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Last month, Monthly asked the seven mayoral candidates to respond to an e-mail Q&A about 10 diverse issues facing our island. This month, we sent a second round of questions, but grounded them in the findings of the Mayor’s Vision Task Force.
The candidates’ responses are excerpted below, but as before, their full answers and opinions are available online at hiltonheadmonthly.com/news/mayor-race, and we encourage you to go online.
JIM COLLETT
THE CORPORATE PLANNER
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
I have made attracting the “mobile work force” one of the main points of my campaign. I think much of our Island’s future economic health is tied to our ability to do that. In that light, I think the idea of an economic development entity is an excellent one. It would provide a focus for all the ideas that Islanders from a number of different backgrounds have. After the ideas are sorted out, we could select the best ones and, with the Town’s assistance, develop concrete plans to bring new businesses and business people to the Island.
We already tell the world that this is a great place to come for a week on vacation, but our advertising often stops there. I think we need to do a much better job of telling the world what a great place our Island is to live and work.
I also think we need to work on some of the barriers to economic development. We are becoming a telecommunications backwater. I have often said that we need to dramatically improve cell phone service. I think that should be our top priority. Beyond that, high speed internet across the Island and an array of Town sponsored WiFi hotspots would bring us in line with the urban environments that we compete with for the mobile work force.
We also need to establish a position in Town Hall to shepherd those coming to the Island through the maze of Town, County and State requirements to start a new business. In addition, we need to pair them with a local volunteer who has a similar business background who could help them acclimate to the Island from a business perspective and advise them on how to get things done here.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as storm water capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
Storm water capture and reuse is a good place to start. The idea that you can put water into an underground cavity and extract it later seems to be an excellent way to deal with our tendency to have periods of very heavy rain intermixed with significant dry spells.
New buildings also offer significant opportunities to be green. I am Co-Chair of what will probably be the biggest building project on the Island in 2011. First Presbyterian Church is going through a significant renovation and expansion. We are looking at ways we can be more energy efficient in many areas, such as lighting and heating and cooling.
We also need to encourage our gated communities to allow more use of solar panels on roofs and the recycling of waste water. In Hilton Head Plantation, every drop of waste water is recycled to irrigate the golf courses.
Perhaps most importantly, we need a Town-wide recycling program that covers the entire residential and commercial community.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
It would be an interesting challenge for an architect to design a building that could be both a convention venue and a performing arts center. Such a building would be a wonderful addition to our Island. Combining the two uses would make such a facility much more able to sustain itself from a financial standpoint.
I think there are a number of opportunities for what I would call educational tourism. People go to France to attend a school in French cooking. That’s a lot more expensive than it used to be and international travel is just more of a hassle. At the same time, it should be easy to attract all kinds of Europeans or Americans for that matter to come to Hilton Head and teach classes and seminars on our beautiful Island. Combine that with EcoTourism, featuring our environment, and making a stronger appeal to Snow Birds, and it would appear we have some real opportunities to broaden our visitor base.
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
Regarding the Mall at Shelter Cove, I think the Town should be actively involved in seeking large scale developers who have done these projects elsewhere . I think we could end up with the beautiful town center and gathering place that we have long needed. It should have a mixture of restaurants and shops opening onto a large open plaza facing the water with larger stores and maybe a movie theater in the background.
I don’t think Coligny will ever be the town center that Shelter Cove could be, but it is an area that could be much improved. The Town should be working to help with revitalization of that area as well. I was just down at the Coligny Beach Park last weekend. It is a wonderful example of the things that could be done there.
TOM CREWS
THE ARCHITECT
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
I recommend that we do the following:
Develop and formalize an economic revitalization strategy to regenerate the local economy:
Near term efforts should focus on:
- Establish public private partnerships, and explore economic incentives, such as tax incentives for commercial redevelopment.
- Consider expansion of the Land Acquisition program to advance economic development initiatives.
- Enhance access to technology infrastructure to include latest generation, Island wide, high speed broad band capability, as it has become an essential basic infrastructure requirement of the Island’s resort, residential and business community. Work with providers to wrap the island with the highest possible speed wireless services. Work now with local providers to install highest possible speed wired fiber network and expand Wi-Fi hotspots to all town parks.
