County Council says no to proposed Beaufort housing development

Elected officials denied, for a second time, a proposed residential development project that would have added up to 244 homes in northern Beaufort County.

The Ramsey Farms project, pitched by developer Pulte Homes, would have been located on 86 acres in unincorporated Beaufort County near Battery Creek High School. Ten of the units would have been preserved for workforce housing, according to the agreement.

On Sept. 8, the Beaufort County Council heard both a request for a zoning map amendment and a subsequent development agreement plan for the property. The developer sought to increase the property’s density, which would allow the number of permitted units to rise from 27 to 244. It would require a majority vote in favor from council.

The zoning application was ultimately denied in a 9-1 vote. Councilman Joe Passiment voted in favor of the zoning change.

The council then gave a resounding “no” to the subsequent development agreement, a binding document between the county and the developer that outlines the project’s conditions.

The developer originally brought forward the Ramsey Farms plan to the County Council in 2024. The project as presented was ultimately denied in a 7-2 vote. At the time, the developer proposed 184 homes.

State code allows for developers to come back to the table with a new proposal a year after its denial. There is no limit to the number of times an applicant can apply for a zoning map amendment or development agreement, according to county spokesperson Hannah Nichols.

Like this proposal, the council will be seeing a second iteration of a zoning map amendment and development agreement for a project on Pine Island in the coming weeks that was previously denied.

The revised Ramsey Farms plan came in April in front of the county’s planning commission. The commission, headed by Chair Ed Pappas, recommended denial to the county council. This was because at least three of the commission’s seven criteria were not met by the developer, the commission said.

‘A lose-lose situation’

When the proposal came before the county council, the ultimate decision makers, on Monday, community members took to the podium, pleading with the council to deny the developer’s request. Many spoke to their general concerns about the county’s growth.

“Before Beaufort County goes off a cliff, we need to stop and realize what we are doing with what we already have before we lose it all,” said Carol Doray, a Beaufort resident.

“The people have spoken loudly,” said Councilman Tom Reitz. “We’ve got to stop this stuff.”

Council member Logan Cunningham defended the body from the dais after the public’s comments. He expressed gratitude to those who filled the room and their engagement, but warned them of “counterproductive” conversations.

Cunningham referenced the community’s simultaneous desire for the outcome of growth, like more job opportunities or things to do, and aversion to the growth itself. He described it as a “lose-lose situation” for elected officials.

“Sometimes you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” he said.

Cunningham said that he stood alongside those who do not want more housing, citing his voting record against upzoning in the past. “But just realize what comes with that. The businesses are not going to come, the job creation is not going to come,” he said.

An upcoming vote

The council will hear another proposed zoning amendment and development agreement in the coming weeks, this time for the proposed golf course and homes on Pine Island. During the upcoming Sept. 22 meeting, the county will cast two votes, one for zoning and one for the development agreement.