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Residents urge council to reconsider Mulmar/Orange Grove rezoning over traffic and safety concerns
Summary
Neighbors near the Mulmar and Orange Grove intersection told Charleston County Council they fear increased danger from a rezoning that would add houses near a narrow, offset intersection used by school buses and local traffic.
Multiple residents addressed Charleston County Council during public comment Tuesday to urge reconsideration of a rezoning affecting Mulmar Street and Orange Grove Road, saying the nearby intersection is already hazardous and will not safely accommodate additional houses.
Residents described a narrow, offset intersection where sight lines are limited and where school buses and children use a nearby bus stop. "If you have gone up and down Orange Grove Road, you will see that Mulmar is here. Across the road, 5 feet down is the intersection," resident Kathleen Duncan said, asking the council to "please consider the children." She told council she almost was hit on her way to the meeting and that the county and SCDOT have limited ability to install traffic calming such as speed humps at that location.
Other speakers described the neighborhood as formerly rural and said they chose it for that character; they said the rezoning would bring more traffic and possible short‑term rental activity that could worsen congestion. Trill Norris, who lives on Mulmar Street, said residents do not have resources to prepare PowerPoint zoning defenses and urged the council to "rethink the rezoning area." John Marshner, another resident, said the area was rural when he moved there and asked council to reconsider plans that would change that character.
Why it matters: neighbors say traffic and safety at a constrained intersection and school bus stop create an immediate concern for children and older residents; the remarks were part of the public comment record on zoning matters and will be considered by council as it proceeds through the rezoning process.
Key resident concerns
- Intersection safety at Mulmar and Orange Grove, limited sight distances and the presence of a school bus stop.
- Concerns that short‑term rental units tied to any rezoning would increase traffic and not be regulated the same way as county‑approved short‑term rentals.
- Doubts about whether a developer who promised to build and live in a residence on the property will follow through.
Process status
- The speakers addressed the council during the public comment portion of a noticed hearing and urged the council to postpone or reconsider rezoning steps affecting the area. Council responses recorded in the meeting referenced follow‑up correspondence but did not record a final council decision on the specific Mulmar/Orange Grove rezoning during the session.
