> The same thing happend to Hilton Head Island, SC. Most of the south end has become a gated community.

Hilton Head native here, I don't think the HHI history is quite the same. Prior to Fraser kicking off the island as we know it in the '50s, it was basically just a handful of Freedmen farmers, Gullah natives and a rather large hunting reserve for the rich. Also, while some of the gated communities don't allow the riff-raff in, unless you decide to bike or make a restaurant reservation, some still do, most notably Sea Pines.

Also, the Town of is rather cognizant of their place as a very natural, family-friendly island and goes to great pains to preserve land[0] and limit what and how folks build[1][2] to preserve the nature of the island.

I think Kiawah or Seabrook up the coast make for a more apt comparison.

> Hunting Island, SC as well - Fripp Island is a gated community.

Wait, Hunting Island and Fripp Island are discrete, separate islands with Hunting Island being a State Park. What's the problem with Hunting Island?

[0] - https://www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/council/landacquisition.c...

[1] - https://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david...

[2] - https://www.islandpacket.com/news/business/article33627555.h...