Five things that would make Lady’s Island a better community

It’s not too late.

That’s the consensus of a report released this week offering guidelines for planning the future of Lady’s Island.

The document was compiled by the Coastal Conservation League and Sea Island Corridor Coalition from input received during a community forum earlier this year and subsequent smaller meetings.

The two organizations developed five principles to guide growth in the northern Beaufort County community. Those principles include:

•  development that encourages affordable housing, interaction among residents and a variety of uses in commercial areas

•  public planning and development processes

•  retaining the island’s rural and environmental character

• community involvement

•  a transportation network allowing biking, walking and public transit

More than 400 people participated in the February forum at Lady’s Island Elementary School. There were later small group sessions to offer ideas. The group included elected officials and planning staff from Beaufort County and city of Beaufort.

“Anxiety doesn’t breed good planning,” said Kate Schaefer, with the Coastal Conservation League. “We wanted to have the forum to bring people together and talk proactively and comprehensively about the assets on Lady’s Island and how to accommodate growth in the future.”

Some of the concepts included a need for affordable housing close to businesses, retrofitting commercial areas to allow for a variety of uses. On the roads, the report called for sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and landscaping and a network of street connections to prevent clogging key intersections.

A city of Beaufort traffic study focusing on the Sea Island Parkway corridor offered similar recommendations, including improvements to the intersection of the parkway at Sams Point Road and Lady’s Island Drive, new traffic signals and seven new connecting streets in the area.

The Coastal Conservation League and Sea Island Corridor Coalition report can be found at www.designingladysisland.com.

Beaufort County issued a request for a planning firm or consultant to develop a plan for Lady’s Island. County planners are in the process of reviewing proposals and a recommendation will be offered to County Council before a contract is awarded later this year.

“We certainly are moving forward,” Beaufort County long-range planner Rob Merchant said.

This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Five things that would make Lady’s Island a better community."