Beaufort County settles Whitehall suit with developers for $42K. Here are the details
Beaufort County agreed this week to settle a longstanding lawsuit with developers over road access and a drainage easement at the planned Whitehall Park on Lady’s Island, effectively giving both parties the OK to move forward with construction.
As part of the settlement, Beaufort County has agreed to pay the developer Whitehall Point Holdings LLC $42,000. The agreement reduces an access easement on the county-owned park, to 20 feet from 50 feet. It also removes a pump station from the park and a road called Whitehall Drive from the developers’ property.
In an easement agreement, also approved by the county this week, the Whitehall developers agreed to pay the county a “charitable gift” — valued at the cost of the park’s design and construction.
In June 2019, months after the developers sold 9.72 acres of prime waterfront property to Beaufort County for $5.45 million to preserve as a public park, they filed suit against the county, disputing the park’s road and drainage access.
The developers, who plan to build a series of commercial and residential projects on the land adjacent to the park, argued that the county didn’t own an access easement to enter the park via the road off Sea Island Parkway.
This week’s settlement of the lawsuit comes almost two months after the city of Beaufort approved the Whitehall developers’ plans to build approximately 30 homes and four mixed-use buildings on 10 acres next to the planned public park.
The plans, approved by the city’s Metropolitan Planning Commission in December, eliminate the developer’s previous proposal to build large apartments on the property. Instead, the mixed-use development calls for:
▪ About 16 residential single family lots
▪ Eight townhomes
▪ Four mixed-use buildings
▪ Three river homes
▪ Four garden cottages.
The city of Beaufort on Tuesday approved the design plan for the planned park next door. The park is a joint venture between the city and Beaufort County.
The plan, developed by Wood+Partners landscape architects, includes a picnic pavilion, a gathering lawn, a bike path, and various walking trails.
The park, which is currently open to the public, will close during construction in the spring of 2022.
Beaufort County Passive Parks Manager Stefanie Nagid previously told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that the park’s “main purpose is for conservation of the property and enjoyment of nature.”
“It’s going to remain a place for people to come and have a quiet space to enjoy nature and to bird watch and enjoy the views and sunsets.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 1:14 PM.
