CANE ISLAND, S.C. () — A retired daffodil farm could soon be replaced by hundreds of homes.

As Beaufort’s population grows, so does the push for development.

“Cane Island was always the crown jewel, if you will, of the family properties. It’s the place where everybody shot their first deer, shot their first duck, where you just enjoy walking in the woods and it’s just a special, special place,” said John Trask, grandson of the original daffodil farm owners who bought the land in the 1960’s.

Its specialty has remained as it’s the last sea island in Beaufort to remain untouched. The only thing left as of now are the few leftover daffodils that still peak from what was once a thriving daffodil farm owned by the Trask family.

Eventually, that farm would hang up its shears and sell the property off to developers.

“When my grandmother died about 20 years ago, the farm and the island and some other properties were sold for estate reasons,” said Trask. “A gentleman from Spartanburg, South Carolina, bought it and subsequently sold it to the group that has it now.”

The developers who bought it then still own it now, grandfathering them into their newly announced plans to develop – without public input.

Beaufort city officials said in a statement,

“The approved development on Cane Island is governed by a longstanding Planned Unit Development and Development Agreement between the property owners and the City, established decades ago. These agreements define the development’s density and standards, taking legal precedence over current city zoning regulations, density limits, and review processes. As a result, these projects have a vested right to proceed as outlined in the agreements and are not subject to public review.”

“As someone who spent their childhood there, of course, it’s always a little sad to see a change like that. But if there’s going to be a change, I can’t think of a better one,” said Trask.

His familial ties to the island made it difficult to see the change finally come to fruition. Though he said, he has kept up with the new developers, who are wanting the island to remain as close to what it is now.  

“One thing that warms my heart is that the folks that are going to develop it now are going to honor that history and are going to weave it into the fabric of their development.”

We have reached out to the developers who say they are staying true to the island’s natural environment. They are almost done with their renderings on the project and have plans to speak with soon on exactly what’s going to come to Cane Island.

Stay with this story in the couple of weeks to learn more about the new development.