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Bluffton News

Good job, Bluffton. Your actions during the evacuation for Hurricane Matthew and after the storm had passed made us more proud to live in this beloved town. Bluffton is blessed that Mother Nature didn’t do the damage here that our Hilton Head Island neighbors experienced with this Category 2 storm. There were countless examples of when a tree fell, it chose to fall on the ground, not on a person or a house. And though not all were unscathed, speaking for the town as a whole, Hurricane Matthew could have been much worse.

parcelblThe town of Bluffton is set to acquire a 1.47 acre parcel of land located at 68 Boundary St. Situated between Dubois Park and the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society’s Heyward House, the property will be used as public open space and will provide additional public parking spaces in the Bluffton Historic District.

The town of Bluffton recently began construction on the next phase of the Buck Island-Simmonsville Community sidewalk project. The project will install 1,200 linear feet of 5-foot wide sidewalks on Buck Island Road adjacent to the Toy Fields neighborhood across from the Wellstone development.

Since October 8 when Hurricane Matthew came through Bluffton causing downed trees, downed power lines, power outages and structural damage, the Town has focused on recovery. While much has been done, much more must be accomplished.  In an effort to help inform residents, the Town of Bluffton offers the following information:

The Town of Bluffton’s Building and Safety Staff recently completed the damage assessment of structures following Hurricane Matthew.

Residents may notice either a green, yellow or red placard posted on their property by Town Staff.  If no placard is posted on the property, that indicates there was either no damage, or very minor damage visible at the time of the inspection.  A green placard indicates some minor damage was observed, and a permit is not necessary for the minor repairs to be corrected immediately.  Minor repairs may include broken windows, damaged railings or missing siding. 

Special Building Permits

Over the next 30 days, the Town of Bluffton will waive fees for permits to make structural repairs for damage sustained to properties from Hurricane Matthew. During this 30-day period, the Town will not be accepting new single family or commercial permits unless a special circumstance is warranted.

“We want residents affected by the storm to have first priority when it comes to fixing their home,” said Town Manager Marc Orlando.

The Town of Bluffton, to assist residents with the Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts, is placing industrial-sized dumpsters at three sites for disposal of storm debris:

  • Eagles’ Field (Corner of Buck Island Road and Bluffton Parkway)
  • Rotary Community Center Parking Lot (Located in Oscar Frazier Park at 11 Recreation Court)
  • Oyster Factory Park (63 Wharf Street)

Dumpsters will be available Wednesday, October 12th, 2016 and will only be in place for a limited time. Residents are reminded that these dumpsters are to be used for storm debris only which includes tree branches, limbs, twigs, trunks and other debris from plants and trees.

The town of Bluffton and its Historic Preservation Commission recently congratulated the partners involved in completing the first phase of renovating the historic Graves House. Located at 85 Calhoun St., this century-old house has been moved 16 feet and stabilized by placing it on a new foundation, making way for further rehabilitations and future uses.

bluftonbudayBluffton Buddy, an app for smartphones and tablets that portrays the people, places and traditions that make Bluffton the heart of the Lowcountry, is now available for free download in the App Store for Apple iOS devices and Google Play for Androids.

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