Natural Resources Committee Public Hearing
Tuesday, September 2, 4:00 PM
Location TBD*
Beaufort County Council Meeting
Monday, September 22, 6:00 PM
Location TBD*
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✊ Show up peacefully to defend the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) zoning and protect St. Helena’s Gullah/Geechee heritage.
*We will send an update with meeting locations as soon as they are confirmed.
Why This Matters
- The proposal is nearly identical to past plans originally presented in 2022 and rejected by the community and County Council in 2023 and again in 2024.
- If approved, nearly 500 acres would be carved out of the CPO, opening the door to resorts, golf courses, and gated communities on St. Helena that the rules were designed to prevent.
- These kinds of developments have a documented history of displacing Gullah/Geechee families along the Sea Islands. The CPO, created in 1999, was meant to stop exactly this.
What’s Happening Now
- In May, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the Pine Island rezoning request.
- Yet, at an August 20th special called meeting, Beaufort County Council voted 5–4 to begin negotiating with the developers, even though the plan clearly conflicts with the zoning code and Comprehensive Plan.
- Without a CPO “carve-out,” there is no path forward for this golf resort—but Council will decide in September whether or not to grant it.
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How You Can Help
- Attend the meetings and give public comment on September 2 and 22. Your voice and participation matters.
- Spread the word—invite neighbors and friends to join you.
- Can’t attend? Call or write your Council members and submit a letter to the editor. You can find more information about how to do this on the Protect St. Helena website here.
- Have you signed the petitions by the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the Penn Center yet? Do it now and share with others.
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Allowing a map amendment and development agreement that would greenlight the exact development that is prohibited by the CPO sets a dangerous precedent for Beaufort County and places all of St. Helena Island at risk. It’s critical to urge County Council not to unravel decades of community-centered planning efforts to benefit an out-of-town developer backed by unnamed wealthy investors seeking special treatment for their own financial gain.
Join us and our partners on September 2nd and September 22nd to express support for the CPO rules and defending St. Helena’s rural Sea Island identity and thriving Gullah/Geechee heritage and culture.
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