The Town should establish an official economic development program that fosters a spirit of cooperation between the public and private sector to promote, advocate and facilitate development of business opportunities. This could involve the establishment of a Town economic development entity or an integrated approach with existing economic development groups.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as stormwater capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
I recommend that we do the following:
Reinforce the Island’s legacy of environmental stewardship:
Near term efforts should:
- Adopt the International Green Building Code and continue to work with the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association to incorporate Green building practices.
- Require LEED compliant design for our Public Buildings.
- Encourage LEED inspired design practices in renovations and redevelopment.
- Update our Sustainable Design practices in the Land Management Ordinance
- Pursue a designation from the Audubon International Society as a “Sustainable Community”.
- Develop a Community consensus for Island-wide recycling.
- Develop Community educational programs for our residents and property owners to explain and introduce sustainable practices that can be incorporated, i.e. rain water harvesting (rain baralells), rain gardens, etc.
- Create an economic development path to encourage Eco Tourism
Establish a comprehensive strategy for environmental initiatives to help reinforce the Island’s position as a leader in environmental stewardship. Continuing to evaluate and institute environmental sustainability options, policies and practices to strengthen the Island’s position as a leader in environmental stewardship, enhance long term economic and environmental sustainability and attract “green” businesses and “green oriented” travelers to the Island. Establishing a “Sustainability Advisory Committee” or an integrated approach to review and institute sustainability within the community.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
I recommend that we do the following:
Reinforce and promote our heritage and what makes Hilton Head Island unique: (beach, pathways, recreation, golf, tennis, road, air, and water access, environmental stewardship, Heritage golf tournament and other special events.)
Near term efforts should focus on:
- Evaluate marketing dollars and how they are used. Embrace tourism and encourage not just visitation but living and working here.
- Create a hospitality culture: Everyone should be an ambassador for the Island.
- Prioritize beach renourishment projects.
- Secure the future of the Heritage Golf Tournament.
- Advocate for key regional transportation improvements needed to improve access to Hilton Head Island, including the implementation of Phase 5A of the Bluffton Parkway (HHI bridges to Burnt Church Road) and the widening of I-95.
The Town should continue to strengthen our core values and build on the heritage that makes the Island such a unique place to live and visit and work. The extraordinary natural beauty found along the Island’s waterways and beaches, the diversity of wildlife, development that blends with nature and our abundant recreational amenities are the foundation upon which a very active and caring citizenry has been built.
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
Yes. I recommend that we do the following:
Develop and formalize an infrastructure revitalization strategy:
Near term efforts should include:
- Focus the Planning Commission on revitalization.
- Target revitalization areas in the TIF district.
Coordinate public and private involvement, through processes such as a Charette similar to the Bridge to the Beach process in the late 1990’s.
Develop a Community driven plan for the potential redevelopment of a public/private partnership, pedestrian based, village/town square, mixed use plan encompassing retail, permanent & short-term housing, office, arts & entertainment as well as convention scale meeting space with a seamless fabric of the public and private realm. Take particular attention to maintaining the public realm along the water’s edge at Broad Creek with the beautiful water vista.
Create a pedestrian friendly entertainment, beach access, shopping, dining and festival center at Coligny and a village/town square, mixed use plan encompassing retail, permanent & short-term housing, office, arts & entertainment as well as convention scale meeting space. Coligny area planning should create a cohesive vision for the public and private sectors and promote public/private partnerships.
Change the development review process. Consider the opportunities of alternative zoning techniques. Determine the necessary modifications to ordinances, policies and procedures needed to accommodate the goals and objectives of the revitalization program.
The Town should outline a program for revitalization that includes targeting investment within the current TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Districts, but also consider expansion of priority areas beyond the TIF Districts as they are due to expire at the end of 2014. The program should include clear objectives for revitalization and communicate public commitments, incentives, priorities and revitalization options available to property owners, business owners and investors who may then choose to reinvest in these areas.
