On Monday night, at Beaufort's Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, a ceremony was held for Beaufort native and former Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier. The ceremony was beautiful and memorable. And the evening was greatly enhanced by the setting, as the Beaufort River flowed in the background, bringing the essence of life in the Lowcountry to the event.
It would be difficult to overstate how important the Waterfront Park is to Beaufort. it is used by locals and visitors alike. It is the site of the Beaufort's annual Shrimp, Water, and Gullah Festivals. Young couples have taken their vows in the park. Churches hold picnics in the park. And, at any time, the park grants universal access to one of Beaufort's most precious resources....the water.
The Town of Port Royal has an opportunity to create its own waterfront park. For decades, access to Battery Creek in Port Royal was limited by the presence of a 40-plus acre SC Ports Authority shippiing facility, which is now closed, and set for development. The port is still surrounded by the same chain link fence that has been their for years.
An important part of the Port Royal re-development plans is a 10-acre passive park at the end of London Avenue, which dead ends at the doorstep of the port property.
Indeed, the 2006 development agreement mandates the creation of a 10-acre park. But some are beginning to backpedal, thinking that this property would be better utilized for houses. To be sure, the development agreement calls for plenty of commercial and residential construction, and everybody in the area is excited about what this new development will bring to the area. But, folks, more is not always better. A proposed 18-game NFL schedule is not better than a 16-game schedule because of the extra games, and Christmas season would not better if it officially started at Halloween.
Really smart developers now realize that a little extra "quality of life" component is better than squeezing in an extra house. Over at Habersham, one of the most highly decorated neighborhoods in the country, developers have placed well over a dozen parks throughout, including numerous parks and open space along the Broad River and Habersham Creek.
Before bestowing the Order of the Palmetto on Joe Frazier at the Waterfront Park, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was in Port Royal lobbying for the 10-acre park, which the proposed developer would like to eliminate. I side with the governor, and believe that this development, which is still controlled by tax-funded -- i.e. public -- entities, would be better served by this park.
For more information on Beaufort, SC, please visit www.ExploreBeaufortRealEstate.com
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