Hilton Head Town Council candidate wants the island to realign with Fraser’s vision

A South Forest Beach resident who wants to continue Charles Fraser’s vision for a natural island is hoping to represent Ward 5 on the Hilton Head Island Town Council.

Patsy Brison filed to run for the Ward 5 Town Council seat on Monday, according to her statement of candidacy filing form. Ward 5 encompasses most of the south end of the island, including Sea Pines. Tom Lennox currently represents the ward and has filed to be on the ballot in November.

Brison, 68, was a partner with the Roberts and Stevens law firm in North Carolina before she retired to Hilton Head in 2015. She is currently a member of Hilton Head’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

She wants to introduce her platform, “Fit for the Future,” as a combination of her zoning and land use experience as well as her “vast experience” representing local people. Brison’s hope is that “fitness for the island and fitness for its people” will combine to enhance quality of life on the island, according to her statement.

“Our passion for Fraser’s original vision is one of the reasons we decided to retire to the island,” Brison said. She added that her emphasis will be on his “vision and passion for respecting the environment of the island.”

Brison’s issues include regulations on traffic, density and building height and what she calls thoughtful development on the island. She told the Island Packet that she hopes to address pedestrian and bicycle safety, workforce challenges and balancing interests of residents, tourists and businesses.

Infrastructure is another main concern of Brison. She said she would review and approve construction that is “right for the island’s size” and “fairly applied across the island.”

Although Brison hailed from North Carolina relatively recently, she said her loyalty to the island runs deep. She and her husband have been vacationing in Hilton Head since 2006, and they purchased local property in 2011.

Candidates can officially file for the election until Wednesday. The filing fee is $50 for the mayoral election and $35 to run for Town Council, according to the town’s municipal code.

Council seats for Ward 2, Ward 4 and Ward 5 are up for grabs.

• Ward 2 comprises portions of the north end of the island, including parts of Hilton Head Plantation. Bill Harkins is the ward’s current representative and has filed to run again.
• Ward 4 comprises of portions of the mid and south end of the island, including Indigo Run and Palmetto Dunes. Kim Likins currently represents the ward. Lennel Stroud has filed to represent this ward.
• Ward 5 comprises the south end of the island, including Brison’s home and Sea Pines. Thomas Lennox currently represents the area and is planning to run again. Richard Dextraze also has filed to represent the ward.
  
  

Wards can be searched by address on the town’s website.

This story was originally published August 8, 2018 at 2:06 PM.