September 17, 2025
Beaufort County Council c/o John DuBose, Esq.
Smith Robinson
Attorney to Beaufort County Council
3200 Devine Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29205
email to john.dubose@smithrobinsonlaw.com
and
c/o Brian E. Hulbert, Esq.
Beaufort County Attorney
100 Ribaut Road
P.O. Drawer 1228
Beaufort, South Carolina 29901
email to brian.hulbert@bcgov.net
Re: Pine Island Development Agreement
Dear Members of Beaufort County Council:
Please accept this letter as an overview of the Development Agreement for Pine Island submitted for your consideration on September 22, 2025. At the outset, I want to personally thank County Attorney Brian Hulbert and outside counsel John DuBose for their time, focus, and professionalism throughout this process. Their guidance has served Council and the citizens of Beaufort County well. I am proud of the final product we now place before you, and I look forward to discussing it with you on Monday.
The development agreement process has been used sparingly in Beaufort County, and prior experiences have left some with understandable concerns. However, through open engagement with Council, we have reached a proposal that reflects your priorities, addresses community concerns, and produces a development plan unlike anything previously seen in Beaufort County. This is not a typical development isolated from the needs of the community; it is the product of negotiation, foresight, and a shared commitment to meaningful public benefit.
The Original Proposal (April 17, 2025)
When this process began in April, Mr. Tropeano proposed a plan that reduced environmental and infrastructure impacts while providing substantial direct investment into the St. Helena community. Key features of that initial proposal included:
- 66% reduction in density (eliminating ~100 homes)
- 60% reduction in traffic
- 60% increase in forest protection
- 7.5 miles of shoreline protection
- 360 acres of permanent open space
- $2.5 million investment in a Community and Recreation Center
- $11.7 million in tax revenue over the life of the agreement (vs. $16,242 historically, with an estimated $1.185 million annually)
- 0.25% of every residential sale reinvested into the local community in perpetuity
- 287-657 full-time-equivalent construction jobs
- 35-70 permanent local jobs
Additional/Revised Terms Negotiated by County Council (September 16, 2025)
- Removal of 173 septic tanks via a Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility
- Audubon Sanctuary Certification for the golf course, with enhanced environmental standards including internal drainage mandates and water quality monitoring requirements
- $3.47 million for affordable/workforce housing, home repair, and heirs’ property assistance
- $2.5 million in public benefit grants to nonprofits supporting natural, cultural, and historic resources including existing home repair initiatives and heir’s property assistance
- $600,000 for acquisition of land for a Cultural Center and Entrepreneurial Market
- $500,000 for Station Creek Landing boat ramp repairs
- $500,000 for a turn lane at Dulamo Road and U.S. 21
- $150,000 to launch a local Heirs’ Property Program
- $75,000 for a cemetery survey on Daufuskie Island
- 1% of every residential sale reinvested into the local community in perpetuity
Following extensive negotiations with Council, multiple public meetings, and continued public input, the current proposal significantly expands public benefits while retaining the plan’s original features.
The numbers are impressive, but what matters most is impact. Together, with Council, we have created programs that will deliver lasting change. Infrastructure repairs like the Station Creek boat ramp will expand public access to waterways. A new turn lane on U.S. 21 will alleviate existing traffic issues. Most importantly, investments in heirs’ property resolution and housing repair, totaling more than $6 million, will provide transformational assistance to families who have struggled for generations without clear title. This initiative has the potential to finally solve the heirs’ property challenge in Beaufort County.
The revised Pine Island Plan redefines how development contributes to affordable housing. Instead of trading density increases for token percentages of workforce units, Pine Island reduces density while delivering millions in funding for affordable housing, home repair, and homeownership support. For our citizens with persistent title issues, the plan also provides immediate access to home repair funds while simultaneously working towards a permanent heirs’ property resolution. The plan creates a model that is both repeatable and scalable throughout the County while creating a true public/private partnership to address significant and long-standing community needs.
This agreement reflects Council’s leadership in insisting that development align with Beaufort County’s Comprehensive Plan goal of creating a community where people can “Live, Work, and Play.” Far from a backroom deal, this process has been deliberate, transparent, and focused on public benefit. The result is a balanced, innovative plan that provides economic opportunity, environmental protection, and cultural investment for current and future generations.
On behalf of my client, I thank you for your thoughtful engagement. I am proud to present a plan that rises above the rhetoric and provides real help to real people. We look forward to presenting this plan to you on September 22nd and continuing the conversation about how Pine Island can serve as a model for responsible, community-focused development.
Yours truly,
Kevin E. Dukes