Beaufort County - Trees illegally axed Developer ordered to stop work on construction site along U.S. 278

BLUFFTON -- The developer of a commercial complex on U.S. 278 will have to replace a slew of trees that illegally were chopped down last month and may be charged for the trees it can't replant, said Beaufort County officials.

The county issued a stop-work order Oct. 26 to developer Stafford Properties after learning nearly all the trees were cleared from a required 50-foot natural buffer. The complex is being built on the north side of U.S. 278, just east of S.C. 46 next to The Crescent, and includes a Best Buy.

The stop-work order prevents any construction for 30 days. In the meantime, Beaufort County zoning administrator Hillary Austin is assessing the damage and determining what types of trees should be planted. She plans to discuss the issue with the county's Development Review Team today before making a final decision.

The county's Highway Corridor Overlay District rules require a 50-foot buffer between the highway and the development, but numerous protected trees and vegetation were cleared, said Judy Nash Timmer, county development review planner. Construction cannot resume until Nov. 26.

"They should not have removed anything within that first 50 feet," Nash Timmer said. "These buffers were put in place to protect our sense of place so that we didn't have concrete to concrete and asphalt to asphalt."

Representatives with Stafford Properties and Cleland Construction, which did the clearing, did not return calls Tuesday.

The tree-cutting was spotted by Jim Tiller of the Southern Beaufort County Corridor Review Board. The board is charged with making sure development along the highway isn't obtrusive and that it fits in with the Lowcountry's character.

Tiller knew more trees were supposed to stand between the

development and the highway, so he reported the cutting to the Codes Enforcement Division. When the full board found out about the tree removal last week, it suggested stricter penalties for developers who violate county rules.

Although a developer stands to lose money if crews are ordered off a construction site for a month, corridor review board member John Thomas says additional fines might be more of a deterrent. In recent years, he's noticed more business owners removing trees from the buffer so drivers have a better view of their buildings, Thomas said.

"It's a constant problem," said Thomas, a landscape architect and planner. "People buy land on 278 because they want everybody to see them, and then our goal is to make sure people don't see them.

"We're trying to protect the green quality and the ambiance of the corridor coming into Hilton Head on 278."

It's also been a problem in other parts of the county. Last December, the county issued a stop-work order at the Barton's Run development on S.C. 46 after nearby residents complained that three large live oaks were cut down. In that case, Cleland removed the trees based on a discrepancy between the plans submitted to the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the county.

Austin said she hasn't found out yet why Cleland removed the trees from the U.S. 278 development, but Thomas said the company has "been around long enough to know better."

Although Stafford Properties will be required to plant trees back in the buffer, it may have to pay the county for other trees it removed on the site, Austin said.

The company has developed several other Bluffton commercial sites including the complex that houses Target and Starbucks. Its latest development is referred to as "278 Commercial Center" on its Web site and consists of 13 buildings of shops, restaurants, banks and offices.