Editorial: A deal to purchase Pepper Hall property has fallen through, but that doesn't mean the land cannot be preserved.

While a deal to buy the Pepper Hall property in greater Bluffton has collapsed, there's still a long road ahead for Beaufort County and the landowner to reach agreement on future development.

Both sides should keep preservation of the land's rural nature and the nearby Okatie River in mind.

In the past, owner Robert Graves has sought a zoning change that would allow denser commercial and residential development on his 84 acres, which front U.S. 278 and are near the Okatie River's headwaters. His cousins John and Paul Graves also own an adjoining 30 acres they have expressed interest in getting rezoned.

A year and a half ago, those zoning negotiations were put on hold as the county bought a purchase option for $500,000 on Robert Graves' land. At the same time, the county bought 18 acres of his property for $4 million through its Rural and Critical Lands Program to preserve the most environmentally sensitive section. That left the county with a decision to exercise the option on the remaining 84 acres at a cost of $11.5 million. The purchase option, which County Council eventually rejected June 8, expires June 25.

The land offers a rare, pastoral view on a stretch of U.S. 278 dotted with car dealerships and other commercial development. Behind the tidy rail fence that stretches along the property is a lush green landscape with grazing horses, pastures and hardwood trees intersected by narrow dirt roads shaded by overhanging oaks. It's a cherished piece of property by the community, a last-remaining holdout of a bygone era.

It's also near the Okatie River, whose oyster beds have been closed for years because of pollution. Protecting this sensitive waterway should be a high priority.

The County Council has sought to protect that rural space to some degree; however, its members are divided, and they had no clear plan on how the property would have been used if the county had purchased it. The bizarre twists and turns, questionable purchase price and last-minute fumbling before the council's final vote left backing away from the deal the best option for taxpayers.

So, now, what's next?

The land is zoned rural, which would allow some residential and commercial development. In the past, the Graves family has sought much denser commercial and residential development on their combined properties. There has also been talk of a lawsuit if the zoning requests are denied.

The county has indicated little willingness to change the rural zoning, and it should stick to that.

A better option would be for the Graveses to follow the example of other landowners in the Lowcountry who have worked out deals with environmental groups to set up conservation easements, which provide tax breaks, and other arrangements in which the property owner is compensated for keeping the land in its rural state.

Barring that, the County Council must stand firm to protect this rare gem of rural heritage.

This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Editorial: A deal to purchase Pepper Hall property has fallen through, but that doesn't mean the land cannot be preserved.."