News Release

Town Council-appointed Land Management Ordinance Task Force sets expectations and schedule for review process

January 8, 2026

The Hilton Head Island Town Council has convened the Land Management Ordinance (LMO) Task Force with its first meeting held on Jan. 6. The LMO Task Force, composed of 21 residents, industry professionals, and community leaders, will guide the Town through a comprehensive review and update of its proposed land use and development regulations.

“This group represents a cross section of our community - including residents, industry professionals, elected officials, and community leaders - which is critical to the successful review and future implementation of a new development code,” said Mayor Alan Perry. “The LMO Task Force will help ensure that the Town's land use, zoning, and development regulations are aligned with the needs and expectations of our community. Our Town team remains deeply committed to protecting the Island’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and community character.”

Town Council Strategic Action Plan Priority

Town Council identified the update of the LMO as a priority action item within the adopted 2026–2028 Strategic Action Plan as part of the goal to “Protect Island Character Through Managing Growth.” To achieve this goal, they established a strategy to implement a comprehensive growth management framework that aligns land use regulations, planning tools, land acquisition efforts, and capital improvement program investments to preserve Hilton Head Island’s distinctive identity while supporting sustainable development and protecting the Island’s natural and cultural resources.

Purpose and Intent of the LMO Update

The LMO update aims to protect what makes the Island special while responsibly managing change. More specifically, it includes a review of all chapters, reorganization of content, simplification of language and improvement of usability, the addition of more visual aids and diagrams to enhance explanations, and the incorporation of rules and regulations that result in more predictable development outcomes that are aligned with community expectations. The updated LMO will prioritize environmental stewardship and reinforce Island and Lowcountry character through a sense of place.

Role and Membership of the Task Force

Established through a Town Council resolution adopted on Sept. 16, 2025, the LMO Task Force will provide recommendations to Town staff, the Planning Commission, and Town Council, ensuring that ordinance revisions provide harmony across environmental stewardship, community character, and economic vitality. Specifically, their responsibilities include:

• Reviewing draft regulations relating to land use, zoning, subdivision, development, design, review process, and other provisions of the LMO.
• Providing recommendations by majority vote to Town staff, the Planning Commission and the Town Council.
• Conducting meetings in accordance with Town rules and procedures and Robert’s Rules of Order that are publicly noticed, open to the public, and structured to allow for community input.
• Automatically disbanding upon adoption of the updated LMO by Town Council.

The LMO Task Force members are:

• Steve DeSimone, Ward 3 Town Council Member (Task Force Chair)
• Tamara Becker, Ward 4 Town Council Member (Task Force Vice Chair)
• Patsy Brison, Ward 2 Town Council Member
• Tom Henz, Planning Commission Chair
• Judd Carstens, Design Review Board Chair
• Louis Johnson, Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation Chair
• Lavon Stevens, Gullah Geechee Land and Cultural Preservation Task Force Chair
• Ray Warco, Hilton Head Island – Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Representative
• Eric Brehm, Esposito Construction, Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association Representative
• James Wedgeworth, Hilton Head Area Realtors Representative
• Mike Alsco, Coastal Home and Villa, Short-term Rental Representative
• Cliff McMackin, Sea Pines Resort, Hospitality Industry Representative
• Barbara Banaszynski, Workforce Housing Sector Representative
• Bill Dix, Palmetto Dunes (General Manager)
• Courtney Struna, Palmetto Hall (General Manager)
• Peter Kristian, Hilton Head Plantation (General Manager)
• Brian Kinard, Resident
• Lola Campbell, Resident
• Gregg Russell, Resident
• Edwina Dunlap, Resident
• Ciaran Storan, Resident
• Marc Orlando, Town Manager (Ex-Officio)
• Shawn Leininger, Deputy Town Manager (Ex-Officio)

Next Steps for the Task Force and LMO Update Adoption

The initial meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative process to improve the LMO. A proposed meeting schedule and project timeline were established. All meetings, unless otherwise scheduled, will be held in Town Hall Council Chambers at 5 p.m. and publicly noticed, open to the public, and will provide opportunity for community input.  Each meeting will focus on individual chapters and topics of the proposed LMO.  Ongoing meeting information, agendas, and packet materials can be accessed via the Town’s website or received directly via email by subscribing to “agenda notifications.” In addition, LMO Task Force meeting notices will also be shared a week in advance through the Town’s Facebook page. The next meeting will be held on Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall Council Chambers.

The task force is anticipated to recommend a proposed ordinance to the Planning Commission and Town Council in Summer 2026. In addition to the task force’s review, the proposed LMO will be reviewed by the Gullah Geechee Land & Cultural Preservation Task Force, Planning Commission, and Community Development & Public Services Committee before being considered for adoption by Town Council.

