The Charleston County Planning and Public Works Committee deferred consideration of a zoning request for property on Orange Grove Road to its next meeting so residents and the applicant can continue talks.

Committee chair Pryor and council members discussed concerns raised during a prior public hearing and said neighbors wanted more time to meet with the developer. Councilman Moody moved to defer the item; Councilman Boykin seconded the motion. The committee voted to defer the zoning request to the next committee meeting; the chair said the deferral would be entered on the public record.

Council members noted the site is in unincorporated Charleston County and warned the applicant could pursue annexation into the City of Charleston if the county's zoning outcome was not favorable, which could change development density. Members said the neighbors' concerns about the scale of the proposed development were "legitimate and valid" and that the deferral was intended to give both sides a chance to find a palatable solution.

The chair instructed staff to record the motion and the deferral. No final zoning decision was made; the item will return at the next Planning and Public Works Committee meeting for further consideration.