One Lowcountry neighbor hopes a Thursday meeting will change the minds of those who want to develop his rural neighborhood.
"We would lose our identity,” Terry Laseter said. “We wouldn't be the tucked in the woods neighborhood that we are and that we've been here for 17 years enjoying."
No vote takes place at the meeting...but, can neighbors in Cherry Point really impact the decision-makers?
In a letter dated January 4th, Beaufort County planners invite property owners like Terry Laseter to three meetings where he can give his thoughts on the possibility of his surrounding woods turning into a commercial and residential development. Laseter, who prefers a more simple lifestyle, plans to make that known.
But are the meetings just a formality, or can he really make a difference?
We asked Beaufort County Council Chairman Weston Newton.
"How much value do you all put in what they say?,”,Lowcountry Reporter Holly Bounds asked.
"Obviously, I can only speak for myself,” Newton said. “But a significant amount. You want to know what the sentiments are, you want to know what the impacts are on the folks that will be most directly impacted."
Laseter, though, knows the facts. The county is required by law to hold such meetings as the plans are reviewed. He just hopes they'll remember him come decision time.
"We are the ones who pay these people,” Laseter said. “We are the taxpayers who pay the county council, the mayors, the representatives. I surely hope they will listen."
There are more chances for neighbors to speak up. A public hearing will take place on Monday, February 4th at 6pm at Beaufort County Council Chambers in Beaufort at the County Administration Building.
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