City of Charleston seeks input on height district updates

An ordinance has been given first reading by Charleston City Council to update the height district zoning for the peninsula area. The proposed changes convert most of the existing height districts, measured in feet, to districts measured by the number of stories. These changes would not affect current structures and would be used for zoning guidelines for new construction.

These height changes can be viewed at http://www.charleston-sc.gov/heightchanges.

“These recommendations are a result of over two years of collaborative review by the city, the Charleston preservation community and DPZ—one of the best planning firms in the country,” said Jacob Lindsey, the city’s director of planning, preservation and sustainability. “Ensuring the success of these changes hinges largely on public input, which is why our focus has been on transparency and engagement each step of the way. We have a number of stakeholder meetings scheduled in the next few weeks, which are part of a series of public meetings that have been held throughout the process. I encourage citizens to come to these meetings to engage us with their comments and questions.”

The City will hold the following public meetings to allow property owners, industry professionals, and members of the public to address comments to City staff, Planning Commission, and City Council about the proposed changes and to ask questions:

• Architect Professionals Stakeholder Meeting: May 15, 10 a.m., Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street
• Construction/Development Professionals Stakeholder Meeting: May 15, 2 p.m., Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street
• Property Owner Stakeholder Meeting: May 15, 6 p.m., Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street
• Planning Commission Public Hearing: May 25, 5 p.m., Burke High School Auditorium, 244 President Street
• City Council Public Hearing: June 20, 5 p.m., City Hall Council Chamber, 80 Broad Street

If interested parties are not able to attend any of the above sessions, they can express their comments or questions by phone, mail, or in person:

• Phone: 843.579.7510
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail or In Person: City of Charleston Planning Department, 2 George Street, Suite 3100, Charleston, SC 29401