News Release

Hilton Head Island Town Council Identifies Top 15 Priorities for Its Two-Year Strategic Action Plan

February 1, 2023

Growth management, the William Hilton Parkway gateway corridor plan and workforce housing were among the top 15 priorities the Hilton Head Island Town Council agreed should be part of the Town's next strategic action plan.

At a two-day strategic plan workshop held at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa on January 24 and 25, Town staff provided Town Council members an in-depth overview and status of the Town’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 Strategic Action Plan and over 60 capital improvement projects. Town Manager Marc Orlando led Town Council through a discussion to identify priorities they feel will protect and enhance the quality of life for Island residents.

"Identifying these priorities will set the direction and tone for what we will be pursuing for the next several years. Effectively implementing them will help us reach much-needed harmony and balance while reflecting on who we want to be as a community. I’m excited about the projects that have been laid out and am ready to see them put into action," said Mayor Alan Perry.

"The strategic action plan is the blueprint of our initiatives that the Town will focus on this year and beyond. It sets the framework and public policy strategies for work we will be doing to better our community now and for future generations. From managing growth to enhancing experiences at our beach, we have a great deal work ahead of us. Our Town Council and staff are committed to implementing the strategic action plan," said Town Manager Marc Orlando.

At the workshop, the Town Council agreed upon 15 high and equally important priorities that will be included in the FY 2023 - FY 2025 Strategic Action Plan. They include:

1. Establishing a growth management strategy including amendments to the land use element of the comprehensive plan, creation and adoption of Island-wide district plans including the Jonesville and Spanish Wells areas, implementation of the Mid-Island District Plan, calibration of a future land use map, creation of an Island master plan and major text amendments to the Town’s Land Management Ordinance.
    
2. Implementing the Workforce Housing Framework - Finding Home. This priority includes creating the development agreement for the Northpoint public-private partnership for workforce housing, hiring a workforce housing program manager and implementing other components of the Finding Home plan.
    
3. Adopting and implementing major corridor and street enhancement policies for William Hilton Parkway, Palmetto Bay Road, Pope Avenue, New Orleans Road, Main Street, Sea Pines Circle and Greenwood Drive, Arrow Road and other identified streets. This priority also calls for corridor safety and beautification enhancement projects, and consideration of a complete streets policy and a traffic calming policy.
    
4. Developing the William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor Plan. This includes implementing the memorandum of agreement adopted by the Town of Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County and establishing a citizen review committee for a Town-procured independent review and end-to-end analysis of the corridor.
    
5. Commencing operations of the Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation including forming a board of directors and hiring an executive director.
    
6. Identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Hilton Head Island’s resiliency and establishing an Island resiliency plan.
    
7. Implementing the Capital Improvement Program with focus on beach management, pathway management, roadway management, park management, facility and equipment management, fleet management, land acquisition program management and housing program management.
    
8. Updating the Town's Land Acquisition Manual to address parks, open space, conservation, Town facilities, commercial redevelopment, workforce housing, development rights, preservation of historic neighborhoods and other components. It also will involve identification of potential funding sources.
    
9. Conducting a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of solid waste and recycling on Hilton Head Island.
    
10. Assessing alternative revenue sources and funding opportunities for land acquisition, workforce housing initiatives and a variety of capital improvement projects. This priority includes creation of a mid-Island tax increment financing district, assessment of development permit fees and bonding capabilities, and consideration of an accommodations tax funding policy and stormwater utility rate study.
     
11. Assessing and implementing the short-term rental program. The Town's requirements for short-term rentals became effective in January 2023.
     
12. Completing the implementation of the Gullah Geechee Task Force Work Plan.
     
13. Assisting with St. James Baptist Church mitigation and relocation plan.
     
14. Implementing the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) Marketing Plan and measuring its performance. This priority also calls for the evaluation and inclusion of ecotourism, cultural tourism, wellness tourism and sports tourism into the DMO plan.
     
15. Implementing beach park enhancements including a beach master plan, a beach parking master plan, beach management plan updates as required by the SC Department of Health & Environmental Control, beach shuttle services and adoption of beach experience regulations for fishing, tents, smoking, emergency access routes, facility hours of operations, parking management, boat storage on the beach and other guidelines.

Next Steps
The 15 priorities identified by the Town Council will be combined with other initiatives discussed during the workshop to create the new strategic action plan for fiscal years 2023-2025. This comprehensive strategic action plan will be brought to the Town Council for formal approval in the Spring.

Did you miss the workshop?
Members of the public can view presentations given at the Town Council workshop and recordings of each workshop day on the Town's website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov.