[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6085011,"mediaKeyId","2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816","parentId",2906508,"title","BZA defers decision on short-term rental permit at Welch Avenue for further staff review","audioSeconds",5416,"startMs",1677000,"endMs",7093000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816&start=1677&end=7093","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816/thumbnail_1677000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6085011/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/BZA-defers-decision-on-short-term-rental-permit-at-Welch-Avenue-for-further-staff-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085011-b52512e1f019527a89fe4849ae6283c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151355&Signature=RYpfTWHVDSuwMlQzuIlLCpXvGTz1jhMYrcc~V9J-oGXcAFOPWhFpSlg5uRsm6-~tRuS9fLI3YAVudtOsTgJh1RIKsabNJjUq5UdZJskl3WFDr-9lOSPAwM-FUxElrJLXUdcyZXuKsCO6SLG17eNDQD~Ijode5s~KTRd3czmlCvJ5usJ81TVt0SGQ5Zlh0Jr675tJ3H5gQIGJ9SG-Hh8clIyrWw2YahbdkmuK1makSYXGG0JKn65Y49kSBpF95THvheOjmG83jA9BrIdBK96WoKoKbB~KCEVxx5Tnw2g6OrIi6FWpI96fHPTujxvvhs-diG7d1IgagBzTKQcrBn1elQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-09T06:32:40.52Z","article","The Board of Zoning and Appeals deferred action on a special-exception application to permit a short-term rental at 2173 Welch Avenue on April 7 after staff and several board members expressed uncertainty about how the property would be used and whether the application was the correct procedural path.

Applicant representatives said the property would be used primarily by employees of a fiber-optic construction company (Wolfline Construction) as an occasional corporate residence while teams were on site in Charleston. The applicant said the owners (a separate LLC) would receive payment from the company when employees used the property. The applicant said the property would not be advertised on public booking platforms and called the use a corporate residence rather than a public short-term rental.

Board members and staff questioned whether the proposed arrangement—an LLC-to-LLC accommodation with recurring stays for employees—was a short-term rental (which the county regulates and permits) or a different rental arrangement not requiring a short-term rental permit (for example, a longer-term lease or corporate housing). Staff representatives said they would need a more detailed letter of intent and a clearer operating plan (e.g., local property manager/contact, occupancy procedures, and whether the unit would be advertised publicly) to determine whether a short-term rental permit was required.

Because the record supplied with the application was general and did not clearly show how the property would be managed, the board voted to defer the case and asked staff to work with the applicant and the county legal office to clarify whether the short-term rental process was appropriate or whether another permitting pathway would be used. The applicant may return with a more detailed operating plan or withdraw the short-term rental application if it is unnecessary.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/07/2025 - Charleston County Board of Zoning Appeals","oneSentenceSummary","The board deferred a requested short-term rental (extended home rental) at 2173 Welch Avenue after questions about the ownership/use structure and whether the property should be treated as a short-term rental or a longer-term corporate lease.","taxTitle","Charleston County, South Carolina","taxId",3700,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6085016,"BZA splits decision on Covington subdivision tree variances; one variance approved, one denied",3285,1678000,4963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816&start=1678&end=4963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816/thumbnail_1678000.jpg","/articles/6085016/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/BZA-splits-decision-on-Covington-subdivision-tree-variances-one-variance-approved-one-denied","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085016-b583189b5c9593df56635321adf4f7be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151355&Signature=EOGQC29~0SBfK80Mc62cr40Lyj855j9bg4je07a6bM6OEye0dwYB1r9JiavGc9Ay9lwrTa~BJGrZbgLmmDjbSMnVIC0eXOUGR34l~5u8kYGGrRnesErhSkquL8MLB37Pp42T5NMOv9q7aZQjvtqe3EOab1QWphL1m8wi2sYtNNRI2kVDeAPrWI5juz2tLrhfYAR4HHjtb0rZJJLt23t6PEIw29nKq79hCTwIp6oI99BalO58YfuwQAmo1HSIu3~OXaJwxaib02bpWGhgw6uWQyPm6ii-Ij84nL0irkbXpjC1cdYDkbHvsz7MjVe0-65zqwKBIAxuGCyEoy8-ByPC3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Zoning and Appeals voted April 7 on a variance request tied to phase 3 of the Covington subdivision (Bessemer Road LLC). The applicant sought permission to remove two grand trees that are located in the proposed road/right-of-way alignment for the 40-lot subdivision on Hopkins Lane in the Phillips community.

Staff said the project had gone through multiple iterations and that the developer had reworked alignment and stormwater features to preserve clusters of grand trees, including creating a community gathering area to protect four large trees. Staff also noted they received nine public comments opposing removal of the trees and cautioned that the variance may arise from the applicant’s design choices (criterion 6).

