Fight to save Pinckney Colony in Bluffton SC

In 1995, the Beaufort County Clean Water Task Force identified two major saltwater estuaries as being significant for both the amount of public use and the threat of development: Broad Creek and the Okatie River.

Broad Creek on Hilton Head Island was chosen because it ran through the heart of an almost fully developed community, and a baseline was needed to know whether its waters were getting better or worse. The Okatie River was chosen because it represented a more pristine waterway with development looming.

In 1999, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Town of Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County funded a study of both estuaries with some interesting results. Broad Creek, although degraded, was not as bad as originally thought and was repairable.

Hilton Head embraced its challenge by creating a Broad Creek management plan. The town doubled the cost and scope of its stormwater management plan to include an environmental component. The town aggressively pursued sewer access for everyone, and it targeted land around the headwaters for purchase. They did not wait for DHEC to come up with a plan.

The Okatie was showing signs of degradation, but there was no one to look out for it.

Now, despite a $1.2 million Special Area Management Plan study in 2002, a land development study in 2004, designation as an outstanding resource water in 2004, and DHEC's downgrading of its oyster beds to "restricted" in 2006, the only responses have been to schedule another study for 2008 on total maximum density loading of pollutants and approve what is perhaps the largest, most irresponsible and poorly planned dock permit this county has seen in years.

In DHEC's brochures you can read about the dangers of cumulative environmental impacts, yet they will permit the 500th dock on a river as if it were the first.

Although we believe that local DHEC officials, who are our neighbors, know the right thing to do, the closer to Columbia that DHEC decisions are made the more out of touch they are with the special demands of the unique Port Royal Sound ecosystem and its unparalleled tidal amplitude and fertile, fragile marine nursery.

Why else would an agency approve a fixed dock system that would rise ominously up to 12 feet out of the water at low tide and require boaters to ride their boats up and down like an elevator? If they didn't or couldn't move their boat to the landing they would have to climb a 12-foot barnacle, oyster and algae encrusted ladder to get back to the dock. I doubt that DHEC even asked the developer if they knew how much time it was going to take to get all the boats off the lifts and on to dry land in case of a hurricane and who was going to do it.

It's time to take our ecosystem back from an agency that has already allowed Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Georgetown waters to be trashed even when they had more money and staff to protect them then than they do now. We cannot afford to let them do five more years of studies to conclude that we should have done something 10 years ago. We should not put up with any more of this convoluted permitting process that allows major access and impacts on our natural resources when we haven't even granted permission to build there.

When we formed the Clean Water Task Force 13 years ago after oyster beds continued to be closed, we asked the Columbia DHEC chiefs "whose job was it to get the oyster beds back open?" They said they didn't know, but it was their job to tell us we couldn't eat the oysters. Things haven't changed much.

We must save the last decent populated coastal ecosystem that South Carolina has left.

Rough sailing: Opposition to Pinckney Point boat docks, ramp growing

A state decision allowing a Florida developer to build docks, boat lifts and a community boat ramp on a peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers faces growing opposition from residents, local elected officials and environmentalists.

Three appeals already have been filed with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control since last week's approval of the project, and at least three more are expected. The project, called Pinckney Point, would have three community docks, 30 boat lifts and a boat ramp with a boarding dock under the approval granted by DHEC.

Walter Nester, an attorney for Pinckney Point, said he was aware of local resistance and plans a response.

The developer initially wanted more than twice as many docks and boat lifts, but state officials demanded that the project be scaled back to comply with clean water regulations.

"It's too much and at the very least premature," said Weston Newton, chairman of Beaufort County Council, which plans an appeal. "We feel this is inappropriate, and I will be issuing the request for a final hearing (on the appeal) within the time frame provided by DHEC."

Bluffton Town Council also voted Tuesday to appeal the state's decision, a move that brought applause from residents who attended the council's meeting. They asked Bluffton officials to protect those parts of the river that lie within town limits even though the proposed development sits on county land.

"The Okatie and Colleton is a pristine estuary," said Mary O. Merrick, a 92-year-old resident of Pinckney Colony, a neighborhood near the proposed development. Her uncle operated an oyster factory 100 years ago on the site where one of the docks would be built.

"Anything that is introduced, such as a great number of boats and all of the emissions connected with boats, could be a factor in closing oyster beds (and) reducing the number of crabs, shrimp, fish," she said. "There are very few rivers like this left in South Carolina and I think they should be preserved."

Merrick is a member of the Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association, which has appealed and is represented by Bluffton attorney Roberts Vaux.

The Coastal Conservation League submitted a letter in support of the neighborhood association's appeal. The league's letter says the DHEC approval violates state regulations, which only permit one dock per lot.

The property has not been subdivided and there is no pending application with Beaufort County seeking that action.

The league also questions the validity of the permit granted by DHEC because it was based on an application that differs from the one originally submitted. The approved plan included maps, added in April, showing additional docks.

Those differences, the league says, weren't part of the public hearings last year.

Dan Burger, a spokesman for the state agency, said that while the proposal has been tweaked since the original application, the state won't allow the extra docks on the maps to be built.

Another appeal has been filed by Vaux on behalf of John David Pinckney, who owns land that abuts the proposed development.

Another group -- Friends of the Rivers -- also plans an appeal. In addition, it has proposed a county ordinance to toughen dock permitting regulations for rivers classified as "Outstanding Resource Waterways."

The designation means the rivers hold "exceptional recreational or ecological importance."

"It's an excellent idea," county administrator Gary Kubic said of the proposed ordinance. "The issue of the docks on the headwaters of the Okatie and its effects will give us the opportunity to strengthen our concerns about the environment."

State approves some docks at Pinckney Point

A proposed development in greater Bluffton that has met fierce opposition from nearby residents and environmentalists has cleared one hurdle, receiving partial approval from the state.

State environmental officials told Florida-based Pinckney Point LLC that it can build three community docks, 30 boat lifts and a community boat ramp with a boarding dock on a peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers. Pinckney Point asked to build more than twice as many docks and boat lifts when it filed an application last year, but state officials said the project needed to be scaled back to comply with clean water regulations.

Residents who oppose the project received word Friday that the state Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management had granted partial approval in a July 3 letter. The project still must be approved by Beaufort County. County Council

Local resistance to the development will continue, said Nancy Schilling of the nonprofit Friends of the Rivers.

"This is an opportunity for the community to join together and come up with what we feel is reasonable for our community, and hopefully Beaufort County will work with us," Schilling said. "We need to think, 'what can a water body manage?' I don't believe 30 boat slips belong there."

The county initially denied the project. Pinckney Point appealed the county's decision, which led to a lawsuit that has not been scheduled for a hearing. In the meantime, Pinckney Point still could resubmit its application to the county.

Further complicating matters is a second lawsuit over who owns a dirt road leading to the peninsula -- the county or the residents. To get to its property at the end of the road, the developer needs access to the road. A judge now is deliberating on the case. If he rules the residents own the road, it's questionable whether they will allow the developer to use it.

Pinckney Point originally asked OCRM for permission to build seven community docks and up to 70 boat lifts for a development that would have 76 homes. In approving the smaller project, however, OCRM said "all other docks and the pedestrian boardwalk to the island are deleted from project plans."

OCRM's approval appears to contain inconsistencies about which docks can or cannot be built. For example, one section of the OCRM document allows three docks while another section allows four.

An OCRM spokesman could not be reached late Friday afternoon for an explanation.

Pinckney Point's attorney, Walter Nester, said the company still is reviewing the state's decision.

"We will try to get a meeting of the leaders who opposed it so strongly," said Mark Peterson, president of the Pinckney Colony neighborhood association. "We didn't fill an auditorium with people (last summer) opposed to it for nothing."

Peterson was referring to a meeting the state held in August that residents, environmentalists and local officials attended. Nearly all opposed the project and demanded protection for the rivers.

Width of road under scrutiny in Pinckney Colony Road court case

The fate of the rural area known as Pinckney Colony in greater Bluffton rests on a short stretch of a dirt road.

Two-tenths of a mile of Pinckney Colony Road is the subject of a tedious trial that could be a dead end for the developer that wants to build 76 waterfront homes on Pinckney Point, a 229-acre peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers, only accessible by the dirt road.

Originally expected to end Friday, the case -- Beaufort County v. Agnes and David Pinckney, Dorothy Gnann and Pinckney Point LLC -- will continue Monday at 10 a.m.

The county filed suit in 2005, asking the court to determine who owns the short stretch of road leading to Pinckney Point. The county, which has maintained the road for more than 60 years, said it was the owner.

A ruling in the county's favor would allow the developer to move forward with its proposed plans.

A ruling in favor of the residents, however, would limit the developer from accessing the property without permission from the Pinckneys and Gnann.

Friday's court proceedings seemed to shift the key question from ownership to determining the road's width.

The developer bought Pinckney Point under the impression the dirt road was owned by the county and was about 60-feet wide, according to plat records, said the developer's attorney, Joseph R. Barker.

"They believed they had 60 feet, dedicated to Beaufort County (meaning it is a public road)," Barker said.

However, residents claim -- and some land deeds show -- the road is just 20 feet wide and owned by the residents.

"They (the developer) are relying on this plat, which shows a 60-foot easement, and we know that is not true," said Gnann's attorney, Thomas A. Holloway.

