Plans for a new Harris Teeter in Beaufort are moving forward. Here’s the latest
A major grocery chain still plans a new store in Beaufort and is moving forward this week.
Harris Teeter has planned a new grocery store on Lady’s Island at a former Publix site at 163 Sea Island Parkway for the past several years. The site has remained vacant with no activity since Publix opened a new store on the other side of the intersection in 2014.
An 805 square-foot gas station with six pumps and other commercial outbuildings are also part of the plans for the new Harris Teeter.
Project representatives received an extension from the city of Beaufort’s zoning board earlier this year related to an approval allowing the gas station. Now developers will go before the city of Beaufort’s Design Review Board on Thursday to request changes to a previously approved site plan and landscaping.
Initial conceptual plans showed the 56,000 square-foot grocery store building was on the front of the lot with the rear of the store facing Sea Island Parkway, but site plans later approved by the design board move the building back and preserve some of the many trees.
A Starbucks with outdoor seating and upper-floor wine bar with a balcony were part of plans for the store proposed in 2016.
Andrews Engineering is asking the city to approve changing the configuration of a loading dock and moving the truck exit so that commercial trucks making deliveries can execute turns in the parking lot and won’t have to pull out onto busy Sams Point Road, a letter to city planners says.
The changes have to be approved before a building permit is issued.
The new store comes as several traffic projects are planned on Lady’s Island to alleviate traffic issues as part of a penny sales tax referendum. The intersection at Sams Point Road, Sea Island Parkway and Lady’s Island Drive is a point of congestion during peak times.
A new-right turn lane from Sea Island Parkway to Sams Point would be added with the new grocery store. A new right-turn lane from Sams Point onto Sea Island Parkway is planned as part of the tax referendum projects.
