Letter: Why Hilton Head National rezoning is bad

I have written to Beaufort County Council members to urge them to reject the plans for the massive development at Hilton Head National.

How is changing the zoning in the public good? Do the perceived benefits outweigh the negative impact on the taxpayers of Beaufort County? Can the property owner’s rights to the most profitable use of the land trump our rights as taxpayers and residents to have a real say in how our our community looks and functions?

The plans will put an onus on the residents of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island. The development will not bring permanent, well-paying jobs to the area but exacerbate the existing lack of the job force in the area.

What it will do is increase traffic and congestion immensely, thus causing an increase in the need for more law enforcement, essential services, and more schools (which already have trouble staffing due to the high cost of housing), while adding to already-stressed infrastructure like sewer, water, roads and bridges.

It will make tourism and commerce difficult due to so many cars. It will destroy the already degraded environment of the area, and essentially raise our taxes after the temporary building jobs are gone.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Letter: Why Hilton Head National rezoning is bad."