12.a) Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing Beach Operations Updates to Include the Beach Parking Passes, Restriction of Certain Vehicles and Access to Islanders' Beach Park.
Glad to see progress on Shuttles and passes. It is disappointing to see that the removal of the Meters is stalled in the bureaucracy betw State & Town, the person assigned to that issue, dragged this out for 6 mo – (maybe more) & it turned out to be a failure. The Resolution directs continuing negotiations w/the State , we hope that the responsibility to do this is re-assigned to someone more able to conduct proper negotiations in the interest of the Towns residents.
Additionally, a full 6 mo into dialogue of Town mgmt. w/interested Town residents – out of the blue, this same person – lays out a “constitutional” bombshell issue that was never discussed as an impediment to change?& turns an ongoing open discussion &problem solving about park access into a “legal” matter, to be discussed in Exec Session without any proper advance notice. Disturbing is the LACK of TRANSPARENCY the Town has showed in refusing to, at a minimum, share the basis for the legal advice. There is NO known ongoing litigation nor a NOTICE of an INTENT TO LITIGATE. Making the invoking of an Exec Session questionable?– we understand SC Meeting statute allows govts to use ExecSessions to receive legal advice w/proper notice & publication. Perhaps there is an Agenda out there with that on there – as many other Agenda’s do post intended Executive Sessions topics in advance . We could not find one.
To be clear –
There was never any intent to prevent individuals from accessing HHI beach sand – the elements of the SC Public Trust doctrine are more than satisfied in the Town allowing general public use of beaches along multiple entry points, the largest being Coligny Beach – with NO STRUCTURAL impediment for dry beach access from low water marks to high water marks along the full 12+ miles of Hilton Head beaches.
Let me repeat – more simply: AT MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS – THOUSANDS of people yearly have free & unimpeded access along the length of HHI – including the ability to walk / ride a bike up to the dry sand known as Islanders
What the Town was ASKED to do
– was to Re-Dedicate the ISLANDERS PARK land and facilities to “residential” use only during some pre-defined high season. That property was PURCHASED with TOWN dollars( no county, state or fed $$ used) in that DRY LAND purchase – as a place for Residents to have a Town owned facility for use by its ‘residents’. Lets make that happen. Setting user access rules is used in multiple beach locations - incl SC & FED.
While I thank the Town Council and Town Staff for the changes being made, I am extremely disappointed that more is not being done to remove the parking meters and restricting pedestrian traffic to residents only. The contract that resulted in the parking meters did not have an end date but also did not say that they must stay in perpetuity. This was an error made by both DHEC and the Town Council and Town Manager at the time but can and should be renegotiated by this Town Council and Town Manager. In addition, I strongly disagree with the decision to Not restrict pedestrian traffic. We have provided you with multiple Town and County Parks who restrict vehicle and pedestrian traffic to residents only, including in the State of SC. Islanders Beach Park is too crowded and the problem will get much worse when the Town approved Timeshares with 166 units with lockouts are built at 15 Wimbledon Ct. Yes, I know this was approved by a different Town Council and Town Manager but you are the Town Council and Town Manager now. It’s time for you to stand up and do what’s right for the residents of Hilton Head. We are not asking you to restrict vacationers from the beach. We are just asking you to redirect them to one of the other Town parks and give Islanders Beach Park back to the residents.
While we support the steps you are proposing, we believe they do not go far enough to protect residents’ access to Islander Beach. Please remove the parking meters to create more spaces for residents. Since the renourishment agreement was entered years ago, that sand has long been washed away and it is doubtful that the agreement was meant to be open-ended in terms of duration. Additionally, bike and pedestrian access must be restricted to residents because hundreds of tourists per day access the beach through Islander Beach Park, over-running the beach and facilities well beyond capacity or safety. Please help your constituents by preserving one small corner of our slice of paradise. Give Islander Beach back to islanders and enhance amenities at other beaches for non-residents. Thank you
The Town votes to spend money to do a very noble and needed observation deck for handicap access but then turns around and votes to restrict access to only residents!!!!!
While I know the meters are likely to stay for now but only until the Town can negotiate a better deal with the state.