BILL FERGUSON
THE CONTRARIAN
Mr. Ferguson declined to answer the questions, arguing that the Task Force report is not official and has not been adopted by Town Council.
DREW LAUGHLIN
THE LAWYER
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
Yes, I believe the Town should establish an entity to promote economic development that would take steps to identify businesses suited to the Island, recommend actions for creating an environment attractive to those businesses and actively recruiting those businesses. The first step is to make economic development a policy imperative of the Town. We must undertake a comprehensive review and revision of our ordinances and procedures. I believe our current ordinances and procedures unnecessarily discourage private investment, stifle creativity, and reinforce an impression that we are not business-friendly.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as storm water capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
Adopt a comprehensive recycling program. Conduct energy audits of all Town buildings. Upgrade or retrofit office lighting as necessary. Continue increased use of fuel-efficient vehicles. Continue efforts to reduce quantity of water drawn from aquifers. Continue efforts to improve drainage. Continue efforts to extend availability of central sewer collection and eliminate on-site septic systems. Establish sustainability policy with specific targets or benchmarks. Appoint a citizens committee, commission, or task force dedicated to sustainable practices.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
I have a concern that a large meeting, convention, or performing arts facility would be underutilized and would require more support than we can provide. I would have to see the business plan.
We should recognize how we all benefit from a healthy and thriving hospitality industry. Visitor spending funds beach re-nourishment and many of our non-profits, such as the Arts Center and the Orchestra, supports our restaurants, and provides a supply of future residents. I believe we must find a way to increase support for promotion and marketing, and we should study ways to make our effort more focused on attracting affluent visitors and businessmen.
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
I believe that the future of the Shelter Cove Mall site depends on attracting and working cooperatively with a private developer who will make the investment to redevelop the site. We need to identify how we would like to see the site redeveloped, seek appropriate development partners, and work with them to create a quality product at this site. We must be prepared to recognize the need for private investment to be profitable, and we must be willing to be flexible where appropriate. As I have indicated elsewhere, I believe that reform of our codes and procedures is necessary if we are to attract private investment and if we are to allow ourselves the flexibility we will need to work with anyone who may want to invest in the redevelopment and revitalization of our commercial centers and public spaces.
ED McCULLOUGH
THE SHOWMAN
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
1a. Elect a mayor who has the courage to rewrite the Land Management Ordinance so that it protects our environment, protects our retiree community, protects our quality of life, is flexible and user friendly and supports redevelopment and supports diversity and supports the kinds of businesses that are compatible with our Island lifestyle and will enhance our Island quality of life.
1b. Elect a mayor who has a proven track record as a leader who will completely recreate town hall culture and lead it to become a customer service team of motivated professionals who will protect our environment, protect our retirement community and support compatible local businesses. I hope and trust that every current member of town staff is excited by the prospect of becoming a member of just a such a team.
1c. Elect a mayor who has the courage to see to it that town government waste is eliminated and the expensive burden of taxes and license fees and franchise fees and bureaucracy and delays, etc. is lightened for residents and businesses.
1d. Elect a mayor who has not and will not take a penny in campaign contributions so that every business knows that the mayor is not beholden to any special interests or power brokers or the owners of one particular development and that every business is competing on an even playing field.
1e. Elect a mayor who has started, built up and run local service companies of hundreds of employees and who understands systems and will see to it that the process for permits and licenses, etc. is streamlined and user friendly and that the expense of burdensome bureaucratic delays is eliminated.
1f. Elect a mayor who has a proven track record as an entrepreneur and businessman who has successfully participated in high stakes negotiations such as the sale of multi-million dollar companies. This experience must have come as a leader and participant and not as a sideline adviser. This experience is essential for the new mayor to successfully participate in negotiations to bring a new sponsor to The Heritage Golf Tournament. This experience is essential for the new mayor to successfully participate in negotiations with world class developers who will invest in and recreate The Mall at Shelter Cove, Coligny Plaza and Heritage Plaza, etc.
