Beaufort Co. leaders deny latest Pine Island golf course proposal, reject settlement offer

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Beaufort County Council has denied the latest request to make way for a golf course on St. Helena Island, upholding a cultural protection overlay that prevents golf courses from being built there.The decision came after hours of discussion at the Beaufort County Government Building, where residents urged council members to preserve the overlay. “We, the Gullah people living on St. Helena Island, are highly educated people, and we are tired of being insulted,”one resident said. “We don’t have peanut brains; we see exactly what you are doing.”It was the third time the developer’s proposal had come before the council.Pine Island LLC has sought for the past five years to build a golf development on more than 500 acres, featuring three six-hole courses. The Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) covers the property and prohibits golf courses on the island.The dispute has led to lawsuits between the developer and the county. At the meeting, developer Elvio Tropeano