September 1, 2023: Circuit Court grants the Coastal Conservation League, Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, the Penn Center, and a group of nearby landowners intervention. This allows the partners to help defend Beaufort County’s decision to deny 3,6-hole golf courses on the Pine Island property.
August 28, 2023: Beaufort County Circuit Court hearing regarding the four motions to intervene to defend Beaufort County’s denial of Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC’s plans for three 6-hole golf courses.
August 3, 2023: Four groups (Coastal Conservation League, Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, Penn Center, & landowners) file independent motions to intervene to defend Beaufort County’s denial of plans for three 6-hole golf courses on St. Helena Island in the appeal initiated by Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC.
July 7, 2023: Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC files a second lawsuit against Beaufort County raising allegations of due process, takings, and more.
July 5, 2023: Pine Island Property Holdings, LLC files an appeal to the circuit court to challenge the Beaufort County Planning Commission’s denial of plans for 3, 6-hole golf courses on Pine Island
June 26, 2023: Beaufort County Council votes 8-2 to deny the zoning map amendment to remove the 502-acre Pine Island & St. Helenaville property from the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO). The approval of the motion to deny means that the map amendment/rezoning request to carve out Pine Island from the CPO fails and cannot advance to further readings.
June 12, 2023: Beaufort County Community Services & Land Use Committee votes 6-1 to deny the rezoning request to remove the 502-acre Pine Island & St. Helenaville property from the St. Helena Island Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO).
June 5, 2023: Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the rezoning request to remove Pine Island from the CPO district boundaries. The Planning Commission also unanimously upheld staff’s denial of the plan for three (3) 6-hole golf courses on the Pine Island property as prohibited by the CPO.
May 17, 2023: Letter from Beaufort County Planning Staff announces a public hearing to be held at the June 5th Planning Commission meeting regarding the developer’s request to remove Pine Island from the CPO and appeal of the denial of the (3) 6-hole golf courses.
May 9, 2023: Meeting of County Council, 9-2 final vote to approve and formally adopt language to clarify and strengthen the CPO.
May 1, 2023: Meeting of Beaufort County Planning Commission, unanimous vote to approve recommendations to clarify and strengthen the CPO.
April 24, 2023: Meeting of County Council, 8-2 vote to approve CPO Committee’s recommendations to clarify and strengthen the CPO.
April 10, 2023: Meeting of County Council, 10-1 vote to approve CPO Committee’s recommendations to clarify and strengthen the CPO.
March 30, 2023: St. Helena Community Rally at St. Helena Elementary School.
March 21, 2023: Meeting of CPO Committee, unanimous votes to reject county administration’s text amendment to overlay and recommend language clarifying and strengthening CPO purpose statement and prohibitions.
March 8, 2023: Meeting of Staff Review Team (SRT) with agenda item 4 “Pine Island Plan (Pre-Application)” involving applications for three 6-hole golf courses on newly subdivided parcels of Pine Island property.
March 1, 2023: Deed of sale recorded for Pine Island property for $18 million by Pine Island Land Holdings, LLC on February 14, 2023.
February 28, 2023: Subdivision plat recorded for Pine Island dividing property into four new parcels.
January 17, 2023: Meeting of CPO Committee, elected Queen Quet at chair and Daryl Orage as vice chair, discussion about clarifying and strengthening CPO purpose statement and prohibitions.
January 9, 2023: Meeting of Beaufort County Council’s Community Services & Land Use Committee, agenda item 12 – administration’s proposed text amendment to CPO, significant public comment in opposition, committee voted to postpone until April 10 meeting and refer the matter to the CPO Committee for recommendations.
January 5, 2023: Meeting of Beaufort County Planning Commission, agenda item 9 – proposed text amendment to CPO initiated by county administration allowing prohibited uses on 50+ acres with a development agreement, significant public comment in opposition, unanimous vote by commission to recommend denial of text amendment.
December 15, 2022: Community Meeting at Penn Center’s Frisell Hall, Coastal Conservation League shared information about developer’s plans to amend St. Helena Island’s CPO zoning to build luxury golf resort on 500-acre Pine Island/St. Helenaville property despite zoning overlay’s express prohibition of golf courses, resorts, and gated communities.
December 13, 2022: Meeting of citizen CPO Committee, overview of purview to review CPO zoning overlay and make recommendations to strengthen its purpose and protections.
November 29, 2022: Developer submits application for zoning map amendment to remove the Pine Island/St. Helenaville property from the CPO zoning district and to enter into a Development Agreement with Beaufort County.
November 16, 2022: Staff Review Team (SRT) meeting with agenda item 9 “Pine Island—Zoning/Text Amendment (Pre-Application)”
November 14, 2022: Meeting of Beaufort County Council, approved the formation of the citizen-appointed Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) Committee.
February 14, 2022: Developer enters amendment to option contract for Pine Island/St. Helenaville property extending option period through December 31, 2022 with option to extend for another 90 days with $125,000 deposit.
October 18, 2021: Developer enters $21 million option to purchase contract for Pine Island/St. Helenaville property for stated contemplated purpose of constructing golf course and related lodging.