Much of witness testimony Friday pointed out inconsistencies and errors between land deeds and county tax maps.

For the developer to subdivide the property as proposed, county ordinances require the road to be at least 50 feet wide. But if the court rules the road is half that size, the developer would have two options: acquire extra land from the residents who oppose the project or build fewer homes.

The dispute began in the fall of 2005 when David Pinckney erected fence posts in the middle of the road. The posts were meant to thwart development.

The county, facing a potential liability because the posts created a hazard to motorists, filed a suit to determine who owned the road. That's the case now being tried.

Meanwhile, the Pinckneys agreed to move the posts until a court ruled on the ownership issue.

Pinckney Colony Road ownership trial begins today

For nearly three years, a question of who owns two-tenths of a mile on an unpaved portion of Pinckney Colony Road has lingered in the courts.

Beaufort County vs. Agnes and David Pinckney, Dorothy Gnann and Pinckney Point LLC is set to be heard over two days in a Beaufort County courtroom. At issue is Pinckney Colony Road, where the Pinckneys and Gnann live and which leads to a proposed development on Pinckney Point in greater Bluffton.

Florida-based developer Pinckney Point LLC wants to build 76 waterfront homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat lifts on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers. It has not yet received state approval for the docks and lifts.

Residents along the road oppose the project because they say it would change the rural character of their neighborhood.

A ruling on the road could be the linchpin in how much of the development plan becomes a reality.

The road became an issue in fall 2005 when David Pinckney put up fence posts on an unpaved portion of the road leading to the home of his cousin, John Pinckney. The posts were meant to thwart the proposed development. The posts later were moved.

When David Pinckney put the posts in the unpaved portion of the road -- which he claims to own -- Beaufort County officials said they created a travel hazard and exposed the county to potential liability. The county had maintained the road for more than 20 years.

Since David Pinckney asked the county to stay off the road, the county was at risk of trespassing if it moved to eliminate the posts.

� Does the county now own the unpaved portion since it has maintained it, or could the county cease maintenance?

It's unclear how a judge's decision would affect the future of the proposed development. Residents hope the judge rules the county does not own the road.

"We want as many people there looking that judge in the eye expressing solidarity in opposition to this development," said Mark Peterson, president of the Pinckney Colony neighborhood association.

Settlement offers county little at Pinckney Point

Beaufort County Council's decision not to settle a Pinckney Point road dispute and instead let the courts decide the issue was a good one.

The council voted 9-2 last week to turn down a mediated settlement that would have allowed the developer to move, widen and pave the road on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers.

This settlement does a great deal more for the developer at Pinckney Point than it does for the general public, which County Council represents. It offered the council no compelling reason to vote for it. The county is in no worse position for having turned it down.

But for the developer the settlement would have meant being able to move ahead with developing 76 lots on the peninsula. To build that many homes, the developer must have at least a 50-foot right of way for a paved, two-lane road to the subdivision. Without that right of way, county zoning permits as few as five lots that could be subdivided later, county zoning officials have said. County planning staff had recommended the council agree to settle.

The developers sought a variance from the county's Board of Zoning Appeals, but the board turned it down 3-2 in September. That decision threw into question the future of 13 proposed waterfront lots, as well as the overall number of homes the developer could build. The developer filed a lawsuit appealing that decision.

The county, in a separate action, has asked a judge to decide who owned the road after another property owner in the area laid claim to it.

Under the proposed settlement, the developer agreed to move the road out of the river buffer area, revegetate the area and pave the road with pervious pavement. Stormwater controls would direct runoff onto the property rather than into the nearby marsh.

That's all well and good, but the current dirt road has done no discernible harm to the river. And the intense development that a new, wider road would open up is much more likely to do so. The developer also has asked to build seven community docks with up to 70 boat lifts, a request still being reviewed by state officials. That defacto marina should be stopped.

We don't need revegetation, stormwater controls and pervious payment under the current circumstances. And if down the road, the court sides with the developer and rules the road can be moved, then the developer should take the same steps to mitigate its impact. That's the right thing to do.

Under the settlement, the road also would have been deeded to the county, which has been maintaining it for the past 20 years. That maintenance is a strong argument for the county's claim to it, and another reason for saying the county gains little from this settlement.

There's no rush to move ahead with the project from the public's standpoint. Let the courts decide.

Pinckney Point development heading to court

A compromise could not be reached Monday between Beaufort County and a developer who wants to build 76 waterfront homes off Pinckney Colony Road, so the issue will now move to circuit court.

At the Beaufort County Council meeting, county attorney Robert Achurch presented the results of last month's mediation attempts to resolve a lawsuit over relocating the road.

Pinckney Colony Road, which is in greater Bluffton, is a dirt road and sits within a river buffer. It is not wide enough for Florida-based developer Pinckney Point LLC to build the 76 homes it wants to construct. That's the maximum allowed under zoning laws.

In September, the developer asked the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals if it could build a new road, which the board denied. Two months later, the developer filed a lawsuit appealing that decision.

At mediation, attorneys drafted a proposed settlement, which the council voted down 9-2. Council members William McBride and Stu Rodman voted for the settlement. The settlement would have allowed the developer to pave and move the road to the middle of the property, and widen it to build on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers.

Realigning the road would have moved it out of the river buffer. The developer agreed to deed the road to the county, re-vegetate it and pave it with pervious pavement, along with installing stormwater controls that would direct runoff onto the property rather than into the nearby marsh.

Rodman said the changes would be an environmental improvement, but there is an underlying issue of whether the county wants that land to be developed at all.

McBride said accepting the settlement would ensure the area would not become another gated community. He also said it could be a better offer than what a court might decide.

"There's no guarantee you will get much more than what you got right now," he said.

Councilman Skeet Von Harten said the council should allow the case to move forward in court so the county can prove that it made the correct decision. Ultimately the council agreed.

During the discussion, many members said they were concerned about developing the pristine area.

Aside from the homes, the developer wants to build seven community docks and up to 70 boat lifts on the property, which the state has to approve, and has not yet done so.

No resolution in Pinckney Point case

It's going to require more than a meeting among attorneys to resolve the issues surrounding a planned 76-home waterfront development off Pinckney Colony Road in greater Bluffton.

An attempt at mediation failed last week among Beaufort County, affected landowners and Florida-based developer Pinckney Point. Now, the case is scheduled to go to trial in April.

The developer wants to build 76 homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat lifts on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers. It has not yet received state approval for the docks and lifts.

At issue is who owns the access road to the property. Last year, Beaufort County asked the court to determine whether the county or the residents own Pinckney Colony Road.

Attorneys attempted to tackle this question last week in mediation, but could not reach agreement, said Roberts Vaux, who is representing the residents.

Beaufort County has maintained it for 20 years, but its ownership was questioned in fall 2005 when David Pinckney erected fence posts on the dirt road leading to the home of his cousin, John Pinckney. The posts were meant to thwart development. They were later removed.

For the developer to build at the maximum density allowed, the road must be 50 feet wide, double its current size. The path the road takes now won't allow for any additional width because it would encroach upon river buffers.

In September, the developer asked the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals if it could build a new road, which the board denied in a 3-2 vote. Two months later, the developer filed a lawsuit appealing that decision.

A trial is scheduled for April, but it's unclear if both issues will be heard together. Attorneys representing the county and developer did not return phone calls Monday.

Mediation targets Pinckney Point development plans

Issues related to a Bluffton development that's been on hold since November could be resolved today in mediation.

Disagreements between Beaufort County and Florida-based developer Pinckney Point have landed the project in court, with a trial scheduled for April.

But if attorneys can agree on issues about the road leading to the property, a trial won't be necessary, said county attorney Robert Achurch.

Developers want to build 76 homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat lifts at Pinckney Point in greater Bluffton. The state still is reviewing the developer's application to build the docks and boat lifts.

Neighbors and environmentalists fiercely oppose more development on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers just west of Rose Hill Plantation and north of U.S. 278.

The first issue related to the road is that Pinckney Colony Road, which leads to the site, was built 50 years ago. For the developer to build at the maximum density rural zoning will allow, the road must be 50 feet wide, which is twice its current size. The path the road takes now won't allow for any additional width.

In September, developer Pinckney Point asked the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals if it could build a new road, which the board denied in a 3-2 vote. Two months later, the developer filed a lawsuit appealing that decision.

There also are questions about whether Pinckney Colony Road is even owned by the county, which is the crux of today's mediation with attorneys representing the county, the developer and landowners, Achurch said.

In fall 2005, David Pinckney erected fence posts on the dirt road, which leads to the home of his cousin, John Pinckney. The posts were meant to thwart development. They were later removed.

Achurch said the county -- not the neighbors -- owns the road because the county has maintained it for more than 20 years.

Road ownership still is a question for the courts unless an answer can be found at today's meeting.

Attorneys representing the developer and affected landowners did not return phone calls Tuesday.

The mediation meeting will be held in Charleston, where the developer's attorney, Trenholm Walker, practices.

Pinckney Point worth saving from developer

Pinckney Point is a teardrop-shaped peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the Colleton River. Its edges an ancient, semitropical forest teeming with wildlife. River Bend, Camp St. Mary, Oldfield, Callawasie Island and Spring Island enjoy its unspoiled looks from across the river.

