Controversial Hilton Head development can’t progress until resolution of Josephine Wright lawsuit
Dozens of acres along Jonesville Road could sit dusty and barren for months until a lawsuit that has sparked national outcry is resolved.
The Town of Hilton Head Island acknowledged of the legal battle between islander Josephine Wright and Georgia-based developer Bailey Point Investments LLC in a Thursday press release. It’s the first official communication on the legal fight that’s drawn support from across the U.S. and abroad, though individual town officials have previously stated their support for the family.
The release states town staff will not issue the developers building permits or a certificate of compliance until the lawsuit concludes, leaving the largely leveled plot that was to host a 147-unit neighborhood in limbo for the time being.
Charise Graves, Wright’s granddaughter, said activity on the construction site has quieted somewhat, but leveling equipment is still run occasionally on the road dozens of feet from the home’s back porch — a feature Bailey Point Investment maintains is encroaching onto their parcel.
The press release came days after Graves spoke with a town employee, she said. Graves said the employee told her representatives of Bailey Point Investment indicated to the town they’d sent the family a settlement offer.
The family has yet to receive any offer, Graves said.
Wright has become a rallying figure for Gullah Geechee and Black Americans preserving their land ownership nationwide, and her legal battle is another flashpoint in the historical loss of Gullah-owned land on Hilton Head. Graves said she’s working to establish a nonprofit to support families in similar situations using some of the $311,000 donated to the Wright family.
