Hilton Head Monthly Magazine Voice of the Lowcountry Hilton Head Town Council OK’d the master plan for the proposed Mid-Island District. The Mid-Island District Plan, which includes a 103-acre property that will be a gathering place for residents and visitors, will serve as the basis for the implementation of redevelopment strategies. For more information, visit hiltonheadislandsc.gov/midisland/.
Beaufort County voters approved a 1-percent Green Space sales tax to purchase land, conservation easements, and buy down density to slow and prevent development. The tax will begin in May. Officials estimated a penny tax will raise $100 million, with at least 40 percent coming from visitors and tourists. Exempted from the tax would be purchases of gas, medicine and groceries.
Elizabeth Hey won the District 10 Beaufort County school board seat, defeating incumbent Mel Campbell and Peter Kristian. Hey earned 38.11 percent of vote, Campbell received 26.35 percent and Kristian earned 35.10 percent. Rachel Wisnefski (District 7) and Carlton Dallas (District 8) won unopposed school board seats.
After a runoff on Nov. 22, Alan Perry was elected mayor of Hilton Head Island. Perry defeated JoAnn Orsichak (55.95-44.05 percent).
U.S. 278 CORRIDOR PROJECT MOVES FORWARD
Hilton Head and Beaufort County leaders are determined to complete the picture for a building a new, much-debated bridge connecting U.S. 278 with the island. It’s a commitment that calls for cooperation, communication and a lot of cash.
Once completed — and the goal is 2028 or early 2029 — the six-lane bridge is expected to improve traffic flow, enable bicyclists and pedestrians, enhance safety and satisfy a laundry list of government specifications.
BY BRENDA DOOLEY
Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring a long-time issue to everyone’s attention. The need for affordable, attainable workforce housing on Hilton Head Island and the broader Lowcountry region isn’t new. But a recent crisis has certainly brought a whole new focus on the matter.
BY TONY KUKULICH | MONTHLY FILE PHOTOS
Growth, development and workforce housing are hot topics on Hilton Head Island, and possible projects are having an impact on the area.
The owners of a beloved business, Driftwood Stable, announced their plans to cease operations at their Jonesville Road location by the end of the year. Sisters Sondra and Marlene Makowski have operated the business, one of only two such operations on Hilton Head, for five years. They were notified by their landlord of his intention to sell the property.
An updated ordinance that Hilton Head Island Town Council passed will allow dogs to be on island beaches without a leash during designated times. The ordinance aligns with an animal control ordinance Beaufort County adopted with an exception to let the dogs run freely along the shore.
LaVerne Stewart, who teaches English Language Arts at Hilton Head Island Middle School, was named Beaufort County’s 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year. Stewart has 22 years of teaching experience. The four other finalists were Kinsey Butler at Bluffton Middle School; Justine Hardy at Battery Creek High School; Karri Kearns at May River High School; and Jennifer Lyles at Coosa Elementary School. Stewart’s mother, Vernell Speaks-Stewart, was also a seventh-grade ELA educator in Beaufort County.
Hilton Head Island Town Council agreed to work with Beaufort County to advance the William Hilton Parkway Corridor Project, including hiring an independent consultant to conduct end-to-end analysis and simulation of the proposed corridor improvements, a news release said.
