By BILL HERBKERSMAN
STATE REPRESENTATIVE

I wasn’t able to give you too much on the Oklahoma Southern Legislative Conference last week. That was because I was immersed in the conference at the time and didn’t really have the necessary distance from the subject matters to accurately analyze the material.

Suffice to say that I learned much about how to deal legislatively with problems related to rapid growth from folks who experienced it first hand. They were generous with sharing what worked for them, as well as what should have worked but didn’t.

We were also able to tour the Oklahoma bombing site. Needless to say, I was moved by the tragedy itself, but even more so by how the people were able to put aside momentary differences to get past the catastrophe and carry on with civic life.

My homecoming was marred somewhat by the news of the ruling from DHEC on the Pinckney Point Marina application. While some of the requested docks were not approved, the overall impact of the docks that were approved flies in the face of the expressed will of the public in this matter. As most of you know, I was in the forefront of allowing the public a voice in the deliberations before the regulatory body. There was a meeting at Bluffton High, which was attended by literally hundreds of concerned citizens, most of whom were overwhelmingly opposed to this marina.

While the developer did not call it a marina, it certainly appeared to those of us who saw the plans to be a marina.

We now have the right to appeal, which will certainly be invoked. I am currently in conversation with Dana Beach at Coastal Conservation League, Ann Timberlake at Conservation Voters, and locally with Nancy Schilling and Dave Harter with Friends of the Rivers.

We are all concerned with inaccuracies in the application, as well as the ruling. There are instances of misapplied guidelines and poor internal review, not to mention grievously insufficient data on impacts of a project such as this, in the area where it is proposed.

At a minimum, I feel it is prudent to assess the potential impacts on this fragile water body before we put in a marina. This seems to be only common sense.

As this situation plays out, I will keep you up to date with the latest information. The appeal may take some time and there may ultimately be a role for you to play. I have found over the years that if there are gaps in the regulatory regime that potentially allow that which should not be allowed, then strong, committed, public opinion can save the day.

This fight is not about stifling anyone’s right to develop land in a manner that adds value to their investment, it is about diminishing that which is held by the public, by the people, and taking from all, for the inappropriate benefit of the few.

Bill Herbkersman is chairman of the Beaufort County Legislative Delegation. He represents District 118 in the S.C. House of Representatives. Contact him by phone at 757-7900 or via his Web site: www.herbkersman.com