‘Unauthorized purchase’: Beaufort Co. paid $34K for this property, stirring debate

Debate is stirring over a controversial piece of property in northern Beaufort County — land obtained improperly, according to Beaufort County records, by a former employee whose actions officials continue to scrutinize.

Moreover, the property, located in the Battery Point subdivision, is the intended site of a county-built home for residents with special needs and disabilities, who one Beaufort County Council member says face ongoing discrimination.

“I will tell you that the overriding issue, in lieu of all the other concerns, ... is the prejudice against DSN,” said councilman Gerald Dawson, referring to the county’s Disabilities & Special Needs Department — the agency that will oversee the home — and its clients.

But there were several concerns raised by council members Monday night during the body’s regular-session meeting.

Some worried about the land itself, which they said is low-lying and waterlogged.

Others criticized how it was acquired by former Beaufort County Interim Administrator Josh Gruber — behind the back of council, in their minds.

And at least one member wants to unload the property, the future of which council decided to debate at its next meeting.

Gruber authorized the purchase of 1 Bostick Circle in Battery Point — Lot 247, a vacant parcel — for the county for $34,000 in February, according to a December memo penned by Assistant County Attorney Chris Inglese.

And while the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances allows the county administrator to authorize purchases up to $50,000, there is a stipulation that he receive prior approval from council for the purchase or sale of real property, the memo said.

But that approval never occurred, Inglese found — he called it an “unauthorized purchase” by Gruber.

Councilman Brian Flewelling, whose district is home to Battery Point, said he was blindsided in July when a subdivision resident asked him what the county was building at the site.

Flewelling said he contacted Gruber, who confirmed the purchase and, according to Flewelling, insisted he had the authority to execute the deal, even after being challenged by the councilman.

Gruber, reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, said he did not feel comfortable commenting on the matter since he’d moved on from the interim administrator role to become Hilton Head Island’s assistant town manager.

“The short and the long of it is that our employee bought a piece of property and never told us that he bought that property. He should have, but he didn’t ... ,” Flewelling said during Monday night’s meeting.

“So, the effect today is to try to comply with state law by ratifying that action of our employee,” Flewelling continued.

After the meeting, he said he wanted to see the county “divest” of the property.

When asked if he was opposed to a DSN home in Battery Point, Flewelling said no and said residents of that subdivision were good and welcoming people. He added that some residents would be opposed to the home no matter what, but that most of complaints he’d heard stemmed from residents being blindsided.

Flewelling and councilman Mike Covert expressed concerns about the land’s drainage and proximity to water — Flewelling called it a place where “kids go to catch tadpoles” and worried about the safety of DSN residents and the liability the county could assume.

Councilman York Glover suggested having county staff and engineers reevaluate the property and, if they deemed it usable, go ahead with construction of the home.

Council members Alice Howard and Paul Sommerville both acknowledged problems with how the land was acquired, but both said they would support the project.

Howard added that county staff had already evaluated the property and offered to share their findings with council — especially the body’s four new members.

Disabilities & Special Needs Executive Director Bill Love was in a meeting and could not be reached Tuesday afternoon. In a statement emailed to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, Love said council “has been incredibly supportive of individuals in our community with special needs for decades.”

“The decision (on the Battery Point lot) rests with County Council to set the course for staff to follow,” the statement continued.

The lot’s home would complement three other DSN residences, a project approved in 2017 following the sale of DSN’s former residential care facility in Port Royal.

Each home would house about four residents and be supervised by a staffer 24 hours a day, according to Inglese’s memo.

The homes are designed to integrate DSN clients with their communities and teach them life skills, according to the agency’s website.

“Unfortunately, the process has revealed in some areas of Beaufort County, community resistance to placing DSN homes in certain neighborhoods,” the memo said.

“DSN staff have faced numerous challenges in locating new homes to better house those they serve.”