Council annexes 11‑acre Venning Road tract and approves PD amendment to allow outdoor storage with expanded buffers

Mount Pleasant leaders approved first reading of an annexation and an accompanying amendment to the Central Mount Pleasant plan development on March 11 to incorporate an 11.‑plus‑acre tract on Venning Road and permit outdoor storage on a portion of the site.

Planning staff described the tract as currently in Charleston County and zoned R‑4 (four units per acre) in the county; the parcel includes three tall radio towers and significant overhead guy wires that limit buildable area. The applicant proposed using the remaining developable land for outdoor storage — not buildings or warehouses — with a required 25‑foot planted perimeter buffer and an increased 50‑foot roadside buffer along Venning Road in the committee recommendations.

Council discussion focused on how the buffers would interact with existing access and with neighboring Laurel Lake subdivisions. Councilmember (Miss) Brownstein asked whether the 50‑foot roadside buffer would eliminate a triangular portion of land near the existing access; planning staff and the applicant explained how required easements, the overhead power line clearance areas and the buffer would be arranged. Planning staff said the committee recommended not requiring a pedestrian path around an on‑site lake and instead sought a larger roadside buffer and additional landscape study for the site.

Councilmember Whitley suggested retaining a small triangular area as natural open space to protect adjacent homes; Brownstein and other council members asked the developer to address the protection of backyards and confirm whether lighting and security would be required. Planning staff said the site will require a 25‑foot planted buffer around the perimeter and a tree‑calculation requirement of 60 inches of caliper per acre (a standard tree‑replacement/planting metric for commercial projects). Staff also said the drive aisles and parking areas were expected to use pervious material subject to staff approval and that any lighting plan would be reviewed by the Design Review Board.

The council approved the annexation (ordinance number 25013) on first reading without recorded opposition. The subsequent PD amendment (ordinance number 25014) passed on first reading with a recorded vote of 7‑1; the single recorded no vote was noted during the meeting.

Council and staff instructed the applicant to coordinate with planning staff on buffer placement, landscaping and access details ahead of the second reading and final permitting.