Townhomes may threaten ‘magnificent’ bird haven, Hilton Head residents say
Indigo Run residents are raising the alarm about a proposed townhome development they say will endanger an adjacent bird nesting site and create stormwater issues for the community.
Charleston-based Material Capital Partners is proposing a 58-unit townhome community at 229 Marshland road. The rental community will include a pool, clubhouse, gathering pavilion and stormwater drainage areas.
Residents fear the noise from construction and residential activity will deter birds from nesting on a small island in the creek adjacent to the property.
“They’ve all got their babies popping out right now,” Bosley said. “We just don’t think they would come and nest with hammers and tons of people on that land, just 10 yards across the creek.”
Hundreds of birds flock to the tiny island each year, Bosley said. That includes spoonbills, egrets, wood storks, and “every kind of heron you can think of,” Bosley said.
“It’s just magnificent,” he said.
Members of the community are also concerned the proposed community would cause drainage issues.
“Indigo Run would be in danger of flooding,” Bosley told The Packet.
The history of the property’s ownership
Property records and court documents reviewed by The Packet show that the property previously belonged to descendants of Gullah-Geechee patriarch Dennis Allen.
Between 1887 and 1906, Allen purchased 37 acres of property on the former Gardner Plantation for $375, court records state. Allen had fourteen children, who went on to have their own children, and so on.
By 2009, a total of sixty heirs had claim to the property, court documents say. A heirs’ property dispute initiated that year resulted in the property being divided into two lots in 2022.
The southern lot still belongs to Allen’s heirs, while the northern lot was sold to MCP Driftwood HH Property Owner LLC for $7.2 million in February 2026.
Residents are now asking the Town of Hilton Head Island to purchase the property and turn it into a park, much like the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal.
Material Capital Partners specializes in build-to-rent single family communities, according to the company’s website. The same firm is behind the new Indigo Cove townhome community in Bluffton, just off of Bluffton Parkway and Buck Island Road.
How to submit comments about the development
Tuesday marks the last day members of the public can submit comments to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services about the project, according to the SCDES website.
