July 19, 2024
JPS President, Business owner, builder, and long-time north-end resident announced his candidacy Friday July, 19 for the Ward 1 Town Council seat, in the November election.
Daniel Anthony, JPS President has been a resident of Hilton Head Island for 40 years and has owned a business on the island for 36 years. Anthony is running on a platform of protecting the island from overdevelopment and seeks to overturn the current Ward 1 representative Alex Brown, whose record demonstrates that he prioritizes development rights over protecting Hilton Head Island from overdevelopment.
Support Daniel Anthony for Ward 1 Town Council Representative!
STATUS ON JPS INITIATIVES
1.) Land Management Ordinance (LMO) Amendments Plan
7/19/24 - In January 2023, the Jonesville Preservation Society used the JPS Survey on Overdevelopment to mobilize not only the Jonesville neighborhood but the entire island to fight for zoning changes to limit overdevelopment. In response to the public outcry, the Town Council announced that curbing overdevelopment was their top priority. The Town Council strategy was to expedite changes to the Land Management Ordinance (LMO), with a goal of completing new District Plans by June 2023. The District Plans were to be the basis of LMO changes. Now, one year later, District Planning has barely begun. Several Town Council members, including Alex Brown, have repeatedly refused to institute a six-month moratorium on building subdivisions, which would give the town staff time to develop District Plans in conjunction with the community. Other Low country communities have instituted such building moratoriums, including Jasper County.
9/13/23 - Tell the HHI Planning Committee to hold residential building density on HHI to current levels until AFTER District Planning is completed. Comments will close at 4:30 pm September 13, 2023. Suggested comment:
"CURRENT Average residential FAR on Hilton Head is 0.32. Max FAR should NOT be increased by, in some cases, 100% or more because of investor interests. Max FAR and Max Sq Ft can and will be revisited during the District Planning."
This is necessary to prevent monstrous short-term rental buildings like those on Bradley Circle. NOTE: FAR = Floor Area Ratio = Living Area of Home in Sq Ft / Area of Lot in Sq Ft. FAR Explained in Photos.
5/2/23 - The HHI Town Council unanimously voted on Tuesday 5/2 to pass Phase 3 of the Land Management Ordinance (LMO) Amendments Plan, which included these changes: 1.) Redefined “Single family home” as one residence (rather than two), 2.) Redefined “Multi-family home” as by 2 or more residences, and 3.) Disallowed lock-outs, which double the occupancy of Time Shares. Next Step, Phase 4 will include: 1.) Limits on Floor Area Ratio (the ratio of floor area to size of lot), and 2.) Increase the number of parking spaces required per residence. The Phase 4 changes are aimed at, among other things, stopping the building mini-hotels and similar structures.
3/7/23 - The Town of Hilton Head’s purchase of Driftwood Stables, Jonesville Road is completed. Instead of this land becoming a 74 unit subdivision, it will be a park. The Town has not announced detailed plans yet, but it is hoped that the stables will remain. The Town Council could determine that some or all of the land could be used for some other purpose that serves the “greater good”. Jonesville Preservation Society will be watching this closely.
3/7/23 - Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Land Management Ordinance (LMO) Amendments Plan were approved by Town Council
2/20/23 - Survey Results Published
The Survey on Overdevelopment was conducted between 1/14/2023 to 1/21/2023 and received 1557 responses. The Results of the Survey were presented to the Town Council on 1/26/23. Comments from Residents collected in the Survey on Overdevelopment were also provided to the Town Council. See Survey Results in Graphical form. The response from the Town Council can be summarized by this quote: "You brought the Town Council into consensus: All the members agree that overdevelopment is our top priority." (David Ames, Councilman)
The Survey on Short-term Rentals in Residential Neighborhoods was conducted between 2/5/2023 TO 2/21/2023 and received 1168 responses. The Results of the Survey were presented to the Town Council on 2/10/23. Comments from Residents collected in the Survey on STRs were also provided to the Town Council. See Survey Results in Graphical form. The response from the Town Council was a wait-and-see if the Short-term Rental ordinance which was implemented in January 2023 is effective at managing residents concerns.
1/31/23 - The Town Council announced that the Town would purchase three parcels which were previously planned for a 74 unit subdivision on Jonesville Road. This site is currently the site of Driftwood Stables. The Town has not announced their plans for the site. But the community hopes that it will remain a stables. The week of 1/26 to 2/4, a major developer on Hilton Head Island backed away from 2 (two!) high-density subdivision deals. This is in ADDITION to Driftwood Stables being off the table.