Its lineage can be traced back to the American Revolution, the Pinckney family having had a continuous presence on the point since that time.

The point, about 220 acres of sandy loam, has been a place to farm soybeans. Most people have seen the live oak that hangs over the dirt road; it graced the cover of last year's phone book.

But all that could change. A developer has bought the point. The plans are to build 70-plus homes and the same amount of boat slips. The only thing that keeps them from going forward with their plans are two ladies, property owners who have refused to sell.

Pinckney Point development stalled in court

The future of a development that's raised a lot of hackles over one of Beaufort County's pristine areas is at a standstill until the courts rule on road-related issues.

Neighbors and environmentalists fiercely oppose more homes and docks on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers just west of Rose Hill plantation and north of U.S. 278.

Pinckney Point LLC, a Florida-based developer, wants to build 76 homes -- the maximum rural zoning will allow -- plus seven community docks and up to 70 boat slips.

Disagreements between the county and the developer have landed the project in court, where a judge or jury ruling could decide the development's fate.

One of the biggest points of contention has been access to the property where the development would be built.

The first issue is that Pinckney Colony Road, which leads back to the proposed development, was built 50 years ago. The road doesn't comply with existing county ordinances.

The width of the road is currently between 20 and 25 feet. The county ordinance says it should be 50 feet wide. But the path the road takes now wouldn't allow for the additional width.

So the developer suggested moving about 88 percent of the road away from the rivers, which would also better serve the property, according to the developers.

County officials responded that the existing road was adequate for the proposed subdivision, according to Beaufort County Zoning Board of

Appeals minutes. But the developer said the property couldn't be built out at the density authorized under county ordinances with the road in its current condition.

"The road doesn't have to be moved (to build the development the way the developer wants it), but in order to put in the size of the development they want, they needed a different kind of road," said Thomas Gasparini, Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals chairman.

If a new road were allowed, the developer promised to plant trees and other vegetation where the old road was and use pervious pavement on the new road, which would reduce runoff into the rivers.

In September, the developer asked the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals if it could move forward and start work on the new road, but the board denied the request in a 3-2 vote.

Walter Nester of McNair Law Firm, who represented the developer at the meeting, said the board never gave a reason for the denial.

"If they don't allow you to use property as zoned, it's a condemnation," Nester said. "It's really unfair to the applicant; they aren't asking for anything other than by right."

Last year, the county filed a "declaratory judgment action," which asked the courts to decide who owns the road. The case is still in a preliminary phase, perhaps six months away from being scheduled for a hearing in court.

The case stems from neighbors opposed to the development in Pinckney Colony getting involved. In fall 2005, David Pinckney erected fence posts in the dirt road leading to the home of his cousin, John Pinckney.

The posts were meant to thwart development because they reduced the road's width. The posts were later removed.

County Attorney Robert Achurch said the county -- not the neighbors -- owns the road because the county has maintained it for more than 20 years.

"If the county is maintaining that road and we left those posts, it would be a liability," Achurch said. "That was

The county reached a settlement with the Pinckney family, which lives along the road, and removed the posts. However, ownership of the road is still in question.

If the county does own the road, it will continue to maintain it. If it doesn't own the road, then Achurch doesn't know how that would affect the proposed development.

"The good part is that's not something the county needs to be concerned with," he said. "It may well have an impact on the development at the end of that road, but the county doesn't make decisions based on that."

Pinckney Point not reviewed at meeting

At the developer's request, the Beaufort County Development Review Team did not consider the Pinckney Point project at its Wednesday meeting.

Before the morning meeting, zoning administrator Hillary Austin received a letter from the project's planner seeking deferral.

Pinckney Point, a plan which calls for 76 homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat slips, was scheduled for consideration Wednesday. Last week, the county sent the developer some concerns that include access to the property and potential impact to river buffers.

Attorney Walter Nester, representing Pinckney Point LLC, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, could not be reached for comment. The project will be put back on the agenda when the developer is ready.

Pinckney Point development meeting scheduled for Wednesday

Beaufort County Zoning officials are scheduled to present recommendations for the Pinckney Point project at Wednesday's Development Review Team meeting. The gathering is open to the public.

Pinckney Point LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, wants to build 76 homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat slips on a peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers. The project consists of 229 acres.

This week, County Zoning Administrator Hillary Austin sent a letter to the project's planner outlining requirements before the DRT could grant approval.

� Address concerns about a county-owned road that is the sole access to the property and is currently not wide enough to meet zoning requirements.

� Provide plans that show water line installation will not impact river buffers. County zoning does not allow water or sewer lines within river buffers unless an applicant obtains a variance. The Pinckney Point developers have not applied for that variance, Austin said.

If the developer can address those concerns Wednesday, conceptual approval could be granted.

From there, the developer goes through one more round of consideration before the project can obtain master plan approval.

County ordinances allow the developer to postpone the hearing until all concerns can be addressed.

Walter Nester of the McNair Law Firm on Hilton Head Island, who represents Pinckney Point LLC, said the developer is in the process of reviewing county comments.

Pinckney Point development needs county, state approval

The Pinckney Point development, on a peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers, is up for consideration next month by the Beaufort County Development Review Team.

It has met fierce resistance from those who oppose the developer's plan for 76 homes, seven community docks and up to 70 boat slips. Hundreds of people came out to protest the permit request at a public hearing in August.

The 229 acres, once used agriculturally, sold for more than $10 million last year.

Before construction can begin, Pinckney Point LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, must gain county approval for the overall project and state approval for the docks.

Earlier this month, the developer submitted additional conceptual plans for the project, said county zoning administrator Hillary Austin.

Austin, who sits on the Development Review Team, said members have until today to submit comments on the new plans. But she said she hadn't looked at them and could not say what the changes entailed.

Once members submit their comments, the developer can decide to defer the application or be heard at the Development Review Team meeting, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 2.

Along with county approval, the developer must get a permit for the community's docks.

The S.C. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management classifies a marina as "any facility which has permanent docking space of 250 linear feet or greater," and "any water area with a structure which is used for docking or otherwise mooring vessels and constructed to provide ... docking space for more than 10 boats."

Dan Burger, spokesman for OCRM, said the agency would determine whether the docks are to be identified as a marina or for individual use. It will consider the application after the S.C. Bureau of Water determines what effect such uses would have on water quality. State officials did not have a timeline for that process.

Pinckney Point development proposal runs out of road

BEAUFORT -- A developer's request to relocate a road leading to the 229-acre Pinckney Point property hit an apparent dead end Wednesday when the Beaufort County Zoning Board of Appeals turned it down.

The board's 3-2 ruling means Pinckney Point LLC will not be allowed to move a dirt road leading to the property, throwing into question the future of 13 proposed waterfront lots and the overall number of homes the developer can build on the peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers.

Pinckney Point's preliminary plans called for 76 homes, the maximum allowed by the county's rural zoning requirements.

To build that many homes, the developer must have at least a 50-foot right of way for a paved, two-lane road to the subdivision.

Without that right of way, county zoning permits as few as five lots that could be subdivided later, said County Zoning Administrator Hillary Austin. The dirt road, owned by the county, is between 22 and 26 feet wide.

Because it is located near the two rivers, the county requires any road be at least 100 feet from each. However, the land surrounding the road is only a total of 155 feet wide, so developers were required to seek the variance.

Walter Nestor, an attorney for Pinckney Point, argued that because of the unique shape of the property, the developer should be allowed to relocate the road. He said moving it away from the Okatie and planting natural buffers in its place would lessen the environmental impact.

Seven members of the public, including Bluffton attorney Roberts Vaux, who represents nearby property owners and the Pinckney Colony Property Owners' Association, spoke against the developer and the variance.

The developer now has limited options to win approval to build on more than four lots, said the county's Austin.

"They either have to try to get (Beaufort) County Council to approve realignment of that road, or go to Circuit Court and try to get them to override the (Wednesday decision)," she said. "I don't want to be so bold to say that they're dead in the water, but I don't know which way for them to go now."

The developer could ask the county Development Review Team to allow the 50-foot right of way to be superimposed on the existing road, said county Planning Director Tony Criscitiello.

While little is certain about the future of Pinckney Point, Wednesday's ruling will force the developer to re-draft preliminary plans before coming back to the county, Criscitiello said.

The developer requested the same variance in April, but withdrew it because of questions about ownership of the road, which is still in litigation.

Development plans for 76 homes have not been reviewed by the county due to the road issue.

Also on hold is Pinckney Point's application to the state for a permit to build seven docks with as many as 70 boat lifts on the Okatie and Colleton rivers. That proposal met fierce resistance at a public hearing late last month.

Heated discussion: Pinckney Point dock plan draws fire at public hearing

More than 250 people spoke in a largely united voice Thursday night: they oppose a developer's plan to build seven community docks with up to 70 boat slips on a peninsula between the Okatie and Colleton rivers.

Elected officials, environmentalists and residents railed against the project, delivering impassioned speeches demanding the state deny the permit and the developer pull back the application.

Many speakers at the Bluffton High School auditorium derided the project as a de facto marina, a structure they said isn't allowed by law in the Okatie River. They used harsh language to describe the proposal, calling it a "disaster," "unconscionable," "disgusting," and "... the death of the Okatie River."

