Hilton Head’s U.S. 278 gateway corridor committee finishes a job well done | Opinion

A year ago, when it became clear that big changes were coming to the entry corridor to Hilton Head Island, the town created the 278 Corridor Committee. The committee was made up of citizens reflecting various interests, communities and groups of the community.

The following citizens were selected to make up the committee:

David C. Johnson Jr., Chairman, Sarah Stewart, Co-Chair, Frank Babel, Alexander Brown Jr., Tom Z. Crews, Jerry W. Cutrer, J. Craig Forest, Hannah Horne, David T. Lunka, Thomas D. Peeples, Brendan Reilley, Palmer Simmons, John Taylor, Kyle H. Theodore, Marc Grant — Hilton Head liaison, Dan Wood — Bluffton liaison, and Larry McElynn — Beaufort County liaison.

The committee had a representative from the Gullah community, businesses affected by the road, the bicycle/pedestrian interests, land planners, engineers, gated communities and those living outside the gates on Hilton Head, and the affected governments. The charge to the committee was to develop recommendations on the project for consideration by the Town Council.

Clearly the corridor project is a huge undertaking so the charge to the committee presented a daunting task. In dozens of lengthy meetings over the last year the committee rose up to meet the task before them. Early on, the committee adopted guiding principles to focus their objectives, which have been to:

• Fix the transportation issues in the corridor in a way that improves the safety and quality of life for all residents, workers and visitors.

• Address the transportation needs for natural disasters and resiliency of island access.

• Consider future transportation alternatives.

• Improve the safety and quality of life for the residents of neighborhoods and residents directly impacted by the U.S. 278 corridor: Stoney, and neighborhoods on Jenkins Island and Hog Islands (including but not limited to Windmill Harbour).

• Have a gateway to and from Hilton Head that the region will be proud of:

• Aesthetically pleasing and reflecting the Hilton Head/Lowcountry values.

• Safe and functional pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.

• Minimizes environmental impacts and enhances the national asset of Pinckney Island.

The committee heard from SCDOT and many others involved in planning the project. All of the meetings were open to the public, and public comment was invited at every meeting.

Many citizens shared their ideas with the committee, and yes, critics were invited to speak. Each member of the committee was invited to express his or her point of view. All of this input was openly received and discussed by the committee.

In the course of their work, the committee wisely broke the project down into segments, including Pinckney Island, Jenkins Island, the Stoney community and Hilton Head. This allowed discussions to focus on the issues facing each area affected by the project. Clearly, this approach allowed the committee to study and concentrate its attention on various facets of the project one at a time.

Now, after months of tireless work, the committee has completed its work, and the final report will be delivered to Town Council for its consideration and action. It is my purpose here to thank each member for their tireless work on this very important work on this project.

Thank you, my friends.

Glenn Stanford represents Ward 6 on the Hilton Head Island Town Council.