Planning board approves variances to pave and expand two Johns Island club parking lots

The Planning, Zoning and Variance Board voted to approve variances allowing permanent paving and expansion of two parking lots at the Johns Island Club — the Chapin lot and the Clarkson Lane lot — after hearing from the applicant and town staff.

Town staff told the board that "the town has no objection in its totality" to both requests, while noting the two applications must be considered separately under the town's permit process. August Ford, a landscape architect representing the club, said the work responds to a local parking shortage: "we have a real parking situation" and the proposals focus on "making sure that we have parking areas that are safe," he said. Ford told the board the Chapin lot would be expanded from 42 dirt…