Hilton Head’s Main Street is known for potholes. Here’s what the town is doing about it
The town of Hilton Head Island has agreed, after years of debate and discussion, to take over a busy section of Main Street known for its potholes and safety concerns.
The island’s Town Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 in favor of adopting the ownership of Main Street between Whooping Crane Way and Wilborn Road, along with several side streets: Central Avenue, Merchant Street, Museum Street and a part of Meeting Street (about 200 feet of pavement).
The council also decided that the town would be willing to take over the rest of Meeting Street (about 500 feet of pavement) once title issues are resolved and it’s clear who exactly owns that portion of the street, which runs north.
Main Street, which runs parallel to U.S. 278 on the north end of the island, was built in the mid- to late-1980s. Business owners along Main Street have owned and maintained the roadway, but for years have wanted the town to take it over so local officials can fix it.
There are potholes, bits of pavement failure and pine trees too close to the street which have resulted in root upheaval, among other things, said Jeff Buckalew, the town’s interim director of infrastructure services, during Tuesday’s meeting.
Some parents have previously argued that an infusion of public money would make travel safer for schoolchildren and increase visitors to Main Street businesses.
“For over a decade now, Main Street has been utilized as a public road, and the infrastructure and finances dedicated cannot continue to be supported by a private commercial owners’ association,” said Pamela June, president of the Main Street Property Owners Association.
The Town Council’s action Tuesday followed years of debate about the possible costs of maintaining the street, which serves about 10,000 vehicles per day, according to an estimate from town staff members.
The Main Street POA has agreed to transfer roughly $190,299 to the town from its road reserve account, Buckalew said. The POA also will make immediate repairs to “active” potholes, Buckalew said, and then the town will take over the street’s maintenance once it receives the POA’s road funds.
There’s $100,000 in this fiscal year’s capital improvements program for the town, Buckalew said, to cover Main Street acquisition costs and the surveying and design of future upgrades.
Town staff members, meanwhile, have estimated that long-term improvements to the roads could cost $2.5 million to $3 million or more over the next several years.
Those upgrades may include new pathways or sidewalks in the area and street resurfacing, among other things.
The town also has said that up to $1.4 million could be needed to line and repair pipes in the storm drainage systems, though that’s a “worst-case scenario” estimate, Buckalew said.
Meeting Street confusion
Glenn Stanford, the council’s Ward 6 representative, during Tuesday’s meeting noted that religious institutions along Meeting Street recently grew concerned about the town’s possible take over of only one part of the road.
Meeting Street connects to North Island Baptist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, All Saints Episcopal Church and Congregation Beth Yam.
Buckalew in a Wednesday interview explained that it’s still unclear who owns the last 500 feet of Meeting Street. That section of the road was built after the first 200 feet were constructed.
“The title goes blank after the late 90s,” Buckalew said Tuesday, “so we’re still endeavoring to find out who that is.”
The question, Buckalew said, is who has the legal right to give that section of Meeting Street to the town?
To resolve the matter, the Town Council agreed that the town would be willing to take over the remaining 500 feet of Meeting Street once the title issues are resolved.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 11:47 AM.
