Charleston County HPC considers rule change to defer tie votes on applications to next meeting

The Charleston County Historic Preservation Commission discussed a proposed amendment to its rules and procedures that would require applications resulting in a tie vote to be deferred to the next Historic Preservation Commission meeting for reconsideration.

Staff presented draft language that would apply only to applications — designations, removal of designation, amendments, area character appraisals and certificates of historic appropriateness — and would defer a tied application to the next HPC agenda for another vote. The language as drafted does not explicitly apply to elections of officers, though commissioners discussed whether elections should be included. Assistant county attorney Mark Bell advised commissioners that the body’s purview is the architectural and character issues on applications and reminded members that zoning compliance is not the commission’s consideration; he added that the proposed tie‑vote process aims to encourage full membership attendance at decisive votes. Commissioners did not vote on the rule change at the meeting; the proposal will return for a formal vote at the next meeting.