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Planning commission denies storage-condominium rezoning after residents cite flood and traffic concerns
Summary
The commission voted to deny a rezoning for a 46-unit storage-condominium project on Saint Thomas Island Drive, with several residents arguing the site is in a FEMA AE flood zone and that rezoning would change neighborhood character and worsen drainage problems. The applicant was told the recommendation may be taken to county council.
The Berkeley County Planning Commission denied a rezoning request for a 7.6-acre parcel on Saint Thomas Island Drive that would have allowed development of approximately 46 private storage-condominium units.
Staff presented the proposal as a rezoning from R1MM (multisection manufactured residential) to General Commercial to permit individually owned, condominium-style storage units with plumbing stubbed and kitchens and restrooms installed (overnight stays prohibited). Staff noted roughly three acres of wetlands on the parcel and that the site lies in an AE flood zone with a base flood elevation of 10 feet. Staff recommended approval, saying the parcel falls within the neighborhood mixed-use and employment contexts of the future land use map and that a traffic impact analysis was not required for the rezoning stage.
Applicant Lee Janek (speaker 10) described the product as deeded storage-condominiums with full utilities and low traffic impact, telling commissioners the Mount Pleasant prototype sold out and that the units are designed so owners cannot live there: “They can. They’re they’re basically condominiums, which means you can't live there... it's written in our bylaws,” he said.
Nearby residents described long-standing drainage problems and said the neighborhood is primarily residential. Kevin Shaw (speaker 11) said the area and adjacent roads are in the AE flood zone and warned that adding impervious surfaces would worsen flooding and drainage for neighbors. Ronnie Shaw (speaker 9) said residents “don’t need this in our area” and described existing congestion after recent subdivisions.
Commissioners pressed the applicant on impervious-surface coverage, flood-mitigation plans and stormwater management; the applicant said approximately four acres would be developed and that catch basins and detention would be used and that the site would be raised to be out of the flood zone. Residents said they remain concerned about increased runoff and the long-term implication of rezoning the site to commercial.
After discussion, an initial commission vote produced multiple nays; the chair declared the nays had it and the motion failed at the planning commission level. A subsequent motion to deny the application passed by voice vote. Staff advised the applicant that the decision at the planning commission is a recommendation and that the applicant may pursue the matter at Berkeley County Council.
The commission also noted broader concerns about allowing commercial zoning in largely residential corridors and cautioned that rezoning can open the door to more intensive uses if the approved use does not proceed.