The hearing, which officials said was the largest in more than five years in Beaufort County, was held by the state Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, the agency charged with determining the fate of the project. The agency received more than 100 letters opposing the docks and boat lifts, including two from state Rep. Bill Herbkersman and state Sen. Catherine Ceips.

Beaufort County Council Chairman Weston Newton and Bluffton Mayor Hank Johnston sparked applause from the crowd with speeches about the importance of protecting the Lowcountry's rivers and demands that the state deny the permit application.

"If we had a show of hands in this room for people against this proposal, it would damn near be unanimous," Johnston said, as hands shot up throughout the auditorium. "Looking at this request, it's insane."

Pinckney Point LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, filed an application earlier this summer with the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build six piers between 169 and 975 feet into the Okatie and one 900-foot pier into the Colleton. Each dock would have 10 boat slips.

The developer also wants to build an 86-foot boat ramp with a 60-foot floating dock in a small tributary of the Colleton at the end of Pinckney Colony Road in greater Bluffton.

Representatives of the company attended the meeting, but did not speak Thursday night.

Attorneys for Pinckney Point said this week the developer's request is for significantly fewer docks than the state would allow. They also said the plan doesn't meet OCRM's classification for a marina.

McNair law firm attorney's Walter Nester and Leslie Riley, who was formerly chief counsel for OCRM, said Tuesday the developer's proposal is in line with the state's encouragement to build community docks instead of several individual ones.

"These are not community docks. This is a marina," Newton countered Thursday night.

Newton said he's concerned about water quality and the environmental impact of adding 70 boats to two fragile, pristine waterways.

"In laymen's terms: It's too much, and too concentrated in an area that is already threatened," he said, referencing a state action in July 2006 that restricted shellfishing in the Okatie due to high levels of bacteria. "You have the duty to deny this application."

A Callawassie Island resident handed a petition with more than 500 signatures to OCRM officials to consider before making a decision on the proposal.

According to plans submitted as part of the filing, the developer wants to build 76 homes on the 229 rural acres at Pinckney Point. The property was sold for more than $10 million last year to Stokes, Bush & Barnes Land Co., an Atlanta developer. Later, the company created Pinckney Point LLC as a holding company for the Bluffton development.

To build the homes, the developer needs access to a dirt road leading to the property. Ownership of that road is the subject of a pending lawsuit.

Bluffton attorney Roberts Vaux, who represents Pinckney Colony on the road ownership issue, said since the county hasn't approved the development, the developer has no business asking for the dock permit.

He characterized the proposal as an assault on decades of work to keep the waterways pristine.

"We don't want it,. We've fought against (projects like this) for 40 years and won, and we'll keep fighting against it until we win again."

Mary O. Merrick, a Pinckney family member who's lived in Pinckney Colony for most of her life, drew loud applause before she even started speaking.

"I've lived in Pinckney Colony on the Colleton River for 86 years," she said, "and I plan to live here and fight this development to my dying days

No end to pressures on troubled Okatie River

How much development can one body of water take before its ecosystem collapses? We may yet find out with the Okatie River.

The latest test of its resiliency comes from a request to build seven docks, each with 10 boat slips and lifts, at Pinckney Point, a peninsula bordered by the Okatie and Colleton rivers, a single estuary system reaching in from Port Royal Sound.

Pinckney Point LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, has asked the state Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to build six piers between 169 and 975 feet in the Okatie and one 900-foot pier in the Colleton. The developer also wants to build an 86-foot boat ramp with a 60-foot floating dock in a small tributary of the Colleton at the end of Pinckney Colony Road in greater Bluffton.

Isn't it time to say enough is enough? We've tried and tried to make the Okatie River a test case for how to do development right. The river was the subject of a $1.2 million four-year federally funded study aimed at preventing the loss of water quality we're seeing there. Beaufort County has spent more than $7 million to prevent development along the Okatie's headwaters. Still, development pressures are proving too much. Even with intense focus from federal, state and local officials, lawsuits and a vigilant public, oyster beds have been closed.

And now this. Neighbors are rightly concerned about the impact these structures will have on the ecosystem there, not to mention the visual blight, which should count for something.

The number of boat slips does raise the question of whether the docks collectively are a defacto marina. State law defines a marina as "any facility which has permanent docking space of 250 linear feet or greater," and "any water area with a structure which is used for docking or otherwise mooring vessels and constructed to provide ... docking space for more than 10 boats."

Pinckney Point's developers plan to sell 76 lots on the 229 acres purchased for $10 million last year. Those plans have not been approved by Beaufort County. Still to be resolved is ownership of a road leading to the property, which is the subject of a lawsuit.

The company is doing what many developers do, simultaneously seeking permits in an effort to get the process to come together as quickly as possible. At this stage, company officials don't even know what their lot buyers want. They don't even know for sure how many lots they will have to sell until the county approves their plans.

Docks in the Okatie have been a point of controversy before. Berkeley Hall challenged Beaufort County's ordinance restricting docks to no more than 300 feet in length in small tidal waterways and to lots with at least 250 feet of water frontage. The county had refused permission to build docks in the waterway based on the ordinance. The lawsuit was settled in 2002, and the community was granted permission to build 19 docks. County officials said they had agreed the Okatie wasn't a small tidal creek. They also said it was a move to protect the ordinance by removing Berkeley Hall's legal challenge.

State and federal officials need to look very hard at the Pinckney Point request and do what's right for the waterway. The state for many years has tried to encourage development of community docks as development in coastal areas puts increasing pressure on our creeks and rivers. But this idea pushes the concept of "community docks" to its extreme limit if not past it.

Beaufort County officials at one time had been talking to the former owners about purchasing the property as part of its land preservation program. It may be time to try again.

The Okatie River was supposed to teach us how to do development right in sensitive estuarine ecosystems. Instead, we're learning what not to do.

Okatie, Colleton river dock proposals draw fire from residents

Developer's plan to build seven docks with 70 boat lifts on the Okatie and Colleton rivers is generating fierce resistance from nearby property owners, who say the de facto marina would damage water quality and mar the picturesque banks of the rivers.

Pinckney Point LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer, filed last week with the S.C. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build six piers between 169 and 975 feet in the Okatie and one 900-foot pier in the Colleton. Each dock would have 10 boat slips.

The developer also wants to build an 86-foot boat ramp with a 60-foot floating dock in a small tributary of the Colleton at the end of Pinckney Colony Road in greater Bluffton.

"This is totally inappropriate and completely out of proportion to what should be here," said Isabella Reeves, who lives across the Okatie from the proposed dock project. "It's comparable to somebody going into downtown Beaufort and wanting to build a 50-story skyscraper. It's unthinkable."

Pinckney Point, 229 rural acres at the end of a peninsula surrounded by the Okatie and Colleton Rivers, was sold for more than $10 million last year to Stokes, Bush & Barnes Land Co., an Atlanta developer. Later, the company created Pinckney Point LLC, as a holding company for the Bluffton development.

Lee Barnes, president of Stokes, Bush & Barnes, declined to comment. He directed questions to partner Taylor Bush, who didn't return messages left Wednesday.

According to plans submitted as part of the filing, the developer plans to build 76 homes on the site. In order to build the homes, the developer has to have access to a dirt road leading to the property. Ownership of that road is the subject of a pending lawsuit.

"They're really putting the cart before the horse in asking for these docks," said Julian Weston, president of the Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association, which opposes the development and the dock project. "They don't even have (county) approval on a conceptual plan, and they don't know if they can even build on the land."

Weston, other Pinckney Colony residents and communities across the river plan to contest the project. They say the 70 boat slips constitute a marina, which is not allowed by law in the Okatie River.

OCRM classifies a marina as "any facility which has permanent docking space of 250 linear feet or greater," and "any water area with a structure which is used for docking or otherwise mooring vessels and constructed to provide ... docking space for more than 10 boats."

Nancy Schilling, a Pinckney Colony resident and founder of the S.C. Marine Association, said seven piers with 70 boat lifts would have severe consequences for the Okatie, which last year was restricted for oyster harvesting because of pollution.

The docks, she said, could increase erosion along the river banks, damage marsh grasses and destroy marine wildlife habitat. "Plus, the views are going to be just awful," she said. "This would be terrible all around."

The requested permits are up for public comment through Aug. 6. Once public comments are received, including those from private citizens and a variety of public and nonprofit agencies, they're reviewed by OCRM and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Debbie King with the Corps in Charleston.

"We're still in the very early stages of the process," she said. Typically, the approval process takes several months.

Subdivision far from approval on Pinckney Colony Road

A proposed 76-home development that has divided a family and community is beginning to move forward, but developers still face many steps before the Development Review Team could approve the plans.

The developers of a subdivision slated to be built on scenic farmland at the end of Pinckney Colony Road have a few more steps to take before Beaufort County planners can sign off on the project.

The proposed 76-home development would be on 229 acres on a peninsula that juts into the Okatie and Colleton rivers. Known as Pinckney Point, the development prompted the "Save Pinckney Colony" movement about two years ago by neighbors who want to preserve the area's rural nature.

On Wednesday, the county Development Review Team told developers they would need a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals if they want to build a road in the river buffer.

Developers must also evaluate what effects building a community dock and boat landing might have on the environment, and they must complete a survey of all the land's trees and submit an analysis of how much traffic the subdivision will create.