The developer’s representatives explained they had revised the layout repeatedly to avoid tree impacts but that two trees (a 14–16-inch live oak grade B and a 27-inch willow oak grade A) remained in the road alignment; one of those trees sits essentially in the proposed right-of-way for the new road. The developer and their arborists told the board that minor adjustments to sidewalks or curving the road would still require substantial grading or fill that would likely render the trees nonviable.

Board members debated whether the road alignment could be changed without losing many lots and whether the applicant’s design choices created the need for the variance. The board first voted on the top tree (the live oak located nearer the upper portion of the plan) and approved that variance by a 4–3 vote. The board then separately considered the willow oak near Lot 26 and denied that variance unanimously, citing criterion 6 (the need for the variance appeared to result from the applicant’s site layout choices).

Staff had recommended mitigation conditions if the board approved removals, including inch-for-inch mitigation plantings or fund deposit to the Charleston County Tree Fund, installation of tree barricades, and certified-arborist monitoring during construction. The approved variance (top tree) carries those recommended conditions. The denied tree removal must be avoided or the applicant must redesign the plan.

The board’s divided decision reflected competing views among members about design alternatives, lot yield, and whether the request resulted from the applicant’s choices. The applicant was informed of the board’s separate decisions and next steps for permits and compliance.

","The board approved a variance for one grand tree but denied a second tree removal for a proposed 40-lot phase of the Covington subdivision after debate about alternative designs and tree preservation.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6085021,"BZA approves variance for James Island lot allowing removal of two large oak trees",1068,592000,1660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816&start=592&end=1660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906508-945cf88d6812394192289417f802f816/thumbnail_592000.jpg","/articles/6085021/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/BZA-approves-variance-for-James-Island-lot-allowing-removal-of-two-large-oak-trees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085021-b9254eb20c9e215f300df5f64e643c64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151355&Signature=BIhbdd3zkL1I6CUvVZ4DUsGQ8LhGltvBYXqL7ySttSMhfkhb1Q3Ny7qDNF5559NDjc3ZTAsrAzpJVK9Iqtt8nqAEUoVwJoDKhS413kZANp5OsKp1t-PIGRaUZeUa6XisHyGcDbuCfDRmkEJQ~2F~OdCz~tYWMOdOEvHrNMO1OrJk3jDZzrpeq4I-JHQP0OATO8nrG~70UMxR3WO27sJfSUUTzGkMeCIp54qlPnPfJzPuC-RiERgFKlXJwTiIJvF8oFG-gknl6pLBV83rf9UYOFCcnEkySnMZtKbqtJKaEdOuv31Nvidez7CmDAjY5aveMnD9AfZG3CsXPY3Tw8qsaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A variance allowing the removal of two grand trees on a James Island lot to make way for a proposed single-family home was unanimously approved by the Charleston County Board of Zoning and Appeals on April 7.

The variance lets applicant Jay Marshall Milligan (Tiger Double LLC) remove two grand trees — a 24-inch red maple and a live oak measured at about 24–28 inches diameter at breast height — on a 0.71-acre vacant parcel at 311 Papa Charlie Way. Milligan told the board his builder revised multiple house footprints in an effort to preserve trees but that none of the smaller plans would avoid impacting those two trees.

Board staff presented the revised plan showing the applicant preserved a 32-inch Darlington oak and several other grand trees while asking to remove the two highlighted trees. Staff recommended the board could approve the variance subject to mitigation: (1) submit and implement a mitigation plan or deposit funds to the Charleston County Tree Fund equal to inch-for-inch replacement per Section 9.2.6 of the Charleston County Zoning and Land Development Regulations Ordinance; (2) install chain-link tree barricades around protected trees within 40 feet of disturbance; and (3) retain a certified arborist to monitor trees within 40 feet of disturbance during construction.

“We went back to the drawing board from the first hearing,” applicant Marshall Milligan said, describing efforts to move the driveway and house location to preserve a larger oak and reduce the number of trees requested for removal from earlier submittals. Milligan said the property was purchased in 2023 and that the house footprint in the current filing is about 2,500 square feet.

In discussion, board members repeatedly noted the applicant reduced his original request and credited staff work that resulted in preserving more trees. A motion to approve the variance was made and seconded; the board voted unanimously to grant the request with the three staff-recommended conditions. Staff told the applicant the BZA’s final decision will be mailed within 10 working days and that approved variances are valid for 12 months, with a one-year extension possible if construction is diligently pursued.

The applicant must obtain any required permits and implement the mitigation and tree-protection measures before removal or construction proceeds.

The decision was recorded as a final action by the Board of Zoning and Appeals.

","The Charleston County Board of Zoning and Appeals unanimously approved a variance allowing the removal of two grand trees on a heavily wooded James Island lot so a single-family house can be built; the applicant must follow mitigation and tree-protection conditions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

BZA defers decision on short-term rental permit at Welch Avenue for further staff review

BZA splits decision on Covington subdivision tree variances; one variance approved, one denied

BZA approves variance for James Island lot allowing removal of two large oak trees