Hilton Head neighborhood seeks protection from ‘oversized homes’
A Hilton Head neighborhood that residents fear is threatened by short-term rentals is one step closer to receiving protections from overdevelopment.
Residents of Holiday Homes, a 57-lot neighborhood near Folly Field beach, spoke at a Community Development and Public Services committee meeting Monday in support of zoning amendments that would restrict the size of homes in their neighborhood.
“I ask for your help in protecting one of the last neighborhoods on this beautiful island that has not been overrun yet by developers and investors,” said resident Matt Lewis.
Holiday Homes residents began mobilizing earlier this year to fight the construction of three three-story homes, which they feared would become short-term rentals.
The neighborhood does not have a homeowner’s association or similar body to enforce its own restrictions on development, leaving the town as its sole source of protection. Residents say they chose the neighborhood party because of its lack of an HOA and do not want to create one.
Short-term rental permits have been issued for all three new properties, according to the Town of Hilton Head’s Short Term Rental Dashboard. A total of 16 homes in the neighborhood are listed as having active short-term rental permits.
What are the restrictions?
At the meeting, Deputy Town Manager Shawn Leininger outlined the proposed changes to the Holiday Homes character overlay. A special zoning ordinance would place additional restrictions on development with the neighborhood, on top of the town’s existing rules.
If approved, the current proposal calls for homes to be capped at two-and-a-half stories tall and no more than 30 feet in height. Each home would be restricted to two garage parking spaces and not exceed 3,200 square feet in floor area, among other things. Currently, there are no restrictions on number of stories or garage parking spaces in Holiday Homes, and residences are allowed to be up to 35 feet tall and 4,000 square feet in floor area.
The amendments will need approval from the Planning Commission and the Town Council before taking effect, a process which could take over six months.
Peter Kristian, general manager of Hilton Head Plantation and a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals, stood up at the meeting to comment in support of the new restrictions.
Speaking that he was “not here representing Hilton Head Plantation,” Kristian said, “I manage the largest residential community on the island, and we have covenants that protect building like this. These folks do not, and they must rely on the town to put those things in place.”
The committee moved to direct staff to move the project forward to the Planning Commission for consideration.
What would happen to existing homes?
Several existing homes, including the three currently under construction, would be in violation of the overlay if adopted.
The new restrictions won’t stop the development or force homeowners to reduce the size of their homes. However, they could limit homeowners’ ability to redevelop or expand their homes.
For example, a homeowner might not be able to expand their garage or driveway, or build an addition to their home if doing so would result in noncompliance with the character overlay.
If a catastrophic event, like a hurricane or a fire, destroys more than 50% of their home, homeowners may have to comply with the overlay when rebuilding their home, Leininger said at the meeting.
Why are residents mobilizing?
The small neighborhood, nestled in the crossroads of William Hilton Parkway and Folly Field Road, is one of the island’s oldest, with ranch-style homes dating back to 1957.
Some lots have since been redeveloped into three-story homes, but the majority of homes are still modest in size.
When residents got wind of the new three-story homes in construction, they attempted to stop the development, arguing that the homes violated the intent of the existing character overlay. Town staff, however, argued the homes’ measurements fell within the guidelines.
Residents say they chose the neighborhood for its proximity to the beach, lack of an HOA and neighborly feel.
For many residents, the rise of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods on Hilton Head Island threaten that “neighborly feel.”
Resident Janet Murphy, a resident of Holiday Homes for 37 years, said she misses “being able to come over and borrow a cup of flour” from her neighbors. Her home is now surrounded on all sides by rentals, she said.
Without an HOA, the only protection the neighborhood has is the town, which residents like Edwin Ernst said has failed to stop the construction of “detrimentally oversized houses.”
Holiday Homes residents said they have watched the rapid rise in development in other Hilton Head neighborhoods, and fear their neighborhood will go the same way if the town doesn’t take action.
“We’ve all seen what has happened to North, South Forest Beach, Bradley Circle, Singleton, what’s happening in Jonesville,” said resident Julie Lawson. “All of those places need protection. We are not against development. We’re not against short-term rentals. We are for control.”
