Opponents of U.S. 278 project say options remain despite Hilton Head’s deal with county
Although the Town of Hilton Head approved an agreement Tuesday to move forward with Beaufort County on the U.S. 278 corridor project, opponents of the plan said some “lines of defense” still remain.
The agreement between Hilton Head and the county lays the groundwork for a six-person committee to hire an independent review firm for an end-to-end analysis of the area and to provide potential improvements to the project. The town will also partner with SCDOT to install a synchronized signal system along the corridor.
The resolution to accept this agreement was particularly unpopular with residents who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, and it passed only by a 4-3 council vote.
The next step is the submittal of a finding of no significant impact, or FONSI, from SCDOT to the Federal Highway Administration as lead agencies on the project. This would indicate the agencies found no major impacts to natural or human environments during earlier environmental assessments.
Former county councilman and project opponent Steven Baer, who helped organize a petition of nearly 10,000 residents who oppose the project, said he intends to challenge the FONSI when it is submitted.
“It would be kind of odd that a project that meets (FONSI requirements) even though it doesn’t solve the congestion problem could get approved, and we’re going to make that point,” Baer said.
Baer also said he intends to challenge unspecified “irregularities” in the project’s process.
“They’re going to have a hard time with the FONSI,” Baer said. “They may get it passed, they may not, but it’s going to add delay and it’s their fault.”
Upcoming municipal elections could also give opponents an opportunity to act on their distaste for the current 278 plan. Three of the four councilmen who approved of the town-county MOU are not returning to office after Nov. 8, and Baer said the election could effectively serve as a “referendum on the project.”
Current County Councilman Stu Rodman was recently defeated in his primary election after public criticism of various incidents in his turbulent tenure. Many lampooned Rodman for his stance on the U.S. 278 project and attending at least one private meeting about the plan, which only became known to The Island Packet via a tip.
The town entered into agreement with Beaufort County through a council resolution. A resolution is considered impermanent, according to the Municipal Association of South Carolina, and can be changed by a single vote of the council.
Ward 4 Councilwoman Tamara Becker, who voted against adopting the MOU, said although she’s “heard rumors” on the potential for a new council to move against the resolution, she’s primarily focused on finding ways to keep residents informed on the process going forward.
“This council has been involved since 2018, at least for some of the people on council,” Becker said. “There is a history and an understanding of what has gotten us here. It’s not like their hands haven’t been in it. Others coming in may see (the issue) differently, but I’m not sure we’re guaranteed on that, quite honestly.”
Although Becker criticized town council colleagues for “acquiescing” to the county’s wishes at Tuesday’s meeting and decried the absence of a citizen representative on the committee to choose a review firm, she said the independent study included in the MOU will comfort some.
Becker also promised to “keep her ear to the ground” as the project continues and inform residents whenever she’s able to provide new information.
“The fact is that having that independent study will certainly provide some comfort to people who are worried about old data that had been collected several years ago that SCDOT relied on in making their assumptions,” Becker said. “I don’t know exactly what happens next, but I won’t give up on the idea of a transparent process with citizen involvement.”
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
