North Charleston panel denies contingent rezoning for two Dorchester Road parcels

The North Charleston Planning Commission voted 4-2 at its March meeting to deny a staff-recommended, contingent rezoning of two vacant parcels at 3913 and 3917 Dorchester Road.

Chair Sharon Reed said the commission heard a staff report recommending approval from ON (neighborhood office) to B-2 (general business) conditioned on the submission of a combination plat merging the two lots. "The rezoning would not go into effect until that is done," staff explained during the presentation.

The applicant, Kurt Weinberger, identified himself as the owner of King Bee and Coffee and said he has operated a business in Charleston for 32 years. "We're a local business, and we just wanna do what we can to maintain what we've been doing and support the community," Weinberger said.

Several neighbors urged the commission to prioritize community needs and voiced concerns about traffic, drainage and the type of business that would occupy the site. Fred Fordham, a longtime adjacent property owner, said the neighborhood had experienced past drainage problems and warned against change that does not "support the community." "We are opposed to anything that would bring business in the community that does not support the community," Fordham said.

Vivian Pettigrew, who identified herself as the community vice president, said residents had not received business support for local events and described large trucks traveling on nearby Barnes Avenue. Shonda Shepherd Burnell, secretary of the neighborhood association and a Forsman Street resident, told commissioners the area lacks fresh-food retailers and a community center and said the neighborhood needed services for older residents and children rather than another business on that site. Mary Patterson, a long-time resident, said the community needs a playground and vendors to support local events.

Commissioners discussed whether opposition centered on rezoning in general or the specific type of business proposed. One commissioner said that strictly by zoning metrics the change aligns with the comprehensive plan and the character of the mixed-use corridor on Dorchester Road, but several commissioners emphasized that better applicant-community engagement and traffic/access protections for Forsman Street would be needed.

A motion to deny staff's recommendation for contingent approval was moved and seconded; in a roll-call vote Commissioners Bellamy, Crawford, Eddie Mazique and Chair Sharon Reed voted to deny the recommendation, while Commissioners Monteith and Char voted nay. The motion carried, 4-2. The commission's action will be forwarded to the mayor and City Council and scheduled for additional public input at the Council's Public Safety Committee on April 16.

The staff report noted the request included Charleston County parcel identifiers and said the parcels are shown on the city's future land-use map as "traditional neighborhood development" within a Dorchester Road mixed-use corridor. Staff recommended contingent approval subject to a combination plat that would merge the two parcels before rezoning takes effect.

Dan Scherer, the project's architect, said the planned vehicular access would be from Dorchester Road only and not from Forsman Street. The commission took no further action beyond the vote to deny the recommendation and referral to City Council.

Next procedural steps: the item will appear before the City Council Public Safety Committee on April 16 for further public comment and consideration.