Residents oppose rezoning request for Orange Grove Road parcel, citing traffic and safety concerns

Charleston County Council held a public hearing May 13 on a request to rezone 1488 Orange Grove Road (TMS 352-13-069) from the R4 zoning district to UR, a change staff said would allow greater housing density and a broader mix of housing types.

County planning staff told council the property is 0.5 acres inside the county's urban growth boundary and that the comprehensive plan designates the site for the urban/suburban mixed-use category. Staff said R4 allows approximately 4 dwelling units per acre while the requested UR zoning allows up to 16 units per acre, and concluded that criteria A and B "may have been met" and recommended approval. The presentation noted site constraints and development standards would likely limit how many units could actually be built.

The matter drew multiple speakers from the adjacent Mulmar Street neighborhood, who opposed the rezoning on traffic and safety grounds. "Mulmar is a small residential street that already shoulders more traffic than normal because of the large apartment complex," said Catherine Redd, a Mulmar Street resident. "Adding a new townhouse development with a driveway accessing it on Mulmar will only worsen an already problematic situation." Kathleen Duncan, another nearby resident, said it was hard to find clear information about the proposal: "I did not find out about this until the zoning sign went up," and described difficulty locating ordinance text and staffing to answer questions.

Several neighbors described daily congestion at the intersection of Orange Grove and Sam Rittenberg and said a bus stop and school bus activity near the corner make additional curb cuts and vehicle traffic unsafe. "There are kids waiting at the bus stop at the corner and school buses coming and going. It's already a dangerous situation," Redd said. Multiple speakers also reported speeding on adjacent streets and asked for more enforcement before additional development.

The applicant, who identified himself as a residential builder working in West Ashley, said the proposal would add a small number of townhome units and argued the project responds to local affordability pressure. He told council the median income for ZIP code 29407 supports a mortgage roughly half of current average sale prices and that the block is underrepresented for for-sale townhome options. He said his conceptual plan assumed six new units and estimated the added traffic would amount to well under 1% of current daily volumes on Orange Grove, which he cited as about 10,800 vehicles per day.

County planning staff noted the subject property currently contains a single-family residence and a storage structure; parcels across Malmar/Mulmar Street and Orange Grove include apartment complexes and single-family houses in both city and unincorporated county jurisdiction. Staff also pointed out that the parcel's small size, setbacks, buffers, parking requirements and stormwater rules would likely reduce the theoretical maximum number of units that UR zoning would allow.

No formal council vote on the rezoning was recorded during the public hearing segment. The staff presentation and the public comments were entered into the record, and council members asked staff and the applicant questions about access, curb cuts, and coordination with the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Counseling members encouraged neighbors to track subsequent procedural steps. Chairman Kylon Jerome Middleton and staff reminded speakers that further permit-level reviews and any required state reviews (for example, DOT access approvals) would follow the county's land-development and stormwater processes.

The public hearing segment concluded with the case noticed as required and the applicant and neighbors advised about subsequent administrative steps and any future council or board actions.

Local residents asked for additional traffic enforcement and clearer communication about permit or access requests. Planning staff said typical constraints and permitting requirements would apply to any future development under the requested zoning.