Beaufort County tract, subject of lawsuit, will be preserved

A tract of rural land in Beaufort County that has long been the center of development disputes will now be preserved.

The 95-acre Mobley tract will be bought and managed by Beaufort County Rural and Critical Lands program and the Port Royal Sound Foundation, The Beaufort Gazette reports.

The county is paying $2.5 million and the foundation contributing $800,000. The property is along S.C. 170 between Beaufort and Hilton Head Island.

A decade ago the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League sued the town of Port Royal, the developers and property owners over annexation and zoning. The dispute was settled with an agreement to allow only 125 homes.

Conservationists say the purchase from a Charleston company will help protect Port Royal Sound and the Chechessee River.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 11:42 PM with the headline "Beaufort County tract, subject of lawsuit, will be preserved."