Parks and Recreation advisory board hears St. Helena facility request, discusses school field sharing and Bluffton pool closure

The Beaufort County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met May 2 and heard public requests and staff reports about field use, programs and upcoming facilities work.

Anthony Jones, a resident of St. Helena Island, told the board that many residents who need services work during the board's daytime meetings and asked the county to site a recreation facility on St. Helena "that's comparable to facilities that you have on the South Of The Broad." Jones urged the board to consider meeting times that allow working residents to attend.

Board members said they will explore alternate meeting times but noted the current schedule has been historical and that some staff reports typically happen during daytime hours. Chair (identified in the record only by role) said the board would discuss options and work with staff to try occasional evening meetings so more residents can participate.

Staff reported strong growth in spring sports and plans to expand summer programming. An athletics supervisor said adult and youth registrations are up, summer basketball will serve ages 7–16, and several tournaments are scheduled for June and July. The supervisor said Burton Wells remains the primary game site but staff are working to identify additional practice and game locations.

Eric Brown (staff) said Parks & Recreation is finalizing a shared-use agreement with the school board to allow the department to use school fields during off-peak times and to provide reciprocal access. "We met last week over Zoom and I'm scheduling a meeting now to meet with one of the athletic directors so that we can finalize the agreement," Brown said, adding the agreement will go through legal review and signatures before implementation.

Residents raised why games are centralized at Burton Wells instead of neighborhood venues such as Corson Tate and Wesley Felix. Staff pointed to parking, staffing and game-readiness as obstacles at some sites but said they will explore neighborhood game opportunities and the use of vetted parent volunteers to address staffing gaps.

Marissa Freeman, program supervisor for seniors, reported increased participation in senior appreciation events and said the senior program is receiving five new vehicles, including an approved extra 36-passenger bus for senior transportation. "We have five new vehicles coming to our senior program soon," Freeman said; staff did not give exact delivery dates.

Pool and facilities staff told the board that the Bluffton Pool will close for construction on June 3. A pool manager estimated the project would take "about a 6 to 8 month" period, a timeline another speaker later noted could extend to "10 to 12 months," and warned that school swim lessons might be affected for the coming school year. The Alvin Settles outdoor pool was listed as planned to open May 25 for Memorial Day weekend.

Staff also described ongoing community assessments and early work at several community centers, including a planned new playground at Scott Park and furniture/site work at Booker T. Washington and other sites. Brown said a Parks & Recreation retreat for lead staff is scheduled for May 23 to develop policies and map the fiscal year starting July 1.

The board approved the March minutes, heard department updates, and adjourned. The chair announced the next board meeting is scheduled for July 11.