1g. Elect a mayor who can think outside the box and create wonderful new events that serve as attractions to tourists and also protect our environment and enhance quality of life for our residents. I started The Bluffton Farmers Market with fellow Rotarian Diane Fornari. Our revenue projections for business done by growers and food vendors next season exceeds $2,000,000. The Market attracts over 2,000 visitors per week. 40% of those visitors are tourists. 90% of those tourists stay on Hilton Head Island. As mayor, I will transcend the bureaucracy that prevented us from starting The Market on Hilton Head Island in the first place and I will bring a successful Farmers Market Event to Hilton Head Island.
1h. Elect a mayor who has a proven track record of attracting millions in new business to each of his successful local businesses. Look at the track records for growth and new business for New Leaf Management and Second Nature Landscape and The Bluffton Farmers Market.
1i. Don't elect a mayor who started a small firm of a few employees several years ago and it's still a small firm of a few employees today.
1j. Myrtle Beach attracts approximately 15,000,000 visitors per year and they spend approximately $11,000,000 to attract them. Hilton Head Island attracts approximately 3,000,000 visitors per year (although less than that recently) and spends only about $1,000,000 to attract them. We don't need to "become the next Myrtle Beach," but we do need to compete with Myrtle Beach. Raising taxes coming out of a recession is not a good idea. I suggest that we shift monies from administration and overhead and we reduce expenses and we increase our investment in attracting new visitors to Hilton Head Island by at least $1,000,000 per year. We will see an immediate return on investment in increased tourism dollars which in turn will make local businesses more successful and create hundreds of new jobs.
1k. I recently spoke with the owner of a high tech financial services company who decided not to relocate his firm to Hilton Head Island because of concerns about the quality of education and recreation. The town needs to be in the forefront supporting all initiatives that improve our educational performance such as Strive to Excel and School Mentors, etc.. The town needs to increase its investment in recreation facilities so that they not only meet local needs, but also put us in a position to attract regional tournaments and summer camps, etc., all of which put major heads in beds.
1l. Elect a mayor for whom the thought of "retirement" is horrifying and who lives every day with a burning passion to make great new things happen for his community.
1m. Elect a mayor for whom writing specs on a town recycling program that makes it impossible for local small businesses to bid and then puts them out of business is absolutely unconscionable. Elect a mayor who has the courage to stand up and say so. Elect a mayor who is passionate about small business and who understands it is the life blood of our economy and who will not so casually throw town business to out of town multi national corporate conglomerates.
1n. Elect a mayor who will see to it that we have excellent cell phone coverage from all providers across the entire Island and will see to it that it happens quickly.
1o. Elect a mayor who will see to it that we have wifi coverage across the entire Island and will see to it that it happens quickly.
1p. Elect a mayor who understands the power of social media and has been using it effectively for years to attract new business.
1q. Elect a mayor who will thoroughly investigate existing business development initiatives such as regional angel investor groups like the Ariel Angel Investors and other regional and county wide economic development groups and examine the possibility of partnering with successful existing initiatives before forming any new ones.
1r. Elect a mayor who has a great working relationship with The Hilton Head Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as stormwater capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
2a. I started the Bluffton Farmers Market with fellow Rotarian Diane Fornari. It is the very model of green. Produce at the market travels approximately 15 miles to get there. Produce at supermarket travels approximately 1,500 miles to get there. The Bluffton Farmers Market supports organic farming which takes pesticides out of our environment. The Bluffton Farmers Market makes local small scale family farming economically viable and keeps the valuable acres on those farms out of commercial development. As mayor I will bring a successful Farmers Market Event to Hilton Head Island.
2b. Support initiatives such as the Green Building Council of the Home Builders Association.
2c. Support conversion of professional landscape services to the use of 100% organic fertilizers.
2d. Institute an Island wide recycling program that is built on the free market, maintains competition, doesn't put local small business haulers out of business and doesn't increase condo regime trash/recycling expense by 35%.
2e. Support the use of electric vehicles, especially in public transportation and shuttles and support an increase in public transportation and shuttles.
2f. Make town government the model of green business best practices.
2g. Continue to improve runoff control with capture and re-use of effluent for irrigation purposes.
2h. Support water conservation with support for rain censors and low emission heads on all irrigation systems.
2i. Support low noise, low emissions, fuel efficient landscape blowers and mowers, etc.
