Southside Park, comprising 34-acres in the Mossy Oaks area, was originally established in 2009 to provide outdoor recreation areas to Beaufort residents. With $6 million of improvements proposed in 2022 and pushed through in January of this year, the City’s aim is to draw recreation to Beaufort. But how is the City paying for these improvements and could these funds be put to better use?
This $6 million in funding for Southside Park has been set aside from the $7.1 million of hospitality tax revenue bonded by the City of Beaufort. When questioned on the legality of using this hospitality tax to pay for the renovations to the park, City Councilman Neil Lipsitz stated that it wasn’t a political move, but instead a fulfillment of a promise to locals that was 20-years in the making. Keeping a promise may not be worth pushing the boundaries of ethical behavior by the City.
The Hospitality Tax is established to provide funding for tourism-related purposes (Code of Ordinances 66.42 and 66.534).These funds must be kept separate from other city funds and earmarked as such. These funds are permitted for use in maintaining tourism-related buildings, cultural, recreational or historic facilities, highways and roads leading to these areas, and site preparation of these areas for demolition, repair or construction. Just this week, Beaufort Insider discovered that construction at the park is not going as planned, as previously poured concrete had to be ripped up and replaced as it was not to code. In February 2024, West Street Farms, LLC (owned by Graham Trask) filed a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas regarding the use of the hospitality tax on the renovations at Southside Park. Trask’s lawsuit states that the use of funds is not tourism-related and the cost is extravagant. The lawsuit also asserts that the funds would be better used on a project that will improve other infrastructure that will benefit tourism within the City.
While open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the park resides in one of the more dangerous areas of Beaufort. When the initial survey was conducted to Beaufort residents, only half the respondents stated that they use the park more than once a month. The sample size of City residents surveyed (8%) is smaller than that typically considered statistically representative of a population (>10%). It is possible that local residents choose not to use the facilities due to its location and safety. Given the low interest in the park reflected by such a small sample size, it is questionable whether this project is the best use of the City’s funds.
I have to agree that the location of that park is not the safest place to have constructed it. For some reason they have an a lot of shootings and other happenings at Spanish Trace Apartments. If the city wants to spend that kind of money fix the already existing waterfront where hundreds go daily , make it safe , its a beautiful place to just sit relax and enjoy the beauty that we have been blessed with. Or use some of that money that would help many homeless here I see more everyday walking the streets, create a homeless shelter for those that truly are homeless. I have been told they are now creating tent cities don’t know if thats true….
You do realize that the crime map you linked to gives the historic district (including most of Bay Street) a worse crime rating than the area around Southside Park? Kind of a sad to take the side of wealthy landlords who don’t even reside in Beaufort for most of the year over the regular folks who actually live here and benefit daily from places like Southside Park. Great “journalism” y’all are doing here.
My wife and I are retired and have been living in Beaufort for 13 years. The Waterfront Park was one of the most influential reasons we chose to make Beaufort our home. The news that it is in disrepair and needs major structural improvements is not good news. I think such extravagant expenditures for Southside Park show a need to require a reserve fund for just such emergencies. Spending most of these tax dollars on a park that has minimal use while letting our crown jewel of a park that sees major events and attracts large citizen attendance is short sighted at best.
Front Yard/Back Yard
Sounds like the crime statistic is the result of police and or community presence or lack thereof, more . A community gathering space that serves a function for residents would only increase property values in the surrounding area. Imagine a resident recreation destination with decreased crime, sounds like the making of a highly sought after community feature that should make a developer salivate. Heck maybe even a little more funding for a community pool /recreation area on the grounds within walking distance for the youth in the surrounding neighborhood.
Yes the waterfront park is the attraction for transients, and probably the reason so many have discovered Beaufort/Port Royal and are calling it home. But infrastructure including recreation and education of the working folks children is the foundation of our largest attraction, our friendly welcoming community.
Take a trip to Savannah, Forsyth Park and Waterfront are integral to the city, both for residents and visitors. Let’s figure out how to maintain both rather than either/or.
Every dream home has a beautiful front yard, and a functional back yard.