Aim for fewer, smaller docks | Hilton Head Island Packet

A number of red flags are raised in the application for a 521-foot dock inCapers Creek at Fripp Island.Its size is a major problem. Besides its length, which is almost as long astwo football fields, its covered pierhead and floating dock would totalabout 750 square feet, well more than the state limit of 600 square feet.And to get an idea of how generous state regulations are, the state willallow docks up to 1,000 feet in length, which is absurd.Location also is a problem. This dock would be placed in a creek thatneighbors say is so small it can¹t be navigated at low tide. Fripp Islandresidents who oppose the dock say it will impede navigation through a nearbycanal. The state Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management needs topay close attention to this issue.Furthermore, the proposed dock would be close to an existing community dock,and about a mile from the Fripp Island Marina. For about a decade, BeaufortCounty has tried to slow the proliferation of docks. We believe that thewill of the community, and the sensitivity of the waterways that form thebackbone of the economy, demand that regulators guide the public towardsmaller and fewer docks.