When government changes those rights decades later, there can be consequences that reach beyond a zoning map.

It can affect the organization that received the original gift. It can frustrate the intentions of the family that made it. And it can send an unintended message to future donors: The asset you give today may not provide the same options tomorrow.

My family has lived, worked and invested in Mount Pleasant for generations. Detyens Shipyards was founded here in 1962. I have watched this community grow and change throughout my life, and I understand the town’s concerns about growth and density.

Those concerns are legitimate.

But schools, churches and nonprofits should not bear a disproportionate cost for addressing them.

These institutions are part of what makes Mount Pleasant a community rather than simply a collection of houses and businesses. They educate our children, support families, care for our neighbors, provide places of worship and respond when people need help.

Many exist today because people before us gave generously to make sure they would.

The town should exhaust other options before restricting the value and flexibility of property entrusted to these organizations. That should include examining property the town already owns and working individually with affected institutions to understand the history, circumstances and long-term implications for each property.

This isn’t simply about protecting one school or one piece of land.

It is about whether we honor the generosity that helped build this community — and whether we want the next generation to continue giving with the same confidence.

My grandfather believed enough in Trident Academy to give it something valuable.

Across Mount Pleasant, countless other families have done the same for organizations they loved.

We should be careful not to make those gifts worth less.

Loy Stewart Jr. is president of Detyens Shipyards, owner of Shipyard Park and a lifelong Mount Pleasant resident. His grandfather, William “Bill” Detyens, donated land to Trident Academy more than 50 years ago. More information about his concerns can be found at saveourlandrights.org.