Charleston County commissioner proposes ZLDR changes on lighting, off‑site parking, traffic studies and PD workshops

Commissioner Luke Morris introduced four proposed amendments to the Charleston County Zoning and Land Development Regulations (ZLDR) during a Planning Commission meeting, asking staff to study changes to site lighting standards, the allowable distance for off‑site parking, the scope of traffic impact studies and the requirement for conceptual planned‑development workshops.

The proposals are intended to update the ZLDR language to reflect current lighting technology, provide more flexibility for shared parking within the county's urban growth boundary, emphasize pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in traffic studies, and require early conceptual workshops for all planned developments so access and connectivity can be discussed before detailed design begins.

Morris, a commissioner, said the first proposal would revise site lighting requirements that currently require shielding of the light source or bulbs. "The first 1 was, ZLDR, site lighting requirements. So, essentially, they require shielding of, you know, the light source or…