How shameful on this Town Council!!!!
My recent comment seems to have been lost. I do not support non-resident parking meters at Islander's Beach.
Glad to see progress on Shuttles and passes. It is disappointing to see that the removal of the Meters is stalled in the bureaucracy betw State & Town, the person assigned to that issue, dragged this out for 6 mo – (maybe more) & it turned out to be a failure. The Resolution directs continuing negotiations w/the State , we hope that the responsibility to do this is re-assigned to someone more able to conduct proper negotiations in the interest of the Towns residents.
Additionally, a full 6 mo into dialogue of Town mgmt. w/interested Town residents – out of the blue, this same person – lays out a “constitutional” bombshell issue that was never discussed as an impediment to change?& turns an ongoing open discussion &problem solving about park access into a “legal” matter, to be discussed in Exec Session without any proper advance notice. Disturbing is the LACK of TRANSPARENCY the Town has showed in refusing to, at a minimum, share the basis for the legal advice. There is NO known ongoing litigation nor a NOTICE of an INTENT TO LITIGATE. Making the invoking of an Exec Session questionable?– we understand SC Meeting statute allows govts to use ExecSessions to receive legal advice w/proper notice & publication. Perhaps there is an Agenda out there with that on there – as many other Agenda’s do post intended Executive Sessions topics in advance . We could not find one.
To be clear –
There was never any intent to prevent individuals from accessing HHI beach sand – the elements of the SC Public Trust doctrine are more than satisfied in the Town allowing general public use of beaches along multiple entry points, the largest being Coligny Beach – with NO STRUCTURAL impediment for dry beach access from low water marks to high water marks along the full 12+ miles of Hilton Head beaches.
Let me repeat – more simply: AT MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS – THOUSANDS of people yearly have free & unimpeded access along the length of HHI – including the ability to walk / ride a bike up to the dry sand known as Islanders
What the Town was ASKED to do
– was to Re-Dedicate the ISLANDERS PARK land and facilities to “residential” use only during some pre-defined high season. That property was PURCHASED with TOWN dollars( no county, state or fed $$ used) in that DRY LAND purchase – as a place for Residents to have a Town owned facility for use by its ‘residents’. Lets make that happen. Setting user access rules is used in multiple beach locations - incl SC & FED.
While I thank the Town Council and Town Staff for the changes being made, I am extremely disappointed that more is not being done to remove the parking meters and restricting pedestrian traffic to residents only. The contract that resulted in the parking meters did not have an end date but also did not say that they must stay in perpetuity. This was an error made by both DHEC and the Town Council and Town Manager at the time but can and should be renegotiated by this Town Council and Town Manager. In addition, I strongly disagree with the decision to Not restrict pedestrian traffic. We have provided you with multiple Town and County Parks who restrict vehicle and pedestrian traffic to residents only, including in the State of SC. Islanders Beach Park is too crowded and the problem will get much worse when the Town approved Timeshares with 166 units with lockouts are built at 15 Wimbledon Ct. Yes, I know this was approved by a different Town Council and Town Manager but you are the Town Council and Town Manager now. It’s time for you to stand up and do what’s right for the residents of Hilton Head. We are not asking you to restrict vacationers from the beach. We are just asking you to redirect them to one of the other Town parks and give Islanders Beach Park back to the residents.
While we support the steps you are proposing, we believe they do not go far enough to protect residents’ access to Islander Beach. Please remove the parking meters to create more spaces for residents. Since the renourishment agreement was entered years ago, that sand has long been washed away and it is doubtful that the agreement was meant to be open-ended in terms of duration. Additionally, bike and pedestrian access must be restricted to residents because hundreds of tourists per day access the beach through Islander Beach Park, over-running the beach and facilities well beyond capacity or safety. Please help your constituents by preserving one small corner of our slice of paradise. Give Islander Beach back to islanders and enhance amenities at other beaches for non-residents. Thank you
The Town votes to spend money to do a very noble and needed observation deck for handicap access but then turns around and votes to restrict access to only residents!!!!!
While I know the meters are likely to stay for now but only until the Town can negotiate a better deal with the state.
How shameful on this Town Council!!!!