Once those steps are taken, the Development Review Team will consider approving preliminary designs for the development, said Hillary Austin, county zoning administrator. The team is responsible for reviewing all new major subdivision plats and land-development plans.

The team also said Wednesday it would not approve sewer service for the subdivision because public sewer is not available within 300 feet of the site, a requirement that must be met under the zoning standards.

Atlanta-based developer Stokes, Bush and Barnes bought the land from John C. Pinckney, who has said through a family spokesman he wanted his family to inherit it, but they couldn't afford the estate taxes.

Meanwhile, area residents argue the development will disturb a picturesque area and ruin their way of life. In fall 2005, David Pinckney erected fence posts in the dirt road leading to the home of his cousin, John Pinckney.

The posts were meant to thwart development because they reduced the road's width. Beaufort County requires all access roads in developments to be 50 feet wide. The posts were later removed.

A pending court case will determine who owns Pinckney Colony Road. It was unclear Wednesday what effect the case might have on the development.

Pinckney cousin draws line

Posts put in road as feud over development heats up

BLUFFTON -- The divide between cousins over the fate of 229 acres of land in Pinckney Colony became a little more visible on Saturday when David Pinckney erected fence posts in the dirt road leading to John C. Pinckney's home.

David Pinckney said that at the suggestion of his lawyer, Roberts Vaux, he was installing the posts in hopes of thwarting the development of the land, owned by John C. Pinckney, into a 71-home subdivision.

He also said his cousin challenged the legality of his actions and threatened to call the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The dirt road is mostly on land David Pinckney owns. By putting the fence in the road, he is cutting its width.

Beaufort County requires all access roads in development projects be 50 feet wide, said Julian Weston, president of the Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association.

Weston said the dirt portion of the road is owned privately, which means David Pinckney legally is allowed to put the posts there if he wants. The paved portion is owned and maintained by the county.

John C. Pinckney's son-in-law Larry McManus, who serves as a family spokesman, denied The Island Packet an interview with his father-in-law on his side of the story. Attempts to reach Vaux and Lee Barnes, president of Stokes, Bush & Barnes, the Atlanta company that wants to develop the land, were unsuccessful Saturday.

Weston said the fence posts mark the 20-foot easement, which still allows smaller vehicles access to the land at the end of Pinckney Colony Road.

"Putting up the fence just seemed like the only way to do any good," David Pinckney said Saturday during a break from drilling holes with an auger and planting 5-foot-tall posts every 16 feet in the road. "(John C. Pinckney and I) have been lifelong buddies, but I would just like to keep the development small."

For more than 130 years, the Pinckney family has owned the picturesque farmland on the peninsula of the Okatie and Colleton rivers that has been home to armadillos and bald eagles.

However, during the past year or so, John C. Pinckney has been planning to sell the land. The first attempt was to Beaufort County so it could be preserved as part of the Rural and Critical Lands program, through which the county buys land to protect it from development. But that deal to sell the land for $8 million fell through in November when the county couldn't secure the financing.

Since then, John C. Pinckney has signed a contract with Stokes, Bush & Barnes for $15 million. David Pinckney said he heard the deal was supposed to be finalized later this month.

McManus has said John C. Pinckney has been compelled to sell the land quickly because the federal estate tax would impose significant costs on the family they cannot afford.

Yet the developer's plans to construct a subdivision there have riled residents of Pinckney Colony who want to see the character of the land kept intact, Weston said.

"This is all about preservation," the 15-year Pinckney Colony resident said. "The development is going to ruin the rural aspect of Pinckney Colony."

Cousins clash over developing Lowcountry land

BLUFFTON, S.C. (AP) - A man has driven fence posts into a dirt road leading to land his cousin wants to develop into a 71-home subdivision.

David Pinckney left a 16-foot gap when he put the posts up Saturday - wide enough to fit a vehicle through, but nowhere near the 50 feet Beaufort County requires for access roads to developments.

David Pinckney and others in the surrounding Pinckney Colony area say a large development would ruin the character of the area.

For more than 130 years, the Pinckney family has owned the farmland on the peninsula of the Okatie and Colleton rivers. The land is home to armadillos and bald eagles.

The fence posts were put up on a dirt road leading to the home of David Pinckney's cousin, John C. Pinckney.

In the past year, John C. Pinckney has decided to sell his land. He wants to get rid of it quickly because the federal estate tax would impose significant costs his family could not afford, said his son-in-law Larry McManus, who serves as a family spokesman.

David Pinckney said he decided to put up the fence posts on the advice of his lawyer, Roberts Vaux. David Pinckney said he can put the posts because he owns the dirt road that leads to John C. Pinckney's home.

Putting up the fence posts seemed to be the only thing that could work, David Pinckney said as he took a break from drilling holes for the 5-foot tall posts.

The cousins "have been lifelong buddies," David Pinckney said. "But I would just like to keep the development small."

David Pinckney said his cousin told him his actions were illegal and threatened to call Beaufort County deputies.

John C. Pinckney first tried to sell his land to Beaufort County so it could be preserved. But the $8 million deal fell through because the county couldn't get financing. John C. Pinckney then signed a $15 million contract to sell the land to an Atlanta developer.

McManus, John C. Pinckney's spokesman, said the other side of the family did not want to talk publicly about David Pinckney's actions.

Fight to save Pinckney Point

To The Packet:

Pinckney Colony is one of the last places left in southern Beaufort County that still retains the serenity and scenic beauty responsible for the tremendous growth of this area.

To allow it to become yet another security-gated, private enclave for the privileged few who can afford million-dollar homes with waterfront views would be tragic.

Pinckney Colony still is largely unaffected by the development juggernaut that is rolling over southern Beaufort County.

It is a place of sentimental and historical significance to many Lowcountry residents.

It is the only place left in southern Beaufort County where you can still see corn or soybeans growing in the fields.

As Beaufort County continues to be clear-cut and paved over, is it too much to ask that some small piece remain intact to remind us of what makes this area so special?

I am a Pinckney Colony resident. I urge everyone reading this letter to go to our Homeowners' Association Web site at www.savepinckneycolony.com. Print and sign a copy of our petition and send it to your County Council representative. Help us work to raise public sentiment against the development. Tell us why you think Pinckney Point should be preserved.

Beaufort County had plans to purchase Pinckney Point; those negotiations should resume. The Point should be preserved as a park for all residents of Beaufort County -- a park where people can escape daily pressures and enjoy quiet time in a natural and serene Lowcountry setting.

Mark Peterson

Bluffton

Pinckney Point developers specify plans

BLUFFTON -- Developers of Pinckney Point revealed more details about their plans Tuesday, expecting 76 homesites surrounding a lake and sewer service that probably won't affect neighbors.

The 229-acre peninsula into the Okatie and Colleton rivers, at the end of Pinckney Colony Road, is being sold by John C. and Nancy Pinckney. Their son-in-law and spokesman, Larry McManus, has said the Pinckneys wanted to give the property to their children, but they couldn't afford to pay estate taxes.

Beaufort County had tried to purchase the land for about $8 million to create a park but eventually walked away from the deal. Then Stokes Bush & Barnes Land Co. of Atlanta entered into an agreement to purchase the land for about $15 million and is expecting to finalize the deal in August, McManus has said.

Lee Barnes, the company's president, said preliminary plans show the land divided into 76 homesites ranging from one acre to more than four acres. Of those, 63 homesites would have frontage on the Okatie or Colleton rivers. The sod farm in the middle would become a lake of 40 to 50 acres with smaller lagoons branching off of it, he said.

As a condition of the sale, the land must maintain its current rural zoning under county ordinance.

Other residents of Pinckney Colony had worried that the new development would bring sewer and water lines down Pinckney Colony Road, both tearing up the road and requiring neighbors to pay to hook in.

Barnes said Tuesday he plans to bring water and sewer service to the area, but in a way that would give neighbors the option -- not a requirement -- to hook in.

Dean Moss, general manager of Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, said he expected the water and sewer lines for the new development to join the existing system at Berkeley Hall.

If the development's utilities do connect at Berkeley Hall, "there would be no requirement for existing adjacent residences to tie on" to the sewer line because the system would use a forced main system, different from the standard typically used.

Neighbors could choose to tap into the sewer line but would have to pay about $10,000 per house, he said.

Because the sewer authority already owns the infrastructure, there is no need to get approval from Berkeley Hall, Moss said. But the Pinckney Point developer would need an easement across some property to get from Pinckney Point to Berkeley Hall.

Meanwhile, Pinckney Colony residents have organized in opposition to the development. The neighborhood association has started a Web site, www.savepinckneycolony.com, which has a petition asking the county to preserve the property.

Residents also are planning other events to raise public awareness, such as posting signs and preparing bumper stickers.

Barnes said he knew some neighbors were upset with the development plans, but had an optimistic outlook.

"We believe that when the community sees our plan and understands the care that we're going to take in developing the property, they will be convinced that what we're doing is the right thing for Pinckney Point," he said.

Pinckney's last stand

BLUFFTON -- For more than 130 years, the narrow peninsula that leads out into the Okatie and Colleton rivers has remained much the same, with farmland, trees, fish and game -- and the same Pinckney family name.

The farms have changed -- from soybeans to sod, from cotton to corn -- and the family Pinckney leases about 150 acres to a family Nimmer. But on a lucky day, you still can see an armadillo, painted bunting or even a bald eagle.

