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820 A Paris Avenue
Port Royal, SC 29935 |
Email: portroyal@apexrealty.com |
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Photos, Port Development detailed info, and other Port Royal info This data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Weichert, Realtors - Apex Realty.
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The Master Plan for Port Royal is a visualization of what the Town should physically become as it grows and changes. It is intended to be understood primarily through drawings and other graphics. The central document of the Plan is the Idealized Buildout map for the traditional town core. This map shows:
- how key private properties may be lucratively developed;
- how the existing settlement may be made more complete, more economically vital and its tax base more sustainable;
- how existing and future rights-of-way are to be aligned or reconstructed; and
- how other significant public spaces, civic buildings and open space are to work together as an integrated system.
 The Plan is about growth and change, but it is also about preservation and conservation. The drawings and policy recommendations are intended to reconcile the pressures for development of the Town's economic potential on one hand and the desire to protect the features which make the place special on the other. This "balancing" is to be accomplished by channeling development into physical forms and locations within the natural and historic setting which continue the urban traditions and time-tested forms found in the best that the community has inherited. Decisions about new development should be based, both architecturally and urbanistically, on the historic examples found in Port Royal and the other small towns of the Low Country. Grow more, but grow more of what Port Royal is; in this way the Town will become more complete and improve without losing its identity.
The Plan also responds to the challenge facing all of Beaufort County as a result of phenomenal growth in both population and housing demand. Sprawl is the worst enemy of both town and countryside. The Master Plan for Port Royal should therefore also be seen as one part of a region-wide growth management strategy: by making infill acceptable and desirable once again in the already-settled areas, the Town does its part to discourage sprawl.
The Plan responds to and integrates the many projects already underway. This booklet is intended to accompany the drawings as a guide to the concepts, and also contains text material not found explicitly on the drawings.
 The Basic Ideas
The most important ideas in the Plan are that:
1. The traditional neighborhood structure of the public realm should be reinforced with each new building and each preservation effort;
2. The mix of land uses should be primarily market-driven, and convenient distribution of daily needs within walking distance should be fostered;
3. Streets are for people, not just cars, and dependence on and dominance of the automobile should be reduced;
4. A diverse range of household incomes should be encouraged with dignified forms of both affordable and market-rate housing;
5. The two sides of the Town, divided by Ribaut Road, should be spatially and psychologically rejoined; and
6. Connection to the surrounding natural environment should be maximized, with public access to the waterfronts and clear vistas to the marshes.
 Street & Neighborhood Design Principles
a. Streets are public spaces. Pedestrians' needs shall have priority over those of motorists. Cars should be optional here, not a prerequisite to survival.
b. Streets must be safe: Buildings should create public spaces that are clearly watched over. Traffic behavior should be "calmed" through design.
c. Streets must be shaded and beautiful: The tree canopy over the streets should be restored where absent, using native trees with regular spacing.
d. Streets are multipurpose: a place to drive, yes, but also perhaps a place to shop or sell, park, stroll or jog, greet friends, and hold a parade.
e. Streets should form an interconnected, rational network providing several convenient routes to each destination. Blocks should be small.
f. Buildings should be placed along their streets consistently to create harmony.
g. There should be a clear edge between the public and private spaces. Clearly defined private outdoor spaces should be associated with each dwelling.
h. Lots should have clear fronts and backs. Service areas should be screened. Driveways and garages should be placed to the side or rear, not in front.
i. Special sites should be reserved for civic buildings, as symbols of community permanence and pride. The best sites are geometrically formal, such as the end of a street vista or anchoring a public square.
j. Parking is a normal part of public infrastructure.
 Policy Principles
k. Physical reconditioning of these neighborhoods is not a luxury, it is a necessary investment. A sustained financial commitment to realizing the plan must be made.
l. Land development regulations should respect a flexible mix of land uses, allowing the market to operate naturally over time. Regulations shall focus instead on fundamental design issues, such as the proper placement of buildings on their sites.
m. There should be a range of dwellings of various sizes and types to own or rent.
Architectural Design Principles
n. Buildings should be designed for the Low Country climate, incorporating time-tested elements that conserve energy and extend durability. Examples: metal roofs, porches, & raised foundations.
o. Houses should have porches to encourage contact with the neighbors.
p. Shopfront buildings should provide awnings, canopies, or arcades and colonnades to protect pedestrians from sudden storms and the hot sun.
q. The position and proportion of the building in relation to the public space is far more important than the uses inside it or the style of its architecture.
 The Traditional Town Core
Port Royal has areas that were developed prior to World War II which retain a small town urban pattern, as well as areas that were developed later following a suburban sprawl pattern, and still more areas which await the first generation of development. The Traditional Town core of Port Royal is defined in this Master Plan as that area which is already developed in a traditional pattern (centered on Paris Avenue) plus several adjacent areas which should be developed or logically redeveloped following the traditional pattern.
"Undiscovered" by outsiders for many years, the Traditional Town core is one of the greatest assets of the community. Here the hometown & maritime images are established; here the neighbors gather for special events; the collection of historic and architecturally appealing buildings is concentrated here; the infrastructure is the most efficient; the layout itself is most resilient for renewal over many generations, most energy efficient, most walkable and most logical; many trees are also mature, and the views are spectacular. And now it has been rediscovered-- hence here also is a concentration of private reinvestment in infill development, preservation, and cultural revival. The Traditional Town core is where the action is.
The Master Plan is assembled from many design concepts and small projects that are intended to reinforce the Traditional Town core. These include:
Town Hall Square
Town Hall Tower
South Paris Avenue
Port Royal Elementary School
Roundabout
16th Street
Corner Stores
Ribaut Road
New Public Buildings
Public Waterfront / Marshfront
Greenways |
Map of Port Royal by Expedia or by Mapquest
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