Project addressing Beaufort flooding met with opposition. And there’s another big snag.
Over the past few months, multiple proposed projects to alleviate flooding in 200-acre area central to Beaufort have stirred controversy particularly among residents of a storied neighborhood who say one of the projects is an “over designed” system.
Identified by engineers with Davis and Floyd, drainage systems in downtown Beaufort and The Old Point neighborhood – which has some of the city’s most historic properties – are at the highest risk for increased flooding from predicted rising waters, and increased storm intensity and frequency. Inefficient and aging stormwater systems in the areas are not adequate enough to handle the projections, the firm’s drainage study concluded.
Four projects, the majority of which include new and rerouted storm drain pipes, would reduce flooding events caused by heavy rains, high tides and storm surges. But one of the four projects, arguably the most invasive, has been met with strong push back with particular concerns about its size, design and whether it is necessary. Alongside resident opposition, the King Street drainage project will be in jeopardy if the city doesn’t use the $9.46 million it was awarded for the project by July 2026.
The King Street drainage project would require building structures in a quaint park at the intersection of East and King streets and new, larger outfall at the abutting tidal pond. At Knott Park, the engineering firm proposed two structures elevated 10 feet from the ground. An electrical gear building would house two pumps for the system and a generator would be in a separate building.
Now, runoff from about 40 acres of the historic area ends up in the tidal pond, which then empties into a tidal creek south of Federal Street. But because Federal Street is elevated higher than King Street, “storm surge or even minimal rainfall during high tide can cause widespread flooding,” according to a city grant proposal seeking funds for the project.
The current valve system meant to lessen flooding has “reached the end of its functional life.” With the proposed pump system, it would drain water from the pond before high tides and heavy rainfall, accounting for incoming water
“Severe flooding in this area often occurs with just 1 inch of rainfall at high tide. Even when there is no rainfall, elevated tides can result in up to 2 feet of flooding,” the proposal said. “If steps to intervene are not taken soon, the King Street area will be subject to increasingly severe and volatile flooding as higher than average tides continue to occur and more frequent rain bombs persist.”
People who oppose the project say the visual characteristics don’t fit the neighborhood. They’ve questioned flood projections used, contend that current flooding events in the Point aren’t as severe as the firm has presented and question the pump station’s need if the firm has acknowledged that it won’t “solve all drainage problems, especially extreme tidal issues.” Residents are also concerned that the project is moving too fast, which they worry is tied to time-limited grant funding.
Over $9 million dollars in federal funds distributed through the state’s Infrastructure Investment Program require the grant money, specifically for the King Street project, be used by July 2026. The awarded $9.46 million will be forfeited if it is not used by the set date and it cannot be reallocated to another project.
During an April 26 meeting, Projects Coordinator Carrie Gorsuch acknowledged that the project was moving “very quickly” because of the deadline. But she said the funding is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for the city, as it rarely gets grants more than $250,000. Pump stations like the one proposed have been built on Hilton Head Island and in Mount Pleasant, Davis and Floyd engineers said.
Former Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray said while he doesn’t like the idea of structures taking up green space at Knott Park, the King Street project is a proactive step to address flooding issues.
“(Flooding) is going to continue to get worse,” Murray said during a Historic District Review Board meeting on May 8. “The next flooding event is not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”
In a letter addressed to city council, King Street resident Conway Ivy wrote that beyond the former mayor and Davis and Floyd’s chief engineer, it was unclear who among them was a proponent of the project.
“The project lacks champions who are directly involved in the decision process and more importantly, lacks the support of residents directly affected by the street flooding the project is supposed to address,” Ivy wrote.
A petition signed by nearly 300 people, mostly residents of the Point, agreed that repairs and replacements of the existing pipe and drainage infrastructure in the streets of the Point are necessary. However, it said until a functional stormwater system is in place, designing and/or constructing the pump station project is “premature.”
The petition noted that studies have identified “significant portions” of King and East streets’ sewers are blocked or have moderate-to-heavy clogging. It “likely results from the deterioration of the 100-year-old pipes.”
“We support the repair or “in-kind” replacement of the existing outfall system until such time as the existing pipe and drainage infrastructure in the streets is repaired, replaced and remediated and it can be determined whether additional measures are needed,” the petition said.
This story was originally published May 31, 2024 at 3:16 PM.
