Historic Savannah Foundation celebrates 60 years of service

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) — An organization known for its building preservation is celebrating 60 years of service.

The Historic Savannah Foundation kicked off its 60th anniversary celebration on Monday morning.

The foundation was established in 1955 in an effort to save the historic Davenport House, built in 1820, from demolition.

Their mission is to preserve and protect Savannah’s heritage through advocacy and education.

“We’re going to go about our business; we’re going to keep taking care of this city,” said Daniel Carey, President and Chief Operating Officer of the foundation. “We’re going to keep saving buildings with our revolving fund, we’re going to keep advocating for good preservation and we’re going to keep educating our youth about the value of preservation.”

Since its inception in 1955, the Historic Savannah Foundation has saved over 360 buildings in Savannah.

Metropolitan Hotel sold, annex improvements underway on Hilton Head, new owners say

By Zack Murdoch via The Island Packet 

The Metropolitan Hotel and its dilapidated annex on Hilton Head Island were sold last week to California-based hotel developers who have plans to renovate and reopen both this year, according to the developers and town officials.

The plans include opening the main Metropolitan building as summer housing for exchange students and renovating the annex to open new a franchised hotel, new owners Harry and Sam Johal said Monday.

The Johals own more than 20 hotels around the country and have been eyeing the struggling Metropolitan property for more than two years, Harry Johal said. He would not say how much they agreed to paid for the property.

On Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., the Johals will appear before the Town of Hilton Head Island's Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals to present their plans to renovate the unsafe, abandoned annex. The meeting will be at Town Hall.

Town inspector Bob Klein declared the annex a safety risk to the public in August, citing the building's sagging roof, exposed wires and loose guardrails.

The building has sat vacant since 2008, and residents in the South Forest Beach area have long complained the annex is an eyesore and a haven for vagrants and drug dealers.

The town gave then-owner Remo Polselli several months to submit an improvement plan or the town could consider demolishing the building. By December, no plan had been submitted nor work completed.

Since the Johals took over the property last week, however, work has begun to repair the annex's roof, and the town is considering building permits to fix the guardrails, said Harry Johal and Jill Foster, town deputy director of community development.

"We're excited, and we've already started work on the back," Harry Johal said. "We've been meeting with the city people and dealing with Bob (Klein). We're determined, and I think the townspeople are behind us."

Lowcountry divided on Obama offshore drilling plan

Rerecca Lurye andErin Moody via The State 
With President Barack Obama's announcement Tuesday allowing oil drilling off the eastern seaboard from Virginia to Georgia, Lowcountry leaders and activists on opposite sides of the question are digging in their heels.

Land off South Carolina's coasts would be available for oil and gas leases for the first time under the five-year plan, which would begin in 2017.

The issue has been pushed to the forefront locally by Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling, who has spoken against the practice and is concerned it could damage the environment and tourism. Two weeks ago, he spoke at a rally with representatives from the Coastal Conservation League, 

Conservation Voters of SC and the nonprofit group Oceana, which released a report opposing drilling in favor of wind farms as a potential economic booster.

"The president will do what the president will do, but I'm the mayor of Beaufort and I think this could put the coast at risk and it isn't worth the risk," he said of Tuesday's proposal.

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has not taken a stance on offshore drilling, though spokesperson Charlie Clark said Tuesday's announcement would likely spark discussion at an upcoming government affairs committee meeting.

"We will continue to monitor the issue at the federal, state and local level," Clark said.

While drilling would likely not begin for more than a decade, seismic testing -- in which air guns are used to create sound pulses to search for oil deposits -- could start as early as this year. The U.S. Bureau of Offshore Energy Management is expected to open a swath of the Atlantic Coast from Delaware to central Florida for such testing.

Nine companies have filed geophysical and geological permits with the BOEM to test Atlantic waters.

Photo of the Week

Charles Fraser

Become a character in Lee Child's next Jack Reacher novel

Jim Grant, the British thriller author of the Jack Reacher series, who writes under the pen name Lee Child, is offering the chance to name a character in his upcoming book to the winning bidder Feb. 7 at the Hilton Head Heart Ball.

Child's novels follow an ex-military police officer who roams the globe investigating suspicious situations. Tom Cruise portrayed the protagonist in the 2012 film "Jack Reacher" and is said to be reprising his role in an upcoming sequel.

In addition to naming a character in Child's next novel, the winning bidder will also win a flight to New York to have lunch with the author.

The ball features an extensive live auction to raise money to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular disease. This year's chairmen, Eileen and Robert Hutton, are longtime friends of Child.

