Historic preservation commission approves Take 5 oil change near Saint Mark’s UME Church over objections

The Charleston County Historic Preservation Commission voted May 21 to approve a certificate of historic appropriateness for a 1,500-square-foot Take 5 Oil Change facility proposed at 3675 Savannah Highway, a property that falls partially within a 300-foot buffer of Saint Mark’s Union Methodist Episcopal Church.

Staff presented the application and recommended approval with a condition that any major changes be processed under section 21-5(m) (modifications to approved certificates). Staff noted that only a small sliver of the site — 2,770 square feet (about 0.06 acre) — lies inside the 300-foot buffer around the church, and that most construction would be sited closer to Savannah Highway where it would not be visible from the church. Staff also reported the parcel is in flood zones AE and shaded X and that prior related approvals for the parcel…