Bluffton looks to add horse-drawn carriages (update x4: temporary approval)

Flickr user pocketwiley
In Charleston they're big business, and surprisingly controversial too.

Updates at the bottom, First reporting October 4: I get why the Town of Bluffton needs to put regulations in place, I just don't know what folks will look at from a carriage in Bluffton.

Yes, that low blow is in jest. To be fair there is a good deal of history there, in fact there's a history lecture on Tuesday.

The Island Packet has a good rundown of the regulation issues the town is looking into.

Update October 18, more pondering: Perhaps mirroring my sentiment, The Island Packet's Tim Hager has penned a column asking what's the logical sticking point to bring the horse tour to Bluffton and offering a piecemeal of arguments against it.

Take a read of his piece here.

One of the things that may help draw the horse tours to reality is any desire Bluffton has to become a "legitimate" historic attraction -- if your town is giving horse drawn tours, how can you not have oodles of history?

Update October 26, Georgetown too: And now it looks like even Georgetown is looking to allow horse drawn carriages.

Take a read of the report at The Georgetown Times.

Update December 13, vote coming: The outcome of a November workshop is a proposed ordinance that would allow for horse carriage tours, and it's up for a vote on Tuesday, December 14. 

The Island Packet has a nice report about the situation and feeling leading up to the vote; take a read here.

You can read the proposed ordinance here, and meeting agenda here.

Update December 15: The Island Packet is reporting temporary approval from council pending further review -- but to get
started the tour operators will need to pony up at least $26,000 to pay
for police oversight.

Get the details in the Packet's report here.