noise and the traffic, and the quaint things that make the Bluffton Historic District so neat.”
Moss, a longtime Bluffton resident, ran unsuccessfully for Town Council in 2013 and 2008 and mayor in 2009. He is a licensed contractor with a background in development with previous jobs as a subcontractor and building inspector. Now, he spends his days giving visitors tours around Bluffton in his golf cart for his business Old and New Bluffton Tours.
Although the development will not encroach on wetlands or “other environmentally sensitive areas,” according to town documents, it will require the removal of several trees.
When the town reviewed Moss’ original plan in mid-September, staff required several revisions before Wednesday night’s discussion. The planning commission recommended that town staff require Moss to save 16 trees, including several “significant” trees and “desirable” live oaks. It also suggested requiring a common open space with a mail kiosk.
The planning commission’s preliminary approval also requires the developer to review the project’s effect on sidewalks, streets and the buffer between lots. Now, Moss must submit a stormwater plan to Bluffton’s Watershed Management Division. Once approved, he can submit his application to town staff for final approval.
Moss’ subdivision plan in the historic district comes as Bluffton experiences a boom in development and an influx of residential housing. A 67.64-acre project near Alston Park is already authorized for 76 units. Village Park Homes is requesting to build an additional 206 residential units, with some deeded as affordable housing. Southeastern Development Associates wants to change the location for its planned 392 units, to U.S. 278 and Hampton Parkway from Buckwalter Place.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 4:30 AM.
