Coligny Beach Park opens with a splash

Where’s the beach?
It’s a common question around Hilton Head Island, typically among first-time visitors and those few without GPS.

For years, guests looking from Coligny Circle to the water would see the Holiday Inn and a nondescript set of steps leading to some restrooms. Even those with GPS might look at the bare-bones parking lot at Coligny and wonder if the satellites were on the fritz. After all, a beach with that kind of draw should be easy to spot, right?

“The realization came too late that this was a project that probably should have been done in the fall and winter; not later winter and spring (and into the summer),” said Hilton Head Island Town Manager Steve Riley. “For so many of our projects, we have had the mindset that there is summer and there is ‘off season.’  …  But, what we realized here was that the heavy commercial and resort nature of Coligny, combined with a more nuanced view of the off-season, meant that our construction schedule should have been altered.”

Of course, Mother Nature had her say in the project as well.

“The record rains in March delayed some elements of construction that were critical. ...  Consequently, we were set back a few weeks,” said Mike Roan, urban design administrator for the town. “Given the weather and inherently crowded nature of the job site, our general contractor did an incredible job of keeping the job on the timeline that he did.”

Still, not even Rome was built in a day, and despite the delays, Coligny Beach Park is now open for the throngs of tourists that continue to vacation here. Head to the park on any given day, even a Monday, and you’ll find parents snapping pictures as children dash through the choreographed fountain out front.

Beyond the fountain you’ll find a pair of large restroom pavilions, a far cry from the tucked-away facilities in the old park.

But the best part of this new park is the view: Cast your eyes straight down its wood and stucco pathway and you’ll see … the beach!

Flanking the view to the beach are relaxing swings under the shade of live oaks and palmettos. A shaded alcove set with Adirondack chairs, rocking chairs and a coffee table provide a perfect spot for locals and visitors alike to kick back with a cup of coffee and read the paper or plan a picnic lunch.

“(The park) is drawing new people to the area,” said Riley. “It is a destination unto itself rather than just an outlet to the beach. And the nearby merchants can benefit greatly from this new attraction if they market themselves right.”

While this new destination has already proven immensely popular with tourists, the best is yet to come for the entire Coligny area.

“There is an eventual second phase in the Capital Improvements Program, which includes the redevelopment of the aggregate of the parcels containing the beach parking lot, the Smokehouse Restaurant, the miniature golf course and the old hotel site,” said Roan.

That work could start in July 2011.