Get behind Sea Pines Resort deal

I want to caution the opponents of the proposal by the Sea Pines Resort to increase the room capacity of the Inn at Harbour Town. Although the proposal has numerous benefits to the community, the vocal minority are arguing over technical matters having little bearing on the larger picture.

The resort wants to expand from 60 to 150 rooms on its property currently occupied by tennis courts and a swimming pool that residents now enjoy. The resort will build a new tennis center and pool, more than double its annual assessment for community services, donate its rights on 300 more acres of our Forest Preserve, and donate $1 million for community enhancements.

Our leadership is to be congratulated for exacting these amenities and for continuing to refine the agreement, which will codify their efforts.

At recent community forums, all who commented praised the resort for its spectacular new buildings at the Beach Club, Plantation Club and Harbour Town Clubhouse over the past five years.

However, some expressed that the generous amenities described above were not enough to get their approval. In my judgment, their demands were trivial, shortsighted and selfish compared to the potential loss of benefits to the community at-large if this proposal is voted down by our residents.

We must get behind this proposal to reinvigorate Sea Pines in honor of our founder, Charles Fraser, whose genius resulted in this revolutionary seaside community more than 50 years ago.

This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Get behind Sea Pines Resort deal."