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Planning commission denies rezoning for 49‑unit townhouse project after strong neighborhood opposition
Summary
Berkeley County planning commissioners denied a request to rezone roughly 4.6 acres to allow a 49‑unit townhouse development after residents raised traffic, access and sewer concerns and presented a petition opposing the project.
SUMMERVILLE/OLD SOMERVILLE AREA, S.C. — The Berkeley County Planning Commission voted on Aug. 26 to deny a rezoning request from Dennis Avery and Silverbird LLC that would have changed about 4.6 acres from manufactured residential (R2) to office/institutional (OI) to accommodate a proposed 49‑unit townhouse development.
Staff presented the request and said the OI district can support attached residential uses and that staff found the proposal consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan for the growth corridor. The applicant’s team described the plan as 49 attached units, each to be separately deeded, and said the project would be deed‑restricted to attached housing and could provide housing at a price point the applicant described as lower than recent townhouse sales in the area.
However, neighbors strongly opposed the rezoning. Joanne Reinhart, speaking for a group of neighbors, said the site backs onto “the only one‑way access to our neighborhood,” described a small community of about 30 homes, and said most residents are senior citizens who fear additional traffic and loss of community character. Reinhart said she submitted a petition with about 62 signatures and told the commission many neighbors had not been individually notified beyond posted signs.
Other residents, including Tommy Newell, said the scale of 49 units would add excessive vehicle trips to already congested intersections and that nearby schools and streets lack capacity. Commissioners asked detailed questions about access points, buffers, whether the development would require a lift station for sewer and the number of existing driveways on Old Somerville Road.
After public comment and board discussion, a motion to deny the rezoning carried. Commissioners and staff reminded the applicant that the commission’s vote provides a recommendation to County Council, which may reach a different conclusion; staff encouraged the applicant to continue outreach and meet with council members about affordable‑housing strategies.
Quotes: "The only one way access to our neighborhood… The majority of all the residents in our neighborhood are senior citizens," Joanne Reinhart told the commission. Applicant Dan Henderson said the project would have two access points off Foreigner and Old Somerville and described the plan as 49 townhouses targeted at a lower price point than nearby townhomes.
What’s next: The planning commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to Berkeley County Council for final action; staff advised continued community engagement and encouraged the applicant to address neighbors’ access and infrastructure concerns before any council hearing.
