Beefield Community Park Master Plan

A neighborhood supported master plan protects 4 acres of land from unwanted development and lays the foundations for a community-owned and envisioned park.

The Beefield settlement community is a historically Black neighborhood on James Island that has been underserved and threatened by land development that residents do not want or need. With neighborhood support and the partnership of local stakeholders, the Lowcountry Land Trust (LLT) purchased an approximately 4-acre parcel in the area to protect it from incompatible residential development and transform it into a community owned park. To guide this effort, LLT prepared a park master plan with help from Biohabitats and the people of Beefield community.

Biohabitats assessed the site and analyzed existing conditions including vegetation species, soils, morphological features, surface hydrology, habitat, ingress and egress, and surrounding context. Biohabitats then prepared a base map and a series of site analyses diagrams illustrating existing conditions, restoration opportunities and challenges, and preliminary programing ideas. Biohabitats and LLT led a robust community engagement effort including field visits and gatherings to help develop a vision for the future of the site that celebrates the area’s ecology, culture, Gullah Geechee heritage, and community history.

Based on the site analyses and community input, Biohabitats developed a list of programming elements to be included in the master plan. Preliminary programing for the site includes restoration of a maritime forest community, removal of invasive plant species, informal parking pads, cultural, ecological, and historical interpretation, and other community amenities including gardens and pavilions. Biohabitats helped prepare a draft and final master plan that illustrated concept alternatives for the site based on the community’s vision, accompanied by a summary of the planning process, programing elements, implementation timeframes, cost estimate, and next steps. Currently represented by LLT, ownership of the site will be transferred to the Battery Island Drive Neighborhood Association (BIDNA) upon completion of the project.

TAGS

• Ecological Restoration