Today, however, the land has a new, unnatural feature: pink ribbons atop thin wooden stakes or tied to tree branches, markers of the 75- to 91-house subdivision that is expected to come.

"It's going to destroy the character of Pinckney Colony," said Julian Weston, chairman of the Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association. "You're going to create a lot of traffic. ... Traffic inherently brings crime and more pollution down to this area. The quietness and tranquility of this area is going to be hurt."

DEAL UNDONE

John C. and Nancy Pinckney live on 229 acres at the end of Pinckney Colony Road, at the end of the land that stretches into the river. For years, their land was known as Guerard's Point and more recently also has been called Pinckney Point.

The dirt road that winds to the Pinckneys' house is shaded under a canopy of enormous oak trees. The rest of the point has magnolia, pomegranate and cedar trees not far from the 100-year-old barn.

Standing on the Pinckneys' land, very close to where the river changes name from Okatie to Colleton, one can see pilings that used to hold an oyster cannery building.

Look one way across the river -- probably called the Okatie at that spot -- and docks stretch out from the Oldfield community off S.C. 170. Look the other way -- across the Colleton -- and see the private Callawassie and Spring islands.

For more than a year, the Pinckneys intended to sell their land to Beaufort County to be preserved as part of the Rural and Critical Lands program. In 2000, voters approved a $40 million bond sale for the county to buy rural land to keep it undeveloped, and the county has been preserving land ever since.

The Pinckneys agreed to sell the land to the county for about $8 million. They signed a letter of intent. But the county's financing fell through. Last November, the county backed away.

Now, the Pinckneys have signed a contract with Stokes Bush & Barnes Land Co. of Atlanta for $15 million. The land is poised to become a subdivision.

Preliminary design plans show houses along the water, which could force the removal of some of the trees. The 150-acre sod farm in the middle could be used for some houses or community uses.

The Pinckneys had to sell the land in large part because of the burden of the federal estate tax, said Larry McManus, their son-in-law who serves as a family spokesman.

"There is no way," he said, "to pass on the land without incurring significant tax costs, which the family does not have the ability to pay."

A DIFFERENT PLACE

Neighbors say the area must be kept free from intense development because of its rural nature.

Back when what's now the sod farm was run by Pinckneys, the crops were soybeans and cotton, sometimes corn or rice. There used to be a dairy down the road from Guerard's Point. Today, there's one farm left that still is run by a Pinckney.

Pinckney Colony is the one place south of the Broad River in Beaufort County that still is farmed, residents say. Nearly all the other land that gradually is being built into subdivisions used to grow trees the size of telephone poles.

Mary O. Pinckney Merrick, who lives on 145 acres near Guerard's Point, has a long list of reasons she doesn't want the development to come: "Seventy-five homes, 150 cars, plus just look at Sun City and those other developments -- each one has to have their yard look better than their neighbor's -- traffic, grass cutting and so forth... (and) runoff into the Colleton and Okatie rivers."

Weston, the neighborhood association leader who married into the Pinckney family, said not long ago, the whole area seemed behind the times.

"When I first moved here 12 years ago," he says, "this place was set back 40 years. It's not that way so much anymore. It's caught up to current times a lot quicker.

"A lot of the families have been here a long time. It's a very close-knit community and a very natural environment."

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Before the massive wave of development hit southern Beaufort County, the Pinckney family owned parts of what is now Eagle's Pointe and Rose Hill Plantation. Now, a tall black fence separates Pinckney Colony from Berkeley Hall. At the colony's southern edge, a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire blocks out Rose Hill.

Over the years, much of Pinckney Colony has been parceled off and sold to people outside the family. There's no measurement of what land is owned by Pinckneys, and estimates range from 15 houses to 100 or more.

Merrick lives near Guerard's Point, on 145 acres known as Calhoun Plantation. Over the years, she has deeded parts of her land to her five children. Last year, she sold the development rights for $850,000 to the county, which put a conservation easement on the land. The county also bought 38 acres at the opposite end of Pinckney Colony Road, near its intersection with U.S. 278, for $3.15 million. A fence is being installed around part of that property and another area of the site will be cleared for an entry road, parking and a picnic area.

Almost 100 people turned out at a recent meeting of the neighborhood association, nearly all of whom are concerned about the development. They worry about construction trucks ripping up Pinckney Colony Road, the possibility of a sewer line being extended that could result in all nearby residents being required to pay to connect to it, and generally losing their way of life.

"I go out in the morning," Weston said, "and I might have three cars drive by, as opposed to when they have build-out, it's going to be 200. It's going to be a huge difference."

Residents are thinking about ways to raise more money to buy back the property or find another way to block the development. One has raised the idea of asking the county to sell part of some other properties it has purchased -- such as Camp St. Mary's, across the river from Guerard's Point -- and using the proceeds to buy the Pinckney land.

But county officials have thrown cold water on that possibility. The Rural and Critical Lands program looks to purchase land based on where there is little in the way of open land, how many houses would be prevented through the purchase, and what the public can use.

Steve Riley, chairman of the county's rural and critical lands board, has said there are other lands the county can buy that would block more than 91 houses from being built. Ultimately, the county didn't want to spend all the money on Guerard's Point.

"There just wasn't enough money," Riley explained. "There was money, but you'd have to give up on other things.

"It was a gorgeous piece of property, lots of water frontage, and it's key to keeping that Pinckney Colony area from being developed. But it's also zoned rural and (would not create) a lot of trips, it was a lot of money to dump in one spot. There was real concern about putting all that money into one location and having to give up on other things across the county."

So now, pink ribbons around Guerard's Point indicate that development is getting ready to begin. And even though he's making quite a bit of money in the sale, John Pinckney doesn't seem too happy about selling.

"I've always said the last place I want to see when I go is this place. And the first place I want to see when I get where I'm going is this place," Pinckney said. "It's about as close to heaven as you can get."

What they stand to lose

To The Packet:

I can't imagine what Pinckney Colony residents are thinking, trying to stop the proposed development of 229 acres at the end of their road.

By doing so, they stand to lose out on what the rest of southern Beaufort County is enjoying, such as increased heavy truck traffic with the accompanying pollution and road deterioration; increased traffic in general with rude, speeding drivers; the potential for increased stormwater runoff and pollution; and best of all, wildly escalating property taxes.

Perhaps all that peace and solitude has impaired their ability to look to the future. Then again, perhaps not.

Bert Nienaber

Hilton Head Island

Pinckney Colony neighbors plan to fight development

BLUFFTON -- A developer is planning to build between 75 and 91 houses at the end of Pinckney Colony Road, and neighborhood residents are trying to do something about it.

Lee Barnes, president of Atlanta-based Stokes, Bush and Barnes, gave a rough outline of the company's plans for the 229-acre site at the end of the road at a Wednesday meeting of the Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association.

The land could include four public docks into the Okatie and Colleton rivers and possibly docks at individual homesites, he said. He expects the homes could be enclosed by gates, and waterfront homes would be set 100 feet from the water. Sewer service might be extended there as well, he said.

He said his company plans to develop the land under its current rural zoning.

"We're just trying to be decent people here and be thoughtful about it," Barnes said.

But final details are at least a few months down the road. The land is owned by John and Nancy Pinckney, and Barnes' company is in the process of completing the acquisition.

At Wednesday's meeting, which drew about 80 residents of The Colony, the discussion focused on how to stop the development from moving forward.

Dot Gnann, who owns about 2 acres in The Colony, told the developer he was encroaching on a unique area and would ruin area residents' way of life. She worried the developer wouldn't have to consider their concerns in building on the property and that laying a sewer line down Pinckney Colony Road would spur more development.

"You don't have to come to us again," said Gnann, a former County Council member. "The long-term residual is growth."

Julian Weston, chairman of the neighborhood association, circulated a petition for residents to sign, asking County Council to intervene and find a way to buy the land. The petition states that "this new, inappropriate growth threatens to undermine" efforts to preserve historic and unique properties.

The county was trying to buy the land last year as part of the Rural and Critical Lands program. It came very close to a deal but didn't come up with enough money, officials have said.

The county is spending the proceeds of a $40 million bond sale that voters approved in 2000 to purchase property and development rights to keep rural land undeveloped.

Last year, the county purchased 38 acres at the corner of U.S. 278 and Pinckney Colony Road for $3.15 million. As part of an additional $100,000 donation, workers are installing a fence around part of that property and will clear part of the site for an entry road, parking and a picnic area. The program also purchased development rights to Mary Merrick's 145-acre tract on Pinckney Colony Road for $850,000.

County officials had offered to buy the Pinckneys' land for about $8 million, with $4 million coming from the bonds and the rest coming from other sources. The Pinckneys tentatively agreed to that, but the rest of the county's money never materialized and the deal fell through.

Weston said that's when the developer stepped forward with a $15 million offer that the Pinckneys accepted.

At the meeting, residents said they plan to use all their efforts to find ways to buy the land from the developer and possibly hire a lawyer to help them.

One resident suggested asking the county to sell part of the Camp St. Mary's property and use the proceeds to help buy the Pinckney land.

"It's not going to be easy," Weston said, "and quite frankly I don't expect them to say, 'Fine.' We don't have that kind of money."

Weston told the landowners that, because of their location, they could cause trouble for the developer.

