Review Board to consider final approval for this controversial downtown Beaufort project
A controversial three-story apartment project planned for downtown Beaufort is up for a final vote this week, and city planners are recommending approval.
The Historic Review Board will take up a request from 303 Associates and Dick Stewart for final approval for the Canon Building project at 211 Charles St., which has pitted Stewart and city officials against the Historic Beaufort Foundation and others.
It will be the first Stewart project to come before a city board since City Attorney Bill Harvey requested an informal opinion from the State Ethics Commission as to whether there was a potential conflict of interest for the city when considering development projects from 303 Associates.
The HRB meets at 2 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
The $7.5 million Canon Building project is proposed for Charles Street at its intersection with Port Republic Street. It would feature 19 two-bedroom apartment homes and retail space on the first floor. It’s located within the Beaufort National Historic Landmark District. The current one-story building at that site would be demolished but a demolition permit won’t be issued until after a building permit is granted for the replacement building.
Critics have argued the apartment building is too big and and will clash with the historic character of the surrounding properties. Developer 303 Associates needed a special exception to build the large footprint building in downtown Beaufort. City staff is recommending approval with some conditions. The HRB granted conceptual approval in February 2021.
It’s also the first time the HRB will consider a Stewart project since January when City Manager Bill ordered that the architects that the city contracts with to write staff reports report to him on 303 Associates projects instead of David Prichard, the director of the Department of Community and Economic Development, which normally overseas development plans in the city.
Prichard’s wife works for 303 Associates. And in an informal Jan. 4 opinion, the State Ethics Commission said Prichard should recuse himself on any matters involving 303 Associates, even though his wife’s job duties do not include development matters. Harvey sought the opinion and City Manager Bill Prokop made the change to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, he said.
The HRB meeting will be streamed on the city’s Facebook page, and public comment is allowed via Zoom, with the Zoom link on the agenda.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 12:04 PM.