2j. Reduce the number of town employees driving around in white pick up trucks all day.
2k. Support initiatives by others such as Palmetto Electric, Public Service Districts and Beaufort County.
2l. Revise the LMO to make it easier for businesses to relocate on the Island. When my landscape company Second Nature outgrew it facilities, we looked at 41 new facilities on the Island. 90% of our business was on the Island. After review of the LMO the town informed us that there was only one facility on Island that it would be legal for us to occupy. If we had moved off Island, there would have been more than 50 vehicles per day adding to the rush hour traffic and unnecessarily driving thousands upon thousands of extra miles per year.
2m. Support solar, but only in instances where the appearance does not detract from our Island character.
2n. Continue to support land acquisition when it makes economic sense so that additional acres will be removed from commercial development and the environmental impact that comes along with that development.
2o. Support eco-tourism and eco-friendly businesses.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
3/4a. Yes, we need larger meeting space. We are missing out on companies relocating to Hilton Head Island because we don't have large enough meeting spaces. And they can't be just any meeting spaces. They must be high tech, state of the art meeting spaces in the midst of vibrant diversified centers or villages.
3/4b. Yes, we need larger convention space. We are missing out on all kinds of convention business and new businesses relocating here because we don't have convention space large enough or high tech enough or attractive enough or accessible enough or located in vital enough centers to bring them here.
3/4c. Yes, we need larger performing arts space. The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra alone has communicated that they can fill a performance space of 2,200. A larger state of the art performance space will make local arts groups more successful and it will accommodate bigger name acts that will give a great boost to our tourist economy.
3/4d. We must evaluate every project from a business person's perspective and look at it in terms of a return on investment. Case in point: The proposed sailing rowing center at a cost of approximately $2,000,000 that has been put off by the town for 10 years would have put thousands of heads in beds during the critical off season when dozens of teams from colleges throughout the northeast would have scheduled trips to the Island to get away from cold winters and frozen rivers. Rowing and sailing are great activities for retirees as well and a state of the art sailing and rowing center might very well be the difference in someone deciding to relocate to the Island. By contrast the town spent over $2,000,000 on the Compass Rose Park which no one ever goes to and which has no effect on tourism whatsoever. And which, I must say, with all due respect, for those who knew and loved Charles Fraser, is not a fitting tribute to him.
3/4e. We should have earned the official designation of "Bike Friendly Community" years ago. I commend Frank Babel for taking the lead on this initiative and I will work tirelessly until Hilton Head Island earns the designation. Bike vacations are extremely big business and they have the potential to put thousands of heads in beds especially during the off season.
3/4f. Hilton Head Island is a natural for eco-tourism. Our beaches and beautiful natural environment are still our largest draw. As mayor, I will protect our natural environment so that it will remain an asset not only for locals to enjoy, but also to attract new business through eco-tourism which is becoming bigger and bigger business and has the potential to draw thousands of additional visitors to the Island each year.
3/4g. We need to continue to create wonderful new events like The Bluffton Farmers Market that celebrate "local" and will enhance the vacation experience for Island visitors. And we need to continue to support existing events like The Concour and The Wine Fest, etc.
3/4h. Charles Fraser hired Robert Marvin the pre-eminent landscape architect of his day to design Harbourtown. Harbourtown is an icon that put Hilton Head Island on the map and has paid priceless dividends since the day it was built. We need to honor our history and the tradition of design excellence that was started by Charles. The stewardship of our public spaces is a sacred trust and it is a way we create our identity and tell the world and ourselves who we are as a community. It is time that we reclaim our precious design heritage and that we put an end to travesties such as the pink pavers in Sea Pines Circle, and the Compass Rose Park that has no entrance and no parking and is full of hardiplank and a maze that goes nowhere. If we want a world class community that attracts world class visitors and investors and residents, we need world class design.
3/4h. We need to promote our wonderful local history and culture. This includes our natural history through Honey Horn Discovery Museum and our rich Gullah Heritage through The Gullah Tours and the Gullah Museum and the new proposed project in Mitchelville.
