Pine Island plan goes to the county Monday for another vote. Here’s the details
Beaufort County’s eleven elected officials will determine the fate of development on Pine Island — at least for the present — on Monday.
The County Council will either approve or deny the developer’s request for a zoning change for the 437-acre property on the north shore of St. Helena Island, which is currently protected against such development by a zoning overlay.
They will also cast their vote on a revised development agreement, a contract that sets the terms for how a piece of land will be developed.
The finalized agreement — which still allows for an 18-hole golf course and 49 homes — lays out the developer’s specific regulations and requirements, with several revisions since the council narrowly decided to enter into negotiations with the developer’s lawyers at the end of August.
The county hired John DuBose of Smith, Robinson, Holler, DuBose and Morgan, a Columbia-based law firm, to review and negotiate the development agreement application on their behalf. Financial records indicate the county has paid the firm $23,000 for their services in September.
Since the developer resubmitted a zoning map amendment in April after the first iteration was previously denied by the county council, residents have repeatedly used their three minutes at the podium during public meetings to speak on the issue — whether or not is was listed on the agenda.
This debate, neither new nor simple, has elicited support and opposition for either option: a development option with the golf course, that requires county approval, and the option with no golf courses, but 100 more homes and 80 more docks.
What’s new?
The developer’s overall proposal to construct an 18-hole golf course, 49 homes and eight docks remains the same in the revised version of the agreement. But there are some revisions worth noting.
The final submission makes no promises for a Pine Island-specific foundation or five-acre sweet grass farm for Gullah Geechee artisans, which were previously local incentives.
Instead, the developer will contribute millions of dollars across a range of different programs, according to the agreement.
- $3.47 million will be granted to the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust that will “administer the funds” to workforce and affordable housing efforts.
- $2.5 million will be granted to the Coastal Community Foundation, or a similar non-profit, that “will administer funds to support the community through county initiatives.” The $2.5 million was previously allocated for a community center.
- $150,000 will go towards launching a local Heirs’ Property Program with the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust.
- $600,000 will go to the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation to acquire property for the “St. Helena Gullah Geechee Cultural Center and Village Entrepreneurial Market at the Corners Community.”
- $500,000 will go to Beaufort County for Station Creek Boat Landing repairs.
- $500,000 will go to Beaufort County for a turn lane at the intersection of Dulamo Road and U.S. 21.
- $75,000 in grant funds will go towards a survey of Gullah Geechee cemeteries on Daufuskie Island.
The developer will construct a wastewater treatment facility instead of relying on septic, and the golf course will be constructed under certain environmental standards set by Audubon International.
Additionally, one percent of the houses’ sales price will go toward a community support and preservation fund, handled by a local non-profit, and a housing investment fund with the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust.
A second attempt
In 2022, Elvio Tropeano, who has served as the public face representing the owners of Pine Island, applied to remove the Pine Island property from St. Helena’s Cultural Protection Overlay, the zoning amendment that prohibits the development of resorts, gated communities and golf courses in an effort to preserve Gullah culture. It has been in effect since the late 1990s.
He agreed to withdraw that request so that the county could look into changes that would allow some non-conforming development in specific situations, according to previous reporting by The Island Packet.
The county council instead responded by strengthening the CPO, further clarifying that golf courses are banned on St. Helena. He has since challenged the legality of the CPO in court, and that case is still ongoing.
After a year of relative silence, the developer submitted a second application for a zoning map amendment in April. If approved, the Pine Island property would be removed from the CPO.
On May 5, the county’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of the amendment application. Commissioners were ultimately concerned that approving the amendment could set a precedent for future developments that could erode the cultural protections in place.
Meeting details
The council will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Burton Wells Recreation Center in Beaufort.
It will be the first of two possible public hearings for the development agreement. If the council votes “no,” there will be no second public hearing. If the council votes “yes,” there will be a second reading.
A public hearing is different than a public comment period, according to county spokesperson Hannah Nichols. Council has not, as a practice, limited the length of public hearings, in order to hear as much public input as possible on important matters, she wrote in an email.
If the county denies the developer’s application, the developer proposes a denser residential development of 149 homes and 90 docks. This is referred to as the “full density plan” and can be developed without needing to change the current zoning.
State code also allows for developers to come back to the table with a new proposal a year after its denial. There is no limit to the number of times an applicant can apply for a zoning map amendment or development agreement, according to county spokesperson Hannah Nichols.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
