BLUFFTON, S.C. —

The Town of Bluffton voted Tuesday to move forward with legal action to acquire roads they claim are already theirs.

But are they? It depends on who you talk to.

Catherine Harrison Cobb says she owns the road next to her property. But there's no record of that because it was destroyed in the Civil War.

That's why this road and others like them, where the owner is unclear, are referred to as ghost roads.

TRENDING STORIES

“The developer is who initially subdivided these lots, that’s who owns these,” said Cobb. "So it’s not up to the town to come in and say they’re the owner."

Recommended

Navy veteran warns of online security scammers that robbed him of his life savings

Bluffton Town Council Member Dan Wood explains his side, specifically why the Town is asking residents who live near the roads to sign quit claim deeds, documents used to transfer property and titles.

“The quit claim that the Town is undertaking has to do with property that technically no one owns,” said Wood.

The two have split opinions on what ultimately would reach the same goal: protect the May River and the properties around it.

Wood says those are the reasons the Town is moving forward with the ghost road acquisition efforts.

“Protecting the river, controlling the easement and rights of ways of streets in the historic district and eliminating all the septic tanks to protect the May River,” said Wood. “Those are all valid reasons.”

Cobb says it’s still unclear why the Town needs the rights to the ghost roads, and what she says is her property, to get the May River projects done.

She says she could grant the permit directly to the sewage company to do construction on her road.

“The rights of way have nothing to do with that,” said Cobb. “We can we can grant easements for Beaufort Jasper to come in.”

WJCL asked Wood why it was necessary to have residents sign quit claim deeds, and why the Town voted to move forward with legal action if he says no one owns the land.

“It’s actually a courtesy, instead of going out and doing this without input from the citizens," said Wood. "That's not the Bluffton way.”

Wood says it was a process seven years in the making. The Town voted on the issue Tuesday, the opening day of the RBC Heritage, just 30 minutes away.

“It’s finally just gotten to the point where we need to move forward,” said Wood.

But Cobb feels it could have been done much differently.

“Essentially what they’re doing is to quitclaim our rights to these beautiful green spaces in order to bring a sewer,” said Cobb. “And, if we don’t quitclaim to the Town, we will essentially be forced to pay for it ourselves.”

Wood had not heard of the accusation and said he could not comment.

If you haven’t caught Bernard Bennett’s food truck, Ọkàn, in Savannah or Bluffton, South Carolina, then you may not be familiar with the chef, but when he was named a 2023 James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist, his name and his West African cuisine went to the top of many diners’ “must-try” lists. Now, in April, Bennett will open his first restaurant with the same name as the truck, Ọkàn, in Bluffton’s mixed-use development the Bridge Collective (71 Calhoun Street).

Ọkàn will focus on the foods and flavors that came to the Lowcountry through enslaved Africans forced into the fields and kitchens along the South Carolina coast. “I would describe the food at Ọkàn as a journey,” says Bennett, “I think that what is known as African American cuisine, like the stereotypical fried chicken, grits, and collard greens, is not representative of us. It’s in our history, but our history is much more than that. The expressions on my dishes go back to West Africa, where many enslaved people came from, and take a trip through the Caribbean and onto America.”

A sample menu from Ọkàn begins with starters like corn pudding with blue crab, okra roasted in harissa, and pumpkin seed dip with benne seed crackers. The bread selections contain Trinidadian bara with chutney, coco bread, roti, and cornbread with seasonal butter. There’s an entire section dedicated to rice, a crop that many enslaved Africans were forced to cultivate when they came to the Lowcountry; there’s jollof rice, coconut rice, Haitian djon djon rice, Sea Island peas and rice, and Carolina Gold rice. Entrees range from curried oxtails to peanut stew to duck and oyster gumbo.

Bennett says the bar will focus on classic cocktails with an emphasis on rum, which comes from the Caribbean influences on his menu. He wants the Ọkàn experience to be upscale but approachable — no stuffy white tablecloths here.

There’s not another establishment like Ọkàn in the Lowcountry (though there is a West African restaurant planned for Charleston in the spring), so Bennett hopes that visitors will seek him out in Bluffton. With the multitude of tourists from nearby Savannah, Hilton Head, and Charleston, he thinks it has the potential to become a destination restaurant.

“Ọkàn means ‘heart and soul’ in the Yoruba language, one of the first languages in West Africa,” says Bennett, “And being the heart and soul, I want to tell people that everything we do and all the food we present has love in it. We’re not doing anything to stir up any drama. I want to celebrate the heart and soul of the underrepresented people and their cuisines. I want West African and Caribbean cuisine to be recognized just as much as French and Italian. That’s my goal.”

Old Town, a down-home upscale neighborhood in the South Carolina river town of Bluffton, is defined by its Southern hospitality and luxurious lifestyle.

“It’s the heartbeat of Beaufort County and what draws many people to the area,” said Dave Jarman, a broker with Corcoran HM Properties. “‘Charming’ is the first word that comes to mind. ‘Welcoming’ is a close second.”

He added that Old Town is so darn friendly that “it’s common for strangers to say ‘hello’ or ‘how are ya’ll doing?’ as they pass by.”

The atmosphere, according to Mary Vaux Bell, an agent with Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, is “relaxed, chic and very down to earth.”

More: Home to Hobart’s ‘Millionaire’s Row,’ Sandy Bay Offers Waterfront Living and Walkability

Boundaries

Old Town, which may be accessed via car or boat, is bounded by Bridge Street and the May River waterway on the south, Burnt Church Road on the east, May River Road on the north and Verdier Cove Road on the west.