"We can make it difficult for them," he said. "It could get really ugly. We control this road ..."

But Weston also told the neighbors not to be rude to the Pinckneys, just in case the developer backs out of the contract.

"We don't need to alienate John and Nancy Pinckney," he said. "We need them on our side."

Compromise on land sale

To The Packet:

The planned sale of Pinckney Point Farms, formerly Gerard's Point, has sent shock waves throughout Pinckney Colony and family members nationwide. This crown jewel in southern Beaufort County surrounded by the Okatie and Colleton rivers will be gobbled up by yet another development. The unique, quiet way of life in Pinckney Colony for more than 200 years now comes to an end.

The owners had other options but chose to follow the money rather than adhere to what many of us feel is an obligation to preserve the land. The proposed prorated $8 million to keep the point intact apparently wasn't as attractive as $15 million in hand. In my opinion, it is despicable to force catastrophic consequences over the hard-earned assets of other colony landowners who will be left to grapple with taxes, traffic, noise, more people and an assault on the rivers.

I urge the owners to please work with Pinckney Colony landowners to seek an alternative to an ill-advised pending sale. It's not too late to compromise.

Dot Gnann
Beaufort

Land sale hurts area

To The Packet:

Thank you for your excellent editorial of April 1, "Pinckney Colony demands special treatment after sale."

I, as a member of the Pinckney family, grew up in "the Colony." I have been devastated by the planned sale of "the Point," an irreplaceable piece of property that is, as you stated, "one of the most beautiful tracts on earth." These lands have been nurtured and loved by our family for almost 200 years.

The development of the Point could cause damage to the fragile environment, especially to both the pristine Okatie and Colleton rivers, which are classified "outstanding resource waters." It could increase exponentially the traffic on Pinckney Colony Road, and taxes on the area residents.

Most importantly: What will happen to the Colony as we know and love it? What will happen to the Pinckney families that live at the very entrance to the Point? My heart cries out to them. How could one family choose such a route that could devastate the lives of all the other residents of Pinckney Colony? Why?

Mary O. Pinckney Merrick
Bluffton

Preserve land for the people

To The Packet:

The pending sale of "The Point" in Pinckney Colony would be a loss to the community and concern for the future. This land of rare beauty and history enjoyed by so many needs to be protected and preserved.

The Hilton Head Island area doesn't need another development for the privileged few, and overcrowded highways, lack of infrastructure and high taxes for all.

I was born and reared at "The Point" and enjoyed the river and freedom to experience this world of nature. This land was created to be a source of inspiration and enjoyed by all people, but especially the children who are now lacking enough space for recreation.

Elizabeth Pinckney Darr
Townville

Family didn't want to sell

To The Packet:

In your editorial on Friday, April 1, you aptly described the Pinckney Colony area as "a rare jewel" and a place regarded as "hallowed ground" in southern Beaufort County.

What was not addressed is the reality that the family of John and Nancy Pinckney could not retain what had been a family possession for generations because of our tax inheritance laws. Why would a couple in their seventies consider going through the painful upheaval of selling their treasured property? Simply put, because their heirs would be forced to sell the property in order to pay the taxes on it. How is that for inherently unfair and "unthinkable"?

John and Nancy Pinckney would have preferred that Beaufort County purchase the land and keep it available for the community to enjoy. Unfortunately for us, after agreeing upon a purchase price, the county was unable to come up with the necessary funds.

I'm distressed that the motives of John and Nancy Pinckney have been impugned; monetary gain is not what these folks are about. It is with heavy hearts that they must part with this family treasure.

Richard M. Fagon
Sun City Hilton Head

Pinckney Point's fate inspires memories

Some folks know the joy of picking fists full of daffodils each spring on the Mary O. Pinckney Merrick property in greater Bluffton.

Elizabeth Pinckney Darr has fond recollections of those bright yellow expanses, too.

"I used to run across those daffodil fields to go to my piano lesson," Darr says.

Darr's time spent along Pinckney Colony Road, though, dates back decades to the days when her family called the land there home.

Her grandfather, Eustace Bellinger Pinckney, in fact, lived with his wife, Mary Martha Porcher Pinckney, on what is now the Merrick property, called Calhoun Plantation back then.

But it was her father, William Eustace Pinckney, who bought about 300 acres at the tip of the peninsula-shaped land on the tidewaters of the Okatie River. It was known as Gueard Point then and, later, it came to be called Pinckney Point.

"I grew up on the point," says Darr, 79, who can make a literal claim to that fact having been born at home with the help of a midwife.

Darr's memories are bittersweet these days, as she and other members of her large extended family face the impending sale of the land to a developer.

The potential loss of the family land stirred memories for Darr, who wrote a letter to The Packet to share some of them. She also enclosed copies of photographs of some of the men and women who worked the land and raised their families there -- men and women whose lives she thinks would fit perfectly in the "Faith and Values" section of Saturday's Lowcountry Life.

"It's a great example of faith and values, how they lived their lives," Darr says. "How they helped others in need."

Darr recalls her father, who lived to be 94 and outlived three wives, was a deeply religious man. He and his brothers built the first St. Andrews Catholic Church on Pinckney Colony Road.

He also was a good farmer.

"The earth was his life," Darr wrote, recalling how he was self-taught and perfected the art of farming, from curing meat to making syrup from sugar cane.

His cantaloupes and corn were so good, he sold the seeds,

Darr says.

Aside from vegetables, fruit and cane, there also were "cows, sheep, pigs, horses and mules and chickens" on the farm.

And a lot of food was necessary for the many mouths that needed to be fed. Darr was one of five children (two others died in infancy) that her mother -- and Eustace's third wife -- Ella Pritchard Pinckney, raised. Add in the younger children from her husband's second marriage and the children of her late sister, and she had 11 children in her care.

But even with a full house, no one was ever turned away,

Darr says.

"A home was not for us alone," Darr recalls her mother saying. "She made room for the homeless, hungry, jobless or aged until they could help themselves or passed on to eternity."

Often, it was relatives, like her mother's aunt Lala Pritchard who lived on the farm until her death. Her Aunt Sarah Wilson came to live at "the point" many times over the years.

But sometimes it was strangers who took refuge in the Pinckney home.

"Once, mother brought in a little boy whose mom had died," Darr recalls. "He was living in a chicken coop. Mother thought he needed a home. She said, 'To whom much is given, much is expected.' "

Indeed, life was good at Pinckney Point.

"I remember traversing the fields on horses, swimming in the river and eating watermelon," Darr says.

But times could be hard, too, and a long life was the exception, not the rule.

Ella died at 56 from blood poisoning when Darr was 14.

When Darr graduated from high school, she left the homestead to attend Lander College. But when her younger sister, Catherine "Kitty" Pinckney, graduated from high school a year later as the class valedictorian, her parents decided she was a better candidate for a college education than Darr -- a choice that didn't bother her because she was able to go on a different kind of adventure.

Darr went to live with an older sister in Washington where she worked as a secretary. Another sister, Dorothy "Dot" Pinckney Gnann, entered the convent and later, after leaving the sisterhood, became the principal of H.E. McCracken Middle School in Bluffton and a member of Beaufort County Council.

But it was in Savannah at the Hotel DeSoto where the Air Force held its Officers Club dances that Darr met Donald. They married just six weeks later and will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this summer.

Elizabeth and Don Darr lived in Ohio for 38 years before retiring in South Carolina.

"I made him promise we'd come back South (to retire)," Darr says.

Instead of coming back to Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, which 20 years ago the Darrs decided had gotten "too crowded," they settled in Townville, near Clemson.

But much of Darr's heart remains with the land on Pinckney Colony Road, land with a history that she fears will be forgotten if it is developed.

Darr says she wishes for a different future for Pinckney Point -- a future her father would have approved of.

"He said he left it just the way he found it," Darr says. "He was a good steward of the land. That was his philosophy."

Pinckney Colony demands special treatment after sale

Pinckney Colony has for generations been considered hallowed ground in southern Beaufort County.

It's easy to see why hundreds of acres of rural land along Pinckney Colony Road near Bluffton would be so precious to the community as well as members of the large and historic Pinckney family.

Its natural beauty, with long marsh vistas stretching into the Okatie River and fields of bright yellow daffodils along rural, dirt roads, is a rare jewel.

But the crown jewel -- the point at the end of the road -- is set to be sold to out-of-state developers. It is unthinkable, even among members of the Pinckney family. But it is reality.

We were glad to see that Beaufort County's land-acquisition program tried to acquire the land, but sad to see that a deal could not be worked out with John and Nancy Pinckney, owners of some 200 acres at the point. That could have given public access to one of the most beautiful tracts on earth.

It also is heartening to see that the public was able to buy development rights from nearby landowner Mary O. Merrick, also a member of the Pinckney family. She received a nice sum of money, and both the family and community can benefit from the land being kept in traditional uses.

Land owners are, of course, free to put their land on the market and take the highest or best bid. They are under no obligation to sit there -- perhaps land rich and cash poor -- just so the community can avoid the downsides of growth.

But it is a shame that certain strategic spots, including Pinckney Colony and the Graves family's Pepper Hall Plantation along U.S. 278, cannot be part of the solution for southern Beaufort County's rampant growth, rather than part of the problem.

The proposed transfer of the Pinckney Point property puts an onus on Beaufort County to see that its zoning and growth-control measures have teeth.

