Councilwoman Donnie Beer said in a letter on Saturday that she will present a motion to "table indefinitely" the annexation proposal. This, she said, "would demonstrate that the council is committee to providing itself and staff with sufficient time for a full hearing of all pertinent issues."
The annexation has been one of the most volatile issues in the community, rivaling even the discussion that ensued prior to completion of the state's most stringent comprehensive plan, which was a legislative mandate for all counties with zoning ordinances.
The hope is that the council will take into consideration the timetable for the county's Northern Regional Plan to be completed so that a unified approach to managing growth can be implemented. While planning should be an ongoing process, we should never plan so long that the community loses sight of what it is trying to accomplish -- orderly growth that doesn't create massive traffic backups, dangerous situations and a degradation of water quality.
A quarter century ago, this community was engaged in a debate over rules and regulations for impervious (solid) surfaces associated with development and their effects on estuary health because they create more runoff than porous ones. The debate continues. Massive developments have a direct effect on these elements.
These proposed developments may have a significant impact on operations at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and direct jobs that it provides, as well as ancillary civilian employment in businesses that serve those who do business off base.
In fact, recent annexations in Beaufort have attracted the attention of high-level figures with attachments to the community. The recent Port Royal annexation of the 105-acre Mobley tract caused Gov. Mark Sanford to ask that the state Department of Transportation ignore transportation projects associated with an increase in traffic. Col. R.W. Lanham, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort commanding officer, is asking Beaufort to scale back its annexation plans for the 5,000 acres in the vicinity of the air station because it could affect adversely the mission of the facility.
While councils profess to know all the answers to keeping their municipalities financially solvent through annexations, they are put in the position of mandating costly infrastructure to other government. The community at large will pay; it just doesn't rest in the municipal budget.
Councilwoman Beer makes a good gesture by proposing the delay that will allow sufficient time for a full hearing on the pertinent data and issues. Municipal and county residents heard this same promise to listen from the Port Royal Town Council. Port Royal proved there is a difference between listening and implementing the will of the people. It would be nice if the people's point counted.