Port Royal's Redevelopment Commission again is ready to take a crack at guiding the future of the Port of Port Royal.

After failing to provide the Town Council with a concrete recommendation on how much park space should be included in the port's redevelopment, the commission now wants to help decide where the Lowcountry Estuarium should go.

Bob Bender, the estuarium's curator and a member of the Redevelopment Commission, has been assigned to a commission subcommittee to discuss the issue along with Phil Fairbanks and Town Councilman Joe Lee. The commission plans to have a recommendation for the Town Council by the council's Sept. 13 meeting.

Last month an official with the S.C. State Ethics Commission said Bender's roles on the Redevelopment Commission and with the estuarium presented a conflict of interest and that he should recuse himself from any discussions.

But Bender said there is not conflict and he can provide expert input on the best location for the learning center.

Long seen as an eyesore by town officials and residents, the downtown port is scheduled to be closed and sold off to a private developer by the end of the year.

The estuarium, which is led by a board of directors, has been looking for a new building since its location on 14th Street and Paris Avenue was sold about a year ago. The estuarium's purpose is to promote the conservation and preservation of the Lowcountry's marshes, creeks, rivers and sounds through educational and recreational experiences.

On Monday, subcommittee members and estuarium officials met with Martin Goodman, of the University of South Carolina Beaufort Small Business Development Center, and on Thursday the subcommittee will meet with the estuarium's board of directors to complete a proposal to build a new facility on the waterfront.

"This is a part of the town's master plan for the redevelopment of the port, but no specific location was given for it," Bender said about developing a business plan that will bring the learning center to the port.

Bender has long been a proponent of finding room for the estuarium on the redevelopment of the 57 acre port property.

Town Councilman Vernon DeLoach said he doesn't have a problem with the estuarium being at the waterfront.

"It's a huge benefit for the school children, and we will have to wait and see just how it works out before we say it can go here or there," he said.

Lee said he supports the estuarium, but he is not sure that it belongs at the waterfront because of the importance of the property. Instead he said the learning center should partner with another organization to expand its appeal.

Mayor Sam Murray, who supports having the estuarium at the waterfront, said he doesn't mind having another recommendation from the commission.

"I think it should be near the water, but I don't want to hold up the process," he said.