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Driving west toward Savannah on SC 46, a simple, unassuming wooden sign designates the entrance to Palmetto Bluff.
Looking somewhat like a sign for a summer camp, the marker reveals little about what awaits visitors who traverse the nearly eight-mile drive to the heart of the Bluffton-area community. What lies ahead along the secluded, tree-lined entrance road is an expansive refuge and southern gem that seems to transcend time, while fusing it with the luxuries of modern life. The first glimpse of this fusion comes about four miles in at the “Greeters Cottage” where visitors are welcomed with a smile and offered a CD detailing the history of the 20,000-acre property and its former inhabitants – from Native Americans and early explorers to wealthy New York financier Richard T. Wilson, Jr. – who is responsible for naming Palmetto Bluff and constructing the elegant, 72-room Palmetto Lodge in 1914.
Some visitors may be surprised, not by this convenient history lesson, but by the ease with which the community opens its doors.
However, this level of public access was an early decision made by Palmetto Bluff developer Crescent Resources during the planning stages for the property, which they purchased in 2000 and opened in 2004.
“We welcome people to Palmetto Bluff, as opposed to others who just won’t let you in,” said Palmetto Bluff General Manager and COO William Peacher. While some of the community’s residential areas, such as its Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, the May River Golf Club, are private, Palmetto Bluff’s village and many of its amenities are open to the public. Tommy Baysden, Vice President of Marketing for Palmetto Bluff, said this was a key decision for the community’s development.
“You can’t have a real village without real people in it,” Baysden said. So, that’s how the “heart” of what is now Palmetto Bluff began just two years ago – with the creation of its riverside village community, Wilson, featuring a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere with serene views of the May River.
Wilson’s public dock, which faces the back of Hilton Head Island’s Windmill Harbor across the river, is a popular gathering place to view evening dolphin feedings. “It’s one of two places in the whole county that (the public) can go see the May River,” Baysden said.
Crescent Resources developers researched a variety of appealing Southern towns and villages, such as Beaufort and Summerville, SC and Madison, GA, when developing the land plan for Palmetto Bluff’s village.
It is a throwback to riverside towns of the past, Peacher said.
Among some of its current attractions are the Morris and Whiteside Art Gallery, history center and Buffalo’s Books and Bakery, which serves a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches and hosts live musicians on some weekends. Just a few steps away are the village’s post office and real estate office, and plans for more retail space are ongoing.
Behind Buffalo’s, construction is currently under way for Boat House Row, a mixed-use commercial and residential development influenced by Charleston’s Historic Battery area. The row will consist of specialty shops set below seven residences overlooking the river. These residences are expected to be some of the most sought after in Palmetto Bluff, Baysden said. Just down the row is one of the village’s most prominent landmarks thus far, the Chapel at Palmetto Bluff – which will host more than 50 weddings this year, Baysden said.
Influenced by a chapel on Edisto Island, the old-fashioned copper-roofed structure has pews handcrafted from 3,000 lbs. of refurbished Antique Heart Pine recovered from a New York City building destroyed by the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Crossing over the village green and its prominent remnants of Palmetto Lodge, which burned in 1926 prompting a devastated Wilson to sell his property to the Union Bag and Paper Co. (later known as Union Camp), sits the Inn at Palmetto Bluff. The 50-room inn, River House Restaurant, spa and May River Golf Club are all run by Auberge Resorts. With the exception of the golf club – which is private – all are open to the public via reservations.
Baysden said Palmetto Bluff’s developers wanted experts to run all hospitality aspects of Palmetto Bluff, so Auberge – an award-winning operator of small luxury hotels with a flagship property in Napa Valley – was a prime choice. “We’ve been thoroughly pleased with what they’ve done,” Baysden said. The inn’s “rooms” – all of which offer views of the river or freshwater – are much more akin to private cottages with rich, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and gas fireplaces. They’re adorned with surprises too, such as original paintings, bird watching books, binoculars and even bug spray. The inn also offers cottage suites and rents homes in the village. For additional relaxation and pampering, Palmetto Bluff’s spa specializes in a variety of luxury treatments and therapy packages. The spa is open to residents, guests and the public by reservation only.
“A good portion of our clientele comes from Hilton Head,” Baysden said. Palmetto Bluff’s inn and spa strive for guests to get away from it all – a luxury that hasn’t gone unnoticed by celebrities and various VIPs. Although Baysden declined to “name drop” the slew of celebrities who have been rumored to visit Palmetto Bluff, he did reveal a few companies that have rented out the inn – including Exxon Mobil, Ford and Goldman Sachs.
As a growing community, Palmetto Bluff also offers people a chance to make their stay more permanent. While most of the village homes are currently run by the inn, Palmetto Bluff has also developed two neighborhoods in accordance with its town-and-country concept. The first is the 400-acre Headwaters neighborhood, a low-density development that has ten home sites. Peacher said Headwaters allowed Palmetto Bluff to create a product that would appeal to people who want to build a family legacy through a family compound.
The 1,500-acre May River Forest neighborhood has 250 home sites ranging in size from 1-8 acres, the size of which depended on geographic barriers and preservation for areas such as wetlands. “The land dictated the land plan,” Peacher said. “We preserved key pieces of geography. It was environmentally the right thing to do.”
Since its opening two years ago, Palmetto Bluff real estate was primarily marketed toward buyers looking for second homes, Peacher said. He said the community currently has about eight-ten permanent households – a number that, with at least 50 homes under construction, will soon change. “We’re looking for more permanence,” Peacher said.
Along with more residents, more amenities will come as well. About 170 acres have been dedicated for the Palmetto Bluff Equestrian Center scheduled to open next summer.An additional neighborhood is currently being planned near the center, which will eventually be a residents-only facility, Peacher said. Also scheduled for 2007 is the completion of Wilson’s Landing – a center dedicated to various aquatic recreation and social pursuits.
It will feature a 260-foot dock, a boat storage building with 88 rack spaces to accommodate boats up to 36 feet in length, a boating store and the private Canoe and Kayak Club, which will include boat storage and a casual waterfront restaurant.
Also on the way is the Palmetto Bluff Fitness Club, which will feature a pool plus yoga and movement studios along the water. The club will be available to residents and their guests, who currently share the inn’s pool and fitness facilities with guests of the inn. A tennis center, sports campus and general store are also in development for Palmetto Bluff’s West Village.
As one of the highest bluffs in the Lowcountry, Palmetto Bluff’s charming views and cool evening breezes invoke a peaceful and content feeling for any visitor.
For more information, visit www.palmetto-bluff.com.
- Total # Homes : 497
- Total # Villas : 1
- Total # Lots : 497
- POA Home/Villa : $7300
- POA Fee Lot : $6050
- Transfer Fee : Yes, 1% of sales price
- Boat Storage : YES
- Club House : YES
- Community Dock : YES
- Community Pool : YES
- Deep Water Access : YES
- Fitness Center : YES
- Leisure Trails : YES
- Security Gate/Guard : YES
- Stables : YES
- URL : www.palmetto-bluff.com
- Tennis : YES
Communities 