3/4i. The Mall at Shelter Cove is rumored to be losing 10 more stores in January. We can't afford its devolution into a black hole in the heart of our town. The owners of The Mall at Shelter Cove are rumored to be in consideration of a new plan being extolled by members of town council that, "will cut the mall in half and make it an outdoor mall instead of an indoor mall." This non-visionary, non-inspired, band-aid approach is not good enough for Hilton Head Island. This non-visionary half way approach is what got us The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina which is a lovely performance space, but it doesn't come close to serving the needs of the arts community, or attracting top name big draw entertainers. And it does not, nor will it ever come close to being economically self sustaining.
The mayor must be a leader who will develop a bold vision for Hilton Head Island. The mayor must be a negotiator who will inspire world class developers to make the necessary investments in The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza and Heritage Plaza and all our older plazas and all our older building in need of redevelopment.
The Mall at Shelter Cove can become a vibrant village in the heart of Hilton Head Island. It will be diverse. It will take advantage of its natural beauty and setting facing Broad Creek. It will include state of the art meeting and convention space. State of the art performance space. Cafes and boutiques. Walkways and benches and park spaces and informal public gathering places. Living spaces. Spaces attractive to high tech businesses. Educational space (Technical College of the Lowcountry has already expressed an interest). Space where young and old, where students and retired folks, where business persons and residents can all errantly encounter one another and come away with a real sense of community. We can make this manifest. It is not an impossible dream. We simply need a new mayor who has the boldness to dream it and the business ability to get it done.
DAVE MYERS
THE OUTSIDER
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
The Town of Hilton Head Island and it's policies were instrumental in businesses leaving the island in the last decade. Restrictive ordinances, license fees and taxes based on revenue created an atmosphere not conducive to generating a profit large enough to support their existence on the island so they found a more profitable and forgiving place in Bluffton and unincorporated Beaufot Co. That being said, the best plan for the island government to reverse this trend is to get out of the way and allow the remaining establishments to flourish, making a clear statement that the town is "business friendly" and willing to work with owner/operators to help the organizations to survive. This can be done while still maintaining enough control that Hilton Head Island doesn't lose it's natural beauty.
No, the town doesn't need an economic development dept. The town needs to be less involved with the affairs of small business, not more.No, the town doesn't need to identify what business will be "well-suited" to the area, all the town needs to do is set a few parameters to follow and allow the business to decide if they can fit into those parameters. Once it's noticed that Hilton Head Island is a place that small businesses are welcome and profitable they will be lined up waiting to occupy a space in our little bit of paradise.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as stormwater capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
Hilton Head Island's status as "not truly green" is subjective and depends on who your having the discussion with. While I know that there are a lot of people in the area that indicate that Hilton Head Island is one of the least "green" places they have ever been in, when I walk out of my house every day I see the most natural place I have ever lived in, with trees everywhere and the roar of the ocean in the background, but there is always room for improvement. The town's role in this should be minimal and restricted to codes for new construction and supplying the means to recycle as the residents feel necessary and comfortable with, utilizing a service provider of their choice. If the town decides to mandate recycling then the single service provider plan needs to be scrapped for something better. As far as other so called "green" endeavors, they would be looked at on a case by case basis and assessed as to the viability of the individual programs. Implementing a program just because it's labeled "green" doesn't mean it's a good idea.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
The need for a "larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facility" has not been demonstrated as far as I can tell and I don't believe in the "if you build it, they will come" philosophy so I'll have to take a wait and see approach to this topic. While I would like to do something to kick start the economy on the island spending money that the town doesn't have will only get Hilton Head Island into more financial difficulties. So, until I can see a definite advantage I would have to oppose such a project.
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
The town's role in encouraging the development of The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza should be limited to assisting with the proper permits and possibly granting limited term tax breaks to potential new businesses moving to the area. With the tight town budget and the promise that the budget will get even tighter with the lower reassessment of properties on the island, any large monetary assistance from the town would be reckless, should be put off till better financial times and should take the form of a low interest loan.
