BEAUFORT COUNTY’S COUNCIL IS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR A POSSIBLE SALES TAX VOTE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS NEXT NOVEMBER AFTER A PREVIOUS VOTE LAST YEAR WAS BEATEN DECISIVELY. THE COUNCIL IS FORMING A 15-PERSON COMMITTEE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH DISTRICT AND EACH TOWN IN THE COUNTY THAT WILL SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS BY NEXT APRIL. THE DEFEAT OF THE TAX LAST YEAR COST THE COUNTY THE FUNDING TO COMPLETE THE HIGHWAY 278 CORRIDOR PROJECT THAT HAS SINCE BEEN DOWNSIZED TO JUST THE REPLACING AND WIDENING OF EASTBOUND LANES. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH THE ADDITION OF OVER 50-THOUSAND HOMES SOUTH OF THE BROAD IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND THE CITY OF BEAUFORT IS NOW DEALING WITH EXPENSIVE REPAIRS AT THE CHAMBERS WATERFRONT PARK EXPECTED TO COST MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AS WE PREPARE FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PARADES, A TRAGIC INCIDENT AT BLUFFTON’S PARADE IN 2019 HAS FINALLY BEEN SETTLED. THE PARENTS OF THEN-5-YEAR-OLD AMEER FRAZIER IS RECEIVING A 110-THOUSAND DOLLAR SETTLEMENT FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY OF THE BLUFFTON BULLDOGS FOOTBALL PROGRAM AS THE FINAL PIECE OF THE LEGAL PUZZLE STEMMING FROM AMEER’S DEATH AFTER HE WAS PULLED UNDER AND RUN OVER BY THE BULLDOGS’ FLOAT IN THE BLUFFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE. EARLIER SETTLEMENTS HAD BEEN REACHED WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND THE DRIVERS OF THE FLOAT.
WE’VE GOT CONTROVERSY IN BEAUFORT OVER THE REMOVAL OF A SINGLE TREE, THOUGH ONE MOST FOLKS WHO’VE EVER BEEN TO THE CHAMBERS WATERFRONT PARK WILL KNOW IS GONE. AN OLD LIVE OAK AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR A NEW STORMWATER DRAINAGE PIPE THAT WILL HELP RELIEVE FLOODING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT ITS RAISING QUESTIONS AS TO THE PROCESS OF REMOVING THE TREE, QUESTIONS EVEN ASKED BY FORMER MAYOR STEPHEN MURRAY, WHO TOLD THE ISLAND PACKET THE REMOVAL OF THE TREE ‘WAS A SHAME’ AND THE DOESN’T SEE THAT OTHER OPTIONS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED. BEAUFORT’S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS DIRECTOR SAYS ANY OTHER OPTION WOULD HAVE KILLED THE TREE EVENTUALLY ANYWAY. BEAUFORT HAS A PARK AND TREE ADVISORY COMMISSION, BUT IT HAS NO ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY. THE CITY SAYS IT TOLD THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE TREE REMOVAL AT LEAST TWICE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE CITY IS ALREADY UNDER PRESSURE FROM DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES FOR CLOSING THE INTERSECTION OF BAY AND CHARLES STREETS DURING THE HOLIDAYS FOR DRAINAGE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE TRYING TO BE CAREFUL AROUND THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE HISTORIC AREAS OF BEAUFORT.
THAT ‘SOUND OF FREEDOM’ THAT NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS SO PROUD OF WILL COME ROARING TO LIFE THIS WEEK. THE FOLKS AT M-C-A-S BEAUFORT ARE ALERTING US TO EXTRA NOISE THE REST OF THIS WEEK THAT COULD GO INTO THE EVENINGS, INCLUDING WORK AROUND THE TOWNSEND BOMBING RANGE. THE MARINES SAY THERE’S NO THREAT TO THE PUBLIC, ITS JUST ROUTINE, BUT NOISY, ACTIVITY.