Legislative eNews-july 27, 2007

 

 

On Monday, July 23 the Beaufort Transportation Advisory Group (BTAG) met to discuss the region's transportation issues. The BTAG consists of the elected leaders from Beaufort County and every municipality in the county, the City of Hardeeville, and the LRTA.  

 

Much discussion centered around the route of the Bluffton Parkway Phase 5A which current plans have extending from Burnt Church Road to, or near, the Hilton Head Island bridge.    Some other configurations of the road were discussed, including routing the road to US 278 through a vacant car dealership and other options.  BTAG also discussed Bluffton Parkway Phase 5B which several leaders noted has to be straightened for safety reasons from the Buckwalter Parkway to the Hilton Head bridges.

 

The council's Public Services Committee will take the comments into consideration when it decides what path it thinks the Bluffton Parkway extension should take, perhaps as soon as the committee's Aug. 14 meeting.

 

 

On July 23,  the Beaufort County Council voted 7-4 to approve a package of zoning changes submitted by a developer on Daufuskie Island, after a long battle on the appropriate length of setbacks, the liability of building in close proximity to the ocean, and the development of property in the coastal areas.  County Council Chair Weston Newton, whose district includes Daufuskie, voted against the proposal. He suggested the county and local municipalities consider adopting stricter setbacks than are currently required by state standards.

 

The Council also approved a request to have the Town of Hilton Head Island increase its notification efforts for people buying a home or other property under airplane flight paths at the Hilton Head Island Airport.  The notification would inform the buyers that they may be subject to noise and other concerns before they make a purchase. The county requires similar agreements for properties near the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Lady's Island airport.  It is unclear if the Hilton Head Island Town Council will take up the request and change its Land Management Ordinance to reflect the change.

 

In addition, after much discussion between the Beaufort County Council and the Beaufort School Board, the county council rejected a proposal to raise net school taxes by 2.9 mills to pay for $4.55 million in settlements for past school molestation lawsuits.   The supermajority was required because a new state law blocks tax increases in excess of what the council already had approved last month, except in special cases such as the district's court ordered settlements.  The council later passed a modified version of the school board's proposal that pays for the settlements with tax increases that are revenue neutral to taxpayers.  There is still some uncertainty as to how the issue will be finally resolved.