“Together with our Mayor and Town Council, we are committed to providing a natural and built environment that supports a high quality of life on Hilton Head Island,” said Town Manager Marc Orlando. “The work already underway on the LMO update, along with the establishment of this task force, positions Hilton Head Island well to preserve what makes our community special while guiding its future in a thoughtful and responsible way.”

Priority Amendments Adopted by Town Council

Since 2023 and while the current LMO rewrite drafting process has been underway, the Town adopted 17 LMO and municipal code amendments to better regulate growth, its impacts, and enforce the rules governing it, including the following:

• Amended traffic reporting. Replaced using annual June traffic counts with annual July traffic counts for Traffic Impact Analysis Plan Standards, ensuring the peak travel season was used for traffic analyses.
• Amended Transportation Impact Analysis requirements. Modified thresholds for when a traffic impact analysis is required, ensured the plan examines roads, paths, and public transit, and provided for more comprehensive analysis and mitigation of impacts at all impacted intersections.
• Amended sign standards for changeable copy. Amended the definition of changeable copy to allow signs to be changed electronically with limitations on frequency and timing, i.e. gas station pricing signage.
• Amended height calculation. Amended the measurement for height calculation to account for flood risk for homes and businesses.
• Amended the Forest Beach Overlay District. Established the Forest Beach Floor Area Ratio to address single-family mass and scale in the Forest Beach Neighborhood Character Overlay District. The overlay seeks to protect the single-family residential character of the area and regulates development and redevelopment to prevent overcrowding and maintain the community’s residential character.
• Established construction site management standards. Created new on-site regulations and standards to enhance accountability and reduce off-site impacts during active construction. For example, construction activities must follow existing noise limits and approved operating hours of 7 am to 7 pm, excluding Sundays, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days. All sites must comply with stormwater discharge permits to prevent pollution, a trash and debris disposal plan with a schedule for clean-up, and restrictions on oversized vehicles to approved streets only.
• Amended tree protection standards. Increased preservation of trees, enhanced planting requirements with larger tree diameters and heights, and eliminated exceptions to specimen tree preservation.
• Amended common open space requirements. Enhanced definition and requirements for common open space in subdivisions to ensure shared areas remain functional, well-integrated and accessible.
• Amended to require public review of major subdivisions & development plan reviews. Added public hearing requirements to promote transparency and community input with the Planning Commission.
• Amended the subdivision amendment process. Required a public hearing at the Planning Commission for major subdivision amendments.
• Amended noise regulations to align with Planned Developments. Developed new standards to only allow commercial construction and landscaping work from 7 am - 7 pm, Monday through Saturday excluding Sundays, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days further aligning the Town’s regulations with those enforced within the planned unit developments (PUDs).
• Amended beach parking regulations and implemented a new beach parking program. Implemented a beach parking management program to ensure accountability and accessibility to the public beach parks.
• Amended to establish regulations for the removal of abandoned boats. Established regulations for processing and removing abandoned boats from local waterways. Eleven boats have been removed to date.
• Amended to provide for the issuance of administrative citations. To enhance enforcement of certain Town regulations, the Town created an administrative citation process for parking and short-term rental enforcement.
• Limited ability to obtain variances to certain requirements. Eliminated the ability to obtain a variance to use, density or height regulations for properties.
• Permitted outdoor bike storage. Allowed outdoor screened bike storage in the Light Commercial and Community Commercial zoning districts and provided more specificity related to screening to support pedestrian mobility and compatibility with surrounding properties.
• Clarified manufacturing use standards. Provided clarification in the manufacturing use definition as it relates to the size of a brewery, supporting small business opportunities.

On Oct. 21, 2025, the Town Council also approved an ordinance to repeal and replace Title 10, Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Hilton Head Island Entitled Short-Term Rentals. Town Council voted to amend the proposed short-term rental ordinance with the following key changes:

• Short-term rentals with 3,600 or more square feet, and that do not already have a fire suppression system, must have a fire alarm system installed with monitored, automatic smoke detectors that activate an occupant notification alarm system.
• If there is propane use in a short-term rental, the property must have a combustible gas detection device.
• All gas grills must have a shut-off timer that does not exceed 60 minutes.
• Parking for short-term rentals is limited to a maximum of six exterior parking spaces on an improved surface as shown on the property site plan. Garage parking spaces are not included in this count.
• Any short-term rental property is subject to inspection with forty-eight (48) hours advance notice by the Town to verify compliance with the provisions of this Chapter.
• Advertisements for short-term rentals must list the permit number and contain the same information provided to the Town on the permit application including, but not limited to, the number of Bedrooms and maximum number of vehicles permitted at the STR Property.
• The new annual permit period will be May 1 to April 30, which aligns with the business license renewal period.
• The effective date for these changes is May 1, 2026. The only exception to this deadline is that permit holders as of Oct. 21, 2025, must comply with the fire safety alarm requirement by May 1, 2027.