The developers behind the proposed gated golf resort on Pine Island have refiled their application to remove the 502-acre property from St. Helena Island’s Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) zoning rules.

Since 2022, the Pine Island developers have tried just about everything to get around the CPO: repeated rezoning and development requests, multiple lawsuits – with one still active – and now another zoning map amendment application. The community has shown up at every turn. In September 2025, more than 500 people showed up, and many stayed until 2:00 am when Beaufort County Council voted 10–1 to deny the Pine Island development agreement and uphold the CPO zoning that protects this community and St. Helena’s distinct, living cultural heritage.

It's time to rally again. This is yet another effort to undo what the community and a majority of County Council have already, and repeatedly, made clear: rules exist for a reason, and the CPO must be respected. We need you in the room – and on the record – to stress this once again.

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Upcoming Meetings

Beaufort County Council Caucus Meeting* & Council Meeting
Monday, September 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm
Beaufort County Administration Building at 100 Ribaut Road
*If you’re able to, we recommend showing up at 3:45 pm to keep the pressure on Beaufort County Council before they go into a private executive session to discuss Pine Island. Public comments will be heard at the regular Council meeting that starts at 6:00 pm.

Beaufort County Planning Commission Meeting*
Monday, October 5, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Beaufort County Administration Building at 100 Ribaut Road
*The latest Pine Island zoning map amendment is expected to be on the agenda and we will confirm and share once it is posted. 
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How You Can Help

1. Attend the meetings if you can. Your physical presence can make a real difference.
2. Sign up to speak and share why this matters to you.
3. Submit written comments to Beaufort County Council members, urging them to:
   
   • Uphold the CPO boundaries and reject the zoning map amendment.
   • Allow the judicial process to run its course rather than rewarding repeated attempts to sidestep the CPO.
   • Recognize the cumulative impact of allowing an exception to the rules on land, culture and way of life.
4. Sign the petitions by the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and Penn Center. 
5. Spread the word and encourage friends, family and neighbors to stay engaged. You can also share our social media post about the meetings.

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The CPO was community-led and adopted into law in 1999 to protect St. Helena Island’s distinct rural sea island identity, cultural heritage and landscape from the well-documented, incompatible development uses of resorts, golf courses and gated communities. By prohibiting these specific uses on St. Helena, the CPO has helped to protect the island and avoid the same pattern of gentrification and cultural displacement seen and documented on other Sea Islands up and down the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

St. Helena has resisted this kind of pressure before. With a united community, it can do so again.

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