JOHN SAFAY
THE POLITICIAN
1. Many businesses have left Hilton Head over the past decade. What role can the Town of Hilton Head Island play to reverse this trend? Should the Town, for example, establish its own economic development entity, identify business well-suited to the island and take steps to create an environment attractive to those businesses? If so, what steps should be taken?
True, many businesses have moved off-island, but for a variety of reasons such as population increases in southern Beaufort County and the obvious availability of more development space at considerably lower costs. However, let’s not forget that many new businesses have moved to the Island in the last decade. I might add that during the same decade, Hilton Head Island has retained its unmatched beauty and ambiance which certainly cannot be said for the commercial sprawl we drive past coming to the Island. Unbelievably, there are residents and candidates advocating we change our zoning laws and environmental regulations to accommodate this off-Island style growth. I will never be one of them.
That said, I am all in favor of Progress and Preservation which I do not feel are mutually incompatible. I have been a self-employed small businessman all my adult life. As such, I am the Town’s representative on the Lowcountry Economic Development Network where we are working to bring new, different business to our region. I am also in favor of exploring how we can best use our resources to develop an Economic Development Program or Committee on HHI.
2. Hilton Head has a longstanding tradition of environmental preservation, but is not truly “green” by today’s standards. Some have said we should take steps to open the dialogue between Town and County government agencies, utility providers and private-sector entities (such as planned communities) to identify sustainable practices, such as stormwater capture and reuse, energy conservation and building practices. What green and sustainable practices could Hilton Head implement?
First of all, we should stop using the proposed Town recycling program as a political football. I am astonished that after nearly two years of public meetings, public reports to the council, considerable press attention, and unanimous council committee votes that some Town Council members and political candidates are having second thoughts about recycling on Hilton Head Island. Hopefully by the time this is published, the program will have been approved.
While it has been in effect for three years, let’s not forget that my proposal to ban smoking in all public places on the Island was considered too radical for South Carolina. I worked hard to pass that ordinance as I am doing for the recycling proposal.
But more important are the new challenges. Just last month a Green Forum was held at my home where nearly 40, mostly younger residents, participated and shared their ideas for their future on the Island. They contributed many interesting innovative ideas. As mayor I intend to give them a voice in developing these new Green programs which will be vital to the progress of our community.
The ideas included plans for a Farmers Market which I will help come to Honey Horn, urging the gated communities to re-consider their prohibitions on solar panels for hot water heating, LEEDS certification on all Town buildings, community gardens, etc. The list is as endless as our imaginations which I want the Town to be a part of this progress.
3. Hilton Head has the potential to extend visitation numbers during the offseason by enhancing the island’s business and convention tourism sector. Some have said that we need larger meeting, convention and/or performing arts facilities to enhance such opportunities. Do you agree, and if so, what steps should we take to strengthen our hospitality industry?
One of the first things we need to do is increase the Island’s promotional budget. As mayor, I will propose, through our legislative delegation, that permission be granted for the Town to increase our Accommodations Tax rate by 1% which will raise an additional $1.2 million which should be used for Island marketing. This tax is not paid by town residents, but by tourists. I have been advised that our accommodations tax rate will then be more in line with other resort destinations and the increase should have virtually no impact on business.
The ideas for convention centers, new arts centers, auditoriums, etc. are far more complexand are currently under study by a number of groups who have retained consultants to assist in their analysis. I will be open-minded and receptive to any proposals, but anyone professing to have these answers today has not had the benefit of a proper evaluation process.
4. The Mall at Shelter Cove could be reconfigured as one of the Town’s village centers. Should the Town play a leadership role and work with private-sector entities to determine how village centers such as the The Mall at Shelter Cove and Coligny Plaza area be configured?
Let me remind the reader that the Mall is private property and the Town simply cannot pass a Magic Wand over it and change it into anything it wants. The good news is that the Mall owner has partnered with another well-funded developer and plans are being made to re-develop the existing space. Nothing is definite but all preliminary plans include redesigning the enclosed Mall into a more contemporary open mall with many new tenants and restaurants. All this is made more difficult with the state of the national economy but I remain optimistic that our Mall will be modernized soon. As Mayor, I will do all within our power to expedite this re-development process and insure the finished product is in keeping with the quality demanded of our Island.
