Beaufort pushes for $30M VA clinic, but Port Royal wants it too
Beaufort is officially lobbying the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a $30 million clinic within city limits, but its neighbor to the south, Port Royal, wants it too.
The VA is evaluating three potential sites in the military-friendly and neighboring communities of Port Royal and Beaufort, which are home to active Marine and Navy bases and thousands of veterans.
The city and town aren’t in direct competition. Developers are vying for the right to build the clinic on land they control inside the communities. But Beaufort officially put its finger on the scale Tuesday when the city council unanimously passed a resolution in support of the selection of Beaufort as the clinic’s home. It’s unclear what impact the resolution might have on the VA’s decision making.
“The city council formally endorses the location of the new VA community-based outpatient clinic within the corporate limits of the city of Beaufort, recognizing the strategic, economic and social benefits this will bring to our veteran community and city at large,” the resolution says.
Locating the new clinic in Beaufort, home of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or “Fightertown East,” offers strategic advantages, including accessibility, existing infrastructure and proximity to military installations and veteran populations, the city said in its resolution.
“The proposed resolution expresses the city council’s strong support for siting the clinic in the city of Beaufort and pledges cooperation with federal, state and local partners to expedite planning, permitting and construction,” the resolution states.
The resolution will be sent to Congresswoman Nancy Mace, the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Beaufort County Council, city manager Scott Marshall says.
The Veterans’ Affairs Committee has authorized $30.4 million for the clinic, Mace said July 29. The facility is part of a national push to modernize and decentralize VA services to improve access.
The town of Port Royal, home to the U.S. Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island and the Naval Hospital, has not passed a resolution supporting building the clinic in Port Royal, Mayor Kevin Phillips said.
However, Port Royal officials would love to see the clinic constructed in their community, and are working to make it happen behind the scenes, Phillips said.
“Outside of passing a resolution, our staff has been in active contact and communication with people associated with the project to make sure Port Royal is ready if Port Royal is selected,” Phillips said.
Town officials don’t see themselves in competition with the city of Beaufort, Phillips said.
“They’re our sister city,” he said.
The VA says the facility will improve access to primary care, mental health services, counseling and other programs for about 27,000 veterans in Beaufort County. Currently, the VA has a clinic inside the Naval Hospital in Port Royal.
The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet reported previously that the VA is looking to enter a “built-to-suit” lease agreement with a private developer to build a clinic ranging in size from 48,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet, two to three stories tall, with 500 parking spaces.
Howard Capps Jr., a spokesman for the VA in Charleston, told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet Thursday that proposals are still under review. A site and developer will be chosen between January and March, he said.
An environmental assessment says the VA is considering at least three locations:
- 28 acres at 708 Robert Smalls Parkway in Port Royal, on the northwest side of the road. .
- 16 wooded acres at 301 Robert Smalls Parkway, just within the city limits of Beaufort, north of its intersection with Goethe Hill Road.
- An 11-acre plot off of Ribaut Road in Port Royal that includes parcels owned by several parties: 1844 Ribaut Road (Beaufort Construction of South Carolina); 1830 Ribaut Road (Sea Island Apartments owned by property manager 303 Associates) and 1807 Rahn Lane (Scoggins All Terrain Clearing).
