Decision on proposed Bay Point resort postponed again by Beaufort County. What to know
An anticipated decision on whether a high-end resort can be built on Bay Point Island has been pushed back at least a month.
A Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled Thursday was canceled. The planned venue, the Beaufort High School auditorium, is closed to the public because of the coronavirus.
The board was to consider whether developers plans for villas, wellness centers, restaurants, a cooking school and an environmental education building as part of a 50-acre resort are appropriate under a special ecotourism designation in the county building code.
A potential decision and the next zoning board meeting has been postponed until at least the third week of August, said Eric Greenway, the county community development director.
Greenway said he intends to hold the meeting in person to allow the public the chance to comment. During the coronavirus outbreak, local government boards and commissions have moved largely to virtual meetings broadcast live online.
“It’s too important for the public to be able to have appropriate input and to be able to interact with the board,” Greenway said.
The island’s owners and developers plan to lease the property to Six Senses, a Thailand-based resort operator with remote getaways throughout the world.
County staff initially rejected plans in December 2019 as leaving too heavy a footprint not befitting standards for ecotourism.
Greenway and other county planners have since reversed course.
In the latest recommendation from the zoning board this month, planning officials said the proposal should be considered for approval under certain conditions.
Those conditions include a development agreement with the county detailing plans for wildlife and tree protections, public safety and disaster response. County officials also recommended a foundation be established and operational before the resort is built “for carrying out the cultural preservation and enhancing the cultural heritage of the community surrounding Bay Point Island.”
The zoning board should also require the remaining property be protected from development by a conservation easement, the staff recommendation says. If any of the conditions aren’t met, the county report says, the board should reject the plans.
The proposal has been opposed by numerous environmental and conservation groups, including the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Coastal Conservation League and Beaufort County Open Land Trust. Reasons include the potential effect on wildlife and the barrier island’s susceptibility to rising seas and worsening natural disasters.
Developers say the project is low impact, environmentally friendly and will be an economic driver for the area. They have said the development will only cover a fraction of the island and that buildings will be set back from the beachfront and not visible to passers-by.