IF YOU GO
WHAT: Hilton Head Heart Ball
WHEN: 6 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Feb. 7
WHERE: The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, 2 Grasslawn Ave., Hilton Head Island
COST: $200
DETAILS:http://hiltonheadscheartball.ahaevents.org/

Former Adventure Inn site to become $80M Hilton-brand timeshare

Via The Island Packet

 A Myrtle Beach developer plans to spend $80 million to turn the former Adventure Inn site into Hilton-brand timeshares.

Strand Capital Group will develop the 7-acre beachfront property on Hilton Head Island. It will be the Hilton brand's and Strand's first timeshare development on the island.

The South Forest Beach resort will feature two six-story buildings with a total of 125 two-bedroom units, according to plans submitted to the town last month. The companies behind the project and their construction schedule were announced this week.

Strand Capital bills itself as "the premier timeshare real estate development firm along the Carolina Coast." It has developed nearly 20 high-rise beachfront resorts in Myrtle Beach, according to its website.

Principal partner Patrick Lowe said the Hilton hotel chain's interest in the property is what brought his company to the island.

"They are expanding their brand presence in the Carolinas," he said. "I think they've always been interested in Hilton Head."

Hilton Grand Vacations, a division of Hilton Worldwide, will be responsible for sales, marketing and management of the resort, according to a news release.

A spokeswoman for the company said a name for the resort likely will be released this spring.

Hilton plans to begin selling timeshares in April, the release said.

Plans for the resort show an administration building, two pools, an outdoor bar and grill, fitness and business centers, a lawn with live oaks, and boardwalks that lead to the ocean.

Construction should start this spring and be completed in two phases.

The first phase includes the resort amenities and the building next to the Carolina Beach Club. It is expected to be finished by summer 2016, the release said.

The second phase includes the building next to Ocean Dunes Villas. No completion date was provided in the release.

The height of the buildings will rival the tallest oceanfront structures on Hilton Head.

Buildings at Sea Crest Villas, and Omni and Sonesta hotels also are 75 feet tall, or about six stories. That's the maximum height the town allows for beachfront properties, according to land-management ordinance official Teri Lewis.

The Adventure Inn, which was built in 1963 and demolished in 2008, was an island landmark and one of Hilton Head's three original hotels.

Follow reporter Dan Burley at twitter.com/IPBG_Dan.

Related content:

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/14/3537698_former-adventure-inn-site-to-become.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

Map Room at the William Hilton Inn C 1965

Sea Pines Plantation Club C 1972

Sea Pines Plantation Club, 1972

New Projects, New Opportunities: HHI Mayor's Monthy Letter

As seen in Celebrate Hilton Head Magazine 

As the Town of Hilton Head Island's new mayor, I first want to humbly make clear that the task of implementing a fresh vision does not culminate in an election victory. Indeed, the greater task lies in the area of governance.

I fully realize that to be truly successful in moving forward, not only should our Town Council be in harmony as it sets policy, but we also must have continued dedication by the hundreds of hard-working men and women who perform the often complex choreography of both administering and executing town functions.

Integrity, Vision and Quality

Growing up, I was raised by a single mom. She and my grandfather taught me to accept responsibility at an early age; to live with integrity; to work hard and complete as best I can every task I started. Those are also the same values I believe our modern Hilton Head Island was founded upon.

In the 1960s our community was blessed by visionary entrepreneurs like Charles Fraser and Fred Hack and then later in the 1980s our newly incorporated town had the benefit of forward-thinking mayors like Ben Racusin and Martha Baumberger. It was Mayor Racusin who said "We are not against development. We want quality, planned development." And it was Mayor Baumberger who first saw the need for enhancing public access to our beaches with accommodations tax revenues and the importance of sanitary sewer in the town's more rural sectors. I believe this same visionary spirit is alive and well in our community today.

Accountability, Transparency, Strategic Thinking

In my election campaign I noted several times that while town government is not a business, town government can be more "business-like." I believe we must reflect a strategic, accountable and more transparent approach in managing our town affairs. I hope my tenure as mayor will be seen in that light because I believe these are hallmarks of good leadership.

Over the course of the campaign and during these first several weeks of transition, I have become increasingly encouraged about our future as both a town and a remarkable destination. Of course there are challenges, but our incredible potential remains.