1/26/23 - the Town Council announced that curbing overdevelopment is their top priority. Their strategy is to expedite changes to the Land Management Ordinance, with a goal of completion by New District Plans by June 2023. The District Plans will be the basis of Land Management Ordinance (LMO) changes. The LMO will be updated by end of year, 2023.
Town of HHI Planners are working with Code Writing Consultants from MKSK, to develop new District Plans.
2.) Town Ordinance to put a Six Month Moratorium on New Subdivision Applications (2)
7/19/24 - Town Council members, including Alex Brown, have repeatedly refused to institute a six-month moratorium on building subdivisions, which would give the town staff time to develop District Plans in conjunction with the community. Other Low country communities have instituted such building moratoriums, including Jasper County.
1/26/23 - The Town Council considered a moratorium, consulted with Town Staff and the Town attorney. The Chairman of the Public Planning Committee, David Ames, announced on 1/26/23 the Town Council final decision was to forgo a moratorium on new large development and instead to expedite changes to the Land Management Ordinance with a goal of completing that task within 60-90 days.
3.) Facilitate communication between the Jonesville Road residents and Town of Hilton Head Island officials
The JPS Officers and Core Team are meeting every other week with Town Staff to discuss the Town’s Action Plan for Jonesville Rd.
4.) Josephine Wright Family
7/19/24 - In 2023 Daniel Anthony and the JPS learned that a 93 year old neighbor on Jonesville Road, Josephine Wright, was being sued by Bailey’s Cove over an encroachment dispute. The builders claimed the Wrights’ house and shed crossed the property line, but the family believed the suit was a bullying tactic to force them to sell their land, which developers had previously been interested in buying. The Jonesville Preservation Society arranged for legal representation for Mrs. Wright and also brought the suit to the attention of the Town of Hilton Head. The result was that the town suspended the builders’ construction until the suit was settled. JPS notified the media of the Wright case, and the story went viral, picked up by media outlets as far as Paris, France. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were donated to the family’s impromptu GoFundMe, first from local supporters and then from celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kyrie Irving and Tyler Perry. Perry even offered to build the family a new home on their land. Now, the Wright family has a brand new home on the site, thanks to Perry. Although Josephine Wright died in January 2024, the lawsuit settlement required the company to repair the family’s roof, add a privacy fence and improve landscaping at the land’s perimeter. With the suit settled, construction of Bailey’s Cove is expected to begin.
5.) Media and Public Communication:
7/19/24 - Daniel Anthony registered as a candidate for Ward 1 Town Council Representative. Press Releases sent to area media outlets.
4/30/23 - Charleston Post and Courier article “Hilton Head’s preserved natural beauty is part of its brand. Can the island keep it?” by Kelly Jean Kelly
3/4/23 - Island Packet Article ‘We’re in a new era’: Hilton Head residents united by a desire to regulate short-term rentals by Evan McKenna
2/16/23 - Charleston Post and Courier article “Hilton Head votes to buy land, scraps developers’ plans. Does this signal a bigger shift?” by Kelly Jean Kelly
1/9/23 - Island Packet Article “Hilton Head residents unite against Jonesville development, town working on a district plan” by Blake Douglas
Action Plan and status
Legal References
(1) HHI Development Citizen’s Self Service Center - See below for key search terms (Plan Number and PIN)
Bailey's Cove Subdivision - Plan Number SUB-001473-2019, Main Parcel R510 007 000 1162 0000* - 147 Units - Jonesville Rd, Spanish Wells Rd, Miller Rd and Jarvis Creek (Note: The Main PIN R510 007 000 1162 0000 is a 0.188 acre parcel. The actual main parcel is R510 007 000 0082 0000, 29.91 acre.)
Tidelands Subdivision - Tidelands Phase I - SUB-001794-2022, R510 007 000 0528 0000 and Tidelands Phase II - SUB-002845-2022, R510 007 000 0159 0000 - 74 Units - Jonesville Rd, Graham Ln and Paddocks including current Stables
Twin Oaks Subdivision - SUB-001860-2022, R510 007 000 1120 0000, - 22 Units - Jonesville Rd, Walking Horse Ln and Old House Creek.