Upzoning to increase density should be avoided, and neighborhood input should be encouraged. Covenants should be placed on the land to ensure open space, setbacks, respect for the waterways and environmental integrity. The late Charles Fraser, pioneer developer of Sea Pines, constantly chided those who came after him for not legally dedicating more of the land in their master plans for open space and forest preserves. Pinckney Colony is a special place that begs for a lot of that type of special treatment, especially if it changes hands from the Pinckney family.

Program slows to frugal finish

In the final five months of last year, Beaufort County Council went on something of a land-buying spree, approving the purchase of development rights on eight properties to keep the sites undeveloped or as parkland.

At the last council meeting of 2004, held Dec. 13, the council was told that the last $11 million dedicated for the Rural and Critical Lands program probably would be spent within six months or a year.

So the council tried to find money to extend the program beyond its apparent end, approving a 2 percent hospitality tax on prepared food and drinks, with the possibility that that tax and its $600,000 annual revenue could be dedicated toward land preservation. Council members also are considering whether to raise more money for the program, possibly by asking voters to increase the sales tax.

But since that Dec. 13, 2004, meeting, the council hasn't considered any additional land acquisitions.

In 1999, the council raised property taxes to create the Rural and Critical Lands program, which is intended to buy open land or development rights to keep properties undeveloped. The county actually started setting aside tax money for the program in 1997, and voters approved a $40 million bond issue in 2000 to accelerate the purchases.

The county briefly hired The Nature Conservancy to buy land and negotiate deals, but was dissatisfied with the group's performance. In 2003, County Council turned to the Trust for Public Land to find the specific properties and work out the purchase prices.

Russ Marane, a project manager with the trust, said several properties are being discussed and his agency is finalizing details before the acquisitions go before County Council within a month or so.

"It certainly isn't stalled, it's just the nature of the beast," Marane said. "Normally, these things tend to bunch up at the end of the year because sellers who sell property and take tax credits usually do it in the second half of the year. So we typically have a light beginning of the year and then a big flurry at the end of the year."

The Trust for Public Land typically looks for properties that are on water, on busy highways or in areas that are rapidly developing and need parkland, Marane said.

County Councilman Mark Generales has said he wants to find a way to improve some of the land bought through the program so that the public can access and use it.

Some of the program's "focus areas" in the southern part of the county include Pinckney Colony and Okatie, land along U.S. 278 and S.C. 170, as well as property on the Colleton and Okatie rivers, Marane said.

"We continue to look at opportunities for large tracts on (U.S.) 278 that make sense," he said. "Some of them, you just can't afford to buy them. Land prices are nuts. (But) there are a few property owners that are interested in preserving significant portions of their property."

Councilman Skeet Von Harten, chairman of the council's Land Management Committee, said council members wanted to proceed slowly and surely with the remaining money.

"We don't want to rush into any particular parcel, understanding that we only have the $11 million left," he said. "If we wanted to between now and the end of the calendar year, we could spend considerably more than the $11 million."

The county's Rural and Critical Lands Board, made up of local residents, oversees the program and does much of the work in instructing the Trust for Public Land where to acquire property. Realizing that the money for land purchases was being depleted rapidly, that board recommended that County Council ask voters to levy a one-half percent sales tax to extend the program's life.

Generales, chairman of the Finance Committee, said he expects the council will put some sort of referendum on the ballot this year or next year.

"My hope is we will find some form (of funding) -- a quarter- or half-cent sales tax," he said. "I think the public is in agreement that this program is of value."

Pinckney land to be developed

BLUFFTON -- About 200 acres between the Okatie and Colleton rivers that Beaufort County had hoped to turn into a park now is slated to become a residential community.

The land, at the end of Pinckney Colony Road and controlled by John and Nancy Pinckney, is being sold to Atlanta-based developer Stokes, Bush & Barnes. Neither the seller nor the buyer would reveal the price of the transaction, which is not final.

Last year, the Trust for Public Land tried to buy the property as part of its work on behalf of Beaufort County to acquire rural land to keep it undeveloped. Russ Marane, a project manager with the trust, said that during the six months the trust was trying to secure funding to purchase the land, the group had great plans for the site.

"We had planned it for a very large preserve and a passive park," Marane said.

He said he wanted to plant longleaf pines and water grass in an area that now holds a sod farm. Marane also wanted the shoreline to be used for passive recreation, as well as using a site on the Colleton River for kayak access and a deep-water site on the Okatie River that could have held a dock for boats.

"It's a stunning piece of property, it really is," Marane said.

The Trust for Public Land typically uses money generated through a $40 million bond sale that voters approved in 2000 for Beaufort County's land-buying program. Marane said the trust was planning to fund the Pinckney purchase half from that bond revenue and half from a federal grant. But the grant money instead went to a site in Charleston County, and Beaufort County couldn't afford the Pinckney land, he said.

Marane wouldn't say how much the Pinckneys were asking for the land but said the county tax assessor's value was a close approximation. The assessor valued the property as of Dec. 31, 2002, at about $4.75 million.

Now the developer is planning to turn the 229-acre Pinckney land into a residential community, said Lee Barnes, president of Stokes, Bush & Barnes. The land is zoned rural, which allows the construction of one housing unit per three acres of land.

"We certainly plan to be as conscious and considerate as possible of the nature and history of the piece of property, and we plan to have a very nice community there," Barnes said. "We would be looking at a low-density development, which we believe the neighbors will be very pleased with."

Barnes said his company is in the early planning stages for its development and wasn't sure of the size of houses there or whether the community would have gates. But he said the development would take into account environmental concerns.

"It's a beautiful piece of property with very unique characteristics," he said. "We intend to develop it in a thoughtful manner and in a way that protects the natural resources of the property and the Okatie and Colleton rivers."

Last year, the county purchased 38 acres at the corner of U.S. 278 and Pinckney Colony Road for $3.15 million. As part of an additional $100,000 donation, workers now are installing a fence around part of that property and will clear part of the site for an entry road, parking and a picnic area.

Stokes, Bush & Barnes is a subsidiary of Stokes and Co., which develops properties in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas. The company's nearest developments are parts of Tanner Plantation and Grand Oaks in the Charleston area, Barnes said.

Dot Gnann, John Pinckney's aunt, who owns 2 acres on Pinckney Colony Road, said she "sorely regrets" the pending sale.

"This piece of land that's been in our family for well over 100 years, it makes me sad to see it go in this manner," said Gnann, who lives in Beaufort. "I think it's going to change ... the lifestyle of all of the people who live in Pinckney Colony who have enjoyed that pristine environment."

Mary Merrick, a cousin of John Pinckney who lives on Pinckney Colony Road, last year sold the development rights to her 145-acre property to the Trust for Public Land for $850,000. She said she doesn't want to see the rural character of the neighborhood ruined by development.

"It's a piece of property that is a part of our heritage (and) we want to keep it rural, our children want to keep it rural," she said. "We didn't want to see development happening."

Save Pinckney Colony!

For residents of Beaufort County who may not be familiar with the plans for developing Pinckney Point at the end of Pinckney Colony Road, please read the following articles and editorials from the Island Packet.

DHEC officials in Columbia out of touch

Rough sailing: Opposition to Pinckney Point boat docks, ramp growing

State approves some docks at Pinckney Point

Width of road under scrutiny in Pinckney Colony Road court case

Pinckney Colony Road ownership trial begins today

Settlement offers county little at Pinckney Point

Pinckney Point development heading to court

No resolution in Pinckney Point case

Mediation targets Pinckney Point development plans

Pinckney Point worth saving from developer

Pinckney Point development stalled in court

Pinckney Point not reviewed at meeting

Pinckney Point development meeting scheduled for Wednesday

Pinckney Point development needs county, state approval

Pinckney Point development proposal runs out of road

Heated discussion: Pinckney Point dock plan draws fire at public hearing

No end to pressures on troubled Okatie River

Okatie, Colleton river dock proposals draw fire from residents

Subdivision far from approval on Pinckney Colony Road

Courts to decide fate of project

Beaufort County sues Pinckney family

Pinckney cousin draws line

Posts put in road as feud over development heats up

Cousins clash over developing Lowcountry land

Fight to save Pinckney Point

Pinckney Point developers specify plans

Pinckney's last stand

What they stand to lose

Pinckney Colony neighbors plan to fight development

Compromise on land sale

Land sale hurts area

Preserve land for the people

Family didn't want to sell

Pinckney Point's fate inspires memories

Pinckney Colony demands special treatment after sale

Program slows to frugal finish

Pinckney land to be developed

[ Home ] [ Mission Statement ] [ Issues ] [ Newspaper Articles ] [ Pinckney Colony History ] [ Public Documents ] [ Tell us what YOU think! ] [ Links ]

If you would like to help Preserve Pinckney Colony Point by making a contribution to our Legal Aid Fund, please contact:

Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association Mark Peterson, President 422 Pinckney Colony Road Okatie, SC 29909 marknholly@hargray.com 757-0001

Please email webmaster@savepinckneycolony.com with pertinent information to add to this website.

Pinckney Colony Neighborhood Association
Mark Peterson, President
422 Pinckney Colony Road
Okatie, SC 29909
marknholly@hargray.com
757-0001

Please email webmaster@savepinckneycolony.com with
pertinent information to add to this website.