Sea Pines president speaks out against proposed Hilton Head move to curb development
As rapid development on Hilton Head outpaces the town’s ability to regulate it, town leaders are eyeing a tool to control growth that has ruffled the feathers of leaders in the vacation rental market.
Town leaders are planning to assess the effectiveness a moratorium on new short term rentals, timeshares, and subdivisions could have on mitigating development that interrupts the “island character.”
The assessment, included in the town’s three-year strategic action plan discussed at a Tuesday meeting, is set to be completed by July 2026, and it may take months after that before any moratorium is enacted.
Stakeholders in Hilton Head’s short-term rental market, including Sea Pines Resort President Steve Birdwell, came to the meeting to voice opposition to a potential moratorium.
Why Hilton Head collars growth
Controlling growth has been a key concern for islanders since the town of Hilton Head was incorporated in 1983. Residents who flocked to the island for it’s beauty and quality of life have long feared overdevelopment bringing congestion and noise pollution to their neighborhoods.
The new tool is being discussed at a time where town leaders work on a massive overhaul to its land management ordinance, a massive policy that sets the island’s standards for development and land use. Started in 2023, the project has faced delays, and is now set to be completed in fiscal year 2028.
Ward 4 Council Member Tamara Becker suggested a pause to development could give staff time to get up to speed with new codes and regulations after the overhaul.
It could also be used to give the town time to address “pinch points” of rapid development that erupt before the town can get a handle on them, said Patsy Brison of Ward 2.
“Travel around this island, you’ll see a lot of areas where someone has come in with a bulldozer and cut a large swath of land, tearing down all the trees and building very small homes and not workforce housing,” Ward 2 council member Patsy Brison said at the meeting.
She referenced the controversial Jonesville road development that would squeeze 147 single family homes into a plot of land near the junction of William Hilton Parkway and Cross Island Parkway.
“Unless we take this pause, we’re going to keep suffering from these pressure points, and our community will keep suffering,” Brison said.
Vacation rental advocates argue moratorium would hurt business
During public comment, Sea Pines Resort President Steve Birdwell stepped forward to say he’d prefer to see the moratorium item removed from the plan altogether.
“A moratorium on short term rentals would send a very negative message to our visitors,” Birdwell said. He argued it would impact property values and affect business. Sea Pines Resort manages over 400 vacation rentals.
Dru Brown, managing partner and co-founder of Island Time argued a moratorium could have “massive” impacts to the island economy.
“Do you know what happens when there’s 17,000 less guests on Hilton Head?” Brown emphasized. “Do you know how much that hurts businesses?”
Richard Bisi, a vocal Indigo Run resident who is a frequent sight at town council meetings, supported having a moratorium, noting that residents have been crying for one for years.
“A moratorium to begin to manage growth may be one of the few issues the majority of island residents agree on,” Bisi remarked.
This story was originally published July 16, 2025 at 2:14 PM.
