April 20, 2021 • Volume 24, Issue 8 • Complimentary • BlufftonSun.com
INSIDE • Red Cedar students set new Guiness World Record with cereal boxes 10A • Tour guide Bluffton Jack bids farewell to Lowcountry 14A • Local nonprofit sends loads of books to kids in Kenya 18A • On the Porch With ... Bud Mingledorff 23A • McKeever’s eclectic works on exhibit at Art League 4B
County seeks citizen input for 2040 comprehensive plan By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
Beaufort County has drafted its 2040 comprehensive plan, and the document is now available on the county’s web site for review and public comments. Robert Merchant, acting director of planning and zoning, said the plan is based on what the citizens decide they value, and the plans needed to protect those things. “It is something that should be of interest to all people who live here, and all people who travel here and visit this region, because we’re responsible for keeping this treasure for people who come from other areas, to see the marsh and shrimp boats in the water,” Merchant said, “and we have an obligation to provide protection for the things that are the most valuable to this region.” A comprehensive plan is required by the state of South Carolina for all local communities that have zoning. Input and comments concerning the contents of the draft plan are required by May 7. “We start off with talking about natural resources, past efforts to protect natural resources, and where we see the biggest challenges in the future. A FREE ADMISSION!
new buzz word in planning is ‘resilience planning,’ and so this plan really focuses on those issues, tries to identify the threats, and takes actions to prepare for them,” said Merchant. Another feature is cultural resource and that covers everything from historic preservation to preserving active farming and fishing. There are still active farms on St. Helena and in the northern part of the county around Sheldon, as well as people who do small farming. “The county worked very closely with St. Helena Island and the Gullah Geechee people, and we are taking measures to help that culture thrive in the county,” Merchant said. “People come here expecting to see something different, and the more we lose those things that make us unique, the more we are then like any other coastal community.” Merchant said the department is truly interested in what citizens have to say. “We’re going to be looking at every comment over the next two months and making recommendations. The planning commission will be helping us with that process and then we’ll come up with a document that takes in all those comments,” he said. The state requires certain chapter top-
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Nature lovers quietly gather around the pond at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge to observe roosting birds. Environmental protection is a primary focus of the Beaufort County comprehensive plan.
ics to be included in any comprehensive plan. The chapter themes in Beaufort’s plan include: natural environment, cultural, mobility, economy, housing, community facilities (public utilities, energy audit, infrastructure, etc.), and the built environment (PUDs, subdivisions, etc.).
The draft is the result of a year of data collection, analysis, review, discussion and revision by the Beaufort County Planning Commission. “I always look at the comp plan as be-
Please see PLAN on page 8A