Price Range

Noting that properties in Old Town don’t come on the market very often, Ms. Vaux Bell said that riverfront or marsh-front single-family houses, which typically are on 0.75 of an acre to 2 acres, generally run $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

The inner streets of the community, whose houses are set on a quarter to a half acre, are also desirable places to live, she said, adding that they typically sell for around $1 million.

More: Londoners Pay a Pretty Penny to Live in Holland Park—Home to Summer Opera, Grand Mansions and Victoria Beckham

Housing Stock

The houses in Old Town, which is in a National Register Historic District and a Preserve America Community, were originally built and used as summer residences and typically feature significant porch space as well as interior space. They date from the 1800s to the present, and generally are on lots starting at one-tenth of an acre.

The architectural styles and materials, which range from clapboard siding and brick to tabby, vary.

“While there are new homes, many of the older ones have been updated or restored for a relaxed and understated yet posh coastal-cottage aesthetic,” Ms. Vaux Bell said. “The homes in the inner streets are mostly new but custom designed to blend in with the Spanish moss, mature oaks and oyster-shell driveways.”

(Editor’s note: This story has been changed to reflect who owned the land to be purchased by the county.)

Affordable housing is planned along Bluffton’s busy Buckwalter Parkway, but that doesn’t necessarily mean apartments.

The Beaufort County Council on Monday night authorized the purchase of two parcels of land equaling 10 acres next to the Lord of Life Lutheran Church, in Bluffton, but owned by St Andrews by the Sea. The county plans to establish affordable or workforce housing on the land.

At the moment, the county is only moving forward with the purchase of the land, which will cost them $3.6 million from the General Fund. County officials say it’s too early to say what sort of properties would be best suited for those 10 acres.

Councilman Logan Cunningham, whose district includes the Buckwalter area, said he would prefer the properties not be rentals. Instead, Cunningham would like to see single-family or starter homes that can be purchased rather than rented.

“It’s got to be more than just rental properties because the rental properties just keep jacking their prices up,” said Cunningham. “People can actually reinvest in themselves instead of paying the money to a big company that’s running and managing the property or one [owner] that owns 20 things.”

However, the advantage of apartments, according to County Administrator Eric Greenway, is a potential to reduce traffic while using the land more densely. About 140-150 apartment units could fit on the property compared with about 70-80 townhouses or a dozen or more homes.

Greenway sees advantages and disadvantages to both options.

“Of course, apartments are going to get a large number of units, you’re going to help more people, but it’s not very long-term,” he said. “A [property] that they can buy outright might be a better situation for this bigger property, in this location, than anything else.”

Cunningham said he’ll hold a town hall forum later about the project to educate and gauge how his district would like the property handled.

The County Council will make the final decision on the project. The purchase is expected to close at the end of April and Greenway doesn’t expect anything to be done with the property until early next year.

The 10 acres’ proximity to Buckwalter would give the future residents easy access to the many amenities of Buckwalter Place, something the county says makes the location very appealing for a housing project.

Buckwalter Place has grown a lot since it was established nearly a decade ago. It’s added the culinary institute of the south, medical facilities, two grocery stores and multiple businesses and restaurants.

“This is kind of one of those internal opportunities where the folks can live there and shop and go to restaurants and usually go to work without having to travel,” Greenway said. “There’s a lot of employment opportunities there.”

This is one of the first strides the county has made this year toward affordable housing. More is expected to come as the multi-government regional housing trust fund comes online.

The trust will see local towns, cities and counties create a joint fund to create and promote affordable housing across the southern Lowcountry. Beaufort County will be the largest contributor giving more than $3.4 million in 10 years.

“This highlights our commitment to actually meeting the need of affordable housing,” said Greenway.

This story was originally published March 1, 2023, 12:17 PM.

Rainy and cold weather is preventing Bluffton’s U Pick Daffodil farm from opening as it usually does this time of year.

Visiting the farm has become a spring rite for families, flower-lovers and photographers alike, and co-owners Chuck and Diane Merrick had planned to be open for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible, Chuck Merrick said Monday.

“We are a little bit short on flowers because of the rain and the cold,” he said.

The muddy field conditions and parking area — not to mention the farm’s location on a dirt road — make it dangerous for customers.

“I don’t want someone slipping and falling down and getting hurt,” Chuck Merrick said by phone as he walked the fields.

“I’m out here trying to decide what would be best to do,” he said.

The family is now hoping to be able to open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, weather and blooms permitting. Closing early is a possibility if the blooms are picked out earlier, and there’s also a chance the farm won’t be able to open at all that day.

The weather forecast says Beaufort County will be sunny and cool on Saturday, with a high temperature in the mid-50s, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston. There is a chance of more rain between now and then.

For information about days the farm will be open, watch its Facebook page or go to its website at upickdaffodils.com. Those who’d like to check on the status of the flowers before making a longer commute can also text Chuck Merrick at 843-368-1998.

The fields are located at 48 Calhoun Plantation Road, just off Pinckney Colony Road.

Each stem is 50 cents. Cash and card payments will be accepted.

The U Pick Daffodil tradition started more than 50 years ago. Each year the farm has expanded to meet demand, and this year is no different.

Chuck Merrick uses a planting machine purchased from Holland — it is pulled behind a tractor — to plant tens of thousands of daffodil bulbs with varying blooming times so the farm can stay open longer.

Daffodils don’t grow easily in the Lowcountry climate, he previously told The Island Packet, and every year the farm loses about half of the ones they had planted in earlier years.

This year, he planted 36,000 new bulbs, and those haven’t bloomed yet because of the cold temperatures.

Does this mean the season that typically ends in March will be longer?

“It’s really hard to say,” Chuck Merrick said. “We are at the mercy of the weather and the flowers.”

This story was originally published February 13, 2023, 12:50 PM.