Some on small island are making big noise over upcoming short term rental changes
The Beaufort County Council will hold the first reading of controversial code changes for short term rentals on Daufuskie Island Monday night. These rental business many consider to be the “life blood” of Daufuskie.
The crux of the controversy comes in what zoning will be used for the rentals on the island, the more restrictive special-use, which requires an application and attending a zoning board of appeals meetings, or conditional-use where the rentals would be approved with just an application, if they meet the conditions.
However, It’s important to note that these codes will really only affect STRs in the Historic District of Daufuskie as the private communities on the island, like Melrose and Haig Point, have their own regulations regarding STRs.
In December of 2022, after months of debate and meetings often resulting in shouting and near chaos, the Island Council sent a recommendation for Daufuskie to adopt special-use permitting to the county.
Opponents of the proposal preferred that Daufuskie adopt conditional-use with one key reason being that the public ferry runs its last trip back to the island at 4:00 p.m. and the required meeting starts at 5:00 p.m.
“We felt the special-use permitting was too onerous for people who have to go over on a boat and go through multiple meetings,” said Deb Smith, Daufuskie resident and former chair of the Island Council, during public comment at a council meeting. “The burden is too big. You don’t see more Daufuskie people because, to come to this meeting and talk about it, they’d have to stay overnight.”
Without access to the private Haig Point Ferry, there would be no way for Daufuskie residents to make it home after the meeting.
When asked his thoughts on the issue of attending late meetings, the current Island Council chair, Roger Pinckney, said only one word, “Zoom.”
“These people have been going up to Beaufort, and going up to Beaufort, and going up to Beaufort to argue about not going to Beaufort,” he added about residents who spoke at council meetings.
Pinckney supports special-use fearing that unrestricted rentals would cause the historic district to lose its character. According to the chair, about one-fourth of the houses in the district are STRs. Pinckney believes that to be a good ratio.
County Administrator Eric Greenway has also voiced his support for the special-use permitting because it will keep Daufuskie inline with the rest of unincorporated Beaufort County. Another reason being that under conditional-use operators can appeal revoked permits in court.
Greenway has said on numerous occasions that the county would accommodate people attending the meetings via Zoom.
Why does the island need new codes?
In November of 2021 Beaufort County changed its rules on short term rentals in unincorporated parts of the county. Starting from then on, any operator would need a permit and STRs would follow the special-use permitting process.
Daufuskie is unique from the rest of the unincorporated county in having its own council. But the Daufuskie Island Council is only a recommending body for the County Council.
Until the Island Council made a recommendation to the county and the county approves it, no new STRs could be created on the island.
Infighting among the council
Since the proposal was submitted to the county council, the makeup of the Island Council shifted to lean more in favor of conditional-use.
The most recent election saw two conditional-use supporters elected to the council, one of which is the new vice-chair, Kade Yarborough. This put the council in a three to four split on the issue, which has led to a significant amount of infighting.
Pinckney, the chair has threatened to remove Yarborough from the council on multiple occasions saying Yarborough has a conflict of interest in voting on STRs. Yarborough works for Daufuskie Island Transit, a ground transportation company that functions like a taxi service for the island.
But Yarborough says it’s hypocritical of Pinckney because most people benefit from tourism on the island, including Pinckney and most of the council.
Regardless, Yarborough’s focus is on finding a solution that will satisfy the island
“I think there is still a compromise that is capable of happening,” he said.
Pinckney says they’ve already found compromise with the original proposal, because there are people on the island who don’t want STRs at all and there are people who want them completely unrestricted.
“We already found middle ground,” he said. “They’re trying to change it when it’s already three quarters of the way to becoming law.”