Status Quo No Longer Viable

I believe the coming years promise to be a time to reassess who we are and what we are capable of being as one of America's shining communities. I hope you agree that the status quo is no longer a viable option. We no longer have the luxury of doing things the same old way. Just as Charles Fraser, Fred Hack, Ben Racusin, Martha Baumberger along with those who worked by their side found the wisdom and courage to conquer the challenges of their time, so I am confident we to can rise to the challenges of our time. I have sensed a strong spirit of service in our community. That's why I hope you will join me in accepting the challenge as we embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. I am confident that by pulling the rope together, we can do better and move Hilton Head Island forward for the enrichment of all.

Spoleto Festival USA announces 2015 lineup

Organizers of Spoleto Festival USA have announced the 2015 lineup, which will feature more than 150 performances of opera, dance, theater and music.

The 17-day festival, which begins May 22 in Charleston, boasts a varied lineup of artists and performers, both renowned and emerging. Highlights in each discipline include:

Opera: The festival will premiere the contemporary opera “Paradise Interrupted,” directed and designed by Jennifer Wen Ma, whose installations were part of the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The opera mixes Chinese and Western styles.

“Veremonda, l'amazzone di Aragona” has not been staged in more than 350 years, and never in the U.S. The baroque opera tells the story of the Spanish seize of a Moorish fortress, with a tangle of love and mistaken identity.  

Theater: London-based Shakespeare’s Globe will make its first Spoleto appearance with a new production of “Romeo and Juliet.” If you're a fan of the classic story of star-crossed lovers, you’ll have 18 chances to see it during the festival.  

Dance: Street dancer Charles “Lil Buck” Riley will make his Spoleto Festival debut with cellist Ashley Bathgate. His style, "Jookin' " or "Gangsta Walking," involves a dancer spinning and walking on the tips of his toes. Riley received international attention when a video of his improvised performance with cellist Yo-Yo Ma went viral on YouTube in 2011.

The Scottish Ballet will be retelling Tennessee Williams’s famous play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Critics say the danced version has such clear storytelling that audiences need not have seen the movie nor the play beforehand. 

Music: Nashville legend Emmylou Harris will perform with Rodney Crowell on May 25. In 2012, Harris and Crowell released an album together, “Old Yellow Moon,” named Americana Album of the Year at the 2014 Grammys.

The Westminster Choir will perform two hour-long concerts during the festival. The choir comprises students at Westminster Choir College, a division of Rider University in New Jersey. It has been the chorus-in-residence for Spoleto since 1977.

A full schedule and more information can be found at spoletousa.org.

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/05/3520632/spoleto-festival-usa-announces.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/05/3520632/spoleto-festival-usa-announces.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/05/3520632/spoleto-festival-usa-announces.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/05/3520632/spoleto-festival-usa-announces.html#storylink=cpy

Daufuskie awaits next step toward new form of government

Via Blufton Today

By Sarita Chourey

The Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University may be tapped to help shape Daufuskie Island’s future, as property owners on the bridgeless island consider taking steps toward wielding more control over their quality of life and property values.

The Daufuskie Island Council’s December meeting agenda included a proposal for a governance option study, a project that would cost about $15,000.

“The proposal was submitted and we are waiting to hear back from the folks on Daufuskie,” said William Molnar, visiting lecturer at the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development.

Robert Carey, director of the Regional Dynamics & Economics Laboratory at Clemson, is also named as part of the research team on the statement of work from last month’s meeting.

Andy Fulghum would work as a collaborator with Molnar and Carey on the report. Fulghum said his role in the potential study is unrelated to his county government position, and he is not participating in his official capacity Jasper County administrator.

The study would take about 10 weeks to complete and would include a review of past studies, the current state of taxes and services, and other factors related to self-governance. It would also outline different possibilities for the eight-square-mile island between Tybee and Hilton Head islands.

Among them: Incorporation, annexation and the creation of service districts. Some have wondered whether Daufuskie Island, which has about 400 residents, would meet the population-density requirements for incorporation.

The goal, as described in the statement of proposed work, is for “greater representation in local financial and service matters.”

As property owner Don Newton, who supports incorporation, put it last month: “We will get a better return on our dollars if we are leading it ourselves and managing it ourselves.”

Newton and others who have sought greater self-determination for the island were left looking for new avenues after the U.S. Department of Transportation opted not to award a $325,000 grant for a feasibility study of a comprehensive public ferry system.

Some islanders feel their needs have been overlooked by Beaufort County officials, in part, because of the remoteness of the island and its relatively small population.

Abandoning its rural form and becoming its own municipality would not deprive Beaufort County of any significant revenue, according to Bill Taylor, field services manager for the Municipal Association of South Carolina, which has been involved in the discussion.

Picture of the Week

Bay Street, Beaufort, SC 1948; Lucille Hasell Culp, 1921 - 2007