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Board defers Adams Outdoor billboard request after debate over spacing, height and wetlands
Summary
Adams Outdoor sought multiple variances to place a billboard near I-26; the board debated county 1,000-foot spacing, DOT's 500-foot standard and wetlands spacing before the applicant withdrew a denial motion and asked to defer while working with DOT and adjusting dimensions.
Adams Outdoor’s request to install a 50-foot commercial billboard near I-26 drew several hours of questioning from the Berkeley County Board of Zoning Appeals before the applicant asked to defer the application for further coordination with the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Evan Williams, representing Adams Outdoor, described the site as a large, partly wooded parcel zoned for light industrial uses and said the company selected a corner location that it believes meets SCDOT spacing rules and will not harm wetlands. "If this is approved, there will be no impact whatsoever [on] any wetlands," Williams said, adding that the proposed single-pole sign requires minimal ground disturbance.
Board members repeatedly contrasted the county sign ordinance, which the board said requires 1,000-foot spacing between off-premise signs, with DOT’s 500-foot spacing. Several members pressed Adams to either reduce the sign height or move the location farther from the wetland and the adjacent sign the company already owns. At one point a board member moved to deny the multiple-variance request on grounds it asked for too many exceptions (height, spacing and wetland distance). The motion to deny was later withdrawn after the applicant said the company could consider lowering the height and working with DOT to confirm official measurements.
Elena Hopkins, Adams’ real-estate manager, told the board she could revise the siting to meet a 500-foot DOT measurement if necessary, but warned the company needs the county variance before it can obtain a DOT permit. The applicant and the board agreed to defer the item to allow Adams to (a) confirm exact SCDOT spacing calculations, (b) explore whether a 40-foot height would eliminate one of the requested variances, and (c) rework the location to reduce proximity to wetlands or tall trees.
The deferral removes the application from the board’s calendar for at least one month, allowing Adams to return with revised plans or additional documentation.
