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Charleston County planning panel upholds staff denial of Grantham Homes subdivision on Johns Island
Summary
The Charleston County Planning Commission voted to accept staff findings and deny an appeal from Grantham Homes to subdivide a 0.82-acre R4 parcel at 2762 Burden/Burton Creek Road, concluding the plat did not meet waterfront lot‑width standards under the ZLDR.
The Charleston County Planning Commission on a unanimous vote accepted staff findings and denied an appeal from Grantham Homes seeking approval of a two‑lot subdivision for a parcel on Burton/Burden Creek Road on Johns Island.
Tamara Avery of subdivision staff told commissioners the proposed plat (SVDV‑04‑25‑03065) did not comply with Charleston County’s Zoning and Land Development Regulations (ZLDR) waterfront standards. Avery said the parcel is 160 feet wide, waterfront standards require a minimum lot width of 90 feet and a lot‑width average of 100 feet, and even a 10% administrative reduction would require 180 feet — more than the existing width.
Applicant Charles Jason Ray of Grantham Homes argued the proposed two‑lot layout created one conforming waterfront lot and one non‑waterfront lot and that staff’s recommendation to “stack” lots would not match the neighborhood or the streetscape. Ray said his plat retained an existing dock and trees and would avoid the privacy and orientation issues the staff‑recommended layout would create.
During public comment, Gary Worth, a representative of the Burton Creek Homeowners Association, urged the commission to deny the request and accused the builder of previously benefiting from a county error that allowed multiple houses on lots that should have allowed only one. Jim Morrissey, with Grantham Homes, responded that the staff‑recommended orientation was “bizarre” and that the applicant’s proposal better matched adjacent properties. John Zlogar of the Johns Island Task Force urged commissioners to follow staff recommendations.
After staff recited the review history and cited ZLDR sections 4.12.3 and 4.24.1, the commission moved to accept staff’s recommendation that the administrative official did not err. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about alternate lot configurations (flag lots and ingress/egress easements) and were told such configurations can meet ordinance criteria but were not proposed here.
The commission’s vote to accept staff recommendations was recorded as passing with the ayes recorded by the commissioners present. The commission’s decision is final; parties with substantial interest may appeal to the Circuit Court of Charleston County within 30 days.
Next steps: the applicant may revise the plat or pursue other pathways consistent with the ZLDR if they choose to reapply.
