A senate RESOLUTION

to recognize and honor the community and people of the Town of Hilton Head Island and to congratulate them as they celebrate the three hundred sixtieth anniversary of the discovery of the island by Sir William Hilton and the fortieth anniversary of the incorporation of Hilton Head Island as a town.

Whereas, in 1660, the eight Lords Proprietors of England received the Carolina Grant from King Charles II, extending from Virginia to Florida.  Captain William Hilton was commissioned by the Lords Proprietors to explore the coast of this vast grant, and in 1663, he arrived at Port Royal Sound; and

Whereas, not until three hundred fifty years later would Hilton Head Island be permanently connected to the mainland by the James F. Byrnes Bridge, which allowed tens of thousands of new residents to discover the coastal paradise and to bring their own prosperity to the Carolina Sea Islands; and

Whereas, a year later, Charles E. Fraser and Joseph B. Fraser, Jr., began planning Sea Pines Resort, the island's first large-scale planned community, which was one of the first resort communities to use covenants and restrictions to protect the environment, becoming a prototype of planned growth for many resort and retirement developments throughout the United States; and

Whereas, in the 1970s, residents became concerned about a lack of growth control and aesthetically designed development, which eventually led to incorporating Hilton Head Island as a municipality in 1983, based on a model of limited services.  The town would have a large planning function but would not provide police protection and other traditional municipal functions which are provided by the county, private communities, businesses, or public service districts.  Ben Racusin was elected to serve as the first mayor with a town council of five members elected at large; and

Whereas, not until 1992 did the town have its own permanent town hall, and the same year the town opened the Municipal Court and consolidated fire and emergency services into a single town department; and

Whereas, in 1995, Tom Peeples became mayor, a position he held for fifteen years, and Steve Riley became the town manager, retiring in 2020.  The Riley-Peeples era was marked by a push for land acquisition set apart for conservation and recreational facilities, thus maintaining the town's original limited focus on planning, development, controlled growth, beautification, environmental protection, and recreation; and

Whereas, the year-round population of Hilton Head Island has grown to about thirty-eight thousand, and more than 2.5 million visitors annually who come to the Lowcountry paradise; and

Whereas, from late August through mid September of 2023, the Town of Hilton Head will host an array of activities to honor the island's rich natural, cultural, and historic resources in order to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the town's incorporation and the three-hundred-sixtieth anniversary of the island's sighting by William Hilton; and

Whereas,  a community picnic at Lowcountry Celebration Park will begin the celebration followed by a formal ceremony of welcome by Mayor Alan Perry.  For three weeks a series of unique tours and island experiences will showcase the community's offerings.  The celebration will conclude with a music festival at Lowcountry Celebration Park; and

Whereas, the Senate values the work of Hilton Head Island to maintain the beauty and environmental integrity of this coastal wonder and joins in the celebration of this anniversary. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and honor the community and people of the Town of Hilton Head Island and congratulate them as they celebrate the three hundred sixtieth anniversary of the discovery of the island by Sir William Hilton and the fortieth anniversary of the incorporation of Hilton Head Island as a town.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Mayor Alan Perry.

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