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Historic neighborhood permitting and design studio reports 86 requests; staff promises quicker outreach
Summary
Principal planner Sharonica Gavin reported 86 design‑studio requests (Oct 2021–July 2024), 65 completed, 16 active (8 on hold) and committed to weekly applicant contact and a five‑business‑day response promise for requests.
Sharonica Gavin, principal planner for historic neighborhoods, told the task force that the historic neighborhood permitting and design studio has received 86 requests since October 2021, with 65 completed, 16 active and 5 withdrawn or inactive. "The reporting term for the historic neighborhood permitting and design studio is from October 2021 into July 2024. There has been a total of 86 requests for this program with 65 of those completed," Gavin said.
Gavin described outreach efforts (local television, print, town hall lobby materials) and emphasized client contact: if an applicant remains engaged, staff will keep an application open and provide at least three conceptual plans when appropriate. Asked about addressing heirs property and street naming for family parcels, Gavin said staff coordinates with the Lowcountry Gullah and the Heritage Library and will provide applicants realistic timelines and upfront process information.
Why this matters: the studio is intended to remove roadblocks for historic‑neighborhood applicants and give residents clear options for site design, naming and restoration; task force members raised concerns about setbacks, buffers and density changes that could affect historic neighborhoods and asked staff to ensure past task force work is preserved in the rewrite.
Next steps: Gavin will review her project spreadsheet to provide a time frame for when withdrawn or inactive cases are deemed inactive and will continue outreach to keep applicants informed.
